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Review: “Deadly Class” #5

Published

10 years ago

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The acid kicks in full stop and pushes “Deadly Class” into its best chapter yet. Remender’s stream of consciousness inner monologue beautifully captures the desperation and enlightenment of a drug trip that just won’t end.

DeadlyClass_05WRITTEN BY: Rick Remender
ART BY: Wes Craig
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: May 28, 2014

Holy hell, I’m at a complete loss. Wes Craig and Rick Remender team this month to give the seamless expression of an acid trip gone haywire. There is enough here in the character drama to push the emotive chapter to one of the best yet, but the action relentless, too.

The acid has sunk into Marcus’ head and poisoned his brain in the worst way. He sits bathing in the blue light of the television baked into a state of subconscious thought that will soon propel him into a wild ride. Although this drug trips is like most, featuring crazy colors and warped visuals, it rises above any other depiction in any other medium because it captures the pacing of acid.

The intense moments happen in a flash, a blink and you’ll miss it feature from the script and a quick panel set up and payoff from Craig. Yet, the moments of sheer bliss, the tiny moments, like falling out a window are lingered on for far too long. Allowing the inner monologue to take over and smooth everything out. Nothing feels concrete, everything has a wavy quality that doesn’t exactly feel safe, but doesn’t threaten either.

The hectic nature of this issue is bound to get under people’s skin. Yet, it allows Wes Craig to ease into his most comfortable state. His work has always played with paneling and experimented with page layout and this month he goes wild. Whether it’s the flickering blue television panels, or the final showdown in the 7/11 something here will blow you away.

I actually have to be honest when I say “Deadly Class” has been a little hit or miss for me. It never feels like it completely embraces Remender’s wilder side and the overall story always felt left behind. Neither of those criticisms hold water here this month. The creative team has created a seamless expression of an acid trip gone horribly awry and never misses a beat.

The result is a frantically paced comic that never ceases to entertain or invoke awe. This is a master class in comic book storytelling told through the bent lens of heavy hallucination. Every single page is more fun than the last.

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Comics

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

Published

1 day ago

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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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