Comics

[TV Review] “Marvel’s Daredevil” Episode 1.05, ‘World On Fire’

Published

9 years ago

April 15, 2015

Fisk makes a major move in this episode of Marvel’s Daredevil and, although I’ve only reviewed as far as I’ve seen, It seems that the pace of things will significantly pick up from here on out. The war for Hell’s Kitchen has begun and if you didn’t think Fisk was a serious threat after last episode I’m certain you do now.

The title “World on Fire” is cleverly misleading as it first comes up at the beginning when Matt is describing his powers to Claire. We see a glimpse of his POV which I have mixed feelings about. The metaphor and visual appeal have me partially convinced this is the perfect representation for the show to take. Representing his radar sense this way brings a weight to his character, almost like Wolverine explaining that it hurts when his claws come out every time. It is unfortunate that the 360 “radar seeing” is difficult to represent. I’ve always been particularly attached to it conceptually, and I worry that “fire vision” gives Matt a little too much actual sight.

But, the city on fire turns out to be literal, as Fisk orchestrates a spectacular display of finishing off the Russians. There is a lot to be said about the connection between Matt and Wilson that this episode emphasizes. It is a common narrative trope to draw ideological parallels between the protagonist and antagonist. The proverbial “We’re not so different, you and I” is served to us on a silver platter and our opponents have not even met yet. Wilson and Matt both want to save the city. They both see the city on fire. Where they differ is in the Wilson sees the flames as progress. I have commented before about the bluntness in the way the show handles themes, but I think there is a charm to that. It isn’t heavy handed in a “see what we did there?” kind of way, more in a “got it? good” kind of way that I can appreciate.

In his review of episode one Zac talked about the lack of a traditional 3 act structure from this show and that struck me in particular in this episode because “World on Fire” has a very deliberate structure that begins and ends with opposite perspectives of the city on fire, as discussed, and is framed by 3 relationships each in the same “discovery” stage. As the audience we are in a similar discovery stage with the show and the characters: we saw something that attracted us, we came back for more, and now we are starting to understand what “Daredevil” is and how it works. It is a cleverly timed episode and an effective way to develop these characters, most of all Fisk and Vanessa.

This episode had a few misses, most notably the Foggy and Karen “let me touch your face” scene. I don’t know what the hell that was, and frankly I’m not sure what these two are really adding to show right now. I can’t stand levity characters and I’m hoping that their plot line will fit into the big picture and not distract from it. Having said that I think this is probably the most polished episode yet in terms of plotting, and it was just the right time to give us another taste of oner action. This show is practically everything I want it to be.

Eric Switzer

1 Comment

Comics

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

Published

7 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.