WITCHBLADE #170 Review


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It’s the beginning of a new era for the aged franchise, but is that a good or a bad thing?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

RON MARZ RETURNS TO WITCHBLADE!

Sara Pezzini has been a cop, a mother, a girlfriend, and a private investigator. She is none of those things anymore. The only thing tying Sara to her past and preventing her from forging a new chapter in life is the Witchblade. But with everything else gone, who will Sara Pezzini be if she gives up the Witchblade?

Witchblade 170_CThe new creative team is here, and right off the bat they give us as bit of a time jump as we see our protagonist in a new but familiar role.  Having left Chicago behind and embraced a life without her gauntlet, the forces behind this arc capitalize on the raw gumption that has made this title readable even in its most convoluted days.

Ron Marz spears this project, and whatever the reason the scribe that re-invigorated this franchise has returned.  And in his wake we see a very tough Sara Pezzini that’s embracing her new role and, thanks to a few flashbacks, is willingly abandoning her artifact.  The most jarring thing is that the previous author ended his story with a sense of purpose and peace of mind.  She has lost a lot but in the context of recent months the build up felt a bit off.  That said the dialogue and pacing are strong enough that it’s almost easy to overlook that slightly rocky transition.

The highlight for me this issue is the uncanny art by Laura Braga.  She steps into her new position as the lead artist for Top Cow’s flagship title with a sense of ease that bleeds through her designs.  There are some slightly off moments as bodies contort and shift a wee bit oddly, but for the most part I was blown away by the visualizations.

Witchblade #170 may not have all that it needs to be successful, but it has more than enough to earn praise and a recommendation from me.

4/5

fourstar

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