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Review: ‘Captain Ultimate’ #4

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10 years ago

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A charming ode to Halloween and all things spooky, “Captain Ultimate” #4 is a hilariously fun superhero tale that mixes scares and laughs. Get ready for lots of entertaining action and adventure with the “Captain Ultimate” series. There’s a lot to enjoy in a comic book that has costumed freaks, tricked-out cars, and a psycho punk band.

WRITTEN BY: Benjamin Bailey & Joey Esposito
ART BY: Boykoesh
PUBLISHER: MonkeyBrains Comics
PRICE: $0.99
RELEASE: October 30, 2013

Captain Ultimate is babysitting his number one fan, Milo, while his parents are off to their own adult Halloween parties. While Milo is going around, knocking on every door in sight, something else is wandering the streets on Halloween night. A punk band, The Pumpkills, is driving around in their hot rod, causing tons of trouble to the kids. The Pumpkills are really looking for a fight and they’ve got one with Captain Ultimate. The only problem is, Captain Ultimate has to keep himself in disguise during the battle of the bands.

Writers Benjamin Bailey and Joey Esposito develop more of the hero/sidekick relationship between Milo and Captain Ultimate. When the Pumpkills arrive, that’s when Milo jumps into the spotlight. Because he wants to be a hero himself, Milo acts with confidence while being put under pressure. Being a parental figure, Captain Ultimate knows exactly when to step in, without overshadowing Milo. Bailey and Esposito want to show how Milo can defend himself, without getting in over his head.

What’s interesting about the writing from Bailey and Esposito is how they bring back previous characters into the fold. There are a few returning characters that were introduced in the first installment. Continuing with its anti-bullying theme, it turns out Captain Ultimate is protecting the child of one of his hated enemies. Bailey and Esposito are slowly building the mythology with the people Captain Ultimate meets.

I really enjoyed the character designs for the punk band, The Pumpkills, from artist Boy “Boykoesh” Akkerman. The drummer’s entire head is a carved jack o’ lantern. The drummer is always smiling, as if he only has one facial expression. The guitarist has a tattoo right across her knuckles, which spells out, “Rock.” I thought it was really hilarious that these rock stars are getting drunk on root beer backstage.

My favorite of Akkerman’s illustrations is the splash page where Milo, Captain Ultimate, and Mutt are all going trick r’ treating. With a lot of references to popular culture, see if you can spot them all. The children are dressed up as Wonder Woman, Doctor Who, and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Ed Ryzowski pays around with color of their body tones, so that the eye can spot the trio as they cover the entire block in one shot.

“Captain Ultimate” #4 is such an enjoyable read with a real message at its heart. Halloween is a fun time to dress up and eat candy, but it’s not cool to act like a bully in front of others. This is not a bad way for kids to be introduced to comics.

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

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1 day 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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