Comics
Review: ‘Emily and the Strangers’ #1
With Universal Studios set to release a film version of the iconic counterculture character played by Chloë Moretz (Let Me In, Kick-Ass) in the near future, the return of Emily the Strange to Dark Horse Comics could not be more timely. Creator Rob Reger, along with co-writer Mariah Huehner (True Blood, Angel) and artist Emily Ivie (The Locked Maze, Rotsterarsil), team up to deliver a full-color, three-issue miniseries titled “Emily and the Strangers”, and it’s zorking amazing.
WRITTEN BY: Rob Reger, Mariah Heuhner
ART BY: Emily Ivie
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: January 30th
‘Emily and the Strangers’ is a delightfully charming and buoyantly dark endeavor by the creative team; filled with avant-garde contraptions, secret teen-speak vernacular, and authentically detailed artwork that encompasses the moody, steampunk, alternative goth style the series exhibits. But while it’s hitting the market as an all-ages comic book, there’s a specific target-audience that Reger and Heuhner are reaching out to. Even still, Emily’s sullenly sarcastic personality, nerdy innovations, and unapologetic anti-social tendencies, fail to conceal a subtle sweetness to her character that will appeal to both new readers and Emily fans alike.
The art by Emily Ivie is drenched in murky colours and is showcased in fantastically detailed panels; specifically, in the laboratory where our young protagonists formulates all her pseudo-science plans for her obscure inventions. There’s so much going on visually, that readers will need a minute or two to fully absorb each page. Ivie’s style is so simple, yet perfectly suited for the series, and she captures the essence of ‘Emily the Strange’ marvellously.
Issue #1 is definitely off to a great start. With help from her quartet of havoc-wreaking black cats, Emily is hell-bent on creating the most rockin’ song the world has ever heard, in order to win the legendary haunted guitar owned by the late Professa Kraken, a musician who died under mysterious circumstances. Only trouble is, she needs a band to be able to win the prize. Can she go it alone, or succumb to the interests of a young musical prodigy named Evan Stranger, who just wants to put a band together to rock out to his heart’s content? Pick up a copy to find out, but just know that she does not play well with others.
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – ShadowJayd
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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