Comics
[Comic Book Review] “Ivar Timewalker” #2 Is Tight Crisp And Funny
Reviewed by Brady Steele. Ivar, Timewalker #2 shows readers that the one your hero is trying to save can also be the villain trying to foil you at the same time. This is time travel storytelling at its finest. Like the first issue last month, this chapter keeps everything tight, crisp and funny with a sense of impending doom thrown in for good measure.
WRITTEN BY: Fred Van Lente
ART BY: Clayton Henry
PUBLISHER: Valiant Entertainment
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: 18 February 2015
Ivar Anni-Padda already feels like a character who would kick you in the crotch to get whatever he wants, no matter how big or small that ‘want’ may be. Writer Fred Van Lente makes everything The Timewalker do feel not-so-noble. The enthralling part is that you still want to see what his plan is and why he does what he does to get there. Forcing young scientist / future villain Neela Sethi to try killing someone is an utterly captivating experiment in social behaviour and behaviour modification. There are so many levels to Ivar’s every step, it’s hard to decide his ultimate motivations.
The art so far has been impressive to behold. Artist Clayton Henry really makes every era, every weapon, every other time traveller seem matchless and fresh. For example, I hope we see more of the Anon-Lurker in the future. It was also cool to see another artist take our travellers to another time period. Robert Gill gave the WWI trench moments a certain level of grit and grime. Nothing felt clear or as black and white as you’d expect which was a great effect to help illustrate the story’s point. Read it, I’m not spoiling it for you and you’ll thank me later.
It’s thought-provoking to me that time travel always wants to change things that have happened in the past. Van Lente eloquently asks “Who doesn’t fanaticize about becoming the editor of their own life..?” Ivar, Timewalker #2 shows both sides of that argument so effectively that I still don’t know what side I come down on. I just know I want to see what this time traveller takes us next and if he’s really that clever
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Mr. Steele enjoys all things comics and imagination-based. Using his lifetime of comic-fu-dom for good, he imparts his knowledge for the universe to enjoy and for you, dear readers, to pass it on.
Twitter: @mrbradysteele
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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