WITCHBLADE #1, by Image Comics on 7/17/24, begins a new era in the Witchblade mythology when Detective Sara Pezzini’s mission to expose corrupt cops is interrupted by an ancient artifact.
Credits:
- Writer: Marguerite Bennett
- Artist: Giuseppe Cafaro
- Colorist: Arif Prianto
- Letterer: Troy Peteri
- Cover Artist: Marc Silvestri, Arif Prianto
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: July 17, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 52 (half story, half promotional and sketch art)
- Format: Double-Sized Issue
Covers:
Analysis of WITCHBLADE #1:
Plot Analysis:
Marguerite Bennett takes on the herculean task of reimagining Witchblade for a new generation. Filled with gritty crime action, supernatural surprises, and a bushel of teases for what’s to come, this just may be the Witchblade comic you’re looking for. That said, longtime Witchblade fans may be left confused.
Witchblade #1 begins with an excavation dig in the heart of Berlin, led by Kenneth Irons. The ruthless executive is on the hunt for something incredibly rare, and his workers believe they found it. Irons’s men order a female worker to unearth the artifact by hand. When the gleaming jewel at the heart of the spidery item comes to light, it suddenly leaps on the worker, takes over her mind, and compels her to run.
Right off, Bennett gives readers a crash course on the discovery of the Witchblade, who wants it, and the dangers of denying Irons what he wants. The opening pages are a brutally efficient demonstration of how to establish the premise and the antagonist with maximum impact.
The possessed woman runs into the busy Berlin streets and carjacks a vehicle to get to the airport. It’s obvious the Witchblade is locked onto its intended host and intends to get to her by any means necessary. Airport security opens fire on the construction worker when she charges the terminal gates, but a hapless airport staffer becomes the Witchblade’s new host when she kneels to check the construction worker for signs of life. What follows is a series of hot potato scenes depicting the Witchblade hopping from one woman to the next until it commandeers someone to board a plane headed for New York.
Again, Bennett shows expert efficiency in quickly showing how the Witchblade jumps from one host to the next and has a clear and urgent purpose to find its host. The pacing is high but the scenes communicate everything you need to know without taking shortcuts.
The comic cuts to a montage introduction to Detective Sara Pezzini. She’s spent her adult life serving in one form of law enforcement or another, driven to live up to her father’s memory and eventually avenge her father’s death at the hands of corrupt cops. On this night, Pezzini heads with a human trafficking broker to join his organization, both to smash the ring from within and find out who else on the police force is involved.
There’s that word again – Efficiency. Bennet wastes no time giving readers the fewest amount of words needed to explain why Pezzinni is walking into the lion’s den, what she hopes to get out of the meeting, and the dangers she’ll face if she fails. It all works.
When Pezzinni meets the broker, he presents her with a test to prove her trustworthiness to their operation – she must kill a mule who failed his latest mission. Determined to root out the corrupt police and upend the trafficking ring, Pezzinni pulls the trigger. However, the gun was empty, so she passed the test but didn’t (technically) betray her ethics.
Suddenly, a motorcycle rider rashes through the nearby window. The Witchblade leaps off the arm of the rider, cuts down the broker, and latches itself on Pezzinni. The artifact engulfs her body in metal tendrils with lethal strength that lashes out and kills all the broker’s men in a matter of seconds. One of the men shoots Pezzinni in the chest before he dies, knocking her unconscious, but the artifact slowly pushes the bullet out. When Pezzinni wakes up, she’s unclear what happened, but she gathers herself enough to unlock the nearby storage unit holding nearly a dozen girls meant for auction.
We conclude the issue with first responders arriving to lend aid, and a dark figure watching the scene from a nearby rooftop.
Overall, Marguerite Bennet delivers a tight, laser-focused, action-packed script that builds the world and characters in a thoroughly engaging way. The most we could criticize about this issue is the lack of a strong cliffhanger, but the curiosity for what comes next is high enough to want the next issue.
Artwork and Presentation:
Ahh, the art. If it was any other title, Giuseppe Cafaro’s art would be considered very good to great. In isolation, Cafaro does a wonderful job with the look of the characters, the unique camera angles, visual pacing, and action. That said, Witchblade fans won’t be able to help compare Cafaro’s work to the original creator’s art (Michael Turner), and it doesn’t reach the same level of detail and slickness.
Again, this isn’t bad art by any definition, but comparing yourself to one of the greats is a tall order.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
Longtime Witchblade fans who want clarification about where this series sits in continuity may or may not be happy with the answer. In effect, this series is a complete reboot that starts from scratch. Here, you get a retelling and slightly modified version of Witchblade’s origin story.
Do the tweaks and adjustments create wildly different canon? No. It’s close enough that you probably won’t notice significant differences.
Final Thoughts:
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WITCHBLADE #1 reboots Detective Sara Pezzinni’s and the Witchblade’s origin story from scratch with a tight, efficient, laser-focused first issue. Longtime Witchblade fans will appreciate how masterfully Marguerite Bennett establishes the world and characters without wasting a single panel, and Giuseppe Cafaro’s art is solid. That said, rebooting the series from square one may rub existing fans the wrong way, and Cafaro’s art doesn’t quite live up to Michael Turner’s legacy.
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