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Review: ‘Steed & Mrs. Peel’ #1

Published

12 years ago

on

As a child, I remember discovering there was a television show that played late at night called The Avengers. Like most kids growing up reading comics, my mind raced at the possibility that a show existed about the now-billion-dollar super team. When I finally saw what the show was about, I was left completely underwhelmed and fell asleep almost instantly. Beyond that encounter and the highly dubious movie adaptation from the 1990s, I knew next to nothing about this series. Perfect. Time to see what Steed & Mrs. Peel #1 has to offer. You now have my attention.

WRITTEN BY: Mark Waid and Caleb Monroe
ART BY: Will Sliney
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: 26 Sep 12

The opening pages offer a solid introduction akin to what you may see in an opening to a modern James Bond movie: covert agents, missiles launched, jets intercepting and then BOOM! Buckingham Palace blown away! That is attention grabbing, folks. England’s new fall look will be a combination of rubble meets zombie apocalypse chic. Mark Waid and Caleb Monroe are able to capture the essence of the main characters very well through various interactions and conversations. Plus, the hook of exploring a devastated England is intriguing. The antagonists of the series, who take to calling themselves The Hellfire Club, which is a bit too familiar and I think I may have heard it before from some other marvelous comic company. Perhaps it is a British reference I just don’t understand.

This story is definitely set in the era of the original show as intercoms and automated firefighting systems are the latest technology showcased, which adds a nice bit of novelty to the post-apocalyptic genre. Another piece of the previous era surfaces in the form Mr. Steed’s very un-modern comment of “progress.” Look for it, it’s cheeky. What is new to “Steed & Mrs. Peel” is the situation they find themselves in. Mashing past tastes, 1960s spies, and modern tastes, end of the world and zombies, it will be interesting to see how they develop in future issues.

The art by Will Sliney reminds me of Tony Harris’ work for his details and thick inking, as well as Chris Samnee’s use of black and negative space. I’m excited to see what he can do when they really let him loose on the page.

Aside from the cliche villains of the series, “Steed & Mrs. Peel #1” is a good start to an experiment in genre-mashing.

3.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by: FriendlyNeighborhoodBrady

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

Published

23 hours 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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