Comics

[Comic Book Review] “Edward Scissorhands” #2 Carries Authentic Emotion

Published

9 years ago

November 26, 2014

“Edward Scissorhands” #2 doesn’t waste any time reminding you of the story; the parts that are most relevant, after all, have been part of the cultural canon since 1990. Instead, it concentrates on bringing the two vignettes– Edward’s solitary life in his castle with his brother/son/prototype, and Megs’ typical teenage life minus her beloved grandmother– to an intersection.

WRITTEN BY: Kate Leth

ART BY: Drew Rausch

PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing

PRICE: $2.99

RELEASE: November 26, 2014

Reviewed By: Katy Rex

This issue does a lot of things right. Let’s start with the design of Eli, a character who must have been hard to nail down– he’s an earlier, older version of Edward, but he’s been created most recently so he also is a newer, younger version. He walks a line between childishness and violence, not dissimilar to the one Edward walked 24 (oh my god, has it been that long?!) years ago.

Rausch’s design addresses all of these facets of the character, making him at once a timeless and an old-fashioned childlike robot. Special mention must be made of the colorist, Jeremy Colwell, as the colors are what really brings Eli’s character design together, in particular his use of red. By muting the colors and focusing on cooler shades, rather than doing a grayscale with red highlights, we get a nod to the over-the-top aesthetic of the original movie while still allowing this series to stand on its own feet.

The mother/daughter dynamic, too, is exactly right– Leth communicates the way in which teenage daughters and their mothers practically speak another language. When Megs fights with her mom, it’s clear that as much tension and hostility they have, they’re both coming from a place of good intentions, and they love each other. Edward Scissorhands has a certain authenticity to its emotions, even in the midst of ridiculous pageantry, and the comic continues this tradition.

In all the things this issue is doing right, it’s still very clearly an exposition issue. This isn’t the story, this is the lead-up. It’s paced very slowly, and there are a lot of parts that seem like they could be filler (unless, in some unlikely twist, some small detail in the many panels of Eli hiding in or walking through the woods gets a call-back). Two issues is a long lead-up in comics, and it could probably have been done more concisely, but I’m very enthusiastic about what it’s leading up to.

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Katy Rex writes comics analysis at endoftheuniversecomics.com, comicsbulletin.com, and bloody-disgusting.com. She also writes scholarly articles for various academic journals. She really likes butt jokes, dinosaurs, and killing psychos and midgets in Borderlands 2. She has a great sense of humor if you’re not an asshole.

Twitter: @eotucomics

Tumblr: katy-rex.tumblr.com

Instagram: @katy_rex

Email: katy@endoftheuniversecomics.com

Zac Thompson

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

6 days ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

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.