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[TV Review] “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” – ‘Love in the time of Hydra’

Published

9 years ago

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The other S.H.I.E.L.D- what everything has been building towards this half season, is an interesting concept that leaves me with some mixed feelings.  It makes sense that an organization as vast a S.H.I.E.L.D would still have dedicated people beyond Coulson and his group and it also makes sense that a splinter group would be formed that opposed Coulson as the rightful leader, especially considering how many shenanigans he’s been involved with.  What I’m not necessarily buying is that the fundamental ideological difference between the two S.H.I.E.L.Ds is that they disagree with the way Fury led; “he kept too many secrets” says the mustachioed Ed Olmos on the secret “SHIELD 2” carrier.  Well, whether you have a conceptual issue with “secrets” or not, Fury saved the world big time, and Coulson sort of has too.  Its a little thin as far as motivations go, if that had been left out and they had just focused on Coulson being unpredictable and so on I think they could have put a finer point on the issue.  But it is all very interesting: these aren’t Hydra people for Team Coulson to defeat, this conflict will need to be faced in a way I can’t even predict.

Agent 33 and Ward make their first appearance since the mid-season and most of this episode is focused on their effort to replace her burned up face and reclaim Bakshi in a twisted effort to reclaim her identity and cope with the trauma that Hydra caused her.  Ward is still a manipulative psychopath, thankfully, and his intentions with Agent 33 are unclear.  While kidnapping Bakshi from Talbot’s facility, Talbot runs around screaming and waving his arms like Yosemite Sam.  It was a strange, out of place, almost wacky performance that reminding me I’m watching prime time ABC, something I forget often during this show.  I usually don’t mind Talbot but this was something else.

The decision to stash Skye for the time being was a good one, and the difficulty of making that decision was not under represented.  The responsibility was and should have been Coulson’s, and it was good to see the two of them connecting in this fucked up time.  I don’t assume she’ll be out of the game for very long, if even a full episode, but this was the most logical choice they could make for the time being.

As much as this episode felt like the start of things, it was a satisfying conclusion to the drawn out “Mac and Bobbi have a secret” plot.  There are a lot of moving pieces now, and I’m as excited as ever to see how it all comes together.

Positives:
– The “Other” S.H.I.E.L.D finally revealed

– Ward is back

– Skye and Coulson

 

Negatives:

– “Other” S.H.I.E.L.Ds motive

– WTF Talbot

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Comics

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

Published

5 days ago

on

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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