Comics
Review: ‘Kill Shakespeare: The Tide of Blood’ #4
An enjoyable re-imagination of classic Shakespearean characters, Kill Shakespeare: The Tide of Blood #4 delivers an excellent issue full of sorcery and adventure. Don’t worry if you’re not fully versed in Shakespeare. Newcomers are still going to understand what’s going on and what the characters are saying. Readers should not miss out on this exciting installment of the “Kill Shakespeare” series.
WRITTEN BY: Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col
ART BY: Andy Belanger
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: May 29th, 2013
With his heart broken by Juliet, Romeo listens to lies being fed to him by the powerful wizard, Prospero. Consumed with jealousy, Romeo wants Juliet for himself but he has to get rid of Hamlet first. As Hamlet and Othello are held prisoners by Prospero’s island, Juliet has to come to their recue. But, what will happen when Romeo and Juliet finally confront each other? In order to save the love of her life, Juliet will have to raise her sword against her old flame, Romeo. Will the god-like wizard Shakespeare risk getting involved once again and save his creations from death?
Writers Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col have taken an unexpected twist on Prospero’s Island. Alive with its own wants and needs, the island is rebelling against its master and doesn’t want to follow Prospero’s orders anymore. I find it fascinating that McCreery and Del Col have visually given a face to an unseen character, Sycorax. Only described from other characters in “The Tempest,” Sycorax is now a scheming trickster hiding behind the mask of an abnormal tree. Sycorax always has a smirk on his face, as if he is having fun playing mind-games around Juliet.
McCreery and Del Col have also developed the complexity of the heartbroken Romeo. Yearning to be a hero, Romero wants to protect Juliet from the island. But, he wants revenge against the god-like wizard Shakespeare. Romeo feels abandoned and neglected after he sacrificed so much for Shakespeare. Romeo thinks he is doing right by Juliet, but he doesn’t realize he is also being manipulated in the process.
Artist Andy Belanger captures the suspense as Juliet and Romeo travel through different parts of the island to reach the same destination. Before discovering a hidden entrance, Juliet finds two decomposed heads sitting on spikes. Romeo finds himself surrounded by statues of demons reaching out for him. The readers are watching the two narratives unfold at the same time. In an inventive use of panel layouts, the scene looks cinematic, as if Belanger was using the split-screen technique.
In an impressive opening splash page, Belanger shows readers how Prospero is mentally torturing Hamlet. We see how Prospero is phasing his hand through Hamlet’s skull and squeezing his brain. Inside Hamlet’s head, Prospero is doing all kinds of damage to his mental state. In a creepy character design, Prospero looks like his eyes gouged out, as if he purposely blinded himself.
The characters in “Kill Shakespeare: Tide of Blood” #4 are heading to an epic battle of good vs. evil. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the conclusion.
4.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jorge Solis
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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