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[5 Skull Comic Review] “LOW” #5 Inspires Awe

Published

9 years ago

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Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini’s “Low” #5 opens with yet another significant time jump. Such large cuts in narrative structures would usually make me furrow my brow, but in this case, it just makes me wonder in awe. I desperately want to know what details Remender would have revealed within those four months and I want to see what Tocchini would have shown us. But then again, if it were up to me, this series would be a lot longer than the projected 60 issues.

STK655581

WRITTEN BY: Rick Remender

ART BY: Greg Tocchini

PUBLISHER: Image Comics

PRICE: $3.50

RELEASE: December 3, 2014

Reviewed by Nick Brehmer

After being betrayed by a brainwashed Tajo, both Stel and Marik are prisoners of Polluma; Stel’s being tortured by Roln while Marik has become a sort of celebrity gladiator in the giant monster fishbowl that serves as entertainment for the deranged masses. Roln is in fact using Marik newfound fame as a way to slowly draw out the coordinates of the fallen probe. That’s right – this issue contains a stunning, underwater gladiator fight against massive sea monsters.

But it’s in this scenario that makes apparent the brilliance of Remender’s character development. While it may be emotionally rewarding to get behind Stel and her ferocious optimism, the villains of this story need to be respected. Why? Because they’re romantics. They aren’t bent on destruction or chaos. – they want to live. They want to see the sky, feel the wind, and hear the birds. Roln knows that how Polluma exists isn’t really living. The probe and the prospect of a new home are just as appealing to Roln and his minions as it is to Stel and Marik.

Remender understands human nature. He understands hope and despair and what they do to people, for better or for worse. This is why “Low” is such an incredible story. We’ve already seen so much radical change in characters. You can look at the broken, yet-to-be-revealed story arc of Tajo and see how hope is so cruelly stolen from youth into adulthood. Conversely, you can see how, especially through Marik’s narration in the latter part of this issue, how good intentions are also easily corruptible and how that corruption can indeed be rectified.

I’m not sure if I want to spend many words on Tocchini’s art from this issue within this review. Deep – that’s all I’ll say. The process that the two creators have presented to us is just so ambitious and noble that each issue draws up very appropriate moisture to my eyes. Their process is definitely one to be trusted.

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Processed with VSCOcam with b2 presetA product of the harsh lands of Northern Ontario, Nick Brehmer is in fact a sensitive flower currently blooming in the GTA. He spends his downtime wishing he was British. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @nicholasbrehmer

 

 

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Comics

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

Published

2 days ago

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April 18, 2024

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Witchblade cover

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.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • 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.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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