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Review: “Umbral” #6

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Stabbing, jumping out of windows, and magic. Also, there’s nasty looking demons that kill you and take your shape and memories. “Umbral” #6 opened my eyes to another world where swords, guns, thieves, scientists, wizards and scary monsters run around together. Is it worth sticking around? Is there more to discover? Yes, and I think you’ll love it too.
umbral6
WRITTEN BY: Antony Jonhston
ART BY: Christopher Mitten
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: 30 April 2014

I’ve been surprised more and more lately how fantasy comic books are popping up and breathing new life into the genre. Thanks to hit TV shows like Game of Thrones, people’s appetite for swords and sorcery is peaking right now. Writer Antony Jonhston has built up a thought-provoking world where crystals can be powerful and guns are the high tech achievement. I think there’s some dimension-hopping implied in this issue too.

The rag-tag group readers are following includes a thief, a wizard, a “zealot”, and a scientist/monk. It’s such a great mix that I must applaud Johnston for making it all seems so refreshing. The artwork by Christopher Mitten the Illuminator, Jordan Boyd the Painter and Thomas Mauer the Flourisher (great job titles) really give this world a weighted substance in each panel. There is plenty of grime and darkness to explore as well as beautiful castles and dream-like realities.

Although this is the final chapter of Book One, it’s not at all anticlimactic. It’s full of hooks for the future. Creators Johnston and Mitten have really just scratched the surface of this tale. This world seems to have all kinds of themes/genres running around together. I’m fascinated to see how they will play collectively in Book Two starting in July 2014.

Review by – Your Friendly Neighborhood Brady

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

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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 (AnimosityBatwomanDC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide SquadPower RangersRed 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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