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[Comic Review] “Ninjak” #4 Shines The Spotlight on The Enemy

Published

9 years ago

on

Reviewed by Brady Steele. The bad guys steal the spotlight and wow the crowd in Ninjak #4. After dominating every issue she appears, Roku gets headliner status in this month’s edition. Why? Is she more intriguing than our titular ninja spy billionaire? You be the judge.

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WRITTEN BY: Matt Kindt

ART BY: Juan Hose Ryp, Clay Mann, Seth Mann, Marguerite Sauvage and Butch Guice

PUBLISHER: Valiant Entertainment

PRICE: $3.99

RELEASE: 24 June 2015

This chapter feels like a poker game that’s been played out over the last three issues. We’ve seen what the other players are holding and their stakes in this game are. Now writer Matt Kindt gives readers a look behind the poker face of a captivating new character,Roku. We’ve all seen how deadly this assassin is literally from head to toe. Kindt flips the cards over and shows us how she came to be. It’s an enticing look into how killers and mysticism (or mental breakdowns) mix together and literally shape who you will become. You can see Roku evolve before your very eyes into one of, if not the most lethal slayers in the Valiant Universe.

There is a plethora of artists this month and it’s actually for a good reason. I feel readers can appreciate a good flashback when done right. Thankfully, this creative team knows how to do that and have brought in Juan Hose Ryp, Seth Mann and Marguerite Sauvageto up the horror and demonic origins of Roku. Ryp excels at graphic detail which is exactly what this transformative journey calls for. The rest of the usual murders row of artists, Clay Mann and Butch Guice, continue their brilliant streaks on this book.

It’s astounding that Guice does so much with only eight pages every month. The villains literally take over the series this month as we are shown the beginnings of Kannon as well.

Throwing in an origin story at such a pivotal moment is a gamble that pays off nicely for Ninjak #4. I didn’t even know I needed this breather but I’m so glad it’s here. Kindt, Mann, Guice et al manage to make the next chapter even more enticing now that we know a little more about all the players at the table. This continues to be a well-crafted book that demands your attention.

 

 

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Mr. Steele enjoys all things comics and imagination-based. Using his lifetime of comic-fu-dom for good, he imparts his knowledge for the universe to enjoy and for you, dear readers, to pass it on.

Twitter: @mrbradysteele

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Comics

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

Published

3 weeks ago

on

April 18, 2024

By

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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