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Review: ‘Bedlam’ #1

Published

11 years ago

on

Its Halloween week and Image comics chose this unique opportunity to introduce their newest serial killer to the world of comics. From the brilliantly creative mind of Nick Spencer comes the twisted story of Bedlam, a city, that has recently, gotten over the terror of the murderous acts of a sick and twisted man who preys on the local children and women. Especially children. This book isn’t the customary serial killer story, and the wonderful art by Riley Rossmo reflects its untraditional style.

WRITTEN BY: Nick Spencer
ART BY: Riley Rossmo
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: 3.50
RELEASE: October 31st

The story of “Bedlam” is a solid one; it uses flashbacks to explain the origin of Madder Red, a psychopathic serial that at one time slaughtered thousands of people just for the hell of it. Now, he’s dead but the city is still haunted by his work. As the book progresses it becomes clear that the main protagonist, Fillmore, has a dirty little secret. At this point the flow of the book can be hard to follow; utilizing the flashbacks to progress the story of Madder Red with lots of dialogue that helps the reader get into his head while showing Fillmore’s life in the present day. As the book comes to its conclusion the story definitely fits cleanly together and makes sense but throughout the read it can be tedious at times.

Nick Spencer knows what he’s doing; he’s become known for his stray-from-the-beaten-path storytelling that keeps the reader guessing from start to finish. It would be hard for anyone to read Spencer’s Madder Red and not think of the Joker, but regardless I love it. The book starts off with a bang and keeps pacing well throughout. There are times when the story slows down for some expositions, but even when the dialogue is hefty the delivery is done in such a way that it doesn’t feel slowed. Where “Bedlam” really starts to take shape is the final few pages of the issue, showing that this is not just a Joker ripoff, but something else entirely. Something that could never be done in the DCU.

The art in this book is the kind of awesome you’d expect from Rossmo. The flashbacks images are look as though they are not finished, adding a sense of grit and unease. At these stages of the story the images are also in black and white except for anything red, whether its clothing or the enormous amounts of blood, adding to the uniqueness of the art. When the story follows Fillmore, there is still an emphasis on the colour red but the art is much more cleaned up and with many other colours in the spectrum.

“Bedlam” has a lot of potential, though the story was confusing at times the ending tied together well, leaving so much room for the creative team to run free. The issue is also extra-sized, which gives you an extra bang for your buck. Every fan of the horror genre should read this book.

3.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – GreenBasterd

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Comics

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

Published

5 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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