Tag Archives: arif prianto

Exclusive Preview: Marvel Mangaverse: Iron Knight #1

Posted on by Leave a comment

Marvel Mangaverse: Iron Knight #1

(W) Cody Ziglar (A) Kei Zama
(I) Kei Zama, Wayne Faucher (C) Arif Prianto (L) Ariana Maher
(CA) Yuji Kaku (VCA) Jhony Caballero

THE BLOOD MOON RISES AS A BLOOD FEUD COMES TO A HEAD! With the city of New Chicago besieged by demonic yokai and trapped within a magical dome, RIRI WILLIAMS has rigged a mana-powered mech suit to dole out justice and keep the streets safe as IRON HEART! But when the opportunity arises to avenge the death of a friend, Riri finds herself entangled on a dangerous quest for vengeance alongside legendary sorcerer, MOON KNIGHT. Strap in, power up and prepare yourself for a heavy-metal, high-octane adventure as CODY ZIGLAR and KEI ZAMA make their mark on MARVEL MANGAVERSE!

Marvel Mangaverse: Iron Knight #1

Exclusive Preview: The Infernal Hulk #6

Posted on by

The Infernal Hulk #6

(W) Phillip Kennedy Johnson (A) Adam Gorham
(C) Matthew Wilson (L) Travis Lanham
(CA) Nic Klein (VCA) Juan Ferreyra, Mateus Manhanini, Davide Paratore, Von Randal and Arif Prianto, Kei Zama and Ruth Redmond

INTRODUCING THE HELLBUSTER ARMOR! When Infernal Hulk pushes Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to the brink, IRON MAN leads an overpowered strike force to level the Living City and end the Age of Monsters forever. Will Tony’s new HELLBUSTER ARMOR and the spear of the ONE ABOVE ALL be enough to keep him alive against the INFERNAL HULK? Or will he be corrupted like all the others?

The Infernal Hulk #6

Horror awaits in Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft

Posted on by

Dark Horse Comics and Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast present Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft, a new four-issue genre-bending comic series that will unite Rudolph van Richten’s protégés from across the horrifying domains of Ravenloft. The miniseries is written by Bram Stoker Award–winning author Amy Chu, with line art by Ariela Kristantina, colors by Arif Prianto, and letters by Haley Rose-Lyon. Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft #1 will feature cover art by Guillem March, Riley Rossmo, Francesco Francavilla, Todor Hristov, and Angela Wu.

Ravenloft is falling apart, and nobody knows why. Fortunately, monster hunter Ez D’Avenir is on the case! She’s searching the frozen wasteland of Lamordia for an undead creature that may hold the key to Ravenloft’s fate. But when Darklord Viktra Mordenheim catches wind of her quest, Ez is suddenly the one being hunted!

Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft #1 (of 4) will be available in comic shops on August 19, 2026. It is now available for preorder from your local comic shop for $4.99.

Poison Ivy #43 Shows the Evil Choices to be Made to Rule

Posted on by
Poison Ivy #43

Mayor Pamela Isley investigates the state of her old stomping grounds, the Gotham City sewer system, and makes some unpleasant discoveries about what lies beneath. Meanwhile, a certain feline felon makes her long-awaited return to Ivy’s life. Poison Ivy #43 is a hell of an issue that focuses on the tough choices, the evil choices, that are made to rule.

Ivy is now Mayor of Gotham City… and she’s actually trying to do a good job at it!? The idea of villains taking over and leading a city or country, hell even a world, isn’t anything new. But, they usually have some malicious plan behind it. There’s been some exceptions, but generally, it’s not a good thing. Writer G. Willow Wilson seems to be taking things in a different direction with this arc as Madam Isely actually attempts to make Gotham better.

Poison Ivy #43 takes two tracks as far as the story. The first is the horrible decision Ivy made when it comes to her relationship with Harley as she has become Mayor. Politics can destroy relationships (having worked in politics for 25+ years, I can personally attest) and being an elected official can really test the best relationships (again, seen it). Ivy’s decision is tragic and heartbreaking, but also shows she might be taking her new role seriously. There might be some actual altruism driving all of this. Ivy has always been an interesting character straddling clear villain and eco-warrior with good intentions and bad actions. Here, we see a focus on actual issues impacting Gotham and Ivy attempting to resolve them, maybe not in the best ways.

That gets us to the second story. While there’s a bigger mystery going on that plays out, Madam Ivy has focused on the sewer/pipe system of Gotham. There’s a clear environmental impact but also massive corruption. Wilson does a fantastic job of showing both sides of the argument in that “it’s shit, but it works” and “we can do better but corruption prevents that.” She’s right in her beliefs. She’s right in there needs new leadership. She’s right that corruption has led to all of this and the corporate stooge is just full of excuses. She’s wrong in how she handles it… Wilson has done a fantastic job of making the reader sympathetic and then just pulling rug out from under.

The art by Jaime Infante is fantastic. With color by Arif Prianto and lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, the comic does a great job of giving us the broken down Gotham we know but adding in a big of magic from Ivy’s natural world. There’s also a slight horror tinge to it all, delivered by the worn infrastructure. The team also does a fantastic job when it comes to the individual characters. Their body language and their facial expressions, the comic hits the emotional aspects perfectly. You can feel the frustration, the fear, the sadness, it’s just fantastic visually.

Poison Ivy #43 is a great issue that shows the difficulty in managing a city and the difficult choices Ivy has to make. There’s lots of drama, there’s lots of surprises, there’s more than enough to get you to cheer for Ivy to succeed (with less killing… maybe). I was intrigued to check out this new direction when it was announced and after two issues, I’m completely sucked in and excited to see what’s next.

Story: G. Willow Wilson Art: Jaime Infante
Color: Arif Prianto Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Mayor Poison Ivy? Poison Ivy #42 Has Ivy dealing with the Weight of Being in Charge of Gotham

Posted on by
Poison Ivy #42

It’s the beginning of a brave new era of Poison Ivy as Pamela Isley ascends to the role of Mayor of Gotham City. But what is her vision for Gotham’s future, and how far will she go to protect it?! Let’s just say things are going to get pretty bloody! Poison Ivy as Mayor of Gotham?! Poison Ivy #42 is a solid jumping on point with an interesting premise.

I haven’t kept up with Poison Ivy, the character and the series, but it felt like with a new status quo, Poison Ivy #42 was a nice opportunity to hop in and check it out. And, I’ve clearly been missing out. Written by G. Willow Wilson, the issue has Ivy in a new position, Mayor of Gotham. I missed the how of it all, but with Vandal Savage heading up the GCPD, the concept of two villains in charge of the city is a concept that’s interesting and intriguing… and Wilson delivers an issue full of surprises.

Ivy to me started as a clear villain but over the years has morphed into a villain but at times hero, whose intentions are often right but the execution of what she does all wrong. Ivy is an eco-warrior, out to protect Earth and nature, that’s a noble goal and in our real world she’d be labelled an eco-terrorist. She does harm and damage while attempting to achieve her goals. So, now she’s in charge and Wilson is taking clear inspiration from the real world.

Pamela Isley does have to deal with more traditional comic villains (clearly storylines carried over from the previous 41 issues) but now she’s faced with meeting the high expectations of the people who elected her. While we might expect there to be some sort of con or nefarious plan out of this, the comic plays her rather earnestly. She seems to want to do good and lead well, and even confronts Savage about militarizing the GCPD even further. She wants that back as well as improving infrastructure, increasing affordable housing, increasing healthy outcomes, and moving to clean energy. If she wasn’t a past super villain, she’d sound like a progressive just elected to office.

The art by Marcio Takara is great. With Arif Prianto on color and lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, the art event makes rather boring office meetings interesting and exciting. The characters look great and there’s a great emphasis on the variation of them. Savage and a demon like creature tower over Poison Ivy. Gotham also looks a little greener overall. There’s also a tension and sadness the art nails down as what is happening, and what Ivy gave up to make it happen, weighs on her.

Poison Ivy #42 does feature some of what’s been going on and not a complete fresh start, so new readers might feel a little lost. But, it’s a solid start that’s pretty easy to get into the big picture and enjoy. There’s something nice seeing Ivy bounce between being a Mayor for the people with great policy but also a hammer who is breaking tradition with how things are going. Overall, we’re teased with a story that’s not as straightforward in concept as it seems and full of layers. Overall, it’s a great start for a new direction.

Story: G. Willow Wilson Art: Marcio Takara
Color: Arif Prianto Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

The Darkness returns with Marc Silvestri Writing

Posted on by

Top Cow Productions and Image Comics are set to relaunch one of their most iconic titles this December as The Darkness returns in an all-new ongoing series from original co-creator Marc Silvestri. The new series kicks off with The Darkness (2025) #1, featuring artwork from celebrated artist Ed Benes and a new era for Jackie Estacado, the anti-hero who helped define Top Cow’s universe.

This new series marks Silvestri’s highly anticipated return to the franchise he helped create in 1996. For longtime fans, the relaunch promises a bold expansion of the mythology that made The Darkness a cult phenomenon while introducing fresh twists designed to surprise even its most devoted readers. “The Darkness has always been one of my favorite characters, and I’ve wanted to come back to it for a long time,” says Silvestri. “Fans have been asking for years when Jackie would return, and now we get to deliver something truly special. This is going to feel familiar, but it’s going to take you places you’ve never been before.”

The Darkness (2025) #1 will feature pencils by Ed Benes with inks from Matt “Batt!” Banning, Sal Regla, and John Livesay, colors by Arif Prianto, and letters by Troy Peteri. Benes will handle the first issue, while fan-favorite Raymond Gay will join the series starting with issue #2.

The story once again follows Jackie Estacado, a mafia hitman who inherits a terrifying gift on his 21st birthday: an elemental force known as The Darkness, which grants him dominion over creatures from another realm. As supernatural forces wage war over reality itself, Jackie must navigate a brutal conflict where good and evil are anything but clear.

The Darkness (2025) #1 arrives in comic shops on December 10, 2025. The issue will launch with an extensive lineup of variant covers from Silvestri, Benes, and acclaimed artist David Mack, along with blank sketch options, high-ratio incentives, and ultra-rare signed and original art editions for collectors.

In a world consumed by shadows…one man becomes The Darkness. Jackie Estacado is back! Thrust into a supernatural war between the dark and the light in a no-holds-barred adventure where the edge of our reality grinds against supernatural forces grappling for control over each other and the waking world.

Mafia Hitman Jackie Estacado was both blessed and cursed on his 21st birthday when he became the bearer of The Darkness, an elemental force that allows those who wield it access to an otherworldly dimension and control over the demons who dwell there. Forces in the world rise up to face Jackie and the evil his gift represents. There is one small problem in this story…evil is good.

The Darkness #1

Witchblade #14 Kicks Off a New Arc. Could this be the long-awaited re-emergence of Jackie Estacado?

Posted on by

As the countdown to the next Witchblade (2024) story arc intensifies, fan speculation regarding the return of The Darkness is reaching a fever pitch. Marguerite Bennett and Giuseppe Cafaro’s Witchblade (2024) #14 promises major revelations, a stunning new costume debut, and heavily rumored ties to The Darkness mythos that have speculators and lore-hunters on high alert. This highly collectible new issue is set to hit shelves this September from Image Comics.

Following the events of Witchblade (2024) #13, New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini returns to work while her partner clings to life, still reeling from the world-shattering events of last issue and coming to grips with the new nature of the Witchblade. In the City, a deadly serial killer is targeting the homeless, but the crime scenes reveal clues only Sara and the Witchblade can follow. How is a teenage conspiracy theorist involved in all of this, and will Sara be able to stop the killer before they strike again?

Witchblade (2024) #14 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, September 17:

  • Cover A Giuseppe Cafaro & Arif Prianto – Lunar Code 0725IM444
  • Cover B Bruno Abdias & Arif Prianto – Lunar Code 0725IM445
  • Cover C Raymond Gay & Arif Prianto – Lunar Code 0725IM446
  • Cover D 1:10 copy incentive virgin Bruno Abdias & Arif Prianto – Lunar Code 0725IM447
  • Cover E 1:25 copy incentive virgin Raymond Gay & Arif Prianto – Lunar Code 0725IM448
Witchblade (2024) #14

Cable: Love and Chrome #1 has Cable facing his terminal condition and find out he’s not alone

Posted on by
Cable: Love and Chrome #1

He’s been a soldier. An X-Man. A protector of the timestream. But even from his earliest days, the mutant known as Cable has been living on borrowed time, waging a lonely war against the ravages of the Techno-Organic Virus. Yet when a high-stakes mission in the future goes catastrophically awry, Cable is left stranded in the dystopian city of Salvation Bay – and will find himself caught in the midst of a civil war that will change his life forever. Cable: Love and Chrome #1 is a bit of a throwback in some ways and has the character facing his biggest struggle, the virus within.

I grew up in the 80s and in the 90s I was all in when it came to comics. Every event, chromium cover, debut, it was purchased. 40+ comics a week came home with me to devour. Looking back, most were exactly that, events and flash to get people to purchase them. The depth wasn’t quite there but the ideas were wild, packed with action, and utterly confusing. Cable was a prime example of that. A time traveler, his role in the Marvel Universe has changed over the decades and his path is at this point impossible to follow. That’s partially why I went into Cable: Love and Chrome #1 with the mental expectation that’ll be big explosions and cinematic moments, much like the 90s solo comics I remember. But, written by David Pepose, I should know to expect more and I was pleasantly surprised and please with what was within and the direction of the series.

Pepose mines the character in an interesting way focusing on the character’s struggle with the Techno-Organic Virus he was infected with as a child. The concept of the virus at this point is a bit convoluted as a whole but with Cable, it’s simplified. If he doesn’t use his mutant power, his willpower, the virus will overtake his body and kill him. He has a disability that makes every day a struggle. Cable is the extreme of what those with a disability go through every day, their internal fight and struggle to just function up against a world that “wages a war against them.” And, at times, Cable has slipped in that fight and it has become more difficult for him. It’s something I can relate to personally as my own disability gets the better of me and makes every day a fight of willpower. Pepose has opened up my eyes that Cable can be an allegory and not just over the top weapons that defy physics.

Pepose gives us over the top action too. The comic opens with a scene that is very much Mad Max with details that pop and ground it in a dystopian Marvel future. A new villain is introduced and overall, it’s just a lot of fun. It’s the opening sequence before the credits of the film roles where you just go along for the ride and don’t question the lead up. But, it’s the latter focus on the struggles of Cable and finding a possible community that struggles along with him that stands out and makes this comic more than just big guns, big explosions, and lots of pouches.

Part of the fun of Cable: Love and Chrome #1 is the art of Mike Henderson. As I said, the opening sequence is a prime example of that as there’s small details that ground it all and connects it to Marvel’s past. The designs of the characters are interesting and detailed telling a story and all of it is presented in a way that feels like it could be on the big screen with moments that hit. The color by Arif Prianto is solid giving it all a dirty palette but at the same time keeping the overall coming feeling bright and not depressing. Joe Sabino‘s lettering adds a bit of a punch in scenes as well.

Cable: Love and Chrome #1 has a feel like some of the Cable series I grew up with when the character got solo series with chromium embossed lenticular covers regularly. But, it’s far more getting at an aspect of the character that often takes a backseat and presenting it in a way so many can relate to. It’s a fresh take on the character, something Pepose excels at and a prime reason to check out this debut.

Story: David Pepose Art: Mike Henderson
Color: Arif Prianto Letterer: Joe Sabino
Story: 8.0 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.95 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

DC’s Batman Smells, Robin Laid an Egg delivers superhero holiday cheer

Posted on by
DC's Batman Smells, Robin Laid an Egg #1

Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg, the Batmobile lost a wheel… and you know the rest! Read these eight merry tales about characters from the DCU set during the holiday season. Be enthralled by Dr. Midnight’s literally silent night, become captivated by a Deadman story written by Marv Wolfman, and ponder the question: in a world without the Joker’s torment, is it really a wonderful life? Probably not. DC’s Batman Smells, Robin Laid An Egg, is a heartwarming new holiday anthology coming as a gift to you this this holiday season! How can you not pick up a comic titled DC’s Batman Smells, Robin Laid an Egg?

The song the comic is based on has become a holiday classic in many ways. Enshrined in pop culture, used as alternative lyrics in concerts by school kids who don’t feel like singing the real words, it’s been a thing for decades. So with a comic entitled DC’s Batman Smells, Robin Laid an Egg, you’d expect a read that was a lot of comedy and full of holiday cheer. And, the result is exactly that.

As with any anthology, DC’s Batman Smells, Robin Laid an Egg varies in quality of the stories but overall, the eight are really solid. They range from good to great, there’s not a stinker in the bunch. There’s riffs on classic stories, like the Joker being shown a world where he didn’t exist, and a lot of new original takes as well. It features a wide range of characters including a reunion of the Secret Six, that just reminds us we need a return of the Secret Six.

The art styles vary greatly and some are downright fantastic. Francesco Francavilla’s Dr. Midnight stands out with a wordless tale, and emphasizing how varied the storytelling is. There’s quite a few I’d love to see regularly on comics as well and like the stories some stand out more than others.

DC’s Batman Smells, Robin Laid an Egg is really good overall. A fun one-shot packed with original stories, it’s a nice holiday addition from DC which has already started a great tradition in its mini-series featuring Santa. Some of the stories deliver laughs, other nostalgia, and most of all, many deliver heart and warmth. It’s a nice read that’ll get you in the mood for the holiday season.

Story: Dorado Quick, Drew Maxey, Ricardo Sanchez, Alexis Quasarano, Marv Wolfman, James Reid, Zipporah Smith, Calvin Kasulke
Art: M.L. Sanapo, Marianna Ignazzi, Aaron Conley, Marcial Toledano Vargas, Paul Pelletier, Francesco Francavilla, Andrew Drilon, Anthony Marques
Color: Arif Prianto, Giovanna Niro, Ivan Plascencia, Marcial Toledano Vargas, Eren Angiolini, Andrew Drilon, Wil Quintana
Letterer: Dave Sharpe, Pat Brosseau, Steve Wands, Carlos M. Mangual, Josh Reed
Story: 7.75 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Preview: Witchblade #3

Posted on by

Witchblade #3

(W) Marguerite Bennett (A/CA) Giuseppe Cafaro, Arif Prianto
In Shops: Sep 18, 2024
SRP: $3.99

Sara Pezzini grapples with the deadly powers of the Witchblade while corrupt cops, human traffickers, and supernatural conspiracies tighten the noose around her neck. A terrifying new hunter emerges in the form of Ian Nottingham, but is he here to save her, sabotage her-or seduce her?

Witchblade #3
« Older Entries