Connect with us

Comics

[Comic Review] “Arcadia” #2 Sweeps You Up In A Grand World

Published

9 years ago

on

“Arcadia” #2 quickly expands upon the already at critical mass premise of the first issue by introducing a heaping plate of new concepts, conflicts, and characters to both the virtual Arcadia and The Meat.  While it occasionally confounds, “Arcadia” sweeps us along in a grand narrative of conspiracy and imagination in a world so completely conceived it warrants consideration for what might come to be in our own future.

STK672501

WRITTEN BY: Alex Paknadel
ART BY: Eric Scott Pfeiffer
PUBLISHER: BOOM
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: June 3, 2015

 

Probably the best thing about “Arcadia” is how entirely “fleshed out” it appears to be.  Like the greatest dystopian sci/fi stories, “Nineteen Eighty-Four” and “Brave New World”, the details of time and place make the world of the story seem so real part of the reason you come back to it is just to live in that world.  “Arcadia” is a rare immersive experience because you don’t have to fill in any of the gaps yourself.  It has the acceleration of an international thriller, ping-ponging us around as mysteries develop and factions are exposed, and it has a sense of scale that feel like an entire world.

At one point it feels as though there might be too much intrigue stuffed into this issue.  At which point we get to Coral and the Homesteader in the park I started to feel little overloaded with new ideas.  By my second read through I thought I had a pretty good grasp on everything that was happening, but there is a lot going on and if you have to reread some pages you aren’t alone.  I’m torn on whether this is a good or bad thing, as I find it not to be terribly uncommon with some of the high concept books I’ve read lately (“Material”, “Injection”, and “Intersect” come to mind) and whether the author can be faulted for writing at too high of a reading level or including too many new concepts too close together.  It may alienate some readers, but then, the author may not be interested in the readers after all.  If we assume the goal of every book is to sell as many books as possible, it may it that case be a bad thing.  Personally this level of writing only hurts the book in my opinion when it comes across as pretentious or intentionally highbrow, which “Arcadia” does not.

Alice tells Lee that his immunity is a “miracle giftwrapped in barbed wire”.  That is a description that applies to this book in many ways.  Living comes at the price of inhospitable conditions and agonizing loneliness.  You might live in a utopia world of endless possibilities where you can live forever, but the cost is first dying a horrible death.  There’s a price for everything Arcadia and two sides to every coin.  If this series can continue to walk the line between introducing fresh ideas and overloading us with concepts I imagine it will turn out to be a remarkable story.

Related Topics:
Advertisement
1 Comment

Comics

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

Published

6 hours ago

on

April 17, 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