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Review: ‘Witch Doctor: Mal Practice’ #1

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11 years ago

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Witch Doctor: Mal Practice #1 sees the return of Dr. Vincent Morrow to the realm of the paranormal medical world, as he tackles not only monsters and demons, but his own mortality. Flanked by his sidekicks Penny Dreadful and Eric Gast, Morrow seems to have stumbled onto a brewing conspiracy before he is side-tracked by a heavy night of drinking and… other activities. Thanks to an excellent script from writer Brandon Seifert full of humor and strong characters, as well as Lukas Ketner’s art, this is a strong first issue in this new series.

WRITER: Brandon Seifert
ARTIST: Lukas Ketner
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: November 28th, 2012

The greatest strength of “Witch Doctor” is its characters. Dr. Morrow comes off as what Spider Jerusalem might be if he studied occultism instead of journalism, was slightly less acerbic, and had a significantly lower tolerance for drugs and alcohol. Eric Gast is the straight man of the group, but he has his own quirk – PTSD – which was humorously illustrated in a single panel. And Penny Dreadful clearly has identity issues. This is an entertaining cast of characters, and so when Dr. Morrow is in danger by the end of the book, you’re already rooting for them if only for the simple reason that you enjoy their presence.

In addition, Seifert manages to introduce the reader to all these characters while at the same time building a solid basis for the plot of this series. A particularly nasty demonic infection leads Dr. Morrow to suspect there might be witchcraft afoot. Before he can investigate, however, he stays up at a local bar where – after a number of drinks – he meets a voluptuous woman and wakes up with quite the hickey the morning after. And things go downhill from there. It’s simple, straight forward and compelling, which is exactly what an introductory issue should be.

Ketner’s art is equally impressive. He has a sound command of character expressions which allows him to accentuate the subtle details of characterization that dialogue isn’t capable of doing. This humanizes the characters and allows us to connect with them. But when he’s called upon to do horror, Ketner’s more than up to the task. Suffice it to say that the next time you see a hickey on your neck, you might just piss yourself.

On the whole, this is an excellent first issue with very few, if any, flaws. The only thing holding it back is that this is the first issue, and so there isn’t a lot of weight to the proceedings. Still, that’s an extraordinarily minor complaint. This is definitely one to pick up.

4.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – George Shunick

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

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1 day 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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