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WITCHBLADE #56
Neutral (4/10)
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Image Comics/Top Cow Productions
Writer: David Wohl
Pencils: Francis Manapul
Inks: Jason Gorder, Marlo Alquiza, Kevin Conrad & Marco Galli
Colors: John Starr, Beth Sotelo, Val Staples & Peter Steigerwald
Letters: Dreamer Design
Editor: Renae Geerlings
Price: $2.50 US/$4.00 CAN |
Aside from the ill-conceived JLA/Witchblade crossover from a year or two back, this may very well be the first Witchblade comic book I've read. Haven't even seen the Yancy Butler TV show either (I don't get TNT). I had a passing familiarity with the core concept though, and the book turned out to be pretty much what I expected. While the storytelling is capable, the visual tone and cop-drama elements failed to draw me in. The book's not bad, per se; it's just not my cup o' tea.
Ian struggles with the power of the Witchblade, finding it's mucking about with his mind, just as his father does. His cruel and overbearing father has recruited Tora to his cause, but in their dark corner of the world, betrayal is a fact of life. Meanwhile, Sara's partner tries to get to the bottom of a mob murder, while she's preoccupied with what Ian's up to with his newfound power.
The art in this book is sharp and tells the story clearly, but it's firmly entrenched in that 1992 Image Comics sense of "Kewl." In other words, we get some typical Top Cow art in which just about every character is a paragon of human proportions, built to look good, not real. There's a strong Jim Lee influence at play here as well. I did, however, enjoy the dark colors, which reinforces the dichotomous atmosphere of the supernatural and urban danger.
The character serve the story fairly well, but they don't really come off as people. Sara's life is defined by the unreal distractions created by the Witchblade, and the bad guys are sadly one-dimensional. One doesn't get to know Ian well here, as he's dealing with the weirdness and intensity of his extreme life. The one exception is McCarthy, Sara's partner, who comes off as a regular joe. He is instantly likeable.
Though the atmosphere of the book is mysterious and interesting, ultimately, the superficial nature of the characters and otherworldly plot elements fail to hold my attention. this issue also features a preview of Image/Top Cow's Battle of the Planets series, and the same thing can be said of this glimpse of the anime property. I have no doubt that these creators are succeeding in their storytelling goals; I'm just not in their target market.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
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