#arif prianto

[soranatus]

Wonder Woman (2023) #10 Pride Month variant cover by Phil Jimenez and Arif Prianto

[freedvmrouge]

Bruce & Kal-El ⁕ Dark Knights of Steel (2021-2023)

[extraordinary-heroes]

Rise Of The Black Panther #1 | Avengers Variant (Cover art by Tyler Kirkham & Arif Prianto)

[spiderwomanfans]

Spider-woman #1 - Nov '23

Art: Carola Borelli / Arif Prianto

[wwprice1]

Killer artwork from Batman and Joker: Deadly Duo. By Silvestri and Arif Prianto.

[smashpages]

Wonder Woman #10 (DC, June 2024) Pride Month variant cover by Phil Jimenez and Arif Prianto

[cccovers]

Dark Knights of Steel #1 (January 2022) variant covers by Tyler Kirkham and Arif Prianto.

Limited editions of 3,000 (trade dress) and 1,500 (minimal trade dress).

[ufonaut]

You know, Bats, I take it back. I kinda like this side of you... I mean who'da thought the Prince of Pout had a sense of humor?

Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo (2022) #1

(Marc Silvestri, Arif Prianto)

[tomoleary]

Guillem March - Detective Comics #1011 Original Cover. Colors by Arif Prianto.

Source, source

[thebuhonerodazorrow]

Poison Ivy #11

Bloody Baecation

Dc

[graphicpolicy]

Witchblade returns in July!

Witchblade returns in July! #comics #comicbooks

Top Cow is reimagining the hit supernatural thriller series Witchblade. The new series, coming July 2024, will be penned by NYT Best-Selling Marguerite Bennett and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro. 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. Together, they will reintroduce the series…

[morebedsidebooks]

Poison Ivy #19-21

Checking in with the Poison Ivy comic series again, we’ve reached a set of trio issues #19-21 forming “Origin of Species”. This writer G. Willow Wilson’s efforts in marrying together the contributions by many creatives over decades who have taken on the matter of Poison Ivy’s origins. Which if that sounds ambitious, you’d be right.

In media Ivy’s origins have often been recounted either by others or herself. However, because of the developments that led here in previous issues, this secret origin is too for all ones knows a last testament. With that frame dare readers hope for a more sapient, innermost version?

To begin issue #19 sees Pamela Isley off to a Seattle university as an undergraduate in a plant biochemistry program fatefully headed by Dr. Jason Woodrue. Wanting to best her peers (leading botanists Alec and Linda Holland plus Philip Sylvain), entranced both by the work and Woodrue, falling for a sexual relationship with him among other manipulations. When the next round of funding for the experiments runs out, Pam makes her first foray into crime.

Next for issue #20, as things with Pam and Woodrue continue to escalate, Wilson once more does not forget a relatively recent character in the schemes of things… Bella Garten.

Her last appearance to this in a flashback in #2, it’s been several issues. So, let’s take a minute to discuss Bella.

As a fellow student and love interest, specializing in botany and genetics going on to earn a doctorate, Bella Garten or the The Gardener as she would become first appeared in Batman #107 in 2021 creation of writer James Tynion IV. Plus, part of the thread of story involving Poison Ivy during the Fear State event and into the past. The one-shot Batman Secret Files: The Gardener (written by Tynion and art by Christian Ward) was also included in the first collected edition of Poison Ivy. However, the file, another secret origin comic is less about Bella Garten and more an attempt to appeal to Batman to help Ivy (around the Tom King Everyone Loves Ivy period) running through decades of Ivy’s character (with adjustments). Part of the history there exposed, particularly certain actions of Gardener, is uncomfortably weird.

Yet again an example of major violation done to Ivy by someone she trusted. The revelation resulting in a short confrontation between the two in Fear State Omega. (The issue also marking the end of Tynion’s Batman run with Art: Riccardo Federici, Christian Duce, Ryan Benjamin, Guillem March & Trevor Hairsine, Colorist: Chris Sotomayor and Letterer: Clayton Cowles). Where Ivy is having none of the presented defense.

In sum a character that functions more as a plot point, another retcon while trying to put it all (back) together. Yet, coherency that has been needed. Despite the American superhero genre (in)famously being one where seemingly everything and nothing is canon, something still important. So too, the first ongoing series for Poison Ivy not just ought to but, does endeavor to plumb over 50 years of a character’s existence. While bringing what each creative uniquely can. It’s worth asking then if Bella is made more too under Willow’s writing.

Wrapping up casting Ivy’s mind back, issue #21 arrives at the full Poison Ivy. Once again, becoming a human experiment (volunteering!) and transformation. An old life lost, the new leading to Gotham— yet for a unique green reason.

As a woman with growing abilities, confidence in using them, the law is just an obstacle to justice. But of course, conflict and differences plus mistrust with Batman result with Ivy in and out of the terrible Arkham Asylum. This would be the early pre-Harley days too, even though the Ivy costume calls back to the influential BTAS.

Then what can I say about the art I’ve haven’t already in other reviews. Jessica Fong continues to deliver pretty and pretty gross (body) horror main covers. (On the latter it took a while to prepare myself to read the previous issue #18. Though it’s not shocking that bodily autonomy, something Ivy’s origins raise too, makes the list of also current matters the series depicts.)

Marcio Takara definitely has set a bar as the main artist for the series. I wish he was drawing every issue. Though nothing against the other artists who have so far done so. It’s just that I generally wish for a creative team to be able to remain consistent through a run. I’ve praised colorist Arif Prianto consistently too. On the other hand, since these installments are Ivy believing she’s dying and mired in her distant past, I’m surprised there isn’t more of a difference exhibited of that. Why not really experiment with the paneling, designs, and color palette. Just as key the letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou can switch things up to good effect. Actually, if part of the team working on Poison Ivy had to change briefly maybe here was where to do that instead.

In the end these issues of the comic series offer an origin stressing the choices and chances. A Poison Ivy that refutes being pathologized, focuses less on victimization, and more of her own creation and missteps along the way. It’s interesting too, if not still poignant, to look back to the first few issues of Poison Ivy. In soon coming up on two years, the series has issue by issue after issue grown and been recognized as an Outstanding Comic Book by GLAAD. After reflecting on a new(ish) past it continues forward.

[theeboyracer]

Batman and the Joker Deadly Duo

[readtilyoudie]

STAR WARS: VADER - DARK VISIONS

[smashpages]

Witchblade #1 (Top Cow, July 2024) variant cover by Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto

[cccovers]

Draculina #1 cover A by Collette Turner and Arif Prianto.