Witchblade #1 (2017) –
Image Comics
Written by Caitlin Kittredge
Art by Roberta Ingranata
Colors by Bryan Valenza
Letters by Troy Peteri
Two years is a long time to wait for anything. After 20 years, and several amazing stories, Witchblade has finally returned. Image Comics has brought in an all new creative team, and a new host. Fans are understandably nervous about any revival, and this is no different. So let’s dive in and see if it was all worth the wait.
The new host is Alex Underwood, a former newswoman turned victim advocate, who is wrapped up in a major case in New York City. As if that isn’t stressful enough, she is also hearing thing and having some crazy dreams. This is no spoiler, since the images have already been released, but we find out right away that she has died. She has been chosen at the new host for Witchblade, but that adds an all new complication to her life. Lost in all of this is a really compelling story regarding her case, and a very real subject matter. I must admit, I went back and forth on how I felt about Alex given some of the decisions she made. Then I connected with the realism that the character is steeped in. Creating flaws in (what will be) a powerful character creates another layer that I think will work well in building this story in the early issues. Witchblade fans know what’s coming, but certain circumstances that I won’t spoil do create a bit of anxiety. Alex does something very reckless towards the end of this issue, but it leads to a big payoff on the final page.
One of the things that really kept me reading this book was, it just felt real. It felt like this was happening to an actual person, with real world reactions to what was going on. That’s hard to do when combining mystical elements with the human world. Also, being a fan of Caitlin Kittredge’s work on Throwaways, she knows how to deal with emotional trauma and knows how to build a story around intense circumstances. The story, however, could not possibly be as strong as it was without the amazing visuals from Roberta Ingranata. Witchblade has been known over the years for great art, and I’d stack her work up against any that came before. Something just feels right about this revival, and I think classic Witchblade fans really need to give this one a chance. 20 years of history or not, I’m already hooked on this one.
Image Comics
Written by Caitlin Kittredge
Art by Roberta Ingranata
Colors by Bryan Valenza
Letters by Troy Peteri
Two years is a long time to wait for anything. After 20 years, and several amazing stories, Witchblade has finally returned. Image Comics has brought in an all new creative team, and a new host. Fans are understandably nervous about any revival, and this is no different. So let’s dive in and see if it was all worth the wait.
The new host is Alex Underwood, a former newswoman turned victim advocate, who is wrapped up in a major case in New York City. As if that isn’t stressful enough, she is also hearing thing and having some crazy dreams. This is no spoiler, since the images have already been released, but we find out right away that she has died. She has been chosen at the new host for Witchblade, but that adds an all new complication to her life. Lost in all of this is a really compelling story regarding her case, and a very real subject matter. I must admit, I went back and forth on how I felt about Alex given some of the decisions she made. Then I connected with the realism that the character is steeped in. Creating flaws in (what will be) a powerful character creates another layer that I think will work well in building this story in the early issues. Witchblade fans know what’s coming, but certain circumstances that I won’t spoil do create a bit of anxiety. Alex does something very reckless towards the end of this issue, but it leads to a big payoff on the final page.
One of the things that really kept me reading this book was, it just felt real. It felt like this was happening to an actual person, with real world reactions to what was going on. That’s hard to do when combining mystical elements with the human world. Also, being a fan of Caitlin Kittredge’s work on Throwaways, she knows how to deal with emotional trauma and knows how to build a story around intense circumstances. The story, however, could not possibly be as strong as it was without the amazing visuals from Roberta Ingranata. Witchblade has been known over the years for great art, and I’d stack her work up against any that came before. Something just feels right about this revival, and I think classic Witchblade fans really need to give this one a chance. 20 years of history or not, I’m already hooked on this one.
RATING: PULL / BUY