Comics
Review: ‘Storm Dogs’ #1
Alien planet with humans coming in to mine its resources? Check.
Mysterious local wildlife and deadly environment? Check.
Criminal Investigation team brought in to investigate a string of murders? Check.
Readers, welcome to a new space mystery thriller, Storm Dogs #1.
WRITTEN BY: David Hine
ART BY: Doug Braithwaite
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: November 7th, 2012
From the first page, readers are given enough to go on about the new and mysterious setting: a mineral-rich planet called Amaranth, full of alien wildlife and resources to explore and exploit. Mining operations are worked by “questionable” characters, all with something to hide or forget. The mystery part comes into play when seven humans are murdered with no clue as to who or what did the killing. Time to bring in a team of experts including a lonely Commander Cassandra Burroughs, forensic crime and alien anatomy Doctor Jered Hoffman, culture and language expert Masika Zenda and weapons, tactics and muscles Siam Locke.
Writer David Hine’s story is set in the future where some planets are technology-haves and some are technology-have-nots. Amaranth falls into the latter category which means the CI Team will have use less tech than they are used to. Some of the team have more difficulty with this than others. It reminds me of the setup that Firefly employed so smartly to give the creative team more flexibility as to where their stories could go. Throw in the two mysterious intelligent species – the Elohi and the Joppa – and you’ve got the good parts of Avatar thrown into the mix for good measure.
Artist Doug Braithwaite works towards his strengths as the planet and the characters are given the proper amount of grit and roughness in the different landscapes. Some panels look sketchier than what I’ve seen from Braithwaite in the past, so I’m assuming he’s trying out a new approach to his own creations. The coloring by Ulises Arreola is also muted in certain panels to depict the harsh landscapes. I’m curious to see if other parts of this planet will have a more vivid colour palette to show us. The deadly acid rain storms with its red lightning and gigantic rolling black clouds that has humans running for shelter is one area I thought should have more bold colour.
The local lawman tells us what “Storm Dogs” are: “anyone who’s crazy enough to go out in the rain, they’re Storm Dogs.” Like a storm rolling into your town, this first issue has a slow but gradual movement. It’s never easy to set up a new world and premise in one issue but Hine, Braithwaite, and company deliver a decent start. Plus, they included some nice extras to entice and intrigue the reader to come back to Amaranth next month. I think I’ll wait out and see what this storm brings.
Rating: 3/5 Skulls.
Reviewed by: Your Friendly Neighbourhood Brady
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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