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I’m Sick To Death Of Talking About the ‘Preacher’ Adaptation…

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Garth Ennis’ “Preacher” series is still the best comic book arc I’ve ever read. Ennis didn’t milk the series (like Image is doing with “The Walking Dead”) into boring oblivion and delivered one hell of a satisfying conclusion. I revisit the trades yearly, and burn through them within a weeks time. It’s such an awesome story that it puts my brain in a stupor trying to comprehend why it has never been adapted for the big (or small) screen. If “The Walking Dead” can be transformed into a phenomenon, why not “Preacher”? And Why is Sony dicking around with a franchise that comic fans are begging for? Who knows – but it pisses me off.

The last we heard, D.J. Caruso was attached to direct the story of a down-and-out Texas preacher possessed by Genesis, a supernatural entity conceived by the unnatural coupling of an angel and a demon. Given immense powers, the preacher teamed with an old girlfriend and a hard-drinking Irish vampire and set out on a journey across America to find God — who apparently had abandoned his duties in heaven — and hold him accountable for his negligence.

IAR spoke with Caruso who had this dismaying update:

I’m still attached to ‘Preacher’ and we’re wrestling with Sony because I got another movie at Sony called ‘Invertigo,’ which is a big action film we’re trying to get going this summer,” he says, basically stating that Preacher is once again being treated like dirt. “So ‘Preacher’ got put on the back burner, but we’re still involved with ‘Preacher’ and hopefully we’ll have some good news on that soon.

He explains that it needs to go through the studio’s “budget” process, something which could easily be avoided if they took in the ever-so-popular television route: “I think it’s one of those features that has to kind of go through the studio system if it’s going to be made for a certain price. So we’re kind of revisiting a way to approach making the movie in the right way.

The right way is to hire someone who actually passionately, desperately wants to make it because, without that person, it’s just going to work its way through every writer and director in town before it eventually goes into turnaround.

In short, I’ve given up hope on this – again. And again. And again. SMFH.

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

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

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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 (AnimosityBatwomanDC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide SquadPower RangersRed 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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