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Review: “Dark Engine” #1

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“Dark Engine” is hauntingly alluring. It’s brutal and poetic, and will keep you on your toes for the entire read. It’s unlike anything else being publishing in comics right now, and it’s dark presence beckons you to be part of it. This is a stellar first issue that offers nothing but mystery and I couldn’t be more invested.

DarkEngine_web

WRITTEN BY: Ryan Burton

ART BY: John Thomas Bivens

PUBLISHER: Image Comics

PRICE: $3.50

RELEASE: July 16, 2014

 

“Dark Engine” begins with a beautifully communicated bit of voiceover. It’s a darkly poetic description of the world you’re entering and gently introduces the character of Sym before Bivens rips a fucking hole through the page.

Sym is an unstoppable force. She rips through any sort of challenge and makes short work of it, before economically harvesting the bodies of slain beasts to create tools of destruction. She’s been sent back in time to save a plagued world, but the people who sent her back fear the engine that powers her will ultimately fail.

Ryan Burton makes an incredible debut to his world that doesn’t skimp on the necessary details but doesn’t feed enough exposition to bore. Instead he leaves the characters and world to speak for themselves, and we get the idea that the world of “Dark Engine” is much larger than this singular issue could ever show us. Which is exactly what you want in a debut.

John Bivens has a dayjob as a butcher, and when you look at these pages you’ll see a seamless blend of his two worlds. He makes evisceration an art, by masterfully bisecting any sort of insane creature he’s introduced to the page in a flurry of calculated gore. His coloring is superb and every page feels cooly alien but wonderfully communicated. You get a complete feel for this strange world and a tease of the creatures that inhabit it.

What guides Sym is somewhat mysterious. We’re left to assume it’s the titular “Dark Engine.” But it’s unclear what gives her such a strong conviction as she pushes forward. Yet, even without speaking a single word we understand her. She’s Kratos without the melodramatic hatred of the Gods to bog down her dialogue. She’s conviction personified.

Then you have the final pages of this issue. It’s a mindfuck of epic proportions that will likely have your jaw on the floor. But, you’ll quickly understand why Image picked this up straight to ongoing series. There is an incredible amount of depth here in the story and we’ve only scratched the surface.

“Dark Engine” is hauntingly beautiful and unique. It beckons you in with poetic dialogue and captivates you with visceral force. Get it on your pull list immediately.

Comics

‘The Wicked Trinity’ – Preview New Archie Comics One-Shot Inspired by ‘The Craft’ [Exclusive]

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From Sabrina’s Magical World, Bloody Disgusting has learned this afternoon that Archie Comics will be releasing brand new one-shot comic The Wicked Trinity this coming June.

You’ll be able to meet The Wicked Trinity in the 32-page comic on June 12, 2024.

In The Wicked Trinity, “Sabrina’s magical nemesis Amber Nightstone and her sidekicks, Jade Kazane and Sapphire Gill, are intent on becoming the most powerful witches in the world. Isolated from so many around them, the three have formed a coven based on their individual needs for vengeance and true freedom.

“But when there is some dissent among the ranks, their small coven is threatened to be obliterated from within.”

The Wicked Trinity features a script by Sam Maggs, art by Lisa Sterle, colors by Ellie Wright, letters by Jack Morelli, main cover by Lisa Sterle, and variant cover by Soo Lee.

Archie Comics Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante tells Bloody Disgusting, “When Editor-In-Chief Mike Pellerito came up with the idea of the Wicked Trinity—Amber Nightstone, Jade Kazane, and Sapphire Gill—I was immediately intrigued. I even had the good fortune to work on the script for Jade and Sapphire’s first appearance in last year’s SABRINA ANNUAL SPECTACULAR comic for younger readers. What I especially loved about these magical teens is that they could seamlessly transcend from classic-Archie stories into more mature, even horror stories. I was eager to start developing their world with a modern sensibility, taking cues from the great work of Kelly Thompson and Veronica Fish on our SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH series, and Sarah Kuhn and Carola Borelli on our recent DARKLING one-shot. Inspired by series like Charmed and films like The Craft, I knew there was so much potential to build up this coven in a story that beautifully blends magical fantasy with horror.”

Writer Sam Maggs previews, “Real witches writing real witches—that’s how we do things over at Archie Comics! I was named after a famous witch—Samantha from Bewitched—and so I grew up absolutely obsessed with everything witchcraft, devouring every book series I could about teen witches. That makes WICKED TRINITY a dream project for me. The power and energy of teen girls is absolutely unmatched (just look at the engine behind fandom culture) and being able to harness that metaphorically for a story like this is such a delight. Everything I write focuses on the power of female friendship, and this story is no exception. And what’s better than a morally grey female character? I struggle to think of anything. Cat familiars, maybe? Also, I’m totally a practicing witch now. So maybe if you read this, you’ll find yourself imbued with magical powers, too.*

Artist Lisa Sterle adds, “I can’t wait for people to be re-introduced to The Wicked Trinity! Witches, fashion, and Archie Comics; this is truly a magical trifecta and I’m so happy to have the opportunity to put my own personal stamp on this. I love to create stories in which girls find their own power, both from within themselves and through their friendships and coven. If you’re a fan of my Modern Witch tarot, you’ll find this comic just as magical.”

Exclusively check out the two covers for The Wicked Trinity one-shot comic below!

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