I haven’t read a comic book in years and a Witchblade comic in an even longer time, but I volunteered to review Image Comics’ Witchblade #138 regardless.
And boy, am I glad I did.
I’m only somewhat familiar with Sara Pezzini, but the first page of the comic reminds us that she is a police detective and is in possession of the Witchblade, an ancient artifact that she wears as a gauntlet. It acts as a balance between the dark and the light. Sara’s family consists of her daughter Hope and sister Julie, but we quickly learn that Julie has been shot and killed by cyborg assassin Aphrodite IV, and Hope is missing.
And so . . . the story begins.
This is not a typical comic book. Beyond the first and last pages, there are no panels. Instead, each page is a single illustration worthy of appearing as cover art. This is also not a tale about Sara Pezzini. The locale is a distant realm, and the saga began “Once upon a time.”
The tale itself is relatively simple: a warrior named Sara is captain of the Queen’s Guard and must keep the Queen and her kingdom safe from a myriad of threats. A sorcerer named Lord Irons (Kenneth Irons is the previous owner of the Witchblade until Sara Pezzini took it from him) covets the kingdom and allies himself with demons and the assassin Nottingham to claim it as his own.
But what does this fairy tale have to do with Sara Pezzini, her sister, or Hope? Naturally, the answer is revealed at the end. Until then, just sit back and enjoy the epic tale as it unfolds.
Writer Ron Marz and artist Stjepan Sejic have collaborated wonderfully on this issue. Though I am not familiar with their work, I am certainly eager to see more of Sejic’s art. I am reminded of the Hildebrandt brothers by the style and use of color. Each page is a wonder, beautifully rendered.
I wholeheartedly recommend this issue. It intrigues me enough that I may continue reading the series, and that’s quite a statement since I generally only read Star Wars comics.
Witchblade #138 hits comic stores on Wednesday.