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Review: ‘Lazarus’ #4

Published

11 years ago

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After all the major players have set up the pieces, “Lazarus” #4 lets loose on the action and holds no prisoners. The bad guys are about to learn what happens when they cross with Forever Carlyle. Readers have a plenty to enjoy with the “Lazarus” series as the pages become littered with guns, bullets, and dead bodies.

Written By: Greg Rucka
Art By: Michael Lark
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99
Release: Oct.2, 2013

Trained to be the perfect soldier, Forever Carlyle has been genetically engineered to obey and protect the Carlyle Family. But after a heist gone horribly wrong, Forever starts to see the cracks in the political system where power rests solely in the hands of wealthy families. Following orders from the Carlyle patriarch, Forever journeys into Mexico to prevent war with the Morray Family. The Carlyle twins, Johanna and Jonah, have a different agenda as they secretly betray their father’s wishes.

Johanna and Jonah are plotting against the Morray family, hoping to get rid of Forever in the process.
Writer Greg Rucka lets his characters reveal their true intentions while delivering the pulpy action. Though they have been in the background in previous installments, Dr. James Mann and Dr. Bethany Carlyle have a lot more to do in this issue. Readers finally get to see just whose side these characters are on. After being played around like a pawn, Forever will discover the true mastermind, the person who is really pulling the strings behind the operation.

During the intense action sequences, Rucka jumps back and forth between the surprise attack on Forever and the research facility. As Dr. James Mann and Dr. Bethany Carlyle bicker back and forth, Forever’s vital signs unexpectedly skyrocket. While Forever is fighting back against a rogue team of assassins, Dr. Bethany Carlyle is learning just how unkillable her perfect soldier really is. We also learn the hidden secret as to what makes Joacquim, the protector of the Morray family, so different from Forever.

When artist Michael Lark illustrates action sequences, you feel like you need a bucket of popcorn right beside you. Lark keeps the action running at full speed, especially when he transitions between locations. Notice how Lark keeps the violence roll out in one shot. Surrounded by a four-man team of assassins, Forever takes them all down with a round swing of her sword, slicing their throats.

Your jaw will drop as soon as you see how Lark splashes blood on the panels. After being wounded from the missile attack, Forever has a metal spike sticking out of her leg. She has to pull out that same spike from her leg, in order to use it in the fight. Lark doesn’t hold back, letting readers see what happens when a sword is plunged through the chest.

When readers reach the last page of “Lazarus” #4, they will be so geared up for the next story arc. If you love action movies, you’re definitely going to enjoy how Forever Carlyle kicks butt in the “Lazarus” series.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis

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Comics

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

Published

2 days 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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