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[Comic Review] “Pisces” #2 is a Masterful Mental Horror

Published

9 years ago

on

Reviewed By Taylor Hoffman.

In “Pisces” #2 Kurtis Wiebe and Johnny Christmas dig deeply into the mind of a haunted veteran whose ghosts of war follow him throughout the rest of his fractured life. After reading this issue, it seems clear that all the pain that Dillon Carpenter, our main character, harbors is as existential as directly related to his air-force experience. As we travel through his life in flashback and flash-forward, we’ve already seen how much he’s treated as a villain and a failure by his father, his country, and the mystery woman from the first issue. In this second issue, Wiebe and Christmas take the horrors inside of Dillon’s mind and spreads them onto the pages like the plague.

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Story by: Kurtis Wiebe

Art by: Johnnie Christmas

Publisher: Image Comics

Release Date: 5/27/15

The majority of this issue focuses on trust issues: can others trust him, can he trust anyone else, and, most importantly, can he trust himself?

We are thrown into the darkest memories of Carpenter and our eyes can’t help but dwell on his misery in an attempt to understand it all. Christmas draws nightmare demons like thick, black tar with worlds inside each smooth bubble that pops into a puddle of ink. He isn’t alone in his plight and a fellow veteran reassures him that there’s some, albeit very little, help and hope left for them. Both confide their shame and nightmares at a late night diner stop which gives readers a new level of depth to our main character.

There’s a lot to unpack in this scene, but reading it might motivate readers to understand the harsh reality of those who can’t speak out in fear of being silenced completely. Dillon is a survivor of war with no idea how to cope with the guilt through life with more than the simple takes that keep him going day by day, which is a rough routine that sedates, but never satisfies him. In the most lucid moment of his panic attacks, he’s blinded by the sheer violence and extreme loss in his life. We’re seeing his stream of consciousness wildly malfunction and flood with fears.

Wiebe proves he did his research on PTSD and war veterans, which clearly shows in the dynamics of Dillon’s relationships in this issue. It’s a stunning piece to examine, and it’s an opportunity to delve into taboo topics in war without celebrating war itself. It’s hard to articulate the absolute beauty of this issue because reading it is an intensely emotional dive into a mind scared and interrupted by reality. Each reader will find something deeply personal while staring into the starry abyss of death’s secret devils screaming in unison to be freed. Will anyone listen to Dillon when he’s finally in space? Who or what will hear his screams?

Pisces is an unfolding masterpiece that’s pushing the boundaries of comics past a point of ignorance and into a mind of real horror. While it’s only on the second issue, there’s so much ground and space left to explore. Wiebe and Christmas are the perfect team to fill out this grotesque and truly upsetting horror story of silence and mental illness. Dillon’s nightmares are getting worse, but are they just in his head or is there something extraterrestrial in the same form lurking beneath?

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Comics

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

Published

19 hours 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

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