Christina Z.

David Whol, Christina Z., and Michael Turner’s Witchblade Origins, Volume 1: Genesis collects Witchblade> no. 1-8. The stories introduce Sarah Pezzini, a detective in New York City who encounters the mystical artifact known as the Witchblade on a case. In the process, both she and her partner Michael Yee were wounded, though Sarah survived with the help of the Witchblade. Now she uses it to pursue the guilty who managed to game the legal system to avoid justice while seeking to learn about show more the artifact. Along the way, she runs into Kenneth Irons, a mysterious businessman who seeks the Witchblade for his own. The stories easily fit in to Top Cow Productions’ fantasy genres, specifically using urban fantasy and urban gothic themes.

At times, the comic captures the worst excesses of the ’90s, with characters posing and using sound-bite dialogue rather than more natural depictions of people interacting. Silvestri, Whol and Z. try to create a sense of melodrama, but much of it becomes buried in the style-over-substance execution. All that being said, it’s fun for those who grew up with the comics industry of the ’90s and enjoyed this type of storytelling in their adolescence. Oddly enough, one must pick up the Origins TPBs to get the earliest Witchblade comics as the standard volume 1 collects issues 80-85. show less

Enjoyable enough, although the women have improbable...proportions.

Adam's Review (3.5 Stars) : Witchblade, yet another "banned comic" for me as I was growing up (see Fathom Volume 1 review for that story) turned out just ok for me. The art, Michael Turner drawn, is amazing as always, but does follow the stereotypes towards women that he and other artists (ex. J. Scott Campbell who I also love) tend to base most of their catalog on. However, unlike Fathom and Danger Girl, Witchblade doesn't feature a strong female role model.... at least not yet. Sara show more Pezzini has all the makings of a strong heroine, but she obviously hasn't come into her own yet after these 8 issues. For a NYC cop, she also really hasn't displayed the strength that a New York female cop would have either.
Overall, I might read additional volumes of this comic, but only after knowing that the story will get better, the villains roster more evil, and that the book isnt simply a T&A comic. show less

David Wohl, Christina Z., Tony Daniel, Michael Turner, and Marc Silvestri’s Witchblade Origins, Volume 2: Revelations collects Witchblade no. 9-17. Though Sarah Pezzini escapted Kenneth Irons, she finds that the Witchblade draws the supernatural to it and drives her to see out the supernatural. Pezzini finds herself lost, feeling pulled along by the artifact as it shows her glimpses of threats and flashbacks to previous wielders, including a pirate in the early eighteenth century. show more Meanwhile, in the present, the mafia and Yakuza begin making moves toward a gang war. Jackie Estacado, the mob-enforcer-turned-host of the Darkness, makes his first appearance in issue no. 10. Further, part of the larger story arc beginning with issue 11 continues in the Top Cow/Marvel crossover comics under the “Devil’s Reign” storyline. These feature team-ups between Witchblade, the Darkness, Wolverine, the Hulk, and more. Fans of the franchise will view this volume as essential reading for its role in establishing so much of the Witchblade mythology. show less