Connect with us

Comics

[Comic Review] “Oh, Killstrike” #1 Channels 90’s Nostalgia

Published

9 years ago

on

“Oh, Killstrike” #1 has an interesting premise, a 90’s superhero somehow enters our world with only vengeance on his agenda. The greatest obstacle standing before this comic is whether or not it’ll grow beyond 90’s superhero nostalgia. So far in the first issue it hasn’t overstayed its welcome but hopefully it can grow into something more in the coming issues.

STK671119

WRITTEN BY: Max Bemis

ART BY: Logan Faerber

PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios

PRICE: $2.99

RELEASE: 20 May 2015

Our protagonist, Jared, was a hardcore superhero fan in the 90’s. Happily gobbling it all up in its time but now he’s all about D.I.Y. indie comics and more importantly he’s a new father. So when his old #1 issue of the fictional 90’s comic gem Killstrike finally sells for $100,000 online he’s ecstatic. His wife doesn’t full understand at first, which acts as a great exposition device as he swiftly brings her and the reader up to date on superhero comics during the 90’s. Then the only step left is to go back to his mother’s house and collect his old issue.

This is where the fun beings and the issue really kicks off. As soon as Jared finds the issue Killstrike himself leaps out from the page screaming “VENGEANCE!” He looks wickedly 90’s, sporting grotesquely bulging muscles, teenie tiny feet, tribal tattoos and pouches for every season. While his look is spot on his dialogue and actions feel a bit at odds with the meathead they’re trying to sell him as. He comes off more like a lost puppy at times than the relentless killing machine we’re told he is.

Even though it comes off a little strange in its own way it makes him endearing. He’s in a world that’s totally foreign to him, one that requires a bit less vengeance in day-to-day life than he’s accustomed to. The promise of Killstrike in Manhattan for the next issue definitely has my hopes up as this issues he only really interacts with Jared. Seeing the world at large react to him will be quite the treat I’m sure.

Oh, Killstrike is a solid first outing for a book that’s true potential will take a few more issues to fully evaluate. I can see it becoming a rad late life coming of age story but it could also flounder under too much 90’s nostalgia.

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