Comics

[Advance Review] “Harrow County” #1 Is Haunting And Beautiful

Published

9 years ago

April 16, 2015

“Harrow County” #1 is a rural tale of ancient horror brought to life by Cullen Bunn’s fearful narration and Tyler Crook’s incredible watercolors. The atmosphere of this book will creep down your spine and stay there, trapping you in the its embrace. There is no respite. This is one story that will be with you for a very long time.

WRITTEN BY: Cullen Bunn
ART BY: Tyler Crook

PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99

RELEASE: May 13, 2015

Cullen Bunn has a certain affinity for rural townsfolk. Quaint farmland is a reoccurring setting in his horror work, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a place of limited understanding, strong belief, and superstition. These elements play well in the world of horror. They also lend well to ancient evil. Heavy reliance on technology undercuts just about everything, but building an atmosphere outside of this reliance creates a nostalgic horror that proves irresistible.

Tyler Crook’s water colors command the very first page. There is a lot to love about the art. Crook pencils, inks, and colors everything. And, you can see the labor on the page. Outside of that technical achievement is a natural talent for storytelling. The visual pacing is sweeping and perfectly in sync with the writing.

There are a few particular panels in this first issue that will absolutely stop you dead. A few for the fear that they inspire, and a few more for the absolute beauty of their composition. Just take a moment and marvel at Crook’s creative process.

The main character, Emmy is a superstitious little child growing up on a farm. Cullen Bunn excellently places the reader in the scared child’s head with voice over narration. Instead of detracting from the story, he adds new angles to Crook’s art. Informing his terrified little girl as she glides through the pages. There is a moment of sheer terror that is combated in the most beautiful way possible: innocence.

Childhood is a time of naivety, and while that theme may seem tired for most readers, it doesn’t last long. The entire issue is filled with reversals that will test your foresight. If you thought you knew what was lurking on the next page, Bunn is one step ahead of you.

“Harrow County” is a masterful creation that lingers in the small moments of terror from our daily lives. It builds on this tension by adding a supernatural layer, and hits it home with a petrifying climax. It’s attractive and scary. You’ll be scared to turn the page, but dying to see what beautiful darkness comes next. This is a whole new level of southern gothic that cannot be missed.

That.Last.Page… damn.

Zac Thompson

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Comics

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

Published

1 week 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.