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[Comic Review] “Convergence” #2 Is A Mess

Published

9 years ago

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“Convergence” #2 is a mess. The story is finally clear and free of setup, but you wouldn’t know it thanks to some painfully on the nose dialogue. Every character in this story spouts exposition like a fire hydrant. There is no reprieve from being hit over the head with the dire stakes at hand, and worse yet Dick Grayson’s voice-over explains away any subtext the comic had to offer.

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WRITTEN BY: Jeff King, 
ART BY: Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: April 15, 2015

At first glance, there appears to be a lot to like about “Convergence.” It’s giving readers a taste of continuities long dead, and provides a mostly self-contained “event comic” which readers have been clamoring for. However, with this story being the main thrust of what’s going on, it’s hard to look at it as anything more than background noise.

Jeff King’s script is packed with lines like “Then push it Superman! If anyone can break free it’s you!”  Or “Feel that, while he’s distracted my bonds are getting looser.” These lines are not only cheesy but severely out of character. His script paints the Earth-2 heroes as bewildered versions of Jimmy Olsen. They speak like candid mockery of the golden age, delivered with the conviction of darker grittier times.

Even when they may be a glimmer of hope, King’s script skips right over it. Take for example the meeting of Thomas Wayne’s Batman and Bruce Wayne’s Batman. A moment that could and should pack an entire issue worth of emotion is reduced to a silent exchange with TONS of voice-over narration. The moment is ultimately ruined and turned into a quick plot device to give Thomas a batmobile.

The art from Carlo Pagulayan is serviceable and generic enough to fit anywhere into the New 52 line. It’s luckily pretty easily digested and clearly manages the action demands of the script. But so often beautiful panels are reduced to dancing around the heavy-handed caption boxes that populate them that the entire issue is distracting and difficult to read.

Jeff King is a veteran script writer from the world of television. But you wouldn’t know it. He takes no time to learn the nuances of scripting a comic book and instead delivers a painful issue that doesn’t even seem to understand the characters its focusing on. There should be something to like about this story, but its wasted opportunity after wasted opportunity.

So far the main “Convergence” series is a trainwreck with no signs of course correction in the future. With messy writing, characters acting out of character, and a horrendous tendency to over explain we’re receiving one of the worst event comics ever put to paper. Avoid it this main series at all costs, but check out some of the one shots.

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Comics

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

Published

2 weeks ago

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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

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