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Review: ‘Clockwork Angels’ #1

Published

10 years ago

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Rush drummer Neil Peart’s lyrics get a little more mileage in the comic book “Clockwork Angels” #1, an adaptation of a novel by the same name (and same author), which is in fact, a novelization of Rush’s concept album, also by the same name. Or in other words, it’s a copy of a copy and the effect is starting to lose its impact.

WRITTEN BY: Kevin J. Anderson and Neil Peart
ART BY: Nick Robles
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios

PRICE: $3.99

RELEASE: March 19, 2014

“Clockwork Angels” is a dystopian story set against a steampunk backdrop. Owen Hardy, a teenage boy from a “utopian” society, starts to question the very notion and push back against the “perfect” life that has been arranged for him. There is nothing new about this concept. It shares the plot and plot elements with a lot of dystopian novels that have come before it. Sometimes an overly used plot can make a refreshing comeback, unfortunately, such is not the case in the first issue of “Clockwork Angels”.

Full disclaimer: I’m not a Rush fan. Word on the street is that this is a great read for Rush fans. And I can imagine why. The plot so accurately portrays the concept album it’s based on, and furthermore, seems to be a straight adaptation of the novel. I can imagine any Rush fan would find it exhilarating to see some of their favorite music come to comic book life. So in all fairness, there’s that.

But overall, this is the type of comic that presents a lot of problems for me as the reviewer. There is nothing entirely wrong about the comic, but there’s nothing entirely right about it either. There are plenty of positive things to say and plenty of not-so-positive things to say, with absolutely no middle ground or fence-sitting on my part.

Perhaps the most evident problem is that “Clockwork Angels” is TOO well crafted. The illustrations are grand, cinematic, and have an overwhelming “picture book” quality to them. Everything from illustrations to discourse are so perfectly executed that it borders on uninteresting. There is a sense of “safety” in the finished product. Which just doesn’t feel natural for a dystopian comic book.

As I mentioned above, the plot has been done before. Like, a lot. In regards to storyline, I could just say: “See also: The Giver, Fahrenheit 451, 1984, Brave New World, The Handmaid’s Tale, etc.” While it has all the ingredients for a great dystopian of this type, it lacks the salt of the genre, thus making it fall flat on delivery. There is nothing too profound or genre bending which tends to be the saving grace for reused plots.

What could be a winning move for this comic would be to market it to a younger audience. The “Disney” like illustrations combined with the safe dialogue and recycled plot would do well with fresh eyes. The story is not UNenjoyable. It simply lacks the edgy depth of a groundbreaking dystopian/steampunk concept.

3/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Bree Ogden

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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

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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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