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Marvel’s “Secret Wars” Is Surprisingly Accessible

Published

9 years ago

on

There is a lot of criticism surrounding Marvel’s newest event comic, “Secret Wars.” Most of it centers on how inaccessible the event is to new readers. Yes, this new series is steeped in three years of recent continuity and could benefit from some preliminary reading. But, new readers shouldn’t be afraid to dive in. Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic’s “Secret Wars” is surprisingly accessible.

As a reader new to Hickman’s world, but familiar with the writer’s tropes, I approached “Secret Wars” with some trepidation. I knew the broad strokes of the conflict that precedes the series, and I knew the characters involved. (For the uninitiated it’s literally everyone from both the Ultimate Marvel Universe and the standard Marvel Universe aka The 616) But, somehow without any prior reading I was engaged and thoroughly enthralled by the conflict on the page. And chances are great that you will be too.

If you have so much as a brief understanding of Marvel’s pantheon of superheroes then “Secret Wars” shouldn’t be hard to digest. The event deals with the “death” of the Marvel Universe as we’ve known it. There are events called incursions that are causing gigantic planets to collide and collapse upon one another. The multiverse is no more. Secret Wars begins with the final moments leading up to the last incursion event. That means the Ultimate Universe and The 616 are smashing into one another – it’s all out war.

Now, obviously there are tons of characters at play here. What’s clear is that Hickman has already established all the key players in the event and makes their motivations come naturally through the page. So while it may be rewarding to long time readers, a brief understanding of general character alignment and regular characteristics will be enough to head into the insanity of Secret Wars.

If you’re exclusive a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie-goer and looking to jump into comics, this may be the best place to do it. There will be plenty of familiar faces for you, but a ton of new things to discover. It’s strange because the first issue strives because it comes across so frantic and intense. There are two massive worlds ending. They’ve existed for years and are about to become a blip in the timeline of continuity. So don’t be overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment.

If you embrace the first issue of Secret Wars you’ll find a ton of small character moments, absolutely stellar artwork, and a high stakes event comic that readers have craved for so long. As you dive in a little further you’ll see that the new world Secret Wars is building is quite unlike anything Marvel has done before. Yet, it’s so fully realized and dense, that many are making the comparison to Game of Thrones. What at first may seem like a lazy comparison is indeed accurate.

If you’re on the fence about Secret Wars – don’t be. It’s a thoroughly engaging story that manages to take your expectations from continuity and use them against you. So if you’ve skipped out on the “required reading” you don’t have to worry. There is still plenty to enjoy, and hell you can be here on the ground floor for the birth of an entirely new comics universe. One in which we’ve never seen the like.

And if you still don’t believe, our review of “Secret Wars” #2 might change your mind.

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Comics

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

Published

6 days ago

on

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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