Wie Robert Kirkman in seinen einleitenden Worten richtig anmerkt, muss man bei einer lange laufenden Serie seinen Lesern immer wieder neue Shocking-Twists liefern um sie über die Jahre hinweg auch brav an der Serie zu halten. Ron Marz gestaltete deshalb rund um die 100ste Witchblade Ausgabe das Event „First Born“ in dem alle Rätsel rund um die Schwangerschaft der Ex-Witchblade Trägerin Sara Pezzini endgültig gelöst werden. Wie es sich bei einem richtigen Event gehört gibts auch hier Crossover. So schaut mit The Darkness auch eine weitere populäre Top-Cow Figur vorbei und sogar Cyber Force bekommen einen kurzen Gastauftritt zugesichert.

Viel Lärm um Nichts? Mitnichten, denn dieser Trade hat mir wirklich von Vorn bis Hinten überrascht…

Gleich Vorweg kann ich versprechen, dass man absolut keine Vorkenntnisse benötigt um mit diesem Trade zu Recht zu kommen. Die Vorgeschichte wird gut erklärt und alles was man wissen muss, wird Einem in kurzen prägnanten Sätzen näher gebracht. Das ist schon mal ein Mega-Pluspunkt.

Weiters muss man wissen, dass man hier nicht nur die 3-teilige Darkness First Born Mini-Serie bekommt, sondern auch die regulären Witchblade Ausgaben die dazwischen rauskamen. Ebenfalls ein großer Pluspunkt wie ich finde.

Die ersten 5 der insgesamt 9 im Trade enthaltenen Hefte, widmen sich ganz dem eigentlichen Event, also eben „First Born“. Ich hab hier wirklich erwartet, dass Sara Pezzini irgendeine Art “Monster-Baby” zur Welt bringt und sie dieses dann bekämpfen müssen. Nix da, denn stattdessen kommt es aber zu einer epischen Schlacht zwischen den Heerscharen des Lichts und den finsteren Gestalten der Dunkelheit zwischen der die schwangere Sara, die momentane Witchblade-Trägerin Dani Baptiste wie aber auch Magdalena und The Darkness aufgerieben werden. Auch wenn die Story sehr linear verläuft und keine besonderen Twists bietet, ist sie trotzdem fabelhaft erzählt. Es gibt biblische Anspielungen (neben der Geburt selbst wir wird Magdalena z.b. in der Wüste verführt) und wahnsinnig coole Action.

Hier spielt vor allem das eindrucksvolle Artwork der First Born Mini-Serie eine massive Rolle. Hin und wieder wirken die muskulösen Engel und Monsterhaften Dämonen zwar wie das Cover eines Heavy-Metal Albums, aber dass passt hier schon. Auch darüber, dass sich die Frauen manchmal in unpassende Pin-Up Posen werfen, sehe ich mal nobel hinweg…

Was hier nämlich in erster Linie stimmt, ist die Atmosphäre! Wenn Jackie Estacado die Frauen in ein unterirdisches Safe-House bringt, wo hinter jeder Ecke seine Monster und Darklings lauern, hat das schon was bedrohlich-gruseliges. Auch die Figuren sind überragend gut getroffen worden. Magdalena z.b. ist einfach nur ein Traum und wenn sich Darkness in einen Drachen verwandelt um gegen eine Meute von Angelus (Engel) zu kämpfen sieht das einfach nur geil aus.

Etwas störend ist im Zusammenhang mit dem Artwork der Wechsel zwischen der Mini-Serie und den normalen Ausgaben. Diese sind zwar nicht schlecht, aber manchmal sehen die Figuren etwas anderes aus. Dani trägt zum Beispiel weniger Stoff am Körper und die Angelus haben plötzlich Gesichter. Da hätte man sich schon etwas besser absprechen können. Der Story selbst tut dies aber natürlich keinen Abschwung…

Es gibt zwar ein paar Unklarheiten was die Geburt des Kindes und seinen Vater betrifft, doch kann ich hier leider nicht näher drauf eingehen, ohne massiv zu spoilern. Ich denke mir aber mal, dass das in den späteren Ausgaben erklärt wird.

Während ich die ersten 5 Ausgaben also fabelhaft fand, sinkt mit den restlichen 4 Episoden die Story leider gen Durchschnitt ab. Alle Stories sind fast schon eigenständige Geschichten und haben nur wenige Zusammenhänge. Hauptsächlich fokussieren sie sich auf die Beziehung zwischen Sara und ihrem Baby (Top!) und Danis neuer Flamme (Flop)

Dennoch glaube ich, dass Witchblade – wenn nicht sogar das ganze Top Cow Universum – durch First Born gute, neue Impulse erhalten hat und es somit sogar für mich erneut interessant geworden ist.

Ich glaub man kann getrost sagen, dass nach diesem Event für Pezzini, Darkness & Co. kein Stein auf den anderen bleibt und sich diese Serie für Neueinsteiger ebenso eignet wie für Leute die zu Witchblade zurückkehren. Ganz großes Kino!

5/5

Witchblade, Vol. 5: First Born (TPB, Softcover)

Top Cow / Image, Juli 2008

beinhaltet First Born #1-3 & #110-115

A filha adotiva da mais famosa Witchblade, Masane Amaha (Masamune), Rihoko é a parte inteligente da família. Este figure traz um belo e inoscente sorriso para minha coleção, ela é adorável e linda, e vem com uma bolsa e uma mochila, além de um desenho em alguma parte da roupa igual ao formato da bolsa de ursinho.

Pensando em como eu faria para não colocar informações sobre onde comprei os Figures mundo a fora, e incentivar a compra destes em lojas que já possuem tais Figures dentro do Brasil, decidi pesquisar e entrar e colocar informações de onde Comprar os Figures no Brasil.

== Detalhes ==
Nome: Rihoko Amaha
Série: Witchblade
Fabricante: ORGANIC
Tipo: Pre-painted PVC 1/6 Scale
Extras: 1x base, 1x mochila, 1x bolsinha.
Comprar: Anime Cool

Clique nas imagens para ampliá-las

The step-daughter of the most wanted witchblade Masane Amaha (a.k. Masamune). Rihoko is the intelligent part of the family. This figure bring a nice and innocent smile to my collection, she’s cute, she’s adorable, she has a backpack and a purse, and panchira with a kuma drawed, so she’s in!

I found it on eBay, and bought it for another test purpose (bootleg hunter). While the price was very low, I thought it was a bootleg, but for my point of view, it’s pretty good to be one. The funny part is that she is a small kid, and for this purpose she’s giant near my other figures.

eBay seller: animejackpotgems
Product: ORGANIC Rihoko Amaha
Place: USA – Texas
Price: US$28.99 + Shipping US$15.15
Delivery: 20 days to Brazil.
Type: Pre-painted PVC 1/6 Scale
Details: Good Package and Excellent conditions.

Click to get Full Size Photos.

Nothing much to say about it .. its Danny Choo trying to imitate the Singaporean accent/slang! With a few mei-dos! =3 After AFA09, i was amazed to find out, not only was it a big event for otaku, but a massive culture shock for those who didnt know what the AFA was all about. Well, first time for everything! Apparently the newbies were shocked to see so many otakus in Singapore, and brain-freezed when they saw the maid cafe! Coz they didnt know how to react to it! ROFL. Looks like otaku culture is not globally known yet in some areas of the world. Either that, or these ‘normals’ have not been surfing the internet right! Haha!

The staff that  helped pull off AFA09 did a great job, even when they were shocked by Otaku Culture. Even when saying “I am trying to keep an open mind..” .. their minds mostly froze about how a big deal anime conventions can be! Its like that quote “Humans tend to fear what they do not understand!” .. enough bickering about the mortals .. they can take their own time to accept otakuism and evolve or something. Here are some of the AFA09 youtubes! (Credit goes to this uploader, Zerartul @ Youtube)

Team Singapore – Gundam 00 Exia. They won the competition!

Team Philippines – Witchblade

Team Malaysia – Code Geass

Team Thailand – Houshin Engi

]]> http://weeklycomicbookreview.com/2009/11/16/witchblade-132-review/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:18:33 +0000 pozzyfreak http://weeklycomicbookreview.com/2009/11/16/witchblade-132-review/

By Ron Marz (Writer) and Stjepan Sejic (Art)

The Story: Sara and Patrick share an evening together reconnecting before getting involved with a mystery involving missing children.

What’s Good: It’s been a while since Witchblade had an arc that featured Sara confronting the supernatural in a way that’s unconnected (as far as I can tell) to a future event. That’s part of the reason why Witchblade #132 is worth the read. It works really well as a return to the effective formula that made me a fan of the series in the first place.

While little happens in the first part of “The Bridge” to move the story forward past the setup, the character work done by Ron Marz in the opening scene makes up for it in a weird way. It’s a little heavy on fan-service (though it IS a sex scene, so you can’t be surprised it is there), but there’s no denying that the scene contains well written, mature, adult dialogue that does justice to the relationship that Marz has done such a fine job of establishing. The conversation between the characters had to happen and it is executed in a way that simply works.

What’s Not So Good: Stjepan Sejic’s artwork always shines when the Witchblade powers or the supernatural are a part of the story. Unfortunately, in Witchblade #132, there is little use of the Witchblade and only one shot of the supernatural thing that “The Bridge” is all about. As a result the flaws of Sejic’s style are a bit more noticeable than usual. The characters all look a bit plastic, inconsistent, or emotionless at times, some panels seem pretty rushed, and there’s a lack of definition in a few scenes that proves to be distracting. While the latest issue of Witchblade looks far from bad as a whole, but I’ve come to expect more from the series and the artist.

Conclusion: Witchblade #132 works because it takes care of some character issues in an effective way and proves to be a nice start to what looks to be a short, but entertaining arc. While the book isn’t exactly a “must read” in any way, it’s worth checking out if you are a fan of the Witchblade series.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

So yeah! I finally got round to doing this!!!

And

These were a bitch to actually take… mostly because about half way through my batteries in my crap camera died… meaning I had to go to the draw… there were none… so I then had to search my room for old batteries hoping that various combinations would work. Eventually one worked… Now I just have all my work scattered on my bed…

So… really, the previous school life was  a bit boring. We got our progress reports back, which I was fairly annoyed by. I didn’t get a single A. Mr Peters said that he was giving us our grade we were meant to be getting (mine is meant to be a C but I got a B). Mr Hillier has REALLY pissed me off. He gave me a C. DESPITE getting (technically) 100% on EVERY piece of homework we’ve done, even though he has marked them all as 8/10 because I don’t show all the unneeded working. Maths I think I got a B and a C… and apparently one late homework for Mr Hydes… even though it was for Mr Tapscott… Then Bio I got a B from Wheeler and a D from Cresdee (I can accept this… even though I’m the one who knows everything…) and I must’ve gotten a B from Fletch and C from Mr Halls… who I think hates me.

Physics on Friday we got our results back from the test on Monday. I thought I did well, but I was certain I stuffed up on some. Turns out I got 27/29. This turns out to be the highest in the class… It also turns out I was the first to finish, and I didn’t revise… *shrugs* how the hell should I know? I’m crap at physics… and no one mention that I got 98/100 on that Module 5 and 6 GCSE test which I was worrying about because I’d revised once and over thought it all and didn’t learn a thing… okay…. we then had biscuit related nonsense.

Then from Friday afternoon to about… Monday 3am… I spent the entire time talking to Bethany Huls via Head set and playing maple. Okay, so Sunday to Monday was mostly waiting for Bethany, because she had to clean because her parents were coming back… and I never got a chance to talk to her… sad face.

Saturday I cycled to Snape to buy my father a Christmas present. Alas it was raining… it wasn’t bad on the way there, apart from I couldn’t see by the time we got there from mud and water on my glasses. I got him some Marmalade and me 300g of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans… Then on the way back the rain was harder… I had to stop once because I couldn’t see a thing… and also my shoe lace got caught in the chain so I had to back peddle. When I got home… it felt like there was Ice in my brain…

Tuesday we (Mother, sister and I) went into Ipswich. I didn’t buy much… well, except Howl’s Moving Castle!!!! I then tried to watch it… but my brother and sister and mother came barging in every two seconds… eventually I decided to talk to my brother and we looked at University Prospectuses… well, the few he threw at me… being Cambridge, UCL and Imperial. He laughed and stuff… yeah…

Yesterday we went to the dentist… I hate this new dentist… he’s an arse… We then went to Ipswich to watch…. Up! IN 3D!!!! It is a Pixar production… so it will have one of the Pixar shorts at the start… this was AWESOME. Then the actual film… MY WORD! That was tear jerking. The start was a bit “WOAH!” in the sadness ratings… then later it got there again… and I admittedly had one or two tears down my face… I’m man enough to accept it.

Then today I did sweet F A… apart from the thing at the start and playing more Lunar Knights.

I’ve managed to finish Chapter 4 of my story, which is like 8504 words long. However, Open Office thought this a fun time to break… so when I tried to reinstall it… it wouldn’t work… I redownloaded the installer… it wouldn’t work… sad face.

I’d scroll down a bit Max…

I have also been watching Witchblade. It is a 24 episode Anime series that could have possibly questionable content… to say it is on youtube… the funniest thing is… the content is MOST questionable in the dubs. Basically, there is this thing called the Witchblade. It bonds to females… there are ones called Cloneblades, made by people. The people want the Witchblade. However both the Witchblade and Cloneblade seem to have a tendency of when the people transfrom leaving them with little to next to nothing on… the main character has armour on her arms… her nipples and shoulders… a VERY small bit on her… area… and then from knees and down… this is how it is for most characters… and nearly all of the people with this stuff on has GIANT boobs bigger than a baby… so much so the main character is nicknamed Melony. It is about episode 2 or 3 where you stop going, “OMG!!!! BOOBS!!! OMG!!! Her voice sounds like she is orgasming!!!” and get into the story… *cough* And about episode 20 – 24… I couldn’t take my eyes from the screen… and there were tears… The difference between the subs and dubs… the subs have black leggings on the main character… the dubs have fleshy leg showing her butt…

I don’t know what is gonna really happen between now and school… hopefully I’ll get work done… I SHOULD get work done… maybe tomorrow… that is if my brother and I don’t go into town… which I hope we do… I need to pick up my Deadpool Subscription….

So… I’ve also been listening/watching Tim Minchin’s stuff again… He is a genius… I suggest watching Dark Side from ‘So Live’ and Canvas Bags… from the Secret Policeman’s Ball… but I believe it is the first one you get when you search for it. Shame he isn’t a bigger name because he apparently doesn’t appeal to the TEEENAGE MAARRRRKEEEEEEEEEEEEEET! Which is why he could have a dark side… if you wanted him to. He is epic at piano as well as vocals…

Oh… also played a bit of Portal on Tuesday. It was good!!! Never ending fun just running falling forever….

Michael Jackson pode ter escrito graphic novel a ser lançada em 2010

Projeto nascido na falida Virgin pode sair pela Villard

De acordo com o site de rumores do mundo dos quadrinhos Bleeding Cool, um dos últimos trabalhos deixados por Michael Jackson pode ser… uma história em quadrinhos.

Jackson teria sido uma das celebridades convidadas pela hoje falida Virgin Comics para desenvolver um roteiro para HQ. A história se chamaria Fated (“fadado”) e contaria a tentativa de suicídio de um astro pop que acaba alavancando sua carreira – e jogando-o em um mundo sobrenatural.

Os desenhos seriam do indiano Mukesh Singh, que atualmente desenha Witchblade. E o projeto já estaria pronto para ser lançado em junho do próximo ano, como graphic novel, pela editora americana Villard.

O Bleeding Cool informa que os rumores vêm da Feira do Livro de Frankfurt, onde a maioria dos negócios do mercado editorial internacional são fechados. Uma HQ de Michael Jackson seria uma publicação de potencial inegável. Fonte: Omelete.

Veja Também:

Michael Jackson’s – This Is It

Official Movie Trailer

“Witchblade” is the flagship comic series of Top Cow Productions which is a subsidiary of Image Comics. Created by Marc Silvestri, the term “witchblade” refers to a mystical gauntlet that protects its wearer from harm. Designed and honed by women this ancient treasure finds its way into the life of a reluctant cop named Sara Pezzini (Yancy Butler).

Stuggling to unlock the power of the gauntlet, Sara butts heads with billionaire Kenneth Irons (Anthony Cistano) and his mysterious enforcer Ian Nottingham (Eric ‘Kaos’ Eteban). Irons unlock part of the history behind the gauntlet exclaiming that it Sara’s destiny to wear the gauntlet.

The Witchblade Tele-movie is one of the best comic adaptation television movies in recent memory. The way the film flows and really brings out a lot of panache in its cast reminded me of the magic when I first saw “The Flash” speed across TV screens in the early nineties. It really is too bad the series didn’t live up to the quality of the pilot.

As a fan of the on-going comic series I did love that they made the characters and gauntlet more realistic but didn’t steal from the mystery or energy surrounding the “witchblade”. I liked how the director would give Sara flashes into the history of the witchblade as the mystery slowly unfolded. You would salivate as you saw a glimpse of  a Joan of Arc-type warrior wielding the gauntlet as she fought an epic battle. Loved these period flashbacks.

You really have to admire the production team and the casting people. A lot of the characters really don’t envelope the look of the comic characters but instead pave a new direction and look for them I liked this aspect because it didn’t fail like a lot adaptations but instead helped the project. One of these changes was the character of Ian Nottingham played by Eric Esteban.

In the comicbook Ian Nottingham is always dressed in a long flowing oriental coat with long jet black hair. To allow him to blend into the atmosphere of modern day Chicago, actor Esteban sports a black toque and long flowing trenchcoat. The actor’s eyes and presence capture Nottingham’s essence without the infamous wardrobe. Esteban really does a wonderful job fleshing out the tortured Nottingham. He was incredible to watch.

A couple notes that I found annoying was the “boy-toy”/partner David Chokachi who is an ex-surfer who is trying to help Sara while he harbors a secret desire for her. This character was a nuisance and very poorly written. He could have been dropped.

It originally ran on TNT and Witchblade had a great potential to be a good solid sci-fi show. There was a lot of room for a female based hero audience in syndication since it debuted right after Xena died. But really after it went to series the show itself turned into one of the worst written shows on TV right alongside crap like John Woo’s Once a Thief and Kung Fu: The Legend Continues. Well it also didnt help that star Yancy Butler was also fighting off some demons of her own in her personal life. It wore out it’s welcome as fast as Mutant X did for me with Episode 3.

Tele-movie: 4 out of 5

Series: 2 out of 5

So Says the Soothsayer

Note: The Witchblade Complete Series is now available on DVD.

By Ron Marz (Writer), and Stjepan Sejic (Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: With the War of the Witchblades all wrapped up, I look forward to seeing where Ron Marz takes the series next. Will he dive right into another event or let the series go back to being about supernatural crime solving for a while? Time to find out.

The Story: Patrick Gleason and Sara Pezzini’s sister discuss Sara’s current situation while taking care of Hope. Meanwhile, Sara saves a child’s life and says goodbye to Dani.

What’s Good: Witchblade #131 serves as a great jump-on point for readers looking to check out the Witchblade series. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that it does gives readers a taste of pretty much everything the series offers. The conversation between Sara’s boyfriend and her sister that frames the entire issue is realistic, written well, and does a nice job of filling the reader in on everything that needs to be known about the state of the series going forward. In addition, the Sara Pezzini action scene does a nice job of giving readers a feel for what the series is like when it’s not focusing on an epic, universe altering event (which it seems like it has been doing more often than not as of late).

What’s Not So Good: While Witchblade #131 is a great jump-on point, it’s also a pretty boring read for series regulars. Nothing new happens, no real story seeds are planted, and the brief action scene is pretty tame and underwhelming for the most part. In addition, the flaws of Stjepan Sejic’s style are really noticeable considering that most panels are made up of little more than “a day in the life” type stuff. The characters occasionally look mannequin-like, some details look smudgy, and the action scene only has two notable panels. The artwork certainly doesn’t look bad, but it doesn’t have the “wow” factor Sejic’s work usually has.

Conclusion: There really isn’t anything more to say about the latest issue of Witchblade. As a place to jump on board, it works great. It just doesn’t have a whole lot to offer series regulars.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Kyle’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: Secret Warriors #8 - The ”God of Fear, God of War” arc continues to impress the hell out of me thanks to the strong character work that’s been done for both Phobos and his father, Ares.

Most Anticipated: Dark Reign: The List – Secret Warriors #1 – Predictable choice, I know, but more Secret Warriors is always a good thing.

Other Top Picks: Batman and Robin #5, Sweet Tooth #2, Astonishing X-Men #31, The List: Secret Warriors, Deadpool #16, Strange Tales #2, Vengence of the Moon Knight #2, X-Men Vs. Agents of Atlas #1, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #3, Haunt #1, Incarnate #2, Witchblade #131, and War Heroes #3.

Rob G.’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: Thor #603- This just book just edges out Green Lantern #46 because of it’s sheer literary mastery (although GL was a ton of fun). Thor is one for the ages and will be remembered as a classic, maybe the best run of this past decade.

Most Anticipated: Astonishing X-Men #31 – The return of the Brood in Ellis’s hands. Let me wipe the drool away. Plus, Jemeriz has taken over art duties so I’m looking forward to more consistent and pleasing visuals than the last arc. Honestly, I can’t see what can be bad here.

Other Top Picks: Amazing Spider-Man #608, Batman and Robin #5, Batman: The Unseen #1, Captain America: Theater of War – Ghosts of my Country, Daredevil #501, Dark Reign: The List – Secret Warriors, Irredeemable #7, Spider-Man 1602 #1, Sweet Tooth #2, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #3, Vengeance of the Moon Knight #2.

DS’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: Wonder Woman #36 – Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti are succeeding in restoring WW to her deserved status as one of the pillars of the DCU. Simone’s fantastic story-telling is setting the stage for another great story arc.

Most Anticipated: Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural #1 – it’s been a long time since we’ve had a regular dose of a Sorcerer Supreme and I’ve liked Jericho Drumm since first reading him in Strange Tales. I love Dr. Strange, but I’m hoping a new doctor in the house will bring back the freshness that made the sorcerer supreme so great under Lee and Ditko in the 1960’s.

Other Picks: Ghost Rider: Heavens on Fire #3, Batman and Robin #5, Justice League: Cry for Justice #4, Magog #2, Superman: World of New Krypton #8.

Alex’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: Secret Warriors #8 -The more this book focuses on the kids, the more I like it. This month’s issue was entirely centred around them, and so it takes home my pick of the week.

Most Anticipated: Haunt #1 – I was underwhelmed with Kirkman’s last ongoing, Astounding Wolf-Man, I haven’t cared about Todd McFarlane in ten years (maybe), the 10-page preview was disappointing, and the advance reviews have been absolutely blistering. What was once excitement for this series has quickly turned to morbid curiosity. That said, I’m taking a real “I’ll see it for myself” stand on this for now.

Other Picks: Batman & Robin #5, Sweet Tooth #2, Daredevil #501.

Tony’s Picks

Best of the Past Week: Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu Black & White One Shot – Green Lantern was good, don’t get me wrong, but last week’s black and white Shang-Chi comic was unlike anything Marvel’s done in a long time, and I really respected that.

Most Anticipated: Planetary #27 – Wow, the comic three years in the making. I’m sitting here at work right now typing this out and actually still have a copy of Planetary #26 in my desk, noting with bewilderment that it came out November 2006. For better or worse, the comic that reignited my love of this artform ends here and now. I’ve waited three years for this moment so, yes, it is rather anticipated.

Other Top Picks: Batman and Robin #5, Criminal: Sinner #1, Daredevil #501, Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural #1, Vengeance of the Moon Knight #2

By Phil Hester (Writer & Artist), Andre Parks (Inks), and Sakti Yuwono, Arif Prianto, and Admira Wijaya of IFS (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The last issue of The Darkness brought the familiar “team building” storyline to the series. And you know what? It worked really well. I look forward to seeing Jackie’s team in action now that everyone has been introduced.

The Story: Jackie’s got interest in some swampy land. Unfortunately for him, the Sovereign has some business interests in the same area. Oh yea, and there’s an ancient bog monster in the swamp that both may have to deal with in some way.

What’s Good: It’s not often that I get to review a comic that’s both written and drawn by the same person. It can’t be an easy task and I give all the credit in the world to Phil Hester for taking on the challenge. The Darkness #80 proves that he was definitely up to the task.

The first chapter of “Bog” has all the trappings of a classic swamp monster story. There’s shady businessmen, a reluctant lady who knows of the areas secret, and a likeable rogue that isn’t going to be dissuaded from getting what he wants. Hester’s story is simple, effective, and just plain entertaining. It’s also got personality to spare (though some of it is delivered in a heavy-handed way) and that goes a long way towards making up for how odd the story feels following The Darkness #79. But I’ll get to that in a bit.

Hester’s artwork in the latest issue of The Darkness is solid and gets the job done. It’s stylish and delivers in the areas that matter the most. While a few panels look a little awkward, for the most part the action’s exciting, the storytelling compliments the dialogue, and the color work/heavy inking keeps things clear and uncluttered.

What’s Not So Good: This may sound something like a nitpick, but, simply put, “Bog” is a strange way to follow up the team building stuff that’s taken place over the last few issues of The Darkness. It’s particularly strange considering that “Bog” sort of seems like a filler story that could almost be told at any point in the series. Yeah, the Sovereign character is involved so you could argue there’s some sort of storytelling window “Bog” must take place in, but the monster comes first and foremost. Jackie Estacado’s people seem to completely disappear in The Darkness #80 and it leaves me wondering why Hester didn’t decide to let the team establish itself more first before moving ahead with the “Bog” arc.

Conclusion: It isn’t perfect, but you really can’t go wrong with The Darkness #80. If you like The Darkness, monster stories, and entertaining dialogue, be sure to pick it up.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Light Speed Mail Service? Miracle? Don’t know, this 4 days Shipment from Japan to Brazil was really big. The 2 new figures that I receive from Hobby Search are Chizuru Minamoto from Taki-Corporation, Lena Sayers from Mile-stone

eBay Auction Bid Win on Rihoko Amaha from Organic Hobby. Seller and information about those three acquired Figures above.

== Quick data eBay animejackpotgems ==
Bought date: 14 September 2009.
Arrival date: 02 October 2009. (18 days).
Shipment Code: Inform a lot of details.
Product Quality: 100% Brand New.
Shipping: US$15.15 First Class Mail, not cheap, neither fast.
Package: Really awesome packing.

Very big Pack is from HobbySearch, not so big from animejackpot.

== Figure Details ==
Name: Witchblade Rihoko Amaha
Manufacturer: ORGANIC Hobby
Price: US $28.99
Release Date: July 2008
Type: Painted PVC 1/7 (19 cm)

Surprising Package from animejackpot. A lot of styrofoam, with air bubble wrapped, and a paper inside. The best one that I received until now.

Bottom, Business Card, and a Thank you card inside the package. This alien bubble stuff is the Rihoko.

Rihoko outsite the Bubble Prision.

Rihoko and Nendoroid Kureha Size difference, a bit blurry.

You can put her backpack (mine is already on).

== Quick data Hobby Search ==
Bought date: 28 September 2009.
Arrival date: 02 October 2009. (4 days).
Shipment Code: Inform a lot of details.
Product Quality: 100% Brand New.
Shipping: JP ¥ 8,500 total. By the size was so so, not that cheap.
Package: Really well packed.

Now we go to Hobby Search box. Chizuru and Lena already outside the cardboard box.

== Figure Details ==
Name: My-Otome 0~S.ifr~ Lena Sayers
Manufacturer: Mile stone
Price: JP ¥ 3,220
Release Date: April 2009
Type: Painted PVC 1/5 (30 cm)

Zoom on Lena Sayers Box

Lena and Kureha Size Comparation, Lena Sayers is a 1/6 Figure

Need a light?

Panchira Shot, Censored >_<

Eye shot with red-eyes ON

Trying to pick a bad side of Lena, but I failed

Her mouth need a banana

== Figure Details ==
Name: Kanokon Chizuru Minamoto
Manufacturer: Taki Corporation – Taki F Collection
Price: JP ¥ 1,494
Release Date: December 2008
Type: Painted PVC 1/8 (15 cm)

Zoom on Chizuru Minamoto Box

Minamoto Chizuru will be reviewed later, just a size comparation photo with our beloved assistant Kureha again

Currently I read 2 1/2 comic series. Two because there are two that I follow religiously: Zenescope and Buffy: Season Eight. The half is Witchblade, because I haven’t started reading it yet, but I’ve ordered Witchhunt and I”m going to start soon.

Actually, I’ve researched Witchblade within an inch of the series, trying to figure out where to break in, what I needed to know and a bunch of other details. I do the same with the other two, but it’s more as I read them than before I started. Zenescope’s various series I just jumped into with very little thought.

And comics are a strange thing for me to get into. I have little patience and Zenescope is horrible about releasing things on time, with the exception of its flagship, Grimm Fairy Tales, which come out monthly. Buffy is consistent, but I only read the TPB, so it takes a while to get the next issue as they are collected in their arcs. But waiting for the Wonderland series to come out is unpredictable. Mostly I try to visit Diamond Comics on Wendsday or Thursday to find out what is being released for the week and pray that one of the comics that I’m waiting for is on the list. Then I visit my comic book store about two weeks later, when the comic has hopefully come in.

But I enjoy the comics. All the ones that I read feature female leads. Grimm Fairy Tales has a female heroine in Dr. Sela Mathers and a villianess in Belinda. Wonderland focuses on Alice’s daughter, Calie (Carroll Ann) and her adventures. The last one from Zenescope that I read is Salem’s Daughter; Anna Williams is descended from one of the accused from the Salem Witch Trials and has inherited powers that she uses to fight against demons with a Gunslinger in the West. See all these comics (and more) at Zenescope’s website.

Now if I could just learn a little patience.

Zu Witchblade hatte ich immer ein angespanntes Verhältnis. Zu einem ist Witchblade neben Darkness der Topseller aus dem Hause Top Cow und genießt in manchen Kreisen auch einen guten Ruf, doch auf der anderen Seite stieß ich im Zusammenhang mit Witchblade immer auf Cover oder einzelne Pin-Ups auf der eine halbnackten Sara Pezzini zu sehen war. Sagt was ihr wollt, aber für mich gilt die Faustregel, dass ein Produkt, das erotisch beworben werden muss, vom Inhalt her nicht so viel hermacht.

Trotzdem bleibt Witchblade nun mal einer der Top-Seller von Top Cow und sollte zumindest mal eine Chance bekommen, weshalb ich mir dann doch den ersten Trade geholt habe.

Interessanterweise ist das, was ich hier bespreche zwar wirklich der Vol. 1 Trade, beinhaltet aber trotzdem nicht den ersten Witchblade Arc vom Marc Silvestri, sondern die Witchblade Ausgaben #80-85, was das reviewen dieser Kollektion nicht gerade leichter macht.

Der Grund dafür dass diese Hefte als Nummero Uno gewählt wurden, ist wohl der, dass mit diesem Witch Hunt Arc von Ron Marz und Mike Choi das Ruder übernommen haben, und Witchblade „in eine neue Ära geführt haben“. Hat man mir zumindest so gesagt…

Grund zur Abschreckung ist dieser Quereinstieg aber noch lange nicht, denn obwohl ein paar Sachen seltsam erscheinen wird die Geschichte noch immer so gut erzählt, dass ich lange Zeit wirklich dachte, dass man Sara Pezzini hier das erste Mal als Witchblade-Trägerin zu sehen bekommt.

Die Story beginnt dort wo andere Storys normal enden und zwar mit einer im Krankenhaus liegenden Titelheldin. Sara Pezzini – Polizist im Mord-Dezernat von N.Y. – wurde in einer Kirche von unbekannten Tätern ins Koma geprügelt und bekommt, während sie von ihrem Partner Jake McCarthy bewacht wird, Besuch vom externen Ermittler Patrick Gleason, der sich den Fall näher ansehen soll…

Natürlich erwacht Sara wieder aus dem Koma und macht sich auch gleich wieder in die Kirche auf in der sie so brutal niedergeschlagen wurde. Wie sich herausstellt ist dies nicht nur ein Tatort, sondern auch die „Stammkirche“ der katholischen Sara, womit auch der letzte wichtige Charakter dieses Trades – Father Fiorantino, ein katholischer Priester – ins Spiel gebracht wird.

Es dauert nicht lange und Sara rutscht in ein Abenteuer rund um Religion und Okkultismus, dass aber durch die dessen Hintermänner (ein seit Jahrhunderten exestierender Geheimbund) auch Verschwörungsfans erfreuen wird.

Soweit zum Inhalt des Heftes.

Ich muss ehrlich sagen, dass ich Witchblade, hätte ich mir die Serie als Einzelhefte gekauft, spätestens nach der #2 Adieu gesagt, was hauptsächlich daran liegt das Ron Marz die Figuren erst recht spät sympathisch werden lässt.

Hmm… Komplizierte Sache dieser Trade. Insgesamt ist Witch Hunt nämlich ein gar nicht mal so schlechter Arc, allerdings auch nicht so stark das ich ihn weiterempfehlen würde. Durchschnitt würde ihm aber auch nicht gerecht werden, weil es schon den einen oder anderen Punkt bietet der mir sehr gefallen hat. Es sind halt viele Dinge dabei die man mögen muss um diesen Trade, ja wahrscheinlich sogar die ganze Witchblade Serie, gut zu finden. Aber gehen wird die einzelnen Punkte mal durch:

DIE CHARAKTERISIERUNG

Ron Marz hat diese Krankenhaus-Szene zu Beginn wirklich perfekt genutzt. Der Leser bekommt die Hardfacts von Namen, Karriere und sogar einige Details über die Eltern schnell und ohne viel Gedöns geliefert.

Auch sind die Charaktere an sich auch recht interessant. Während Patrick Gleson noch die standardisierteste Figur ist, bewegt sich das Duo McCarthy und Pezzini außerhalb jeglicher Comic-Norm.

Wenn man Ron Marz Einleitung glauben schenkt, war es ihm ein Anliegen eine ordentliche, weibliche Hauptdarstellerin zu formen und obwohl ich bei solchen Fragen immer sehr kritisch bin, muss ich doch zugeben, dass ihm das charakterlich doch verdammt gut gelungen ist. Sara Pezzini ist eine toughe, intelligente Polizistin die aber auch nicht prollig oder übertrieben agiert. Im Gegensatz zu den erwähnten Pin-Ups zeigt sich Sara auch im Comic normal gekleidet und Marz/Choi bringen ihre Heldin auch in keine Situationen in der sie „zufällig“ ihre Kleidung zerreißt oder oder ihre weißen T-Shirts nass werden. Respekt dafür!

Noch sympathischer ist mir aber ihr Partner McCarthy. Obwohl er auf den ersten Seiten schon auf Grund seines fast Liefeld-artigen Körperbaus und seiner grantigen Art wie der ärgste Macho rüberkommt, stellt er sich schon im dritten Teil als das komplette Gegenteil heraus. Er liebt Süßigkeiten, redet ganz und gar nicht wie ein Macho („ich geh mal für kleine Jungs“) und zeigt sich trotz seines Heldenmutes als äußerst sensibler, eigentlich schon schüchterner Kerl. Ich glaube es ist nicht mehr notwendig zu erwähnen, dass er mein absoluter Lieblingscharakter in diesem Trade ist…

Diese Charakterisierung erfolgt zum größten Teil bei einem Frühstück in einem Diner, was meiner Meinung nach auch die beste Szene im ganzen Comic ist. Sara, McCarthy wie auch Gleason werden hier einfach perfekt rübergebracht.

Man kann also sagen das Ron Marz die Geschlechterrollen hier einfach umgedreht hat, dabe aber zum Glück auf Übertreibungen verzichtet (wie gesagt, Sara ist nicht prollig und McCarthy auch kein ängstlicher Typ der sich hinter Sara verstecken muss)

Thumbs up!

Die Nebencharaktere sind dagegen äußerst beliebig. Gleason ist ein typischer Nebenrollen-Cop der das Geheimnis der Witchblade lüften will. Keine besonderen Eigenschaften oder Auffälligkeiten, was schade ist da er nach Sara die zweit wichtigste Rolle inne hat.

ROMANZEN

Auch die Liebe wird hier anders behandelt als man denkt. Ehrlich gesagt kann ich nach dem Trade gar nicht sagen ob Saras Herz überhaupt für einen der Männer schlägt, weil’s einfach keine große Rolle zu spielen scheint. (Naja, obwohl…)

Trotzdem gibt’s am Ende eine hervorragende Szene in der sich Gleason und Sara bei ihrem Abschied sich nicht zwischen einem förmlichen Hand-Shake oder einer herzlichen Umarmung entscheiden können. Tolle Szene und nach McCarthys und Saras gemeinsamen Frühstück mein zweiter Fav.

Das waren mal die positiven Sachen des Witchblade Universums. Die negativen wären:

DIE STORY

An sich finde ich die Geschichte rund um den okkulten Beschwörer-Zirkel schon recht gelungen, aber für mich wurde leider nie wirklich klar wie hier genau die Witchblade reinpassen soll. Keine Ahnung ob da vorher schon irgendwas passiert ist was man wissen sollte, aber es scheint so als wäre Sara nur zufällig in diese Sache gestolpert.

Ich weiß auch nicht ob die Bösen nun wirklich wissen, dass es sich bei Sara um die Witchblade Trägerin handelt und das diese ihnen auch gefährlich werden könnte, oder ob sie einfach nur auf Nummer sicher gehen wollen. Wenn diese Story allerdings schon vor der Nummer 80 begonnen hat, finde ich von TopCow wirklich bescheuert Witch Hunt dann als Vol.1 zu bewerben und noch dazu keine richtiges “Was bisher geschah…” abzuliefern.

Auch das Sara sich ständig in dieser Kirche rumtreibt wirkt seltsam. Einerseits meint sie, dass sie seit langem nur noch zu Ostern und Weihnachten in die Kirche geht (als Kind aber jeden Sonntag dort gewesen ist) andererseits scheint sie den Pfarrer aber noch immer gut zu kennen. Verdammt er besitzt sogar ihre Telefon Nummer!!!

Es gibt auch einen Nebencharakter namens Patience bzw. Magdalena, die glaub ich auch in mehreren anderen Top Cow Heften vorkommt und sogar einmal eine eigene Mini-Serie hatte. Keine Ahnung über den Background dieser Figur, aber ihre Verwendung ist für Neulinge einfach nur verwirrend. Schon alleine weil sie von den bösen Jungs als „Warnung“ geschickt wird, Sara sie aber trotzdem zu kennen scheint. Für welche Seite kämpft diese Frau und wo liegen da die Verbindungen zu Sara?

Weiters wird auch nie erklärt seit wann Sara die Witchblade trägt. Das Marz nur wenig und langsam mit Witchblade Informationen rausrückt um die Spannung zu halten ist zwar erständlich, doch als dann endlich das Geheimniss gelüftet wird, stellt sich heraus dass Sara selbst keine Ahnung hat was sie da genau bei sich trägt und seit wann sie dieses Zeug eben auf sich haften hat, lässt sie ebenfalls im Dunklen.

WITCHBLADE

Nicht nur das mir die Informationen zu dürftig sind, ich mag dieses Witchblade Zeug auch an sich nicht. Es wird nie beschrieben was das Artefakt jetzt kann und wo dessen Grenzen liegen. Es greift an, heilt und Schlösser öffnen in dem kleine Äste aus ihm rauswachsen… Art, Funktion wie auch Aussehen verändern sich ständig und es scheint auch über keine nennenswerten Schwachpunkte zu verfügen.

Es wird immer angedeutet, dass die Witchblade insgeheim Sara kontrolliert, also ein Eigenleben ähnlich dem Venom-Symbionten oder dem Spawn Kostüm besitzt, aber auch hier wird nicht gesagt ob Sara es irgendwie eindämmen kann oder will.

Ich hasse solche vagen Sachen. Das wirkt auf mich immer so als ob sich die Schreiber noch alle Möglichkeiten offen lassen wollen.

Dieses Witchblade Ding ist auch schuld daran, dass man die Serie keinem Genre zuordnen kann. Der Höhepunkt ist ja wenn sich dieses Zeug am Ende zu einer ganzen Rüstung über Saras Körper verteilt und auch ein Schwert bildet mit dem Sara wenig später einen Drachen besiegt… Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Crime… Was will Witchblade jetzt sein?

DER CHINESE

Von den Nebenrollen hab ich bis jetzt nur einen alten Chinese unerwähnt gelassen, der absolut jeden Leser mit Verstand an den Chinesen aus Gremlins erinnern wird.

Obwohl er nicht oft vorkommt, nerven seine Auftritte ungemein und er wurde wahrscheinlich nur für 2 Dinge reingeschrieben.

1. In dem er viel andeutet aber nichts sagt, soll er dem Leser bei der Stange halten.
2. Er ist der Deus ex Machina der stets irgendwas rauszieht das alles im letzten Moment zum Guten wendet.

Wie schon die vage Witchblade Beschreibung ist auch dieser Chinese nur ein Zeichen für Ron Marz Schwächen als Autor.

DIE GEGNER

Der von mir bereits oft genannte Geheimbund kommt nur kurz als „graue Eminenz“ hinter den Ereignissen vor. Die eigentlichen Gegner von Witchblade sind namenlose, stumme Monster, ähnlich den Brood nur mit noch weniger Charakter.

Das finde ich schade, denn besonders beim ersten Arc sollte man sich bemühen einen Gegner zu verwenden der die Leser anspricht und auf dessen Wiedersehen man sich auch freut.

Monster gehen nur wenn die restliche Story stark ist, dass ist aber bei Witchblade leider überhaupt nicht der Fall.

Abgesehen von den diesen Positiv / Negativ Dingen will ich noch ein paar Worte zu Mike Chois Artwork sagen. Bis auf McCarthys Muskelberge kann man hier eigentlich nichts Negatives sagen auch wenn er mittlerweile bei X-Force doch eine noch bessere arbeit abliefert.

Eine Splash-Page – unglücklicherweise gleich der Cliffhanger der #1 – sieht dennoch etwas seltsam aus. Als Sara aus dem Koma erwacht sieht man sie von Oben und Choi scheint sich irgendwie mit der Anatomie vertan zu haben. Kennt ihr die American Dad Szene mit dem plastischen Chirurgen der Francines Brüste unbedingt zu einer Super-Titte vereinen will? Ich glaub Sara konnte er dazu überreden…

Was kann ich also für ein Resumée ziehen? Mir würde es gefallen Sara und die anderen in einer normalen Krimi-Story zu sehen. Ganz ohne Witchblade, Monster oder uralte Chinesen. Das würde bei mir viel mehr zünden als dieser Misch-Masch aus mehreren Genren bei dem ich den Eindruck habe das Marz selbst noch nicht ganz genau wusste was die Witchblade darstellen soll.

Dieses ganze Witchblade Zeug erinnert mich vom Grundgedanken auch zu sehr an Spawn (Monster, Dämonen, mystische Waffen mit Eigenleben), dessen Geschichte aber viel spannender zu lesen ist als diese hier.

Das hier ist zwar keine Origin, aber es wirkt auch nicht als stünde Sara bereits mitten in ihrem Witchblade leben.

Eine unausgegorene Sache. Wenn es einen Trade gibt in dem klar definiert ist was Witchblade nun kann und was nicht, dann kauf ich mir den vielleicht wieder, aber bis dahin hat mich Sara trotz ihres lässigen Charakters leider als Leser verloren.

2/5

WITCHBLADE: Witch Hunt

Witchblade #80-85

Top Cow Productions

Februar 2008

By Ron Marz (Writer) and Sjepan Sejic (Art)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: A dead main character, a powerful artifact once again made whole…yep, the War of the Witchblades has definitely brought changes to the series.

The Story: The War of the Witchblades concludes…

What’s Good: While some parts of the War of the Witchblades arc felt a bit drawn out, Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic make every page of Witchblade #130 count. The script is tight, nearly every panel aides the storytelling in some way, and the changes promised breathe some new life into the Top Cow Universe. In short, as a conclusion to a “game-changing” storyline, Witchblade #130 delivers in a big way.

The biggest problem I’ve had with the recent direction of the Witchblade series is that too often individual issues lacked balance. A book was either the Ron Marz show (a slow read, loaded with exposition/dialogue/narration and maybe a montage for flavor) or the Stjepan Sejic show (a really pretty, but very fast, read). Witchblade #130 truly gives readers the best of both worlds. Ron Marz’s War comes to a satisfying close as some new story doors open up, while Stjepan Sejic is given enough epic action to really show off what he’s capable of. And let me tell you what… Stjepan Sejic is capable of a whole hell of a lot. From the dynamic panel layouts and shapes to the level of detail that’s on display, Witchblade #130 is one great-looking comic. It can definitely be a negative thing when a book is loaded with large panels, but Sejic makes the absolute most of every single bit of page space that he’s given.

What’s Not So Good: You know what tends to bother me? When a storyline feels like it wraps up in a way that’s almost too neat and tidy. While the War of the Witchblades’ ending satisfies, it also veers pretty far into ” clean, happy ending” territory that seems out of place considering how dark the overall arc is.
My only other complaint is a familiar one. Stjepan Sejic’s characters occasionally look plastic and doll-like due to the techniques that he uses. A bit more facial detail would really go a long way towards eliminating the plastic look in my opinion.

Conclusion: The latest issue of Witchblade looks great and brings a solid story to a satisfying close. Pick it up.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

With EJ never being around when Alex is, and vice versa, John is beginning to think the other two komikeros are actually (dramatic pause) THE SAME PERSON!  Keep listening to Tres Komikeros to get to the bottom of this chilling mystery.

Oh also we read some comics: Blackest Night #5, Image United #1, and New Avengers #59.  After an audience review and a round of quick shots, the boys played a healthy game of thumb warfare.

Lastly, a sensitive topic is tackled in this week’s panel discussion — Comic Book Elitism.  Yeah.

You know who you are.

Download knowledge here.

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By Robert Kirkman (writer) Erik Larsen, Rob Liefeld, Todd Mcfarlane, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri & Jim Valentino (artists)

The Story: Super-villains are attacking major cities around the world simultaneously, setting the greatest Image Comics heroes on a course that will bring them together for the first time in over a decade!  Youngblood.  Savage Dragon. Spawn.  Cyberforce.  Witchblade.  Fortress.  Shadowhawk.  They’re all here, each penciled by their individual superstar creators!

What’s Good: Kirkman does an admirable job here, but by admirable, I don’t necessarily mean good. What I mean is that it’s obvious that he tried his best.  The writer has a marked appreciation for these characters and this era of comic publishing and that affection gives this first issue a lot of positive energy. It’s fair to assume that Kirkman didn’t have an easy task before him on this project.  Trying to write a cohesive story and service the fact that he’s writing for six different artists and six different franchises is enough to bring any solid writer down, and though he does prove somewhat susceptible to that weakness, there still manages to be some fun to be had with his execution.

Now, no matter how good Kirkman’s plot is, what everyone really cares about with this comic book is the artwork.  While this is certainly not the first time the gimmick of different artists working on the same page has been done, this is certainly the first time such high-profile artists have done so.  That fact alone makes this worth checking out.  Well, provided you’re a fan of at least a few of these artists.  I was surprised that, overall, the mixture of six different styles never really distracted me much from the flow of the story.  An interesting experiment…

What’s Not So Good: Well, if you read between the lines of my “What’s Good” section above, you’ll notice that the best I could say about this comic book was that no one ruined it.  That obviously doesn’t mean that it’s very good.  Let me put it another way.  This comic book would have kicked my skinny little ass when I was in high school.  I would’ve eaten it up and come back for seconds.  Unfortunately, it is not 1992 and, also, I had a pretty shitty sense of what was good back in high school (Except for The Good Son.  I’m standing by The Good Son, you hear me?!).  I don’t even see this appealing to the kids of today as it’s very much of it’s time and most of these characters haven’t exactly been bank-breakers for a very long while.  This might have been a momentous occasion ten years ago, but now?  Too little , way too late.

To further cement my opinion here, let’s list a bunch of stuff within these pages that High School Joe would have overlooked, but Early 30’s Joe can’t help but groan at.  Spawn’s cape (Which is mammoth!  I mean, it’s, like, his whole costume.) disappearing between pages.  One second it’s there, the next, gone.  This is not okay.  How about an explosion knocking everyone off their feet, but the only character who’s literally knocked on her ass so that she can lie in a sexy pose is the hot chick wearing a metal bikini.  Hot?  Well, yes.  Okay?  Not really.  Everyone standing in exaggerated poses while they’re talking to each other and often screaming things through gritted teeth like, “We are all going to die!”, when the person they’re speaking to is, oh, six feet away.  Obnoxious and lazy?  Yep.  Okay?  Nope.  Sound effects spelled “GOOM!”  “Goom”?  “Goom”?  Is this the sound of a goat exploding?  I understand that boom can get old pretty quickly, but there’s obviously a reason it’s lasted so long, people. “Hey, that bomb’s about to go off!”  “GOOM!”  So not okay.

Conclusion: There’s an exchange around the midpoint of this issue between Badrock and the Savage Dragon that goes like this:  Badrock:  “This is going to ROCK!”  Savage Dragon: “Grow up,  already.”  Those two lines perfectly summarize everything to be said about this comic book.

Grade: D

-Joe Lopez

All shot with a Kodak Zi6. I really need better gear for this. Actually I do. I didn’t think I needed it. Obviously I do.

Moe Cafe line at AFA 09

Mamoru Hosoda signing at AFA 09

Witchblade on stage AFA 09

Will add more as I edit them.