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Review: ‘Witch Doctor: Mal Practice’ #5

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11 years ago

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Just before its penultimate conclusion, Witch Doctor: Mal Practice #5 delivers a fantastic read filled with monsters, black magic, and femme fatales. As always with the “Witch Doctor” series, readers will find tons of hilarious one-liners, surprising twists, and nonstop action. You’re missing out on all the bloody fun if you’re not reading this comic.

WRITTEN BY: Brandon Seifert
ART BY: Lukas Ketner
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: March 27, 2013

After a one-night stand, Dr. Vincent Morrow found himself under a deadly supernatural attack. With the clock ticking, Dr. Morrow has to stop the killer virus from invading his internal organs. Though he has Eric and Penny by his side, Morrow doubts will actually find the cure to save him. Dr. Morrow’s mysterious enemies want something he has in his collection. In order to make this deal happen, Dr. Morrow has to save Penny, who is being held hostage by his enemies. But with his heartbeat beginning to fade, will Dr. Morrow be able to save himself and Penny from death?

Brandon Seifert’s cleverly crafts two adventures into one issue. First, Seifert has Dr. Morrow entering his body system, which is an homage to the sci-fi film, Fantastic Voyage. Instead of white blood cells, we have dragon-like parasites attacking from the inside. In order to save himself from the demonic parasite, Dr. Morrow has to increase the voltage of the defibrillator on himself. Whatever is happening in the outside world is also hurting Dr. Morrow on the inside.

Elsewhere, Eric is planning a rescue mission for the kidnapped Penny. Morrow’s enemies are using a crack house as their hideout. Because Morrow’s enemies are injecting junkies with black magic, Siefert makes an interesting metaphor for drugs. The junkies have no idea they are taking a substance that will eventually turn them into demons.

Artist Lukas Ketner is just having fun when he illustrates Eric as the action hero. Feeling confident and tough, Eric has no problem carrying Dr. Morrow’s sword as if it were his own. When Dr. Morrow storms into the crack house, Eric has his finger ready to pull the trigger. This goes back to the first issue, when Eric remembers in a flashback of his military training. Eric knows how to enter a room stealthily and strategize an attack.

In the last splash page, Ketner depicts what happens when the drugs start to kick in. With their eyes glowing red, the junkies twist their bodies like spiders and are walking backwards. Some of them are floating above the floor or crawling on the ceiling. Because the drugs are changing their internal organs, the junkies are vomiting tiny monsters.

With just one issue away from its conclusion, “Witch Doctor: Mal Practice” #5 keeps adding the action, humor, and suspense. The “Witch Doctor” series remains a constant fun and entertaining read. I can’t wait to see how this story arc ends.

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

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6 hours ago

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April 17, 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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