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Review: “Tech Jacket” #1

Published

10 years ago

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Re-launching Robert Kirkman’s space-faring character, “Tech Jacket” #1 doesn’t have a lot of original ideas to bring to the table, the original series being a remix of some well worn cosmic comic tropes to begin with. That said, the series promises some star-hopping fun, and who couldn’t use more of that?

techjacket_01

WRITTEN BY: Joe Keatinge ART BY: Khary Randolph PUBLISHER: Image PRICE: $2.99 RELEASE: July 2, 2014 Review By: Ooknabah

When it comes to his time at Image, one cannot accuse Robert Kirkman of abandoning his early work. While his first projects were short lived, once his super hero comic Invincible began to take off it wasn’t long before characters from previous series like Capes Inc or Brit were folded into the larger Invincible Universe. So too was Tech Jacket, Kirkman’s first original work for the company, a Quasar meets Iron Man (with some Nova, Green Lantern, Spider Man, etc thrown in) manga-esque effort, that follows the adventures of Zack Thompson (no relation to our esteemed comics editor as far as I’m aware) a high school student who becomes bonded with a powerful alien technology which he uses to defend the earth from extraterrestrial threats.

While the character had a supporting roles in Invincible’s Vitrumite War storyline, he has remained largely a background player and this new series is a welcome effort to give him a spotlight. Welcome, because while far from ground breaking, the series offers the potential from some real fun comics, even at these initial stages. While Kirkman has no direct involvement in the series, the sense of humour and opportunity for fun that made the initial run of Invincible so great is in evidence here. There is also the potential to follow Invincible down the path of becoming overwrought, but I’m inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt to start off.

Khary Randolph’s art is great, Keatinge’s dialog captures Zack’s endearing relationship with his father perfectly and now that the ground work has been laid in there could be some great adventure to follow. I’m excited for it, and you should be too.

Ooknabah AKA Brent Hirose is a writer, actor and gigantic nerd from Vancouver B.C. You can listen to his podcast about that at HugeNerds.Podomatic.Com or check out his many other projects at BrentHirose.com

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Comics

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

Published

5 days 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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