Witchblade #173 Review

Publisher: Top Cow Productions
Writer: Ron Marz
Artist: Laura Braga
Colorist: Betsy Gonia
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Cover Artist: Stjepan Sejic
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: March 12th, 2014

Witchblade #173, “Borne Again Part Four” continues Sara Pezzini’s time without the Witchblade. Two years ago, Sara relinquished the Witchblade. In recent events, she was shot and is now attempting to get back in the field. The Angelus, however, has other plans in store.

I’ve been a fan of the series and Sara as a character for some time. Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic really made the character during their run. But Sara and I parted ways during Tim Seeley and Diego Bernard’s run. Though I thought about staying away, the lure of Marz’ return was too much to pass up. This time he’s joined by artist Laura Braga and colorist Betsy Gonia. Two talented folks I suspect the industry will be seeing more of in the future.

Part of the book is exposition dedicated to catching readers up to current events. The rest is set-up for what should be an entertaining next issue. Your mileage might vary in regards to the pacing. Overall, this is a fairly uneventful issue.

While the events of this issue don’t progress much, Braga and Gonia provide some lively scenery for the journey. The right artistic talent can make something special of the supernatural tales of the Witchblade and this art team is producing some quality work. Beyond a couple awkward-looking panels, this is a gorgeous comic. Braga’s characters look great, with her interpretation of the Angelus standing out. Her detailed scenery makes every setting truly come alive. Her line work combined with Gonia’s colors give the book a vibrant look. This is especially true for the scenes involving the Angelus and the Angelus Realm.

During his previous run, Marz elevated Sara to an entirely different level. He writes as if he created the character. The fantastic art team of Braga and Gonia inject a new and much desired life in this series. The slower pace and recap make for a perfect jumping on point for new and lapsed readers. Those same aspects could also turn away regular readers. If you stepped away from the title, you should consider jumping back on. I sure am.

Score: 3/5

Witchblade #173 was provided by Top Cow for review purposes.

Cover of the Week

Happy New Comic Book Day! This week brings something new from a familiar artist. Here is Stjepan Sejic's cover to Sleepy Hollow #1 brought to us by Zenescope Entertainment. You might recognize Sejic's name and style from the beautiful pages of his Witchblade run with writer Ron Marz.

It's the headless horseman people. Headless. Horseman. Need I say more? I really don't NEED to, but of course I will anyway. Check out the black horse. I'm digging the fiery eyes, mouth and nostrils.

The only aspect I would've preferred to see differently is the main weapon. Horseman, especially of the headless variety, like swords. I'm pretty sure it's in the headless horseman guidebook. But he'll do damage with what he has, which includes a chain-whip. And how often do you see one of those? Nice addition if I say so myself. And of course there's the giant moon in the background. Another nice looking piece from a talented artist.

I might look into this series. I'm unfamiliar with series artist Alan Otero, so I'll have to do some research.

What do you all think? Did any of you pre-order this book? I'd love to hear thoughts. Your fellow readers await. Thanks for looking.