Comics
[Preorder This] Joshua Williamson’s “Birthright” #1
So this is a new article for me. But something I’ve gotten pretty passionate about over my last year in the comic book world: preordering. It’s an important part of the comic book process that shows your invested in a book before it comes out. It’s important to show retailers what books you’re interested in before they hit, and this is an effort in my infinite wisdom to steer you in the right direction.
If you dig dark fantasy then you’ll love BIRTHRIGHT it’s a love letter to movies of the 80’s like The Goonies, The Dark Crystal, and Dario Argento’s Phenomena. The colors evoke an 80’s fever dream, the art is simply astounding. It’s dripping in tribute, but manages to be completely original. I’ve since taken in the first two issues and cannot recommend them enough. The first issue is a fast paced character study that functions around the hole a missing person can create, but operates on the dream of every little boy: what if you were whisked away to a fantasy land to become the ultimate hero?
That’s the main conceit of “Birthright” but it’s so much more. It’ll blow you away with the last page and just dare you to read issue two. Don’t miss it, and preorder the first issue with this handy form.
It’s dangerous to go to the Comic Book Store alone!
TAKE THIS!
FROM IMAGE:
Creator/writer Joshua Williamson (NAILBITER, GHOSTED), artist Andrei Bressan and colorist Adriano Lucas present BIRTHRIGHT, a bold new fantasy adventure from Skybound/Image Comics, debuting this October.
What started as a game of catch in the park between father and son turned into a parent’s worst nightmare. For the Rhodes family, losing their son was the most devastating thing that could’ve ever occurred… but it couldn’t prepare them for what happened when he returned. Skybound’s newest original series will turn fantasy into reality in this oversized debut issue.
Williamson explained BIRTHRIGHT’s origin predates both his current hit horror series: “People have asked me if I get worried about being typecast. But I knew BIRTHRIGHT was coming. Even though it opens with what I think is one of the scariest things imaginable in real life… it’s a fantasy adventure book at heart. And one Skybound and I have been working on for a long time. Before GHOSTED even came out.
“As a fan of adventure and fantasy stories as a kid… it was always great seeing these young kids going on amazing journeys to far way magical lands. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Peter Pan, Explorers, The Neverending Story, Wizard of Oz, Flight of the Navigator. But there were never any real consequences to those adventures… What happens when you come home from this great adventure? What do you do next? How do you go back to normal life?
“Those thoughts lead to my obsession with the idea of destiny. If your whole life has been about one moment… one thing that you had to accomplish… what do you do after it is over? How do you go on knowing that the main reason you were born is finished?
“That’s what Birthright is about: what happens after the adventure.”
BIRTHRIGHT #1 arrives in stores on 10/8, as an oversized 40 page issue, available for only $2.99. It can be pre-ordered with Diamond Code AUG140536.
Comics
‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics
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.
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Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover
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Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)
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Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)
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Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)
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Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)
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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.
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