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[Comic Book Review] Reading “Birthright” #1 Is Your Destiny

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“Birthright” is a story of destiny. About who a child becomes after his life altering journey has occurred, and a loving tribute to eighties classics like The Goonies, The Neverending Story, and The Dark Crystal. It beautifully captures the tone of the eighties and crafts an incredible entry in a genre that’s been dormant for a long time.

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WRITTEN BY: Joshua Williamson

ART BY: Andrei Bressan

PUBLISHER: Image Comics

PRICE: $2.99

RELEASE: October 8, 2014

I suppose I wasn’t the only kid who spent his youth bombing around in the forest looking for treasure, goblins, and adventure. But, Joshua Williamson made his fiction into a beautiful reality with “Birthright.” He takes the elements of 80’s adventure fuel and injects the idea with a brand new sense of life.

The premise is simple. Mikey is out playing catch with his father on the edge of a forest, when suddenly his disappears. Mikey’s disappearance causes his family to fall apart. His absence has created a void that can’t be filled, until a roided out “Lord of the Rings reject” shows up at the local police station. It’s Mikey and he’s become a fantasy warlord.

What follows is an interrogation scene that proves Mikey is indeed who he says he is despite having aged significantly. He’s gained an incredible mass of muscle and he appears to be an all around badass. Sadly, the interrogation scene was one of the only things that didn’t work for me. It felt like an easy way out for exposition, but saves itself within the final two pages.

Andrei Bressan has brought the world of “Birthright” to live with incredible splendor. I was consistently blown away by his page layouts, as he would often have a dominant panel take up three quarters of the page to communicate something imperative, but the scope of his work is unrivaled. He has so much confidence in his display of the fantasy world of Terrenos that it’s staggering. Seriously, just wait until you see his two page spread when Mikey is introduced to the world, your jaw will drop.

“Birthright” feels like the story Joshua Williamson was destined to tell. It’s a confident 80’s tribute dripping with it’s own personal style, it revives the adventure genre in a beautiful way and comes to define the idealized child hero in a risky but captivating new way.

This is something every 80’s child has dreamed of, but spins it in the most interesting way possible. “Birthright” will make you think about destiny in a whole new way, and show you a fully realized world that rivals the imagination of Jim Henson. With an adventure reminiscent of Labyrinth, and the heart of Stand By Me, Williamson and Bressan will have you captivated from page one.

Buy this comic!

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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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