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[Comic Review] “Arcadia” #1 Is Massive And Engaging

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9 years ago

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“Arcadia” #1 is dense.  Not overwhelmingly dense or dense in an intellectually superior kind of way, but there is a lot of world building happening in this first issue.  I was immediately impressed by the scope and on my second pass enamored by how quickly skillfully we are introduced to such an unfamiliar Earth and an even more unfamiliar Arcadia.  There is an impressive amount of grace and finesse as well as the promise of monumental things in this politically driven, post-apocalyptic scifi.  If you aren’t sold on the premise, I encourage you to expose yourself anyway.  The narration in this book is poetry, and the world we are introduced to is both thrilling and terrifying.  “Arcadia” #1 is the best kind of something else.

STK671202

WRITTEN BY: Alex Paknadel

ART BY: Eric Scott Pfeiffer

PUBLISHER: BOOM!
PRICE: $3.99

RELEASE: May 6, 2015

By way of Summary: A virus in the near future wipes out 99% of the world’s population.  The survivors resurrect four billion souls in a utopian simulation called “Arcadia” in the hopes that a cure would be discovered.  The real world, or “The Meat” is now wasteland where global politics seem to play out on an incredibly small scale.  Our protagonist advises the President on her first trip inside “Arcadia” to address the extreme uptick in resources that the simulation has been using lately.  We discover what life would be like without physical limitations or consequences and things are not at all what they seem.

Comparisons to “The Matrix” are unavoidable, but this is not a man vs. machine story or even a “what hath technology wrought” story, not yet anyway.  This is a horror story, really.  A depiction of something far worse than global extinction.  “Arcadia” is an exploration into how far mankind might get to save itself, and its something you’ve really got to see for yourself.

Within Arcadia, this first issue starts to tread into psychological horror.  Arcadia is hell that looks like heaven.  It is the bindings of ultimate freedom.  And it is a world where anything is possible yet we still squabble and play politics and resent each other.  Arcadia is a kind of fun house mirror that I anticipate will only become more reflective as the series progresses.
Calling “Arcadia” existential would be the understatement of the century.  Like the simulation itself, the book is an incredibly dark comment on humanity disguised as a thrilling sci-fi adventure.  It is a path I encourage you to go down, but one you should not take lightly.  I found “Arcadia” to be deeply disturbing, and I can’t wait to go back in for another taste.

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Comics

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

Published

1 day ago

on

April 18, 2024

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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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