Woohooo Witchblade is Back!!!!

'Witchblade' #1 proves that a solid concept can never die, especially with the right creative force behind it. This classic property of modern comics has found the perfect team in Kittredge, Ingranta, and Valenza. This team reinvigorates the 'urban fantasy' genre for a whole new comic book reading audience.
4.1
OVERALL SCORE
Gunned down and left for dead on a New York rooftop, Alex Underwood’s life should have ended there—but instead, at the moment of death, she became host to the Witchblade, a mystical artifact that grants the woman wielding it extraordinary powers. But the power comes with a heavy cost, and Alex finds herself thrust into the center of an unseen battle raging on the snowy streets of NYC. Demons are real and walking among humans, and every one of them is intent on taking out the Witchblade’s newest host before she becomes too strong to kill. But the artifact chose Alex for a reason, and she’s not going down without a fight. Witchblade

Witchblade #1
‘Life After’ Part 1
Written by: Caitlin Kittredge
Art by: Roberta Ingranata
Colors by: Brian Valenza
Letters by: Troy Peteri

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WRITING

It’s a testament to Caitlin Kittredge’s writing that so much groundwork is laid down in this first issue without relying on exposition or call back’s to previous Witchblade comics. She makes this concept and the main character Alex Underwood completely fresh and compelling, complete with an all too recently familiar and tragic backstory. Alex is both vulnerable and tough, a combination that is not easy to pull off. She is the kind of female protagonist that is much needed in today’s social climate. The ‘voice over’ narration also creates a dialogue with the reader, bringing us that much closer to Alex. What we learn of her past bonds us to her.

There is also a deep mythology being created, and although it is only hinted at in this first issue, it’s enough to hook you and give you a glimpse into this world.Witchblade

What struck me the most about this comic though is that it is a concept about women, in a book about a woman, that is being told by a female creative team dealing with issues that are unfortunately always timely. That alone is fantastic. It feels vital and necessary. But it’s also a kick-ass comic, filled with action and a growing mystery.

ART

The art here is a strong contrast to what many people remember about Witchblade in the past (and that’s not a dig at the original comics as I and many more made it a huge hit back in the day). What Ingranata and Valenza are creating is a fusion of minimal indie comics-style art and high energy urban action comic book storytelling. There are also subtle touches like backgrounds being slightly out of focus, inventive layouts, panels and texturing that give much-added weight to the pages. Witchblade

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The coloring is great, with a muted palette that serves the art and mood, giving in the winter feel it has (the story takes place in snowy New York). Too many modern comics have distracting art and that is not the case here.

CONCLUSION

It’s great to see the Witchblade concept back on the stands and at the hands of a fresh, contemporary creative team. This classic property of modern comics has found the perfect team in Kittredge, Ingranta, and Valenza. This team reinvigorates the ‘urban fantasy’ genre for a whole new comic book reading audience.

WITCHBLADE #1
Written by Caitlin Kittredge
Art by Roberta Ingranata, Bryan Valenza, and Troy Peteri
Published by Image Comics
Release date: December 6, 2017

The 90’s was a time of artistic hyperbole for comic books. Half of the books featured impossibly perfect over-sexualized girls fighting crime basically naked. (The other half are all #1s in polybags with bonus trading card inside.) One of the most popular heroes from this era fought crime with only the Witchblade to protect and cover her for many years. Not to become a relic of the past, though, the Witchblade has made a triumphant return in the pages of Image comics new reboot. The new series adds more than clothes to it’s hero; it has added a depth and humanity that wasn’t there before.

Akin to an Abrams reboot Caitlin Kittredge has taken the best thing about the original Witchblade series, the premise, and has expounded upon it. Kittredge has started with a solid foundation and built up a much better frame on top of it to work on over the next few issues. She has given birth to a realistic and multi-dimensional main character, Alex Underwood, that within the first couple of pages attaches herself to the reader like the Witchblade itself would a new host. All the work behind the scenes that has been spent world-building and character developing shows brightly in this first issue. It is obvious that Kittredge has strived hard to make this story her own while still preserving the spirit of the original.

The reader shares the journey with Alex as she deals with the confusion of pairing with this ancient artifact. There are times when the flow may seem confusing itself but each time the reader almost gets lost things are brought back into focus. It’s a great way to take part in Alex’s desperation and weariness with what’s taking place in her mind. The voice she hears in her head is very realistically portrayed as a possible mental disorder. Anyone that has experienced this before will find her torment hitting close to home. It also helps that Alex is not a gritty trained cop that is ready to fight crime. She is just an everyday person who has regular responsibilities and consequences. The story feels grounded enough in the real world that it should bring in new readers while still keeping enough of the original to intrigue fans.

Roberta Ingranata’s artwork in this first issue is beautiful and elevates the idea of rebooting Witchblade to an acceptable level. While the original series tended to be more voluptuous Ingranata’s art is much closer to reality and gritty but gorgeous at the same time. The set design firmly places the story in our reality but has the soft haze of fantasy hanging around the edges. Ingranata wisely makes use of wide panel layouts for most of the pages giving the narrative a very cinematic feel to it. When she doesn’t use the wide panels she breaks up the flow with long vertical panels that starkly capture key moments. It’s very well done and feels more like art than a comic book. One page in particular really stands out in this issue and without spoiling anything it is nice way of conveying memories. It is beautifully rendered.

Bryan Valenza’s colors cement in the reader’s mind the atmosphere of the locations throughout the issue; New York feels cold, wintery, and snowflakes seem to fall around you. He also has done a superb job at coloring the characters and brings Alex in particular to life with excellent use of highlights. To round out the artwork Troy Peteri handles the lettering for the issue nicely. The relic, Alex’s inner dialogue and spoken word all stand out from each other and are rendered lovely.

If you are a Witchblade fan then forget everything you know before you open the book. For good or bad it will allow you to judge this story on it’s own merits. The work that Kittredge and Ingranata have put into this issue is more than obvious and may end up being more memorable than the original’s legacy. They have captured and injected a world of emotion into these pages bringing this property out of the 90s and into the modern times.

The Verdict: 9.0/10.0