Witchblade #174 Advance Review

Writer: Ron Marz

Artist: Laura Braga

Will Sara reclaim the Witchblade? Read on to find out.

The official description from Top Cow:

Is the Witchblade out to reclaim Sara as its rightful host...or is it out for revenge?

The first arc of the new creative team comes to a close and it does so in a very explosive way. The encounter between Sara and the Angelus was inevitable though well worth the wait. Calling this an exciting issue would be an understatement as the encounter between these two Witchblade wielders made for extremely entertaining reading.

Since returning to the series Ron Marz has reminded me of why I loved the character in the first place. He's also made this opening arc extremely new reader friendly as having missed the last few arcs prior to this I was personally happy to easily jump into this one. With this issue in particular however Marz gives a dynamic conclusion to Born Again with the dialogue and action being very dramatic throughout. Though obvious he also ends the arc in a brilliant manor allowing even newer readers to flow smoothly into the next issues anniversary story.

Laura Braga has been the true gem of this creative team with the artist consistently producing phenomenal artwork. The way that she's able to give intense and exciting action sequences in a smooth and sleek style is truly breathtaking with it's dynamic flow also being captivating. She also does a terrific job of giving intensity to the Sara/Angelus encounter with the facial expressions throughout adding a lot of drama and realism. Added to this we have yet more wonderful colours from Betsy Gonia with her vibrant pallet giving the perfect finishing touches to a perfect issue.

Witchblade's first arc under the creative team of Marz and Braga ends on a high with the explosive and intense events being mesmerising. Highly recommended.

10/10

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Witchblade #177 is on sale tomorrow.

Witchblade #173 Advance Review

Writer: Ron Marz

Artist: Laura Braga

Will Sara get her job back? Read on to find out.

The official description from Top Cow:

BORNE AGAIN

Even without the Witchblade secured to her wrist, Sara Pezzini cannot escape the corrupting influence of the gauntlet.

Witchblade has been going from strength to strength as of late, with the return of Ron Marz giving a terrific twist to the story whilst also retaining the classic Witchblade feel. This story itself also gives mystery and excitement and with the introduction of a villains along with the speculation of what might happen it is definitely a good time to be a Witchblade fan.

Ron Marz yet again gives a exciting and intriguing script, as although he didn't manage to match last issue he still managed to amaze. The only real trouble I had with Marz' script in this issue was that he was trying to do too much, with the pace being a little to quick. In saying that the character dialogue along with the overall tone remains brilliant, with the passion that he shows in Sara's attempt to get her job back adding some tension and drama as well. Marz also does a terrific job of teasing the future of this series, with the mysterious nature of the Witchblade adding a lot of suspense.

Laura Braga has been one of the best new talents to have entered comics over the last few years with her Witchblade art never failing to impress. The sheer detail and style of Braga's art is simply amazing and added with her smooth layouts it gives a vibrant feel to the issue. Braga also shows the intense moments perfectly with the characters facial expressions, and especially Sara's giving a lot of tone and realism to the story. Combine all this with the equally fabulous colours from Betsy Gonia and the artwork of Witchblade is something you'll love time and time again.

Witchblade continues to astound as despite the fast pace it managed to show great characteristics as well as tease the future of the series perfectly. Highly recommended.

Rating: 8/10

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Witchblade #173 is on sale 12th March.

Witchblade #172 Advance Review

Writer: Ron Marz

Artist: Laura Braga

What will happen when the Angelus comes for the Witchblade? Read on to find out.

The official description from Top Cow:

Sara Pezzini will soon discover who the Witchblade chose to be its next bearer…

Witchblade has been simply astonishing over the last few issues, with the return of Ron Marz to writing bringing me back into the world of Witchblade. And boy am I happy. The transformation has been simply fantastic, with the series being one of my favourite series out the now, making me regret having not read it in almost 10 years prior.

Ron Marz has within this issue taken a major development level, forwarding the current story into the next stage. The mixture of the current and the past continues to be very well balanced, with the exciting action being an appealing bonus. It was also nice to see the addition of Tom Judge, a character that Marz is no stranger to, with his appearance making the flashbacks even more interesting. On top of this Marz also once again gave a terrific cliffhanger finish to the issue, keeping me gripped in anticipation for the next.

Laura Braga continues to amaze me with her stunning artwork, and it's one of the main reasons I look forward to reading this series each month. The detail and layout of her artwork is simply outstanding, being extremely consistent and adding a lot of depth and intensity. Braga also manages to show the dramatic tone of the story development perfectly, with the action sequences being simply phenomenal. Added to that the beautiful colours from Betsy Gonia and this becomes a truly wonderful issue both story wise and visually.

Witchblade continues to astound me, with the return of Marz proving to be a terrific decision. Added to that Braga's wonderful art and the terrific development in this issue and it's impossible not to recommend this issue.

Rating: 10/10

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Witchblade #172 is on sale 29th January.

Witchblade #171 Advance Review

Writer: Ron Marz

Artist: Laura Braga

Will Sarah survive from the deadly state she was left in at the end of the last issue? Read on to find out.

The official description from Top Cow:

WITCHBLADE NO MORE!

Sara Pezzini violently ripped the Witchblade from her body and abandoned it. For Sara to begin her life anew, the Witchblade must find and bond with a new host. But not all who wield the Witchblade are worthy to bear the burden of the gauntlet.

Ron Marz returned triumphantly to Witchblade in the last issue with the brilliant Laura Braga joining as the series new artist. With this issue they continue from the suspenseful cliffhanger ending of the last issue, with Rooney worrying over Sarah’s condition.

Story wise however this issue wasn’t quite as good as the last, as although it was still a brilliant issue with plenty of drama and suspense, it wasn’t quite as exciting as the last issue, feeling more of a set-up for things to come. Ron Marz did however do a great job of continuing to show how Sarah got rid of the Witchblade, with the interaction between her and Magdalena being much more interesting in this issue. Besides that Marz would do a great job of showing the reaction to Sarah’s attack as well, as although it was disappointing to not see much of Sarah in the present, Rooney’s reaction as well as the involvement of a new character later on in the issue made it very intriguing.

The artwork from Laura Braga was once again outstanding and I’m glad that she’s been put together with Marz on this series, as her art really compliments Marz’ writing style. The detail and layout of Braga’s artwork was once again outstanding adding a lot of depth and tone to the issue. The best thing about Braga’s artwork however had to be the way she showed the characters emotions making the artwork feel more natural, with it helping the story to slow much smoother. Braga would also once again do a wonderful job with the sequences featuring the Witchblade, showing it’s powers perfectly as well as adding some excitement to the issue.

This was a brilliant continuation to the Borne Again story as although the pace has slowed down slightly, it is still very dramatic and suspenseful having me gripped for the future of this story and I‘d highly recommend this issue to anyone.

Rating: 8/10

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Exclusive Interview with Witchblade Artist Laura Braga

I was lucky enough to get the chance to ask the current artist on Witchblade, Laura Brag a few questions about working on Witchblade and the comic book industry as a whole.

What influenced you in becoming a comic book artist?

As far as I can remember I've always wanted to draw comics or cartoons, and as a child I spent lots of time drawing or coloring, it was my favourite game. I've always said drawing comics would be my job and I've grown up keeping that promise.

What comics or artists inspire you?

They are so many ... I couldn't name them all. Also very different for style or genre.

I attended the Disney Academy, so at the beginning I had a completely different style, more cartoonish. I developed a more realistic style working with Milo Manara. Today there are many American and French artist that inspire me.

How did you get into the comic book industry?

I started like most of comic artists, sending my portfolio to publishers...it was about 10 years ago, I just had my first degree at Art School and I started working in comics and illustrations for some of the main Italian publishers, mostly in books for kids.

How does it feel working for a company like Top Cow?

It's amazing! I definitely love to work with everybody at Top Cow, there's a lot of feedback and we talk a lot about our ideas about the story we're working on. And I've always loved the characters of Top Cow universe so, as a fan, it's amazing to have the chance to draw them.

Laura's Step by Step Working Progress

How does it feel to work on a series as popular as Witchblade?

Witchblade is always been a great series, I've always loved it, and every run has added something significant to the personality of Sara, making her grow. So it's quite a fantastic challenge, I hope I am able to add something to the character as well.

Were you a fan of Witchblade prior to becoming the current artist?

I've always been a fan of Sara Pezzini and Witchblade, it's been one of the first comics I've read, so I'm really attached to this series. When I got the offer to draw one of my favourite female characters I felt really enthusiastic and excited.

Was there any prior Witchblade artists that inspired your take on the character?

I like all of the artist that worked on Witchblade, each one of them is an inspiration to me, most of all Michael Turner.

How do you feel about working alongside Ron Marz and how easy is it to work off his scripts?

Working with Ron Marz is the best situation a comic book artist could wish! Not only he is a fantastic writer with a clear vision of all the sides of the story and of the characters, but he's also very helpful, he's always there when I need a hint on the story we're working on! And it's so natural to draw his stories as you can really see the images and every detail as soon as you read the script!

What do you prefer drawing the most, emotional dialogue sequences or exciting action?

I have no preference, I enjoy drawing emotional dialogue sequences as well as action, both of them are challenging and I  try to give depth to the characters also in action sequences.

How many issues of Witchblade will you be working on and is there anything else that your planning to work on in the future?

I just started #172, for sure I wish I can work on this series as long as possible, it's a great series and a fantastic work team.

What advice would you give to an aspiring artist about getting into the comic book industry?

My only advice would be to study and practice a lot, only with determination and study it is possible to obtain high-quality results.

You can pick up Witchblade #170 now with Witchblade #171 coming out 18th December

You can also follow Laura Braga at http://laurabragasketch.blogspot.co.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/laurabragA.rt

Withcblade #170 Advance Review

Writer: Ron Marz
Artist: Laura Braga

I've not read Witchblade in almost 10 years, with the last time I read the series being not long after Ron Marz first started. I have however been meaning to get back to it within the last couple of years, but each time I consider it's in the middle of a story and I forget by the time it finishes. I have however finally found a new start and with the return of Ron Marz to writing what better time.

Plot

Sara Pezzini is now a small town sheriff in Sartoga County, New York investigating a series of brutal murders. She is soon reminded of her time with the Witchblade and the beheading of The Darkness (Jackie Estacado).

Review

This was a fantastic issue, and a brilliant jumping on point to the series. Ron Marz did an amazing job of introducing this new life that Sara is leading, as well as showing her prior connection with the Witchblade. Marz also managed to add a lot of mystery and drama to this issue, with there also being some very intense and suspenseful moments as well. It was however the dialogue and pacing that I most enjoyed from Marz, as although the flashback would be slightly confusing to start with, everything would soon become clear, with the tone being perfect throughout. Besides helping with the tone the dialogue would also add more depth and atmosphere to the issue, giving more drama as well.

The artwork in this issue was also outstanding, and Laura Braga did a wonderful job. The detail in her artwork was simply amazing, being very consistent throughout, and I especially loved the detail in the sequences featuring the Witchblade. The depth to Braga's layouts was also spectacular, as it would add the perfect tone that the story needed, helping it to flow very smoothly. Braga also did a fantastic job of showing the characters emotions and facial expressions as well, with it adding yet more tone as well and atmosphere to the issue, and overall I look forward to seeing more of Braga's work in the future. The cover from Marc Silvestri was also phenomenal, being a nice homage to his Uncanny X-Men #251 cover.

This issue would start with Sara, who is now the sheriff of a small town in New York, investigate the latest in a series of brutal murders. Now the investigation itself was a nice and dramatic way to start the issue, but what really interested me was seeing Sara in the job she had prior to possessing the Witchblade. I also really enjoyed the dialogue and interaction between her and her fellow colleges, as some of it would be very serious, with other parts being slightly humorous, having a nice balance. I also loved how this would work nicely into the flashback sequence that would follow, with the head reminding her of Jackie's beheading.

As I said the issue would flow nicely into a sequence that was set two years prior, and without going into too much detail I will say my thoughts on the sequence. Now it was nice that the issue would show a time in Sara's life where she used the Witchblade, as it would have been a bit disappointing otherwise. I also loved how this would tie-in nicely with the present events, as well as the noticeable change in attitude that Sara has in both sequences. I also loved the interactions that Sara would have throughout this sequence, with one in particular being very exciting and intense.

The best part of this issue however had to be the end, as without giving a single shred of detail about this sequence I will say what I thought of it. What I loved most about the sequence was that it had some build-up to it, and didn't jump straight into the defining moment. I also loved the dark and suspenseful tone that it produced, with the final page itself being truly amazing and shocking. On top of this I also loved the transition between the previous sequence and this one, and this sequence has me hooked for the next issue.

Final Verdict

This was an amazing issue and a brilliant jumping on point for new readers, as well as a brilliant time for old readers to rejoin the series. It has some amazing mystery, with plenty of suspense and drama, having brilliant tone throughout. Ron Marz also shows why his original run on Witchblade was so popular, and with new artist Laura Braga with him the series is bound to remain outstanding. Due to all this it's extremely easy to recommend this issue, and I for one can't wait for the next issue.

Rating: 9/10

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