Comics
[5 Skull Comic Review] “Dark Ages” #4 Is Enlightening
The thrilling and action packed finale of Dark Ages is upon on us, and boy is it awesome. Hawkherst, Lucifer and company prepare for the final battle against the aliens, or as they still refer to them: Demons. With a new synthetic arm and a fighting chance provided by their new robotic ally Hawkherst leads his men in what could possibly be their last stand.
WRITTEN BY: Dan Abnett
ART BY: I.N.J Culbard
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: November 12, 2014
Reviewed By: Torin Chambers
The opening interaction between Captain Hawkherst and his synthetic friend shows that Hawkherst is much less open and accepting of their ally. It’s nice to see he’s not completely on board at first and is cautious; he was just revived with a new arm only moments ago. He has his doubts but ultimately must put his trust in the robot for the sake of his men.
This new ally gives them their fighting chance; it informs them that their enemies communicate through scent. If they can defeat the demon captain and cut out one of his glands then the demons will cease their assault. Of course Hawkherst pushes back against this at first, being from the dark ages he cannot fully grasp what he is being told. Hawkherst’s newfound bound with his robotic savior gives him the confidence to carry out an action that he doesn’t full understand.
As our heroes do battle with the demons a separate but connected battle rages within the forts walls. Most of the priests are not who they appeared to be, becoming agents of the demons assaulting the fort. The battles are bloody as all hell; it’s a total joy to read. Characters are decapitated and demons are cut down chunk by bloody chunk. The fight wages for a majority of the issue and it does not fail to deliver a the glorious final stand that its been building to since issue #1.
Dark Ages #4 doesn’t outright answer every question or completely wrap up some plot threads but it does utterly satisfy. I’m a big fan of how it doesn’t perfectly wrap everything up in a bow, because it didn’t need to. The final two pages are a bit confusing and I’m not 100% sure what their significance was but that doesn’t tarnish the book in any way. If anything it adds to the bountiful amount of wonder Dark Ages has given over these 4 issues, and so marks the end of my favorite mini series of the year.
Don’t stay in the dark ages like fool, pick this series up and become enlightened.
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Torin Chambers is a rad dude from the nineties who does film stuff or something. Thomas the Tank Engine is his favorite transformer. Find him on Twitter @TorinsChambers
Comics
‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics
Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.
Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.
In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”
The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”
Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”
“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.
Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”
Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.
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Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover
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Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)
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Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)
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Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)
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Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)
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Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)
Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
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