Comics

Review: ‘Shaolin Cowboy’ # 2

Published

10 years ago

November 13, 2013

Geof Darrow’s ‘Shaolin Cowboy’ defies explanation. After the first issue I found myself joyously scratching my head as to where the narrative was heading in issue two. This month I have my answer, and it’s one of the boldest issues of a comic I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, I’m just not sure if it’s good for everyone.

WRITTEN BY: Geof Darrow
ART BY: Geof Darrow
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: November 13, 2013

I’m all for over the top action scenes. In fact I’ll be the first guy to pour over them meticulously and enjoy every bit of them after the dust has settled. But, I’ve never seen an issue of a comic entirely devoted to one smooth effort of execution.

This month Geof Darrow solidifies the insanity of ‘Shaolin Cowboy’ by giving an issue entirely centered around exactly that: one continuous action scene.

The titular cowboy finds himself lost in a sea of zombies. Surrounded on every side he does the only thing any of us would do, he picks up his long stick with chainsaws on either end and destroys everything around him.

Darrow’s incredibly detailed art makes this effort a total joy to look at. The cowboy starts to spin on page one, and by the end of the issue he’s still spinning within a circle of corpses. All the while though, we’re treated to an absolute symphony of death that communicates just how powerful the cowboy is.

The entire issue dizzies as you read it, because the motion never stops. Darrow finds new and exciting ways to cut bodies to pieces and the sheer insanity of the premise never lets up for a second. Every page is seemingly more detailed than the last and it’s almost impossible to fathom how Darrow planned this issue out.

Every single page save for the first consisted of two panels spread across two pages working as long horizontal splashes. It creates the feeling of being surrounded but also gives the insane chainsaw tool some room to move. Obviously the issue moves with nothing but the utmost pace, you have nothing standing in your way from blowing through this issue within about 30 seconds.

However, if you take your time and truly appreciate what every panel has to offer you’ll notice a intricately planned action scene with some of the best, most detailed art comics has to offer.

There’s not much more to say than that. Story is non-existent here. Pick this issue up and marvel at Darrow’s work, but don’t expect much more than a visual feast.

Rating: 3/5 Skulls.

Zac Thompson

Click to comment

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.