Witchblade #173 Review

As this franchise approaches its landmark 175th issue, does it hold enough weight to keep an audience? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

BORNE AGAIN

Even without the Witchblade secured to her wrist, Sara Pezzini cannot escape the corrupting influence of the gauntlet.

When it comes to this particular title there have been some ups and downs but it’s almost always a refreshing blend complete with a strong female protagonist and supernatural elements. This latest story is no different, as our primary character recovers from her injury and encounter with an Angelus warrior. The creative team takes some strides forward, as this former wielder of the balance prepares for battle.

There are a lot of potential perils when an author returns to a franchise that he arguably revolutionized. And the results for this fourth entry are interesting as Ron Marz continues to propel this saga forward, while blowing my mind with a connection to a two part arc that I never thought would be revisited (see: Witchblade #142 and 143). The author shows his prowess by taking familiar steps and jumping ahead of them as another quality outing builds toward what should be a thrilling confrontation. At this point my only complaint is that I wish we could have had a bit more time delving into what Sara’s gone through following her final encounter with The Darkness and its host.

One of the things that’s been a cornerstone for this comic book property has been the stellar illustrators that have graced its pages. From Michael Turner, to Randy Green, Keu Cha, Francis Manapul, Mike Choi, Stjepan Sejic, Diego Bernard there’s a lot riding on the visual component. Thankfully Laura Braga proves again and again that she’s up to the task. She realizes the out of this world elements while delivering the innate emotions when the script calls for it. Add in the colors by Betsy Gonia and you have a wonderfully engaging display.

Witchblade #173 is not a perfect entry by any means but this is exactly the quality effort I’ve come to expect from this particular team. Recommended.