Comics

[Comic Book Review] “Spread” #3 Has Heart and Gore to Spare

Published

10 years ago

September 10, 2014

Safe to say that the “this is messed up” factor is rising with each issue of “Spread.” And, while the cover of issue #4 says a lot, it doesn’t say everything. I’m not one for extreme gross-outs but it’s the heart behind this series and its juxtaposition with all the gore that has me digging it so much.

WRITTEN BY: Justin Jordan

ART BY: Kyle Strahm

PUBLISHER: Image Comics

PRICE: $3.50

RELEASE: August 6, 2014

Reviewed by Nick Brehmer

Everyone loves a magic baby, and Molly is just so goddam endearing. Plus, when it comes to the main character No, I’m feelin’ a little like Elle Woods after one particular court scene in Legally Blonde, if ya know what I mean.

We pick up from the previous issue after No has rescued Molly, the deranged would-be mother of baby Hope. The companions have arrived at a bastion of “civilization” in the form of a shanty-town/caravan trading outpost where spread survivors come to fulfill their basic needs and pleasures.

At the center of this outpost is a nice little place called Jack’s. You know, typical mom and pop type joint. Home-cooked family food… as in the food most likely contains whole families. As if No’s quest didn’t have enough antagonists to deal with. We’ve seen him take down a massive spread beast, but No may have met his match with the hulking cannibalistic Jack. Oh ya, and you remember that creep preacher-man who appears to control the Spread? He has minions. Sexy ones. Not good. Then there’s pretty boy Revello who, despite his charisma and ninja fighting skills, I suspect may have a more surprising role to play in the upcoming issues. The babes aren’t always rotten, right? Ask that to the lonely shmuck in the tub mid-issue.

Jordan’s dynamic storytelling and character development continues to be exemplified through the narration of grown-up Hope and No’s minimal responses. Although, this issue, we do begin to see No open up slightly which ends up just adding to his mysterious nature. Every character that Jordan has created in “Spread” has clever creative restrictions placed on them and it fosters a yearning for more – to the series’ advantage. I really don’t know where Jordan’s taking us with this one, but I feel like I’m right there with No, Molly, and Hope. October and issue #4 can’t come soon enough.

The back matter of this issue with the first fan art gallery is awesome. Two words: Spread Bear.

—

A product of the harsh lands of Northern Ontario, Nick Brehmer is in fact a sensitive flower currently blooming in the GTA. He spends his downtime wishing he was British. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @nicholasbrehmer

Zac Thompson

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Comics

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

Published

6 days ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

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.