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[Interview] Garth Ennis Goes Into Deep Space For ‘Alien’ Inspired ‘Caliban’

Published

10 years ago

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Garth Ennis never seems to rest. He’s constantly developing new projects, and this spring Garth will debut his latest offering, the horror/science-fiction epic, “Caliban”, with artist Facundo Percio (“Anna Mercury”, “Fashion Beast”) for the warped folks over at Avatar Press.

“Caliban” is the story of a deep space mining vessel that stumbles onto an alien life form. The crew of the “Caliban” are thrust into a position where they are the frontlines for humanity, establishing contact with this new found species and deciphering if they are friend or a foe. “Caliban” plays out like Garth Ennis’ personal love letter to Ridley Scott’s Alien as he explores the depths of extraterrestrial horror.

Ennis took the time to answer a few questions about “Caliban” for Bloody-Disgusting and spoke about how the series was initially inspired by last year’s Prometheus, what it’s like working with artist Facundo Percio, and what fans can expect when the series finally launches.

What was the genesis for the idea of “Caliban” and what was it about the idea for this science-fiction story set in space that you had to tell the story?

Garth Ennis: The idea that would eventually evolve into “Caliban” began when I heard there was going to be a prequel to “Alien’, which is one of my all-time favourite films. What I like best about it is the sheer level of imagination on display; it gets you thinking about all kinds of possibilities. When I finally saw “Prometheus” I realised they’d gone in a completely different direction to what I expected, and given that I had all these ideas kicking about from my idle musing, I thought- why not?

BD: The crew of the “Caliban” encounter a new alien life form when their ship crashes. What can you tell us about the aliens in this book and the threat they present to the crew?

GA: Not much that won’t give away the plot. I can say that there are three separate entities involved: the ship’s owners, their cargo, and then the real trouble.

BD: You’re working on “Caliban” with artist Facundo Percio, who worked on Avatar’s adaptation of Alan Moore and Malcolm McLaren’s “Fashion Beast”. What made him the perfect partner for this new science-fiction series?

GA: He’s a great storyteller, very good with characters, and tremendous imagination. I found his work on “Fashion Beast” to be quite mesmerising.

BD: Reading the synopsis for the book it’s hard not to think of classic science-fiction movies like “Alien” or “2001: A Space Odyssey”. How much of an inspiration were those films and what do you think sets “Caliban” apart from other sci-fi space/horror stories?

GA: As I mentioned earlier, ‘Alien’ is the main and obvious influence here. It’s impossible to watch any of the sci-fi/horror flicks that have appeared since and not see “Alien” lurking somewhere in the background: “Pitch Black”, “Event Horizon”, “Pandorum” and various others all carry that particular genre. Sometimes they say something new and sometimes they don’t, but with “Caliban” I like to think I do.

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Comics

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

Published

2 days 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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