Comics

Review: ‘Abe Sapien’ #4

Published

11 years ago

July 5, 2013

Coming fresh off his debut arc in his new ongoing, Abe Sapien continues on his journey of self-discovery in the two-part “Abe Sapien: The New Race of Man”. After the last horror-filled arc ended with an intense confrontation and massive battle, this issue dials it back a notch, but really pushes forward the development of the plot and subplots.

WRITTEN BY BY: Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
ART BY: Max Fiumara
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
RELEASE DATE: July 3rd, 2013
PRICE: 3:50

The book starts off as an intense nightmare. After having been killed, Agent Vaughn is violently reminded of his demise before stirring to consciousness. This side of the story lasts but a few panels before Abe Sapien takes over for the rest of the book as he journeys to the Salton Sea to see one of the areas affected by the giant creatures plaguing the Earth. Though this arc is focused on the evolution of humans and not that of Abe, we see that old habits, like prejudice and ignorance, are still prevalent.

John Arcudi writes an intense tale, using Abe’s inner dialogue to elaborate on the events that had taken place during his coma. In the last arc we saw him confused and fleeing from the B.P.R.D. Now that he has plan of action, Arcudi is able to zero in on this aspect of the tale. The pacing is slow, but there are some interesting philosophical parts dispersed throughout the dialogue that make the slow ride inconsequential. I find it very interesting to see Abe’s interactions with other people, especially following the events last month.

Max Fiumara showcases his skills in this book in the detail and precision of the images in each panel, but I think the most significant part of his work is the differences with his brother Sebastián. In the previous issue, where Sebastián took the drawing role, the images were much more sketchy, similar to Mike Mignola’s style. Max, on the other hand, has a very clean look to his illustrations with hard precise lines. I’m not knocking one or the other but Max’s style of art is tailored to fit the book.

This series is one of my favourites of the year, and I can’t wait to see where Abe’s path takes him in coming issues.

4.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – GreenBasterd

Lonnie Nadler

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Comics

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

Published

1 week 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.