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Review: ‘The Victories’ #5

Published

11 years ago

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Champions are plague carriers? Villains nowhere to be found but in flying cameras? Agoraphobic heroes are guilt-ridden and gone into hiding. Throw in a gigantic robot with an arm made of human bodies and “The Victories” #5 continues its wildly unpredictable tale.

WRITTEN BY: Michael Avon Oeming
ART BY: Michael Avon Oeming
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: September 4th, 2013

The Transhuman storyline comes to a close not with a bang but with surrender. Heroes have been deemed carrying a fatal disease to normal people. Quarantine camps are where the once worshipped heroes are now being cursed by the people they swore to protect. The power brokers behind the curtain are playing out their plan perfectly with almost no one knowing what is really going on. The opinion of the people sways quickly as it is wont to do. The scenes of the remaining heroes being corralled into their new pens are nice and depressing, as they should be. Heroes surrendering always feels like they’ve been neutered, doesn’t it?

D.D. Mau continues to get her screen time and it is well earned. This is one compelling character that continues to gather more and more nuances each issue. Is she one of the stronger female characters out there? I think she deserves consideration in that conversation. Her powers, her problems and her history all make her a fully developed and flawed hero to watch. Again, she does what is not expected of a hero in this issue. I would love to see some more about the other Victories but I’m sure creator Michael Avon Oeming has plans for the rest in due time.

Thankfully, this is not a talking-heads-only issue. The action comes in at a frenetic pace when the team is pursued. Drone cams are not drone cams. Arms of badass looking robot heroes are not just arms. Homeland security and… other champions are now the villains of the story. How is that for a twist? Robocalypse needs his own one-shot. Oeming again captures my attention all over again even with a few panels of this outrageously imaginative hero. This ending of the first arc reminds me of the end of The Empire Strikes Back in all the good ways. The bad guys win decisively and the heroes are left to lick their wounds. Great storytelling all around.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Your Friendly Neighborhood Brady

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

Published

2 weeks ago

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April 18, 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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