Comics
Review: “The Last Broadcast” #1
Review by – Jorge Solis
A dark and moody thriller, “The Last Broadcast” #1 slowly builds its compelling mystery with puzzling clues. The eerie atmospheric vibe is the first thing readers will notice right off the bat. Because the first installment has done a great job establishing its premise, I cannot wait to see what happens next.
WRITTEN BY: Andre Sirangelo
ART BY: Gabriel Iumazark
PUBLISHER: Archaia
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: May 21, 2013
Ivan has just woken up from the hospital, with his face wrapped in bandages, like a mummy. He doesn’t quite remember what happened exactly that led to the explosive. Ella, the nurse, sits next to him, wanting answers about the fiery event. Because Ivan is a magician, could he be playing tricks on the nurse’s mind? Or maybe Ivan isn’t pretending at all and he doesn’t remember anything. Whether Ivan knows or not, there is a masked madman who is willing to kill and keep some dark secrets hidden.
Writer Andre Sirangelo has created an interesting and flawed protagonist for the mystery-driven narrative. I am so happy Sirangelo went for a different portrayal of a magician than a Criss Angel rip-off. We see Ivan struggling to be a stage performer as he does his illusions. The audience wants showmanship, which Ivan cannot offer them. Sirangelo hints that the failed magician is also on drugs, which could explain why his tricks are so lackluster.
In the second subplot. Sirangelo takes readers deep underground San Francisco. Two urban explorers are searching for something hidden below the sewer tunnels. As the explorers continue downwards, the storyline becomes a metaphor for the different levels of Hell. The deeper the explorers go, the more I realize these two are going to have to crawl out of Hell afterwards.
Artist Gabriel Iumazark keeps a dark and claustrophobic vibe when illustrating the underground tunnels. The panels are kept tight and compressed as if you are supposed to feel squeezed into the enclosed space. Notice how there is barely enough space in the panel to fit two people into the same shot. Because there is no electricity underground, Iumazark makes the most of his limited light source.
Though the narrative is supposed to moody, Iumazark throws in the comic relief during Ivan’s magic trick. Everything goes hilariously wrong in the trick, which Iumazark captures in the facial expressions. Iumazark certainly knows how to juggle the comedic and dramatic aspects of each subplot, without exaggerating them.
“The Last Broadcast” #1 keeps readers guessing what happened during the missing events. I look forward to seeing what happens in the next issue.
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.
-
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.
‘Infested’ Review – One of the Best Spiders Attack Horror Movies in Years
‘The King Tide’: An Island Town Rots with Moral Decay in Canadian Folk Horror Fable [Review]
Limited Edition Morticia & Wednesday Addams ‘Monster High’ Dolls Releasing Next Week!
TWO New ‘Evil Dead’ Movies Now in the Works; Sébastien Vaniček & Francis Galluppi Directing
“AHS: Delicate” Review – ‘The Auteur’ Gives Birth to a Lackluster, Laughable Finale
You must be logged in to post a comment.