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Review: “LOW” #2

Published

10 years ago

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“LOW” #2 picks up 10 years after the events of issue one. Salus has descended into the depths of squalor and depravity. Stel somehow escaped the wreckage of her family’s sub, and with her daughters still missing; she’s left with Marik who, like Salus, has been corrupted by loss.

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WRITTEN BY: Rick Remender

ART BY: Greg Tocchini

PUBLISHER: Image Comics

PRICE: $3.50

RELEASE: August 27, 2014

Reviewed by Nick Brehmer

I mentioned in my review of issue #1 the homage that is being paid to the great illustrators of the late 70s and 80s such as Frank Franzetta. I like to imagine Rick Remender conjuring up Marik’s drug trip in the early pages of issue #2 just for this reason – an excuse for Greg Tocchini to go nuts and flip through Franzetta’s portfolio for inspiration. It’s a nice thought.

The beauty and Edenic nature of the underwater city is almost drained from the pages of issue #2. I say almost because, as I’m sure Remender planned it, hope and beauty remain in the character of Stel. As the issues are released, “Low” will continue to act as an aquatic mirror for the struggles brought on by our human condition. Mother and son are juxtaposed here for this very reason. Stel, although faithfully hopeful, is diminished amidst her now unfortunate home. She clings to belief despite the immense pain of losing her family. With all that pain and her witnessing of Marik’s self-destruction, doubt is an inevitability. But, in true seeker fashion, she journeys to visit a long-forgotten shaman who, while floating in white space, echoes the sentiments of Tolstoy – belief is necessary for a meaningful life. Despair closes doors.

Speaking of despair, Marik does what I’d say most of us do when confronted with struggle and dissatisfaction – we medicate, we numb, and we lose ourselves in the nothingness of self-indulgence. A certain carelessness is bred resulting in the use and enslavement of people. Ruin proceeded by recklessness.

The pacing of this series is incredible. If you care to know what I looked like while reading the final few pages, Kristen Wiig’s “so freakin’ excited” sums it up.

That’s how I feel about this series. I can’t wait to see what surprises the creators have in store for us.

Being a romantic, my hope for the future of “Low” is that it changes minds. Maybe readers who recognize themselves in Marik, bitter and terrorized by reality, will see a transformation through the mastery of Remender and Tocchini. Maybe the opposite will prove to be true. Will the creators indeed make Stels or Mariks of us all? Time will tell. For now… group hug.

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

Published

2 weeks ago

on

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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