Comics
Review: ‘Lazarus’ #3
As a major turning point happens in this installment, “Lazarus” #3 takes this action-packed sci-fi thriller to surprising new heights. Loyalties are tested and some characters might not even return in the following issue. The “Lazarus” series takes readers to a bleak future where money and guns rule with an iron fist.
Written By: Greg Rucka
Art By: Michael Lark
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99
Release: August 28, 2013
Forever Carlyle has been genetically engineered to serve and abide the Carlyle Family. But after being shot in the head, Forever is actually starting to see the flaws in the political system where power rests in the hands of wealthy families. As her reawakening continues, Forever journeys deep into Mexico to prevent war with the Morray Family. But Forever doesn’t realize she is being manipulated by the Carlyle twins, Johanna and Jonah. After Johanna and Jonah are done with their scheming and plotting revenge against the Morray family, they will have no more use for Forever.
Writer Greg Rucka takes a different look at Forever, presenting a much more vulnerable side to her personality. Without forsaking her intelligence, Rucka wants to show that Forever is more than an unwilling pawn in the Carlyle sibling’s mind games. Yes, Forever is tough and she is quite useful in action. But now a line is drawn where Forever has to question her loyalties. Finally, Forever suspects something is wrong about her orders and lets her guard down with someone she actually trusts.
What I definitely liked is how Rucka surrounds the Morray family with mystery. How did Morray make his wealth while living in Mexico? His backyard is filled with armored soldiers, while his mansion looks like a blast from the past. If you have seen crime/drug movies like “El Infierno,” the interiors resemble a drug kingpin’s lair. Morray even makes a grand entrance by arriving in a helicopter.
When Michael Lark illustrates action sequences, the scenes look like they were made for the big screen. Lark paces the action perfectly in the panels, so that the readers are built for the shock value effect. Notice how Lark focuses on Forever’s eye movements as she is being threatened by Joacquim’s solider. The suspense heightens in the quick-draw as Forever has her hands on her holster as the solider is about to pull the trigger.
Lark never strays far from the social themes about the war between the Haves and Have Nots. Notice the graffiti spray-painted on the walls of Morray’s mansion. In a nice little detail, the Spanish message says: “Morray becomes richer while the rest of us starve.” Notice how Morray’s mansion is surrounded by abandoned ranches and the desert landscape.
War is inevitable as “Lazarus” #3 reaches its shocking last page. Forever has to ultimately choose which side to fight for. But by the time she makes that decision, it just might be too late. Sci-fi fans should definitely be reading the “Lazarus” series.
4/5 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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