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Review: ‘Velvet’ #2

Published

10 years ago

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An action-packed spy thriller, “Velvet” #2 is a rewarding read full of plot twists and tons of action. This story has a gun-toting femme fatale, high-ranking shadowy agents, and trained assassins. How can you tell there is a traitor in the group when everyone is pretending to live a double life?

WRITTEN BY: Ed Brubaker
ART BY: Steve Epting
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: Dec. 4, 2013

The underground organization, X-Ops, sent their top secret agent, Jeff Keller, on a dangerous assignment in Paris. When the mission turned into a disaster, Jeff was suddenly shot and killed at point-blank range. At the X-Ops headquarters in London, Velvet Temptation has just learned her ex-lover was murdered in cold blood. More than just an average secretary, Velvet will do anything to find Jeff’s killer and avenge his death. But, all the clues point to Velvet as the culprit responsible for the cold-blooded assassin plot. Framed for a crime she didn’t commit, Velvet is now on the run from her own people.

Writer Ed Brubaker uses inventive technological gadgets and exotic locations to spice up the espionage-driven narrative. Brubaker keeps the story flowing at a fast pace as he switches between two perspectives. We have the fugitive-on-the-run plotline as Velvet fights her way out of tricky situations. We then have the cat and mouse subplot as Sgt. Roberts investigates everything about his opponent. Though it’s never said a loud, Sgt. Roberts and Velvet respect each other because they’re both good at their job.

Brubaker is able to keep Velvet a mysterious figure even while providing glimpses of her past. Though Velvet acts like a bookish secretary at the X-Ops offices, she has been out in the field many times. Though readers don’t get any specifics, we get the idea that Velvet has had secret romances, escaped alive from deadly missions, and has been trained to kill. For me, the best part is that Brubaker allows Velvet to have fun while she is kicking butt.

Artist Steve Epting sure knows how to keep readers hooked with his action sequences. Taking a more realistic approach, Epting illustrates Velvet wounded and bleeding while she is on the run. After crashing through a window, Velvet limps her way down the stairs, while putting pressure on her bloody wound. You have this great shoot-out in the opening pages that turns into an even awesome car chase.
I particularly enjoyed how Epting illustrates Sgt. Roberts in his new character design. After taking a punch from Velvet, Sgt. Roberts now has a busted nose and a black eye. In his latest character design, Sgt. Roberts has bandages over his nose and forehead, with some bruises around his cheeks. In the opening pages, Epting delivers a great shot of the angry and beaten Sgt. Roberts as he smokes a cigarette in the rain.

Without taking a break, “Velvet” #2 continues to keep the excitement running at full speed. If you’re a huge fan of espionage thrillers, you’re definitely going to enjoy the action sequences in the “Velvet” 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

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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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