Connect with us

Comics

Review: ‘B.P.R.D.: Vampire’ #3

Published

11 years ago

on

BPRD: Vampire explodes into action in this week’s issue as Agent Anders’ finds himself in the presence of an ancient undead evil. The previous two issues of this story arc have been lacking the luster that Mike Mignola has built his universe upon. This third issue really makes up for lost time in that sense. The most disturbing thing about this issue is that there are two issues to follow it and with all the plot advancement and action that takes place, I’m truly at a loss as to which direction the story will go.

WRITTEN BY: Mike Mignola, Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon
ART BY: Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
RELEASE: May 29th, 2013
PRICE: $3.50

We ease into this issue slowly as Anders attempts to track down the illusive Lord Wilhelm, soon enough magical powers surrounding the protagonist begin to activate he soon finds himself in the confrontation he’s been looking for. This issue answers some questions revolving around this story but it happens to introduce several big new ones. But the issue holds a lot of plot advancement and gives great insight into the character of Agent Anders, particularly his link to the vampires he seeks. Upon the completion of the issue we are left with some resolution but it’s clear that the ensuing issues will hold key answers to important issues.

The writing is spot on. There is a slow build to the banter between Anders and Wilhelm. It’s as if Anders is playing by the old saying “Revenge is a dish best served cold”. The presence of the ghostly apparitions adds additional dimensions to the dialogue going on for the bulk of the story. This book is no-where near as slow as the previous issues. It has that same slow build quality to it but the climax of the book is reached much more quickly and takes up a solid three quarters of the book. The book is action packed but with proper spacing between panels as not to go against the grain of the average BPRD book.

At first I was not a fan of this book’s artistic style. I felt the simplistic cartoony look of the characters took away from the sinister feeling that accompanies BPRD, but as the book progressed I found that the artistic style has grown on me. This is especially prevalent with Lord Wilhelm. He looks like one bad ass vampire and the contrast between him and Anders gives off that sinister dimension I mentioned previously. The setting of this book is drawn wonderfully, up close the ruins of the dank dungeon and abandoned upstairs are detailed but the back ground is left more with blank colour to give the effect of extreme darkness and large unknown territory left out of panel. When it comes to colours and shading this book is clearly that of the Migonla legacy, soft pallet with a hefty amount of shading and darkness gives the proper mood and effect.

I definitely like this issue the most out of the bunch and I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the arc develops.

3.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – GreenBastard

Related Topics:
Advertisement
Click to comment

Comics

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

Published

19 hours ago

on

April 18, 2024

By

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

Continue Reading