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Final Issue Review: ‘Hack/Slash’ #25

Published

11 years ago

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There is no turning back now as Hack/Slash #25 hits its readers with this last issue. The slasher slayers make their last stand towards a somber and perfectly fitting conclusion. Longtime fans of the “Hack/Slash” series should be prepared for their favorite characters to meet some misery.

WRITTEN BY: Tim Seeley
ART BY: Elena Casagrande
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: March 27th, 2013

At a rock concert, a poisonous black liquid has been injected into a shipment of soda refreshments. After taking a sip of the poison, the concert-goers are suddenly turning into psychotic killers. With the clock ticking, Vlad and Cassie have to stop the Black Lamp Society from reaching their final goal. As the last song plays, innocent lives will be sacrificed and the entire world will be at its end. The slasher slayers are the only ones who can stop this terrible nightmare from coming true. Will Vlad and Cassie triumph in the end? Or, will they die a tragic hero’s death?

Because this is the last issue, writer Tim Seeley wants to do the best for his protagonists and give them an ending they deserve. I’m sure there are fans who will be upset, but Seeley has provided a great conclusion to the series. Cassie and Vlad are given a truly epic battle, where sacrifices are made at the last minute and characters reach the end of their arcs. Seeley throws his protagonists into deadly scenarios, which keep getting worse and worse, but never hints that they will walk away towards a happy ending.

One of my favorite characters in the series is Cat Curio, the intrepid detective. Seeley gives Cat the best lines as she faces the Murder Messiah at the rock concert. Used mostly as the comic relief, Cat is the last person you would think to turn things around. True to her character, Cat comes up with something incredibly smart, while delivering some witty one-liners.

Artist Elena Casagrande hooks readers with the best illustrations of Vlad and Cassie. In a tender moment between the two, Cassie and Vlad just look at each other. For this quiet scene, there is no dialogue between the characters, nor are there any thought captions. Readers just know what the two are thinking based on their facial expressions. Casagrande paints a lot of emotion into the close-ups before the panels break into a wide shot.

Casagrande escalates the gore and mayhem as Cassie takes down the psychotic killers roaming the concert. In a big panel, Cassie takes down a swarm of killers with her baseball bat. Full of rage, Cassie keeps fighting, even though her leg has just been stabbed. Nothing is going to stop Cassie as she slashes her way towards the Murder Messiah.

After so many bloody and twisted adventures, Cassie and Vlad reach their final destination in “Hack/Slash” #25. This is exactly the type of ending I wanted these characters to have. Having been a fan from the get go, I am definitely sad this series is ending, but the conclusion is very satisfying.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis

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Comics

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

Published

2 days 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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