Comics
Review: ‘The Strain’ #10
The pages of The Strain #10 are alive with pulse-pounding suspense and hard-hitting action sequences. As the plot comes to a near-close, tons of twists and turns are laid out at breakneck speed. Highly entertaining, “The Strain” is an incredibly fun read.
WRITTEN BY: David Lapham
ART BY: Mike Huddleston
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: January 9, 2013
I love how David Lapham spread out the subplots evenly throughout the issues, giving each thread its own spotlight. Ephraim and Matt have always been in competition, even though they never share a scene together. In their own separate scenarios, they are both vying for the role of Zack’s father, as well as competing for Kelly’s affections. This issue has the biggest payoff of the family drama. Readers finally get to see Ephraim and Matt confront each other, as they both let out their hatred.
Lapham does a great job here adapting some of the toughest elements of Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s novel. In the novel, there is so much description about how The Master has the ability to invade his victim’s mind. Impressively, Lapham is able to show just how deadly the Master is in just a single panel. The Master’s appearance is also straight from the text, a combination of Nosferatu’s Count Orlock and Barlow from the Salem’s Lot TV miniseries.
The novel makes great use of its New York locations, much like the way the Law & Order series does. Mike Huddleston’s artwork avoids the traditional New York landmarks, such as the Empire State Building; and focuses on urban neighborhoods – Morningside Heights and Woodside – to showcase the apocalyptic atmosphere. By using shadows and wide angles, Huddleston captures such stunning and cinematic visuals of a city falling apart.
A major highlight of Huddleston’s illustrations is how he depicts the apocalypse in New York. With the lights out, the rooftops of buildings are burning as Gus slowly walks across his chaos-ridden block. Like muggers, vampires attack innocent civilians in the middle of the streets. Ordinary citizens are even rioting during the vampire siege. Huddleston adds to the hysteria as an arrow suddenly hits a vampire and his head explodes.
“The Strain” #10 delivers the bloody goods in an epic scale. Even if you know the novel by heart, you’re still going to be shocked by this visual interpretation. Readers are just one issue away from the gripping conclusion.
4.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jorge Solis
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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