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Review: ‘The Steam Engines of Oz’ #1

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11 years ago

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The Steam Engines of Oz #1 is a unique twist on the fantasy world created by L. Frank Baum. Once again, readers are swept away to another world that is spooky and whimsical at the same time. The great and powerful land of Oz has been wonderfully re-imagined with a cool steampunk update.

WRITTEN BY: Erik Hendrix & Sean Patrick O’ Reilly
ART BY: Yannis Roumboulias
PUBLISHER: Arcana Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: June 2013

Raised beneath Emerald City, Victoria Wright has always kept the steam machines of Oz running. Victoria has never wished to escape because she never thought about leaving her job. But then, the flying monkeys showed her what the world above was like. For the first time in her very life, Victoria’s eyes are truly open. When she returns back home, Victoria is falsely accused as a traitor. With the machines constantly growing and evolving, Victoria realizes she must bring back the magic to Emerald City. She must escape from the place she only knew and travel deep into the magical forest of Oz.

What I really enjoyed about this retelling by Erik Hendrix and Sean Patrick O’ Reilly is how they have made steampunk versions of classic characters. The Tin Man is this giant robot with a booming voice. The Pack, an aggressive and merciless animal herd, serve the Cowardly Lion as their leader because he showed no fear. Probably the most surprising, the Munchkins are now beer-guzzling, tough guys with itchy trigger fingers. Nobody, not even the vicious Pack, wants to deal with the Munchkins.

I really enjoyed how the narrative is told from Victoria Wright, who is a simple mechanic thrown into an extraordinary situation. Victoria doesn’t know what she is doing most of time because she has never set foot outside her home. In her coming-of-age tale, she is learning about her true self under the darkest of circumstances. The narrative has an interesting metaphor for Victoria’s transition into adulthood and Emerald City’s resistance towards the progressive future.

Yannis Roumboulias provides the glossary artwork for the steampunk element of the narrative. In their character designs, the Pack is wearing black leather outfits and have necklaces made of bones. Just by looking at them, you can interpret the Pack as a motorcycle gang, but without the vehicle. The Tin Man has exhaust pipes connected to his back, which blows clouds of smoke above his head.

Roumboulias always captures a look of shock and awe on Victoria’s facial expressions. In one panel, she is mesmerized by the swarm of colorful butterflies. In the next, she is horribly frightened by the lion as he crushes the butterfly with his bare hand. Victoria wants to see what the outside world has to offer her, but she doesn’t realize there is also danger lurking in the corner.

Less kid-friendly and darker toned, “The Steam Engines of Oz” #1 establishes the steampunk vision of Emerald City and its citizens. I look forward to seeing what The Scarecrow, The Good Witch, and Toto look like in their steampunk version.

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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16 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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