Comics

Review: ‘Blackacre’ #1

Published

11 years ago

December 7, 2012

Blackacre is a new series from Image, which brings an unapologetic political slant to the typical post-apocalyptic scenario played out in many contemporary works of fiction. It’s an interesting and certainly bold take on the genre, and it gives the series something to distinguish it from the get-go. Beyond that, issue #1 smartly focuses on establishing characters and setting, and ends with a twist that will entice readers to pick up the next issue. All in all, it’s a textbook opening issue to what looks like an intriguing new series.

WRITTEN BY: Duffy Boudreau
ART BY: Wendell Cavalcanti
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: December 5th, 2012

“Blackacre” might be the first comic I’ve read to mention zombies and pirates within the first five pages, and then go in a completely different direction without either of these pop culture staples and be better off for it. Duffy Boudreau’s script opens with a lecture from a professor far in the future, explaining just what led to the collapse of the United States the century prior. It’s unabashedly political, with not-so-subtle references to the growing financial inequality within America and the “1%”, the paranoid obsession of the religious right, and the infamous private security force formerly known as Blackwater, which is undoubtedly where “Blackacre” derives its title.

All of this serves to give “Blackacre” its own identity within comics, but beyond the opening few pages this doesn’t really factor into the plot aside from setting up an apocalyptic wasteland. From there on, we are introduced to a world of privilege and a world of suffering, characters we can empathize with on both sides, as well as characters we’ll come to despise. By the end, there’s an evident conspiracy afoot, and that will be enough to make you come back for more. But it’s a fairly basic plot that be indistinguishable if not for the opening.

Wendell Cavalcanti’s art can be good, but there are a few too many instances where characters just look weird or disproportionate. His environments are good, and his sleek, crisp approach to his visuals fits in with the military themes of the script. By and large, his work on the characters is solid. But still, seeing a dude’s eyeball rise up to their forehead every now and then is rather unsettling.

“Blackacre” manages to establish the setting and characters of its plot rather quickly, which is to be commended. However, its strongest – or at least most intriguing – attribute is its connection to contemporary politics, and that was essentially abandoned after the opening speech. I suspect that this is because it simply isn’t possible to set up a good story and to engage in political commentary at the same time. That’s understandable, and hopefully upcoming issues will explore this element further. Few comics attempt to engage in political commentary, and even less do it well.

3.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – George Shunick

Comics

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

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

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.