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[Comic Preview] “Vampire Hunter D: Message From Mars” #1 From Stranger Comics

Published

8 years ago

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Earlier this year, Unified Pictures announced that they would be crowdfunding a comic adaption of an incredibly rare Vampire Hunter D short story titled “Message From Cecile”. Dubbed “Vampire Hunter D: Message From Mars“, the story features writing by Brandon Easton (Bad Moon Rising) and artwork from Michael Broussard (The Darkness, Captain Midnight, The Walking Dead, Castlevania).

The Kickstarter was a resounding success, raising nearly $110,000 to adapt this short story, which, “…was only published for a fan event in Japan and will make it’s English debut in this comic book series published by Stranger Comics.” A week ago, samples of the comic were released and they looked absolutely gorgeous.

I’ve managed to get my hands on a preview copy, which reveals the first five pages of the forthcoming comic, which is supposed to come out on November 16th. Already having seen the cover and one fully illustrated page, I hopped into the the rest of the material, eager to venture back into the world of D, a character I’ve been familiar with since I saw Vampire Hunter D on the Sci Fi Channel back in the early 90’s.

From what I could gather from the few pages I was sent, the story follows D as he travels to Mars for an undisclosed reason. He has received a letter from someone by the name of Cecile, “…a sound technician in the Mars capitol city of Wells.” Upon landing on Mars, he is met by another vampire, who recognizes D and knows of his history of vampire slaying. A battle ensues and D obviously wins (c’mon, it’s the first issue, so this shouldn’t be seen as a spoiler of any kind). After that, D continues forward, saying that he doesn’t, “…want to keep the client waiting.”

Honestly, there’s not too much to go by story-wise because the focus of these few pages is to give the reader the chance to read Cecile’s letter to D as well as witness the battle. The cliff-hanger in this preview is that Cecile states she is able to see the future and that D is going to kill her.

The first thing that struck me was the absolutely gorgeous artwork and coloring done both for the cover and the pages themselves. Everything looks vibrant and bright, even D, in all his dark clothing, cuts through the pages like a shadow.

The lettering is crisp but not bland, the font easy to read while being pleasant. Additionally, D’s parasitic left hand has a different font, making him stand out and, from what I’m guessing, making it easy to differentiate between the two when they converse.

Not too much is revealed here, which is perfect. I got a great taste of what’s to come and it left me wanting more. Any chance to have more D in my life is something I’ll happily accept!

Bonus: Unified Pictures’ Scott McLean also sent us photos of a test proof of the Badali Jewelry D pendant, which was a limited offering on one of the Kickstarter tiers. Only 100 were made, so these are very precious and it looks quite beautiful! Check it out below!

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Comics

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

Published

6 days ago

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April 18, 2024

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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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