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Review: ‘Spike’ #2

Published

12 years ago

on

Following the events of “Spike: A Dark Place” #1, lovesick Spike is on his way back from the dark side of the moon and headed straight to Sunnydale with his crew of oversized alien-cockroach minions, and stranded demons. Returning to the place he helped the girl he’s hung-up on destroying might not be the best cure for Buffy heartache. Or perhaps, facing his troubles in the hometown where it all began is what this mopey vampire needs to finally move on.

WRITTEN BY: Victor Gischler
ART BY: Paul Lee
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics

After Spike’s blimp is overtaken by a gang of fish-like space demons, his loyal squad of bugs begin plotting his rescue. The relationship between Master Spike and his minions is quite interesting due to how one sided it seems to be. Their worth is not measured by what they need but by how much they are needed. And Master Spike needs them. Unsurprisingly, some bugs have their doubts about Spike’s feelings. “[…] When we help Master Spike, we are helping our own.” “[…] But sometimes I wonder if Master Spike feels the same about us.” Their loyalty is just so unbelievably endearing considering how Spike treats them.

Part Two of Spike’s advenutre functions as a build-up for what’s to come in the miniseries. Even though there’s not a whole lot of plot development, this issue introduces a new (seemingly generic and unoriginal) badass female character thst could mean many things for Spike and his love life (much to the chagrin of Spuffy Shippers).

This installment doesn’t live up to the last, but it at least humanizes this souled Spike in a way that past writers have never done before. Spike is built-up and smacked down by his romantic, or toxic, relationships with women. And now that he’s on his own, trying to “live” with his new soul, maybe he can finally develop as a character defined only by himself and not others.

Victor Gischler nails the voice of Spike, whose TV-verse swagger just drips off of him with every piece of dialogue. The art, by Paul Lee on pencils and Andy Owens on inks, helps tremendously in painting that cool image of Spike on paper. Unfortunately, where Lee excels at drawing Spike to look identical to James Marsters, the bug/fish-like alien demons from space are almost a little too comical to be taken seriously. It’s not hard to understand why this mini-series is a hit-or-miss among the Buffy fandom, but the unfolding story runs so smoothly, it makes up for the ridiculousness of the plot.

3/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – ShadowJayd

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

Published

6 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

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