Comics

Review: ‘The Walking Dead’ # 116

Published

10 years ago

November 13, 2013

All Out War continues in “The Walking Dead.” Rick and his forces push to make the first strike in an incredible issue that ratchets the pacing up to eleven. This is purely pulse pounding stuff that will have you contemplating the next move for everyone. Which is exactly why this year will be absolutely dizzying. Already things are moving faster than they ever have and there appears to be no end in sight.

WRITTEN BY: Robert Kirkman
ART BY: Charlie Adlard
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: November 13, 2013

This issue took me around five minutes to complete cover to cover. There isn’t much dialogue, and not a lot of time is wasted. The result is an issue that never stops moving for better or worse.

All Out War kicked off with a resounding success. Negan’s threat feels large and disastrous but for once Rick actually feels prepared. I’m starting to believe in his leadership again. He brilliantly plans and executes an attack using his knowledge of Negan and the world around them.

Kirkman shines here. As it is clear he is developing a whole new type of warfare. Zombie warfare. Something we’ve never seen before. He aims to give us a full-scale war between these camps within a world gone to shit. It’s totally admirable and it’s working really well.

Adlard’s pencils are on point yet again. He is able to capture the frenzied pace with relative ease. I’ve had my times where I haven’t been his biggest fan. His unclean, hard lines seem to be at home within the flurry of battle. His work shines brightest when he takes a step back. Showing us the grand scheme of the war, pulling out from the intimacy of the frame and showing us the lumbering legions of the undead. Adlard dances this fine line between Rick and the walkers, and in the end it all comes beautifully crashing together.

Small character moments rise to the top of the script. Kirkman makes sure to stop in briefly with all his major players. Showing how they react under stress and how they stick to a plan. Some are more interesting than others.

Negan’s reaction to the events is typical. He is cool, calm, and completely unhinged. It works wonders for his character, but also shows that his sense of confidence may be a little unfounded. As he is not ready or aware of what Rick has just done to him. Ezekiel has a nice moment here as well. Showing him amidst the battle in complete control. He’s a phenomenal character who has only just begun to develop.

So far this arc is truly unlike anything Kirkman has done before. Which is no easy feat after writing the same series for ten years. With any luck the fantastic pacing will keep up and we’ll be treated to a new gold standard of zombie story by years end.

Let the good times roll.

Rating: 4/5 Skulls.

Zac Thompson

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Comics

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

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

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.