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Advance Review: “Last Born” #1

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“Last Born” asks what if the big bang wasn’t the first of it’s kind, and what if it wasn’t the last? It’s a brilliant concept that is told through the lens of destiny and time travel. This first issue is a fantastic adventure that has a deeply intriguing critique of modern society at its core. In short it’s powerful science fiction that is well worth your money.

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WRITTEN BY: Patrick Meaney

ART BY: Eric Zawadzki

PUBLISHER: Black Mask Studios

PRICE: $3.99

RELEASE: August 27, 2014

Julia is a nice 1960’s girl with a pretty fantastic life, except for her father. Years ago he was part of team that had a mysterious encounter in a cave. The experience left him detached and aloof, hardly a caretaker, and more of a burden. Yet, Julia believes the things he saw that day truly changed him, and she never quite believed that he traveled to another world, until she ends up there herself.

It’s the sort of perfect premise that is incredibly impressive. In five pages Patrick Meaney and Eric Zawadzki tell you everything you need to know about the story. It’s compelling and impressive. The rest of the issue is spent developing the world around Julia and putting many complex machinations around her to initiate the conflict of the series.

Within the premise there is the genuine horror of the being doomed. Society has a natural inclination to think about the doomsday and how it will manifest itself. Meaney and Zawadzki offer a very simple explanation that feels natural and entirely where we’re headed, with the concept of the unified singular consciousness that must consume. Think the borg, and you are pretty much there. Of course “Last Born” makes sure to identify itself  as something different with a fantastic cast of supporting characters that add insight into the detriment of the future.

Zawadski’s art is nothing short of impressive. He does both coloring and art here and it really shows. His ability to balance color with the tone of the story is remarkable and intoxicating. His unique use of greens and blues come to identify his work but never overwhelm. Instead they add eerie accents to scenes on the page. His red sky and destroyed cities of the future will send a shiver down your spine, and the first encounter with the viral man is sure to haunt you long after you finish issue one.

I’m always intrigued when Black Mask Studios launches a new book. I’ve been a huge fan of the publisher since the beginning and find their titles to be vastly underappreciated by the comic market at large. Do yourself a favor and preorder “Last Born” now, you won’t regret it since it’s a thoughtful look at dystopian futures with an engaging element of time travel that feels calmly calculated. It’s confident for a debut, not afraid to ask hard questions about society and features stellar art that is sure to be with you for a while.

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‘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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