Comics

Review: The Stand Soul Survivors #3

Published

14 years ago

January 8, 2010

Any good piece of literature should do 3 things. One, it should grab your interest and hold onto it until the very last punctuation mark. Two, it should make you feel a range of very different and extreme emotions. And third, it must make you think. With the third issue in Aguirre-Sacassa’s “THE STAND: SOUL SURVIVORS” we are treated to such an experience. Read on for the review. In general the story revolves around the love triangle that consists of Fran, Harry, and Stu. Harry is the awkward everyman who has a borderline psychotic crush on Fran, whilst all the while Fran is carrying a torch for Stu. Still with me? I promise this isn’t ‘The Hills’ meets King, bear with me.

The story itself is probably the strongest of the 3 issues in the arc so far. The dramatic sequences are done just right, with Aguirre-Sacassa’s talents for writing the human emotion shinning through yet again. The moments of tenderness between Stu and Fran are excellently paralled by the tenseness of the moments when Harry is on page. If ever “THE STAND” made a triumph in character writing it is within this issue. Even the smallest touch such as Fran’s reminiscing over small everyday luxuries such as Converse and Kool-Aid are almost touching. The tenderness of the issue culminates when Fran and Stu sleep together and Fran confesses that she is pregnant. From then on the story hits a new high of dread as Harry has seen the two together, and in doing so lost every semblance of his sanity.

This all sounds very romantic, but as is the case with any King story, the horror reigns. During one sequence the group encounters a blockade in the road, where a group of bikers have been keeping women hostage for sex slaves, killing any men in their way. The encounter ends in a grisly fashion, allowing for Perkins to show off his talents. This issue also contains the most horrific of scenes for the series thus far for me, as we are shown a road that is lined with electrical poles with people crucified to them. This is heavy stuff people.

In all ‘THE STAND: SOUL SURVIVORS’ #3 is brilliant. The cliffhanger ending left me wishing for the next issue. This is a definite must read for fans of the series.

4.5 out of 5 Skulls

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.