Top Cow has done it again. Picking their projects wisely they appear determined to create books that are distinctive in a spandex-driven market. Impaler is their latest high concept book, to use Hollywood slang. The set up is this: blizzard in New York, adrift freighter discovered with dead crew, vampires descend upon the city, cop teams up with ageless vamp killer Vlad Tempes, military struggles to keep up. Thankfully the Cow throw a handy guide in their titles these days, so this is a good place to jump in as any, in case you missed the first issue. This ish begins with two archaeologists arguing over the find of a corpse in a Moroccan dig site, while the object of their discussion seems to stir.
Three weeks later we discover how really desperate the U.S military are. With the vamps gaining ground with alarming speed soldiers are ordered to take them down at any means, even at the cost of civilian lives.
This is a movie waiting to be made. Less of a vampire film than a disaster one, if made, it could easily sit next to Cloverfield or I Am Legend or 28 Days Later. There is a feeling of desperation running throughout the issue, but it isn’t swamped by it. This disaster very much has a human face amongst the devilish horde. Vlad perhaps unwisely, gives his new partner, Detective Victor Dailey, a second chance at life, after receiving radiation poisoning, and Lieutenant George Wagner has a conflict of interest when faced with the insurmountable odds. Finishing off with a scene that ties in to the awakening corpse of the intro, things look unsurprisingly bleaker for our band of heroes in the future issues.
Writer William Harms and artist Matt Timson are on a winner here. It’s obvious they understand one another and are building something eerily incredible. Harms knows when to let Timson unleash his blood soaked art upon us, and when to quiet things down (slightly) although every page is brimming with sweaty intensity, as well as very impressive art.
The vampire creatures are a great work of design. Not resembling the typical neck biters from pop culture, Timson gives the ghouls more of a zombie feel, with a touch of Venom thrown in for good measure. Their blank eyes, shadow like tendrils and scorched skin make for a creepy visual combo. Timson is skilled in every area of art that the comic book page requires. The subtle earthen colours of the opener to the surveillance footage shown to the military to Dailey’s hallucinations that are suitably ethereal. He shows he has the mad skills needed for this mad tale. With Stjepan Sejic and now Matt Timson, Top Cow should give their talent scouts a hearty pat on the back.
Be aware that Impaler wisely carries a Mature Audience stamp for graphic content and profanity and blood are both plentiful. It is a gritty, harsh adventure and one that has me hooked.
For a preview of this ish, go here.
Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that the company’s flagship title, Witchblade, will reach issue #125 in March 2009, and the publisher will celebrate this landmark event with an oversized issue including a bonus story. Witchblade #125 brings the series’ critically acclaimed team of writer Ron Marz and artist Stjepan Sejic together to begin the six-part story arc “War of the Witchblades” which the publishers note is the biggest and most ambitious plot they’ve attempted with their flagship character.
Top Cow is making a name for themselves these days as a publisher of in-your-face comics. With The Darkness, Impaler, Wanted and now this series, they showcase brutal stories in which characters are thrust into gloriously bloody worlds. Like the best genre films of the 80s, these concepts revel in over the top violence, which make you wince and laugh in equal doses. In a fashion similar to the previously mentioned titles, Berserker knows how to wrap such blood letting in an engrossing story. That’s the key to books like this. Devoid of a great premise, they simply become mindless gore fests. Berserker is a head above (pun intended) such exploitation and delivers the goods in a brief package.
Jeremy Haun’s pencils with Dave McCaig’s colours really sell this tale. Sure there’s heaps of blood, but it’s not over the top. It all appears real and gives a horror edge to this military adventure. It’s filled with darkness and texture in the Afghanistan scenes and real emotion throughout its pages. By now, you’re guessing that this isn’t one for young eyes and you’d be right. Apart from the violence there’s also profanity one every page of this brisk tale.
This is a good stand-alone issue, to be sure. It’s a simple one-shot, but it won’t reveal anything about The Darkness. It’s a very loose tie-in. Apart from one of the main characters being a medieval Darkness bearer, it could be just a generic sword and sorcery adventure. Written by Phil Hester with art by Michael Avon Oeming, Lodbrok’s Hand recounts the sad tale of Lodbrok, the captain of a Viking ship, who as a youth lost his hand. The crazy King Grimur was moving from village to village forcibly enlisting strong men in his army. When young Lodbrok’s family was taken, he, his magic-wielding sister Freydis and a few other youngens set on a harsh journey of revenge. They realise they’re outnumbered and outgunned, or rather, out sworded, so Lodbrok bravely, or foolishly, calls upon the creature known as the Black Captain. He’s big, he has goblin servants bonded to the oars of his ship, and he’s on Lodbrok’s side, for a price. A bloody battle ensues. Heads are cut off. Freydis dies.Two dragons fight, and Lodbrok learns the hard way what his victory means. The twist at the end, in which the Captain revives Freydis to serve him as a slave forever, rather than Lodbrok himself is a nice one and shows the maniacal assistance that The Darkness offers. It’s an amusing enough tale. The story is so simple that a 24 page one-shot is all that’s needed. Hester has the speech of centuries past down pat and while this isn’t Oeming’s best work (that’s in 
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