Comics

Review: ‘Ten Grand’ #7

Published

10 years ago

February 14, 2014

“Ten Grand” #7 is a mind-blowing read as the creative team kick the writing and artwork up a notch this month. This is an interesting take on Dante’s “Divine Comedy” and the levels of Hell. This “Ten Grand” issue works for fans of the series and is a great jumping on point for newcomers.

WRITTEN BY: J. Michael Straczynski
ART BY: C.P. Smith
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: Feb. 12, 2014

Joe Fitzgerald, a former mob enforcer, died a horrible death just before making a promise to his lost love, Laura. Heaven will give Joe five minutes to spare with Laura if he dies a righteous death. Forced to do good, Joe rigs his heavenly assignments just to have that perfect moment with Laura. But when Joe discovers he has been lied to and that Laura is not in Heaven, he crosses over into an afterlife nightmare. Joined by a fallen angel named Jehoel, they search the never-ending landscape for the Gates of Hell.

Writer J. Michael Straczynski narrates a compelling tale about redemption with a mix of supernatural elements. Straczynski explores the back-stories of Joe and Jehoel, examining how two lost souls paid the price for their mistakes. Moving away from the crime drama, Straczynski is also putting Joe on a new mission of self-discovery. The narrative foreshadows that self-sacrifices will have be made in the eternal battle between good and evil. Is Joe able to make that kind of forfeit in order to save Laura?

Straczynski is able to do two things at once with this storyline. While focusing on the otherworldly battle between angels and demons, Straczynski is also able to develop the character growth of his main protagonist. As an anti-hero, Joe is someone who thinks only for himself, but now every decision he makes comes from his emotions for Laura. Joe tears his way through Heaven just to be by Laura’s side in Hell.

Artists C.P. Smith illustrates a surreal look to the dreamy landscape of Heaven and Hell. To me, each panel feels digitalized with watercolor effects. The backgrounds are vague in shapes and awash in primary colors. In a splash page, Smith captures an eye-popping image of an angelic baby floating upside down. Smith heightens the golden aspect of the halo and uses white tones for the small wings.
In a creative layout, Smith illustrates three connecting panels to portray the battle between Heaven and Hell. In the first panel, the white shades are crystallized to give a cosmic effect. Notice how the angels stand around like soldiers in a battlefield. The background in the second panel is painted in red as the angels go to war. Readers just see the silhouettes of the angels in the second and third panel.

With such unforgettable imagery, “Ten Grand” #7 takes the series to a whole new level. I look forward to seeing what direction Straczynski and Smith take in the next issue as Joe arrives in Hell.

Rating: 4.5/5 skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis

Related Topics:C.P. Smith Image Comics J. Michael Straczynski Ten Grand

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Comics

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

Published

2 weeks 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.