Written by: Ron Marz and Saurav Mohapatra
Art by: Stjepan Sejic
Published by: Top Cow
Last issue saw Sara Pezzini and her partner Patrick Gleason investigating the brutal death of a New York doorman. Their investigation led them to two children with a talent for drawing, so much so that their drawings can come alive and do their bidding.
There have been creepy children in popular culture for a long time, with The Omen being particularly famous, but two little kids that can create living monsters must be one of the most frightening prospects for any unsuspecting adults. Once it is clear to Sara that the children are responsible for the death of the doorman, both she and Patrick are attacked by an army of monsters and it’s time for Sara to become Witchblade.
As I’ve already mentioned, evil children have been done before, but that doesn’t stop them being good for another story. As Witchblade battles the hordes of monsters, Patrick goes after the kids, providing some contrast. The fight scenes with Witchblade are good, but it is far more fun watching the ordinary Patrick deal with a monster while getting annoyed with and swearing at the evil children, providing some amusing moments. The relationship between Sara and Patrick is also a joy and it is enhanced by the fact that they are work partners, romantic partners and have very different capabilities.
Stjepan Sejic’s art is amazing, with a great deal of detail and realism. There’s fur, claws, teeth and lots of eyes, all on a large scale. Everything is drawn well, from the monsters to the more subtle facial expressions. There is a lot of use of red and black in the colouring and the whole comic has a painted quality to it that really makes it stand out from the crowd.
This is only the second issue of Witchblade that I have ever read, but I’m already hooked. The mix of traditional police work with the fantasy elements work well, reminding me a little bit of the X-Files. I’d definitely recommend having a look at Witchblade if you haven’t before.
9/10
Check out the Preview http://comicbuzz.com/witchblade-141-preview
