Comics

Review: ‘Juice Squeezers’ #4

Published

10 years ago

April 4, 2014

Kids squashing bugs is always fun. Growing up near forests and mountains, my summer times always made it a necessity or the horse flies and mosquitoes would eat you alive. Imagine that but these critters are the sizes of dogs, deer, and buses. The Great Bug Elevator comes to a crashing and squishy conclusion in “Juice Squeezers” #4. Everything literally falls apart in spectacular fashion.

WRITTEN BY: David Lapham
ART BY: David Lapham
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: 2 April 2014

These bug-stomping tweens are scrambling from start to finish of this finale issue. Weapons of all shapes and sizes are brought out to stop the worst infestation of all time from spreading topside in the town of Weeville. The new kid Billy is cleverer than his friends gave him credit for and comes prepared for anything. Creator David Lapham has done a tremendous job wrapping up this fun mini-series while leaving enough bread crumbs for fans to come back and find down the road.

The muted color scale by Lee Loughridge is great too. The emphasis of the yellow insides of the various giant insects really highlights how gross this would be but makes it light and not horrific at the same time. Lapham’s artwork isn’t too overly detailed and isn’t too simplistic. It’s just right for the feel of this light-hearted but still kind of a monster movie. I am pleasantly reminded of the classic Monster Squad and other 1980s classics as I read this series.

David Lapham has made a kid-friendly book which seems to be rare nowadays. I’m seriously going to consider using this book to teach English to some of my students in my day job. It’s eye-catching enough to keep them interested. The story isn’t too overwrought so it’s easy to follow. And, like every good storyteller, there’s enough left to explore in the next story. I sincerely hope Juice Squeezers pops back in the not-too-distant future. I think this book can be a great gateway into this wonderful world we all know and love called comic books.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by: Your Friendly Neighborhood Brady

Lonnie Nadler

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Comics

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

Published

1 week 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.