Connect with us

Comics

[Comic Review] “Convergence” #3 Is Tiresome And Convoluted

Published

9 years ago

on

“Convergence” #3 does so little to offer any course correction that the entire series now looks like a write off. The dialogue is still terribly derivative, the characters are generic, and the threat posed by Telos is undefined. With this chapter Jeff King sets the stage for the mid point of the event with the subtlety of a sledge hammer to the head. The result is a a fairly good climax ruined by shamefully bad plotting, and heavy handed voice over.

STK668519

WRITTEN BY: Jeff King
ART BY: Stephen Segovia
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: April 22, 2015

“Convergence” seems to have been written in a vacuum free of criticism or second guesses. It’s as if the script never got a second pass, and the dialogue on the page was all supposed to be replaced with something better. So again, the painful reality of a first time comics writer handling an huge ensemble piece is evident. Most of the issue is devoted to the heroes spouting off recaps of why they’ve tried everything – you know the stuff we saw last week – well they’re going to remind you about ALL OF IT.

When it’s not wading through it’s somehow dense plot – the characters inch a little closer to what Telos is and what convergence is trying to accomplish. This is outside the clear indication that the series is nothing more than a setup for the new iteration of Earth 2 that we’ll see after the event. Despite DC’s press to the contrary, it seems “Convergence” is very steeped in the world of the New 52.

Stephen Segovia’s art suffers from the massive amount of plot. He’s left to wade through troublesome transitions and strange fight scenes with far to many characters on the page. At his best, the work is serviceable and routine. But once the panels become crowded and his action falls to pieces. Our heroes follow the mysterious stranger that appeared last issue into the center of this new planet. Here the reader is greeted with what seems like some semblance of plot development, only to be hit over the head with a jarring scene change that introduces new locations and characters without so much as a caption to indicate time and place. Aside from that there’s the issue of the climax. Painful transitions aside, everything seems to fall apart at the apex of the action. The issue’s most monumental moment of action is confusing.

Spoilers for the event. 

The death of Thomas Wayne occurs in this issue to laughable results. Not only is his death almost an aside to the chaos on the page, but the reader is hit over the head with what this death means. Thanks to a hearty dose of voice over narration from Dick Grayson the moment means nothing. King’s script takes the moment to remind you every small thing this Batman has done that mattered. The problem occurring when not a single one of these things occurred on the pages of “Convergence.”

End Spoilers

At this point “Convergence” is hard to recommend. It shows absolutely no signs of course correction and consistently drowns under its own weight. The result is an event without nuance, or even a proofread. That’s right, Green Lantern’s dialogue actually has a misspelling of “Telos” calling the villain “Tellos” it’s not just a quirk either, it’s a real deal one time error. It’s almost the cherry on top of this embarrassingly bad piece.

Related Topics:
Advertisement
Click to comment

Comics

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

Published

2 days ago

on

April 18, 2024

By

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

Continue Reading