Comics
Why Damon Lindelof Should Feel Free to Defile “Watchmen”
What an odd headline. As a lifelong comic book fan, it’s a strange and new feeling to hope that something I’ve loved reading my entire life gets bastardized. With comic adaptations all the rage, I think we’re all collectively learning that direct adaptations aren’t always what’s best for the big screen, and it’s actually sorta, kinda nice to have each director inject their own flavor into their interpretation. After all these years, it’s time we accept that Tim Burton’s Batman is a goddamn masterpiece, but I digress…
Writer-producer Damon Lindelof is getting crucified by “Watchmen” fans for promising a different take on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons‘ source material. It’s got so bad that he wrote the below heartfelt letter to fans that goes as far as to detail his father’s death. It’s heartbreaking. It’s also heartbreaking that he has to defend himself. I’ve been a longtime hater of Lindelof, especially after what he did to “Lost” fans (I assure you, my sources tell me he was winging it and injecting weird stuff with zero intentions to explain), and then leaving Ridley Scott scrambling to sequelize his Prometheus (originally planned as a one-shot until Lindelof sold him on a trilogy). It wasn’t until I binged HBO’s “The Leftovers” that I was able to forgive and forget. Lindelof took all the positives in his arsenal and, for once in his career, delivered on his promise. “The Leftovers” may just be one of the greatest shows ever. Point is, I believe Lindelof has learned from his past mistakes and is only going to bring his storytelling gifts to “Watchmen”.
As for defiling the source material, do we really need a near-direct adaptation again? Many critics panned Zack Snyder‘s 2009 adaptation, and yet, it was perfect. As suggested above, sometimes the source material isn’t best suited for the big screen, and Snyder’s Watchmen was proof of this. Lindelof needs to take some liberties with his fresh take and, based on his filmography, I expect a more fractured/mysterious delivery of the characters and their backstories. It’s 2018, everything doesn’t have to happen exactly like it did in the comics. If I can learn to trust in Lindelof, I’m hoping “Watchmen” fans can too…
Comics
‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics
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.
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Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover
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Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)
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Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)
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Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)
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Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)
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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.
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