Connect with us

Comics

[TV Review] “The Flash” Episode 1.18, ‘All Star Team Up’

Published

9 years ago

on

By Brady Steele / Twitter: @mrbradysteele. The Flash‘s ‘All Star Team Up’ is one that doesn’t quite live up to its moniker. On the one hand, it is very cool to see The Atom / Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) and The Flash / Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) together in one adventure. However, on the other hand, it feels like a fill-in episode before something big and cool is about to happen.

This week felt like a done-in-one issue kind of chapter. Normally, I love those when it comes to comic books. It takes some serious writing skills to put it an entire story with a beginning, middle and end into one issue or one episode. Like the comics they are getting inspiration for this show for, this feels like padding before the next big arc starts up.

Ray and his girlfriend / superhero whisperer Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) literally fly into town so Barry and his S.T.A.R. Labs friends Cisco (Carlos Valdes) and Caitlin(Danielle Panabaker) can help improve his Advanced Technology Operating Mechanism = A.T.O.M. I initially really liked the idea of introducing The Atom into this DC Comics Television Universe. I really did. But now that I’ve seen it in action a few times, I’m pretty underwhelmed so far. I do like the nod to include one of the Mighty Mite’s rogue gallery with the Bug Eyed Bandit (Emily Kinney). What I don’t like is the wannabe Iron Man flying around who can’t get his suit wet or take a shot from an arrow. So far, it’s a pretty fragile battle armor. There is still hope that they will get The Atom after this week…fingers crossed.

The other big dilemma this time out is who can Barry trust? The conspiracy on Dr. Harrison Wells / Reverse-Flash (Tom Cavanagh) continues to grow and The Flash has to decide who else he can bring into his circle. Again, there seems to be only one person staying left out of The Flash loop: Iris (Candice Patton). Keeping her safe and in the dark makes her kind of the dunce of the characters on this show which is a shame. There are some cool moments with the suit and what those geniuses built into it in case of emergency. It’s a trickBarry tries out himself later on in the show which was also cool to see super speed in action. It was fun to see geek bonding between Cisco and Ray over which I’ve no doubt they will play up when the next team up occurs.

This fill-in episode was serviceable but not up to the high standards of previous ones. Once the showrunners get back on track, I believe the finish line of Season 1 will be great one. This was a good lighter chapter for one week, but not every week.

SCORE: 7 / 10 BOLTS

—

Mr. Steele enjoys all things comics and imagination-based. Using his lifetime of comic-fu-dom for good, he imparts his knowledge for the universe to enjoy and for you, dear readers, to pass it on. 

Related Topics:
Advertisement
Click to comment

Comics

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

Published

2 weeks ago

on

April 18, 2024

By

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

Continue Reading