Comics
Review: “Next Testament” #9
Review by Jorge Solis
With a memorable and terrifying villain at its helm, “Next Testament” #9 delivers a frightening vision of the world gone mad. The writing has such a strong handling of suspense and the artwork packs a knockout punch to boot. If you’re looking for some great scares and twisted black humor, “Next Testament” never disappoints on any level.
WRITTEN BY: Clive Barker and Mark Miller
ART BY: Haemi Jang
PUBLISHER: Boom! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: May 14, 2013
After taking part in a frenzied orgy fest in Paris, Wick has taken his sexy bride and ex-billionaire Julian Demond along for the ride to Italy. The last battle between good and evil will take place in the Roman Colosseum, where gladiators fought to the death. While the rest of the world has gone to Hell, Julian’s son, Tristan, has run off with his fiancée, Elspeth, to find sanctuary in Providence. Tristan and Elspeth have survived a plane crash, the seven plagues, and fought off against a rapist/survivalist. What answers will the two find when they finally arrive in Providence? What hope do they have in defeating Wick?
Clive Barker and co-writer, Mark Miller, deliver a realistic and shocking portrayal of the whole world falling apart. In the opening pages, the lights have gone out in Washington D.C., people are wandering aimlessly across the San Francisco bridge, and riots have broken out in Brazil. Wick is feeding off the chaos, murder, and despair as people have abandoned hope. But even in the bleakness, in humanity’s darkest moments, it’s the lovebirds who are trying to save the day. Tristan may not believe in a higher power but he does believe in his love for Elspeth. It’s their love for each other that makes it through the apocalypse.
Even when the writing is at its bleakest, Barker and Miller know how to throw in some laugh-out-loud comic relief. When Tristan and Elspeth finally arrive in Providence, the witty banter between them delivers some hilarious one-liners. It’s like Barker and Miller hare having fun as they come up with some kind of demented romantic comedy. The writers have always found ways to make these two lovebirds engaging and utterly likable.
Artist Haemi Jang captures the global apocalypse in these epic wide shots. Through the over-head shots, as if God is looking down on Earth, we see the empty streets of Washington D.C. and the crowded masses of San Francisco wandering in the darkness. Because the sun has gone out, Jang uses the fires caused by the riots as her light source. This dark imagery of the world gone topsy-turvy will stay with you long after you finish reading.
I really like how Jang uses the surroundings during Wick and Julian’s intense argument. Jang makes sure you see parts of the Colosseum in the background. We, the readers, are the ones, sitting in the Colosseum, watching Julian making a stand against Wick. In a close-up, Wick is talking to us, the readers, as he delivers the climatic monologue.
“Next Testament” #9 ends on a shocking cliff-hanger, setting up the grand finale in the next three issues. I cannot wait to be there for the exciting conclusion.
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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