Comics

Review: ‘Crawling Sky’ #2

Published

11 years ago

February 20, 2013

Back with their second installment of Crawling Sky, Joe R. and Keith Lansdale take a backseat to Brian Denham’s talents in visual storytelling, as their reliance on expository dialogue reaches unsatisfactory heights. With a script that’s carried by its artwork, “Crawling Sky” #2 doesn’t deliver as magnificently as its series opener; but considering this is merely a five-issue miniseries adapted from a gratifying novella, a gratuitous amount of build-up is to be expected.

WRITTEN BY: Joe R. Lansdale, Keith Lansdale
ART BY: Brian Denham
PUBLISHER: Antarctic Press
PRICE: $4.99
RELEASE: January 13th, 2013

As previously mentioned, this issue’s main problem is that it takes a winding, but perhaps necessary, course through explanatory territory, making it quite clear that the series is adapted from a prose narrative. On its own, it wouldn’t be a great hindrance, but for a visual medium such as comics, a single issue that meanders towards its final panel with only one significant plot point is slightly off-putting.

Issue #2 continues with Reverend Mercer following Norville back to his isolated cabin, ready to face the demonic spirit that’s lurking in a nearby well. Seeming to understand the gravity of the situation, he slowly begins to piece together the growing mystery surrounding the savage creature, as they find a secret tome called The Book of Doches. Working quickly before night falls, Mercer instructs Norville to build a protective barrier inside the cabin, while he studies the contents of the spell book. Stopping the demon from returning to the source of its power is their main objective, but it must be summoned first.

Though not nearly as riveting as the first installment, the Landsdale’s infuse the narrative with some fleeting instances of humorous asides, which Denham illustrates wonderfully. For example, when it’s revealed that the cover of The Book of Doches is made out of skin, he renders an image of Norville amusingly wiping his hands on his clothes in distaste. Denham remains artistically consistent, excelling where the scenes call for excessive shading and darkness.

Overall, “Crawling Sky” #2 suffers for the pacing of its narrative, but Brian Denham effectively pushes the story along with his pencils. Admittedly, the final panel leading into the next installment is thrilling, as readers are offered a glimpse of the monstrous demon that Mercer and Norville will be facing in Part 3.

3/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – ShadowJayd

Related Topics:Antarctic Press Crawling Sky Joe R. Lansdale Keith Lansdale

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Comics

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

Published

2 weeks 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.