Comics

[Comic Review] “Southern Cross” #3 Is Nail-Biting

Published

9 years ago

May 13, 2015

Reviewed by Jorge Solis. The nail-biting suspense builds as the vivid imagery takes hold in Southern Cross #3. The third installment continues to prove why the series is an incredibly enjoyable reading experience. As a cerebral and existentialist mystery, “Southern Cross” demonstrates what happens when story and art work perfectly side-by-side.

WRITTEN BY: Becky Cloonan

ART BY: Andy Belanger

PUBLISHER: Image Comics

PRICE: $3.99

RELEASE: May 13, 2015

In the vastness of outer space, Alex Braith just witnessed something frightening coming after her. In the dark and empty hallways of the spaceship, Alex is on the run from the dead man lurking in her room. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know if it was actually a warning, or just a hallucination. Space could be playing tricks on her mind. Or someone onboard is actually trying to kill her.

I love how writer Becky Cloonan develops the main character’s backstory by giving her a flashback. Keeping the memory from Alex’s point-of-view, the reader questions if the main protagonist is actually revisiting her childhood. Does Alex wish she had a happy childhood with her sister? Has something traumatized her that she needs to recreate a memory?

I enjoy the scenes where Cloonan gets to express Alex’s strong personality. There is a feistiness to Alex’s punkish attitude, but she’s not afraid to show off her vulnerability. The side characters are also slowly being developed. From the doctor to the chef, they act like blue-collar workers trying to make through the end of the day.

One of my favorite images from Andy Belanger is when Alex finds herself at the center of a circle full of windows. Everywhere she looks, Alex just sees a sea of stars. In another panel, when Alex looks at her reflection,the depiction illustrates the point as to why she is getting some sort of sea-sickness in outer-space.

Highlighting the awfulness of the food, colorist Lee Loughridge’s vividly paints the cafeteria scenes in greenish tones. Capturing the eerie atmosphere, Loughridge switches to a blue shade when Alex is staring at a computer screen in a climatic scene.

“Southern Cross” #3 continues to be an awesome read. When’s the fourth issue going to get here?

BDISGUSTING

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Comics

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

Published

7 days 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.