Witchblade #172 Review

Can any wielder really escape their fate? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

Sara Pezzini will soon discover who the Witchblade chose to be its next bearer…

About fourteen years ago I caught a glimpse of the TNT original movie and from that day forward I was hooked. Started buying it monthly with issue #46 and I’ve followed Witchblade ever since. So when I tell you I haven’t been this excited about the property since #54 than you know I’m telling you the truth.

Let me say right off the bat that it feels great to have Ron Marz back in the author chair. The man had a successful run with the character from #80 to #150, where he reshaped this protagonist’s life and through a massive crossover event he even ended her universe. But now we’re here where the plot has jumped ahead by two years, after The Darkness has been destroyed and following Sara giving up her role among these rag-tags bearers. Fans may complain that this is not the first time this has happened (see the end of the Family Ties crossover or #103 for more info), but any momentary doubts quickly fall by the wayside. We don’t get a lot of context but after three servings there’s enough to justify the arc.

I have to say I first experienced Laura Braga and her fantastic style while covering the final adventures of Hack/Slash for UTF and I’ve been a fan since then. With a franchise that’s had industry greats grace its pages, there’s certainly a long list of features each illustrator has to bring to the table while living up the legacy that came before them. Three issues in and I can tell you that this talent knows what she’s doing, as she displays a visual cadence that has me earnestly intrigued. There were some minor hiccups within the display, some of the facial features come to mind but for the most part I was floored by what I saw.

Witchblade #172 is without a doubt a strong move forward that leaves me anticipating what comes next. Highly recommended.

4.5/5