Comics

Review: “Ghosted” # 7

Published

10 years ago

February 19, 2014

Trick gets a little help from his friends, Jackson gets more than a little pissed off, and Williamson introduces a fantastic new supernatural threat for our criminal team of miscreants. The uncanny world hits Jackson hard in “Ghosted” # 7 with the disembodied return of fan favorite character the second arc hits full stride and doesn’t show signs of letting up.

WRITTEN BY: Joshua Williamson
ART BY: Davide Gainfelice
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: February 19, 2014

The creative blend of crime and horror doesn’t let up for the second arc of “Ghosted.” Thanks to the incredible inclusion of Trick things for Jackson actually get seedier. The most unsightly portions of the criminal underworld are exposed and the new members of the gang aren’t quite prepared. We’re briefly introduced to The Brotherhood of the Closed Book: a group of mask toting bastards with a haunted temple for a lair. Jackson’s lost among it all. He finds himself in the middle. Torn between not giving a shit, and finishing the job he set out to do.

The real star of issue is the return of Anderson. It’s no spoiler since it’s right there on the cover. How she ultimately fits into the larger narrative is anyone’s guess, but for Jackson she’s a token of his past. She is there namely to torment but Williamson shows that she’s not all bad. It’s a fantastic device that keeps the possibilities for this series nearly limitless.

Gainfelice’s art slides into this criminal underworld with style to spare. His thick line work makes for bold characters. When shit hits the fan and it does often, his work really comes to shine. There is a lot of energy in his panels that translate really well to both the horror and the action. Anderson’s first appearance is handled magnificently. It begins terrifying only to leave a footnote of her beauty. The whole book has a delicate balance and incredible pace that matches Jackson’s razor sharp wit.

Newcomer Skinner gets some great character beats that complicate his relationship with Jackson. He’s not quite as detestable as he was last month. While Trick is useful but completely untrustworthy, I found myself doubting everything that came out of his mouth. A great dynamic ripe with conflict keeps the character interactions interesting.

The final act of the issue twists Jackson’s fate into another horrifying situation with seemingly no escape. It’s a beautifully dark tease for the shit that is yet to come, and manages to surprise by taking the story in a completely new direction.

“Ghosted” continues to deliver on the promise of its premise in new and interesting ways. This second arc is another fun spin on the horror genre with a near perfect fuse of crime elements. It manages to breath new life into both genres and creates something entirely new and totally enviable. It continues to be my favorite horror comic on the stands and with each passing issue only proves to be more captivating.

Rating: 4.5/5 Skulls.

Zac Thompson

Click to comment

Comics

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

Published

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.