There’s been a lot going on in the “windy city” for our intrepid investigator, but is this latest jaunt really worth a purchase?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

“THE CORRUPTION CATARACT”

With Cain Jorgenson imprisoned and the Corruption Cataract agents closing in, Sara Pezzini discovers that even the Witchblade needs to ask for help when outgunned and outnumbered. Short on time and forced into an unstable alliance with the gangster Rook, Sara must take a walk on the other side of the law if she is to triumph. But can she trust that other enemies of the Corruption Cataract are truly the Witchblade’s friends?

The creative team continues to chart their course into whatever territory they see fit, as they do their best to keep the narrative fresh and focused. Working together they attempt to side-step any potential narrative landmines that could result in some unfortunate moments, and thankfully in this latest release the good ones far outweigh the bad.

The script penned by Tim Seeley offers up an impressive and engaging romp that allows Sara Pezzini to really strut her stuff.  One of the things that will easily stand out to fans is the dialogue, the author has really found our heroine’s voice and even as things may seem a bit rushed or shakily thrown together the characterizations keep the heart of this tale more than coherent. There were some instances where the text ran a bit thick but trust me they only mildly slowed down the pace and when compared to this otherwise standout affair these segments did little to hinder the reading experience.

Diego Bernard does a fine job continuing his already sterling artistic run on this book.  He effortlessly brings life to the characters that inhabit this world of intersecting dimensions, ghosts and monsters as each proverbial pencil stroke yield believable designs.  There were a couple panels where the visualization of the Witchblade looked a tad bit rushed but they were few and far between.

Witchblade #163 is an exciting outing that successfully uses its foundation to legitimize the continuing narrative.  Recommended.

4/5