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Witchblade (2017-) #1-6
Witchblade, Vol. 1 (Witchblade
Gunned down and left for dead on a New York rooftop, Alex Underwood's life should have ended there—but instead, at the moment of death, she became host to the Witchblade, a mystical artifact that grants the woman wielding it extraordinary powers. But those powers come with a heavy cost, and Alex soon finds herself thrust into the center of an unseen battle raging on the snowy streets of NYC. Collects WITCHBLADE #1-6
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 17, 2018
57 people are currently reading
298 people want to read
About the author
Caitlin Kittredge
171 books1,119 followersCaitlin started writing novels at age 13. Her first was a Star Wars tie-in. Fortunately, she branched out from there and after a few years trying to be a screenwriter, a comic book writer and the author of copious amounts of fanfiction, she tried to write a novel again. Her epic dark fantasy (thankfully) never saw the light of day but while she was struggling with elves and sorcerers she got the idea of writing a story about a werewolf who fought crime.
Two years and many, many drafts later, she pitched Night Life to a bevy of agents and one of them, Rachel Vater, sold the series to St. Martin’s.
Caitlin collects comic books, print books, vintage clothes, and bad habits. She loves tea, loud music, the color black (especially mixed with the color pink) and ghost stories. She can drive a stick shift, play the violin and knows more English curses than American ones.
Caitlin lives in Olympia, WA with two pushy cats.
http://us.macmillan.com/bonegods/Cait...
Two years and many, many drafts later, she pitched Night Life to a bevy of agents and one of them, Rachel Vater, sold the series to St. Martin’s.
Caitlin collects comic books, print books, vintage clothes, and bad habits. She loves tea, loud music, the color black (especially mixed with the color pink) and ghost stories. She can drive a stick shift, play the violin and knows more English curses than American ones.
Caitlin lives in Olympia, WA with two pushy cats.
http://us.macmillan.com/bonegods/Cait...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
September 21, 2022
I liked the character but the story was poorly told.
As other reviewers have mentioned, a lot of the scenes were just confusing. I still don't know how she beat the bad guy at the end. One minute he's got her over a barrel, then she decides to 'power up', and then he's just kind of...gone? I don't know. They didn't fight, so what happened to him? I kept thinking I must have been missing a page or something in the digital edition.
Even after she melds with the Witchblade at the end, I don't know what she does. It's Witchblade. Not to be an asshole but where's her blade?
She looks like a demon-possessed Poison Ivy. What is she doing with that crackly skin and those tendrils exactly?
However.
I liked her friendships and the hints of her backstory.
And I would read more. <--maybe it makes more sense as things progress?
As other reviewers have mentioned, a lot of the scenes were just confusing. I still don't know how she beat the bad guy at the end. One minute he's got her over a barrel, then she decides to 'power up', and then he's just kind of...gone? I don't know. They didn't fight, so what happened to him? I kept thinking I must have been missing a page or something in the digital edition.
Even after she melds with the Witchblade at the end, I don't know what she does. It's Witchblade. Not to be an asshole but where's her blade?
She looks like a demon-possessed Poison Ivy. What is she doing with that crackly skin and those tendrils exactly?
However.
I liked her friendships and the hints of her backstory.
And I would read more. <--maybe it makes more sense as things progress?
July 14, 2018
Check out more or my reviews at:
*I received a free copy of this graphic novel from the publisher via Edelweiss.
As of recently, I’ve been trying to get into graphic novels. They sound really fun and I’ve heard so any people saying such good things about so many of them that I wanted to give them a few tries.
The few I’ve read in the past years were good, but nothing ever blew me away. This one, on the other hand, started to do just that.
I love how strong and bad*ss the heroine is. I also like (from an interview I read about how the authors went about rebooting this series) the overall message of female empowerment. I like that (up to this point) the heroine’s transformation isn’t overtly sexy and the art style has a beautiful and laid back quality to everything.
I’ve never read the original Witchblade graphic novels, so I have nothing to compare this to. I like what I’ve seen so far and am intending to continue reading this series.
*I received a free copy of this graphic novel from the publisher via Edelweiss.
As of recently, I’ve been trying to get into graphic novels. They sound really fun and I’ve heard so any people saying such good things about so many of them that I wanted to give them a few tries.
The few I’ve read in the past years were good, but nothing ever blew me away. This one, on the other hand, started to do just that.
I love how strong and bad*ss the heroine is. I also like (from an interview I read about how the authors went about rebooting this series) the overall message of female empowerment. I like that (up to this point) the heroine’s transformation isn’t overtly sexy and the art style has a beautiful and laid back quality to everything.
I’ve never read the original Witchblade graphic novels, so I have nothing to compare this to. I like what I’ve seen so far and am intending to continue reading this series.
September 21, 2020
I still have to finish reading my original read of Ron Marz Witchblade, which I was enjoying, but figured I'd give this new series a whirl. Well..it's different, interesting, but don't think it comes together perfectly.
We have a new witchblade user. Alex is a reporter and after getting killed returns to life with the witchblade now apart of her. While she's on a haunt to save someone another person in her life enters to teach her the ways of the witchblade. Will she accept it or fight against it?
The thing with this is it feels more set in reality. Sure big demons come through and such but it doesn't feel over the top of as zanny as the originals. Which could work in its favor but it feels a little cliche and very YA at times. Now the thing is the art is strong, the dialogue is fine for the most part, the plotting is well constructed, and it works but nothing blew me away. I felt kind of eh finishing it. I may check out volume 2 but this didn't blow me away.
Overall this was decent. A 2.5 out of 5, I'll round it to a 3.
We have a new witchblade user. Alex is a reporter and after getting killed returns to life with the witchblade now apart of her. While she's on a haunt to save someone another person in her life enters to teach her the ways of the witchblade. Will she accept it or fight against it?
The thing with this is it feels more set in reality. Sure big demons come through and such but it doesn't feel over the top of as zanny as the originals. Which could work in its favor but it feels a little cliche and very YA at times. Now the thing is the art is strong, the dialogue is fine for the most part, the plotting is well constructed, and it works but nothing blew me away. I felt kind of eh finishing it. I may check out volume 2 but this didn't blow me away.
Overall this was decent. A 2.5 out of 5, I'll round it to a 3.
May 14, 2020
this was honestly really good, i love how much of a badass Alex is, but many things got me confused.
May 28, 2019
The art was pretty but damn was I confused.
September 29, 2018
Wow...that started off pretty good and then the wheels (mainly the writing but the art also) just fell off.
I know who Witchblade is, the crown jewel for Top Cow during the 90s at the peak of the Bad Girl fad when all female characters had big boobs and barely there costumes, from Vampirella, Danger Girl to even Wonder Woman this was the norm of that era and Witchblade was one of the most popular mostly because of Turner and Silvestri. Well I never read those books but hearing about this new feminist reboot got me intrigued. I was hoping or Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel quality and what I got...well read below.
World: The art looks great, it started of great with wonderful expressive characters and setting the tone for the series was very consistent. But then when you read issue by issue you start to realize something about the art, there are no splash pages and there is no sense of motion and the action sequences are non existent. For a supernatural series that has a mystic entity that can form shapes and fight (like Venom) the lack of action is mind blowing and when we get the reveal of the new reboot Witchblade costume (meh) we even then get to action whatsoever, so yeah the art looks great for characters but it's a problem if this action series has no action at all. The world building is solid, it's a reboot and I am coming in fresh so I like that this creative team has freedom to make it their own thing and much like the art the world building here starts off strong and then falls apart. The setting up of all the principal character is a bit janky with introductions and names and faces just suddenly coming in (scenes were choppy) in scenes that felt taped together with not really much of a flow making the world seem choppy as a result. A lot of the world building is based on characters which I enjoy cause that's the best way to connect readers to these new characters, but in that part I'll get to below cause it's also a big problem. Overall the world is okay, the ideas of the power and the rules seems internally consistent but it's not presented in a smooth way but in a choppy janky way.
Story: The story starts of pretty good. For three issues the story is good and the plotting is decidedly choppy and misleading because readers are suppose to feel as lost as Alex. That being said, there is a difference between misleading and just janky framing. Scenes are missing, scenes happen off page that are important but we don't see it and we assume it happens. Read the book and you'll know what I mean. For an investigation book, a whodunit, the fact that this central plot tread is janky and choppy makes for a frustrating read. Yes we can have the misleading when it comes to Alex and her state of mind but the actual plot of the story still needs to make sense, characters need to be introduced and not thrown into scenes with prior introduction. Plot points needs to be alluded to before it being explored further. Use the art! Let the art help readers piece the time jumps and the reality and in her head sequences out making for a smoother read. What happens is by issue 5 the sudden janky nature of the demons looking the same, the Mother suddenly arriving at the church, there being a pentagram on an intro page and then nothing else afterwards, and the Mother suddenly running off again, what is happening? Why is the book this choppy? It serves no purpose but to show that the writer is losing control of the story. In the end when we finally meet the main villain and the battle is won in finished in two mages and there is no action at all, I am completely lost on this story. What started off so good completely collapses and I don't really care anymore and that's a shame.
Characters: Alex is a good character, she's a good lead for a book and I like characters that are not perfect and are working through stuff. But you can't throw everything and the kitchen sink into an origin story cause then it gets ridiculous and messy and unbelievable. We have a Tony Stark POW origin added to a Brie Larson The Room deal and it's too much, and to allude to all of it in these issues along with the choppy story and the character is completely lost. Add to that the inconsistent character work for Alex even calling herself out, in issue one she says she is impulsive and runs in without thinking, in issue six she says that she's cautious and doesn't rush into things, this is just poor characterization. Add to that the supporting cast just appears out of nowhere like Ash, and his introduction and the IA cop and her stuff and then the villain which comes out of nowhere and get's taken out after a couple of pages of monologues. Argh.
I really wanted to like this story. I love strong female characters more than male characters cause I find them more complex and fascinating. I love Bitch Planet and I love what DeConnick did with Carol Danvers and Willow Wilson with Kamala and Brubaker Selina Kyle and all the wonderful female characters in Saga and Paper Girls and Deadly Class...the list goes on and on. But wow the writing and the art really needs work. I don't have the baggage of previous knowledge in the series so I don't need to judge this new reboot to that but judging purely as a comic book this book needs work.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
I know who Witchblade is, the crown jewel for Top Cow during the 90s at the peak of the Bad Girl fad when all female characters had big boobs and barely there costumes, from Vampirella, Danger Girl to even Wonder Woman this was the norm of that era and Witchblade was one of the most popular mostly because of Turner and Silvestri. Well I never read those books but hearing about this new feminist reboot got me intrigued. I was hoping or Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel quality and what I got...well read below.
World: The art looks great, it started of great with wonderful expressive characters and setting the tone for the series was very consistent. But then when you read issue by issue you start to realize something about the art, there are no splash pages and there is no sense of motion and the action sequences are non existent. For a supernatural series that has a mystic entity that can form shapes and fight (like Venom) the lack of action is mind blowing and when we get the reveal of the new reboot Witchblade costume (meh) we even then get to action whatsoever, so yeah the art looks great for characters but it's a problem if this action series has no action at all. The world building is solid, it's a reboot and I am coming in fresh so I like that this creative team has freedom to make it their own thing and much like the art the world building here starts off strong and then falls apart. The setting up of all the principal character is a bit janky with introductions and names and faces just suddenly coming in (scenes were choppy) in scenes that felt taped together with not really much of a flow making the world seem choppy as a result. A lot of the world building is based on characters which I enjoy cause that's the best way to connect readers to these new characters, but in that part I'll get to below cause it's also a big problem. Overall the world is okay, the ideas of the power and the rules seems internally consistent but it's not presented in a smooth way but in a choppy janky way.
Story: The story starts of pretty good. For three issues the story is good and the plotting is decidedly choppy and misleading because readers are suppose to feel as lost as Alex. That being said, there is a difference between misleading and just janky framing. Scenes are missing, scenes happen off page that are important but we don't see it and we assume it happens. Read the book and you'll know what I mean. For an investigation book, a whodunit, the fact that this central plot tread is janky and choppy makes for a frustrating read. Yes we can have the misleading when it comes to Alex and her state of mind but the actual plot of the story still needs to make sense, characters need to be introduced and not thrown into scenes with prior introduction. Plot points needs to be alluded to before it being explored further. Use the art! Let the art help readers piece the time jumps and the reality and in her head sequences out making for a smoother read. What happens is by issue 5 the sudden janky nature of the demons looking the same, the Mother suddenly arriving at the church, there being a pentagram on an intro page and then nothing else afterwards, and the Mother suddenly running off again, what is happening? Why is the book this choppy? It serves no purpose but to show that the writer is losing control of the story. In the end when we finally meet the main villain and the battle is won in finished in two mages and there is no action at all, I am completely lost on this story. What started off so good completely collapses and I don't really care anymore and that's a shame.
Characters: Alex is a good character, she's a good lead for a book and I like characters that are not perfect and are working through stuff. But you can't throw everything and the kitchen sink into an origin story cause then it gets ridiculous and messy and unbelievable. We have a Tony Stark POW origin added to a Brie Larson The Room deal and it's too much, and to allude to all of it in these issues along with the choppy story and the character is completely lost. Add to that the inconsistent character work for Alex even calling herself out, in issue one she says she is impulsive and runs in without thinking, in issue six she says that she's cautious and doesn't rush into things, this is just poor characterization. Add to that the supporting cast just appears out of nowhere like Ash, and his introduction and the IA cop and her stuff and then the villain which comes out of nowhere and get's taken out after a couple of pages of monologues. Argh.
I really wanted to like this story. I love strong female characters more than male characters cause I find them more complex and fascinating. I love Bitch Planet and I love what DeConnick did with Carol Danvers and Willow Wilson with Kamala and Brubaker Selina Kyle and all the wonderful female characters in Saga and Paper Girls and Deadly Class...the list goes on and on. But wow the writing and the art really needs work. I don't have the baggage of previous knowledge in the series so I don't need to judge this new reboot to that but judging purely as a comic book this book needs work.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
July 25, 2018
Rating 3.5
Book received from Edelweiss
Review to Come
Book received from Edelweiss
Review to Come
October 28, 2018
Imagine a script that came in too long, had half the content removed (from random places), and then the art was done based off the cut-down script. That’s what this was like for me as a reader. Just ... confusion.
There is just no narrative flow here at all. Scenes start and end and transition to something completely different with no warning at all. I get the feeling that this is the author’s first comic? Any seasoned comic writer knows how to manage a good scene transition.
The art is nice, even though the tendency to not draw pupils or irises on the eyes of the characters sometimes is a bit creepy. And not good, atmospheric creepy either. Just ... off.
I didn’t like this. The story was tired, the characters flat, the dialogue dull, and the whole affair was as emotionally involving as filing a tax return. A hard pass from me on future instalments.
There is just no narrative flow here at all. Scenes start and end and transition to something completely different with no warning at all. I get the feeling that this is the author’s first comic? Any seasoned comic writer knows how to manage a good scene transition.
The art is nice, even though the tendency to not draw pupils or irises on the eyes of the characters sometimes is a bit creepy. And not good, atmospheric creepy either. Just ... off.
I didn’t like this. The story was tired, the characters flat, the dialogue dull, and the whole affair was as emotionally involving as filing a tax return. A hard pass from me on future instalments.
July 10, 2018
Witchblade Volume 1 is an excellent introduction to the reboot of the Witchblade series with gorgeous art and a fantastic set of new characters.
Alex Underwood’s life changed forever when she was gunned down and left for dead on a NYC rooftop. But instead of dying as she was supposed to, Alex became the host for the Witchblade, an artifact that gives the woman who holds it immense power.
This volume includes the first six issues in the reboot series which, with a few pacing issues aside, are a solid introduction to the characters and backstory of the Witchblade. There are times in the story where you suddenly shift scenes which was a bit jarring and throws off the pacing, but thankfully it didn’t happen too often. The art in this volume is gorgeous with amazing use of color and I very much enjoyed it.
Alex is an excellent main character, a former journalist who now works as a victim’s advocate with some darkness of her own in her past. Alex is at first in denial about the Witchblade, but we get to see her slowly come to accept it and at times even embrace the power it gives her. Through a mysterious character named Ash, a guardian who protects the Witchblade, we learn about what is expected of the host of the Witchblade. When Ash is less forthcoming with information than Alex would like, she turns to a friend with his own shady past who helps her find out more.
Overall I really enjoyed Witchblade Volume 1 and I’m excited to see where the story goes from here. I may have to start reading this in single issues as this volume ends on a cliffhanger and I’m dying to know more.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
Alex Underwood’s life changed forever when she was gunned down and left for dead on a NYC rooftop. But instead of dying as she was supposed to, Alex became the host for the Witchblade, an artifact that gives the woman who holds it immense power.
This volume includes the first six issues in the reboot series which, with a few pacing issues aside, are a solid introduction to the characters and backstory of the Witchblade. There are times in the story where you suddenly shift scenes which was a bit jarring and throws off the pacing, but thankfully it didn’t happen too often. The art in this volume is gorgeous with amazing use of color and I very much enjoyed it.
Alex is an excellent main character, a former journalist who now works as a victim’s advocate with some darkness of her own in her past. Alex is at first in denial about the Witchblade, but we get to see her slowly come to accept it and at times even embrace the power it gives her. Through a mysterious character named Ash, a guardian who protects the Witchblade, we learn about what is expected of the host of the Witchblade. When Ash is less forthcoming with information than Alex would like, she turns to a friend with his own shady past who helps her find out more.
Overall I really enjoyed Witchblade Volume 1 and I’m excited to see where the story goes from here. I may have to start reading this in single issues as this volume ends on a cliffhanger and I’m dying to know more.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
June 14, 2020
Too confusing for me
May 30, 2023
Art & Coloring: talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular
Premise & Story Idea: been done before but some solid stuff
Writing: confusing piece of crap
Premise & Story Idea: been done before but some solid stuff
Writing: confusing piece of crap
September 12, 2022
Vol. 1
Witch blade is at it again. Alex is the newest witch blade and this is the beginning of her story. I can't wait to see what happens.
Witch blade is at it again. Alex is the newest witch blade and this is the beginning of her story. I can't wait to see what happens.
October 30, 2018
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
I was a major comic nerd as a young teen, and I loved all things from Top Cow and Image Comics. When I saw that they were rebooting WITCHBLADE, I was cautiously excited. Yes, the WITCHBLADE comics of the mid 90s were problematic, but they still featured a “strong female lead”, right? Looking at the new version of the comics is an amazing look into how far we have come both in society and in the comic genre.
The wielder of the Witchblade artifact in the 90s comics was a police officer. Alex, the bearer in this new version, is a an ex-journalist and a witness advocate. She counsels people who have seen terrible things and want to testify. This shifts her into a much more protective role, especially since most of the modern Witchblade’s enemies are dirty cops doing a demon’s bidding. Sometimes the heroes of your childhood become the villains.
The art, the mythology, the character diversity, all of it has been updated and it’s all great. You cannot know how happy I am that the Witchblade powers no longer rip the wielder’s clothes off. Every single time she was a badass, she would end up naked. This isn’t practical. This new version is one I would be willing to recommend to teens looking for strong female leads. It’s still violent, still deals with loss and abuse and human trafficking, but our main character doesn’t need to pose like a porn star whenever she’s about to punch someone. It’s refreshing.
I have cases of comics still, and they’re in a closet because I’m embarrassed of all the sexy, ridiculous covers. This version of WITCHBLADE is a million times better. It’s gritty police drama instead of Playboy centerfold.
I was a major comic nerd as a young teen, and I loved all things from Top Cow and Image Comics. When I saw that they were rebooting WITCHBLADE, I was cautiously excited. Yes, the WITCHBLADE comics of the mid 90s were problematic, but they still featured a “strong female lead”, right? Looking at the new version of the comics is an amazing look into how far we have come both in society and in the comic genre.
The wielder of the Witchblade artifact in the 90s comics was a police officer. Alex, the bearer in this new version, is a an ex-journalist and a witness advocate. She counsels people who have seen terrible things and want to testify. This shifts her into a much more protective role, especially since most of the modern Witchblade’s enemies are dirty cops doing a demon’s bidding. Sometimes the heroes of your childhood become the villains.
The art, the mythology, the character diversity, all of it has been updated and it’s all great. You cannot know how happy I am that the Witchblade powers no longer rip the wielder’s clothes off. Every single time she was a badass, she would end up naked. This isn’t practical. This new version is one I would be willing to recommend to teens looking for strong female leads. It’s still violent, still deals with loss and abuse and human trafficking, but our main character doesn’t need to pose like a porn star whenever she’s about to punch someone. It’s refreshing.
I have cases of comics still, and they’re in a closet because I’m embarrassed of all the sexy, ridiculous covers. This version of WITCHBLADE is a million times better. It’s gritty police drama instead of Playboy centerfold.
September 11, 2019
Great story and art
I'm a first time Witchblade reader, and so far this is great. The story, characters, and artwork in this volume are wonderful and I look forward to reading more of the series!
I'm a first time Witchblade reader, and so far this is great. The story, characters, and artwork in this volume are wonderful and I look forward to reading more of the series!
August 13, 2018
For the sake of honesty, I should probably start off this review by telling you that up until this series reboot, I didn’t know much about Witchblade. Actually, other than knowing it is a reboot I didn’t know anything at all. Still, there were a couple of things that drew my attention to this ‘new’ series, and it was enough to make me want to give it a try.
The first time I heard about the Witchblade reboot was from a facebook post by one of my favorite authors. You can probably guess who I’m talking about, but I’ll lay it all out for you. Caitlin Kittredge was talking about the newly rebooted series she was working on, and basically how excited she was about it. So obviously that caught my interest – I’m always looking for new books by my favorite authors.
Then I realized it was a graphic novel. I was more excited than I should have been by that realization – but I love seeing my favorite authors try out new mediums, so this was really cool for me. More than that though, the artwork I was seeing was absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t have asked for more; a fantastic author and a talented artist all in one? Yes please!
All that being said; I can safely and honestly tell you that you don’t need to have been a Witchblade fan to understand what is happening here. Sure, I may have missed some subtleties and references, but on the whole I really enjoyed the experience and am looking forward to more.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
The first time I heard about the Witchblade reboot was from a facebook post by one of my favorite authors. You can probably guess who I’m talking about, but I’ll lay it all out for you. Caitlin Kittredge was talking about the newly rebooted series she was working on, and basically how excited she was about it. So obviously that caught my interest – I’m always looking for new books by my favorite authors.
Then I realized it was a graphic novel. I was more excited than I should have been by that realization – but I love seeing my favorite authors try out new mediums, so this was really cool for me. More than that though, the artwork I was seeing was absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t have asked for more; a fantastic author and a talented artist all in one? Yes please!
All that being said; I can safely and honestly tell you that you don’t need to have been a Witchblade fan to understand what is happening here. Sure, I may have missed some subtleties and references, but on the whole I really enjoyed the experience and am looking forward to more.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
March 17, 2022
the absolute servery !
September 8, 2022
Witchblade is fun to read again! I really enjoyed this volume of weird action, esoteric magic, and grounded characters with real backstories and ambiguous motives. And the art was great, matching perfectly with and creating the mood. Looking forward to another one of these.
July 8, 2018
The reboot of the Witchblade series brings Alex Underwood, a journalist and witness counselor, as the new vessel for the artifact. Alex is very resistant to the artifact, and wants to do things her way, but when she finds out that the monsters she is dealing with are much more than human, she has to start giving in to the powers that chose her. There are demons prowling the city, and controlling a lot of people and they don't want her to get too comfortable with her Witchblade. Alongside this, is the general urban fantasy trope of only her seeing the things that go bump in the night, as well as her presence at the crime scenes that is inexplicable to a police officer who doesn't entirely believe her.
This volume has a fast-paced origin story and a major villain combined with some good artwork. I loved the character designs and the attention to detail. On a characterization level, Alex herself has a past that makes her sympathetic to women who are victimized, and she has seen a lot of evil things in her past, which grants her a bit of resilience when it comes to seeing the things the demons do. Helping her is Asher, who is an unknown entity himself - he just wants to protect the artifact and whoever is temporarily wielding it is secondary, but he helps her out nevertheless. His past itself is complicated and there are hints suggesting he is immortal. The other secondary characters include Majil, a person who deals in antiquities and her friend, the ADA. (Honestly, this trio gave me iZombie vibes!)
There were a few instances where I felt the plot felt shaky. Like, it is never told where and when Alex gets the bracelet (it is shown on her hand right from the first chronological appearance of her character); also how does it appear on different women across the world throughout the centuries? Is it just appearing, or it is the old 'found it' story? There was also some confusion as to how many supernatural creatures she was fighting (when unconscious) and which one was the spirit of her artifact.
Overall, though, it is a good start to the series, and definitely has me intrigued in the universe it has set up.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Image Comics, via Edelweiss.
This volume has a fast-paced origin story and a major villain combined with some good artwork. I loved the character designs and the attention to detail. On a characterization level, Alex herself has a past that makes her sympathetic to women who are victimized, and she has seen a lot of evil things in her past, which grants her a bit of resilience when it comes to seeing the things the demons do. Helping her is Asher, who is an unknown entity himself - he just wants to protect the artifact and whoever is temporarily wielding it is secondary, but he helps her out nevertheless. His past itself is complicated and there are hints suggesting he is immortal. The other secondary characters include Majil, a person who deals in antiquities and her friend, the ADA. (Honestly, this trio gave me iZombie vibes!)
There were a few instances where I felt the plot felt shaky. Like, it is never told where and when Alex gets the bracelet (it is shown on her hand right from the first chronological appearance of her character); also how does it appear on different women across the world throughout the centuries? Is it just appearing, or it is the old 'found it' story? There was also some confusion as to how many supernatural creatures she was fighting (when unconscious) and which one was the spirit of her artifact.
Overall, though, it is a good start to the series, and definitely has me intrigued in the universe it has set up.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Image Comics, via Edelweiss.
December 4, 2018
I don't know anything about Witchblade but I *loved* this graphic novel -- the art and colors are gorgeous, and it is truly amazing to read about a lady superhero who just... isn't sexualized. At all. No "empowering" tits and ass poses. Just a woman with a tough job (currently a victim advocate, formerly a war correspondent) who goes about her day trying to help people, then acquires magical powers and uses them to help people, too. I'd never heard of this series before but I'm going to keep an eye out for subsequent volumes; I hope the quality stays this good. I think the series will appeal to fans of Jessica Jones, and maybe urban fantasy aficionados in general.
September 13, 2022
I was really excited when I saw the writer of Coffin Hill was updating Witchblade with a new strong female take on the character without the scantily clad ladies. But after a strong start, the story falls apart. The name of this story is just Confusion. There's scenes missing or they end abruptly leaving you confused. Characters that are supposed to be in prison suddenly pop up leaving you confused. The scenes with the Witchblade tend to take place on a mystical plane where the battle just dissolves into a mystical mess leaving you confused. It's not explained for long-term readers why this new Witchblade has completely different powers, her powers are tendrils of green energy while the original Witchblade controlled this metal growing on her body. Even her powers had me confused. It's just green energy floating on the page until the scene ends. I'm severely disappointed with this one.
April 29, 2021
Library Find Comic book 🌠🌠🌠🌠
A good 20 years ago, I happened to catch a show on TNT called Witchblade with Yancey Butler & Eric Etebari...now, Eric E was sufficient to capture my attention but the story was intriguing too.
A gauntlet, only worn by women, passing through history at turbulent times. Septimia Zenobia, Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, Cathain, Artemisia.
There is a new bearer, Alex Underwood. She has a dark past too.
A good 20 years ago, I happened to catch a show on TNT called Witchblade with Yancey Butler & Eric Etebari...now, Eric E was sufficient to capture my attention but the story was intriguing too.
A gauntlet, only worn by women, passing through history at turbulent times. Septimia Zenobia, Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, Cathain, Artemisia.
There is a new bearer, Alex Underwood. She has a dark past too.
January 15, 2022
The story was boring and all the characters, especially the main character, were annoying. Her inner monologue was insufferable and uninteresting.
All in all, this is very forgettable.
The art was nice though.
All in all, this is very forgettable.
The art was nice though.
May 28, 2020
I really enjoyed this. It had a bit of Joss Whedon type flare, with a decent character arc and awesome art. If you're a Buffy fan, I definitely recommend you check this out!
July 21, 2021
At first I was excited because it seemed like the story was going to be about a woman who works as a victim's advocate and kicks ass. However, I couldn't help but be irritated by how this IMAGE comic seemed so much like an old (pre new-52 era) DC or MARVEL comic in a few ways.
First, the cliché backdrop of "New York is a gritty place where true EVIL lives", everything is black and white and extreme. Secondly, the tired trope of the protagonist being a workaholic with no personal life, and of course an extremely traumatic past.
Thirdly, the way the artists repeatedly drew Alex (the protagonist) and other female characters, including a young girl (around age 11), as sexy (figure silhouetted, hips sashaying, accentuating features) in scenes that were not about sexual tension or anything even remotely sexual. Why the need to have Alex look sexy at all times? Why draw her face as pouty or sexy when the dialogue is her being angry or she is actively trying to defend herself? Her facial expressions literally didn't match the emotions and actions that were written in the dialogue. I feel like the whole book was illustrated by a horny boy who pretends to take women seriously but really only sees S E X B O O B S L I P S any time they speak to a woman.
Fourthly, the authors seemed so concerned with being mysterious that they left gaps in the story line every few pages. I kept double-checking to make sure I didn't miss a page, but no, they just didn't bother drawing/explaining the details of several scenes. Lazy writing, or over-editing? Unclear, but truly, despite reading and re-reading sections over and over, no clue what the fuck was happening in a lot of scenes.
I finished the book with the suspicious feeling that all of that "feminist" content is just a front. Only book 2 will tell...
First, the cliché backdrop of "New York is a gritty place where true EVIL lives", everything is black and white and extreme. Secondly, the tired trope of the protagonist being a workaholic with no personal life, and of course an extremely traumatic past.
Thirdly, the way the artists repeatedly drew Alex (the protagonist) and other female characters, including a young girl (around age 11), as sexy (figure silhouetted, hips sashaying, accentuating features) in scenes that were not about sexual tension or anything even remotely sexual. Why the need to have Alex look sexy at all times? Why draw her face as pouty or sexy when the dialogue is her being angry or she is actively trying to defend herself? Her facial expressions literally didn't match the emotions and actions that were written in the dialogue. I feel like the whole book was illustrated by a horny boy who pretends to take women seriously but really only sees S E X B O O B S L I P S any time they speak to a woman.
Fourthly, the authors seemed so concerned with being mysterious that they left gaps in the story line every few pages. I kept double-checking to make sure I didn't miss a page, but no, they just didn't bother drawing/explaining the details of several scenes. Lazy writing, or over-editing? Unclear, but truly, despite reading and re-reading sections over and over, no clue what the fuck was happening in a lot of scenes.
I finished the book with the suspicious feeling that all of that "feminist" content is just a front. Only book 2 will tell...
July 3, 2018
“We call it the Witchblade. It is a weapon against evil, against all the darkness the world has to offer.”
The Witchblade has returned. Alex Underwood, former reporter now a victim witness advocate, is killed. After awakening, she has mysterious dreams about her death. As Alex works to understand her new powers and their connection to the Witchblade, she increasing relies on a mysterious stranger named Ash. In the meantime, demons, scavengers and bad cops all attempt to bring her down to take control of the Witchblade.
The art of Witchblade is stellar. The change of type and color of the lettering as well as the color of the speech balloons and captions make it easy to tell who is speaking—even when they reside in the same body.
However, the plot moves rather slowly for a superhero comic. It doesn’t have the feeling of dread usually felt in a horror comic either. I never read the original Witchblade comics or saw the television show. Perhaps that is why the plot seems rather blah. Or it might just be all the backstories of Alex, the Witchblade, the scavengers, Ash, the demon, the bad cops and various friends of Alex. I realize that it needs to be said but it probably could have been spread out a bit more to allow more action in these six chapters. Still I’m looking forward to the next chapters in Alex and the Witchblade’s life. 3 stars.
Thanks to the publisher, Image Comics/Diamond Books, and Edelweiss+ for an advanced copy.
The Witchblade has returned. Alex Underwood, former reporter now a victim witness advocate, is killed. After awakening, she has mysterious dreams about her death. As Alex works to understand her new powers and their connection to the Witchblade, she increasing relies on a mysterious stranger named Ash. In the meantime, demons, scavengers and bad cops all attempt to bring her down to take control of the Witchblade.
The art of Witchblade is stellar. The change of type and color of the lettering as well as the color of the speech balloons and captions make it easy to tell who is speaking—even when they reside in the same body.
However, the plot moves rather slowly for a superhero comic. It doesn’t have the feeling of dread usually felt in a horror comic either. I never read the original Witchblade comics or saw the television show. Perhaps that is why the plot seems rather blah. Or it might just be all the backstories of Alex, the Witchblade, the scavengers, Ash, the demon, the bad cops and various friends of Alex. I realize that it needs to be said but it probably could have been spread out a bit more to allow more action in these six chapters. Still I’m looking forward to the next chapters in Alex and the Witchblade’s life. 3 stars.
Thanks to the publisher, Image Comics/Diamond Books, and Edelweiss+ for an advanced copy.
July 17, 2018
I'm going into this without any previous knowledge of the series. The story-telling didn't live up to my expectations but the illustrations were fantastic! I loved the colors and style and the font.
As for why I didn't like the story-telling? I can sense the potential but this version of Witchblade(cool name, eh?) felt kinda messy. There was a lot going on; some side stories, flashbacks and hallucinations, aside from the main plot. Often, chapters started from a different point which gave an overall disjointed feel and caused confusion. A lot of back and forth between all of these.
It ended on a cliffhanger and I think it was a nicely placed one, makes you want to read the next in the series!
I received a copy of this book, with thanks to Diamond Books and Edelweiss, in return for an honest review. My opinions remain unbiased regardless.
As for why I didn't like the story-telling? I can sense the potential but this version of Witchblade(cool name, eh?) felt kinda messy. There was a lot going on; some side stories, flashbacks and hallucinations, aside from the main plot. Often, chapters started from a different point which gave an overall disjointed feel and caused confusion. A lot of back and forth between all of these.
It ended on a cliffhanger and I think it was a nicely placed one, makes you want to read the next in the series!
I received a copy of this book, with thanks to Diamond Books and Edelweiss, in return for an honest review. My opinions remain unbiased regardless.
July 27, 2020
What a random conglomerate of frames that make zero sense. Is Alex really Sara’s daughter but she is living under a false name? Where did the witchblade come from to Alex? Who is this dude trying to help her?
The art style is good ... slightly more modern. However the Witchblade does not look like anything it has been before? Is this a different form? Or simply an artist that is following his interpretation.
The art style is good ... slightly more modern. However the Witchblade does not look like anything it has been before? Is this a different form? Or simply an artist that is following his interpretation.
May 29, 2019
Having been a fan of the original Witchblade series, I thought I would try this new one out. The best I can say at this time is that I will be trying the second Volume to see if the story can straighten itself out.
New bearer of the Witchblade, Alex Underwood, was granted the powers at the moment of her death. Trying to balance her old career as a journalist, new current job as a client advocate, and time fighting evil, she has a busy life, and it is made even more so by her various neurosis. Something happened to her as a kid (which they don't explain), she has PTSD from being a war journalist, and dealing with her new powers and ability to kill has her seeming to be an unstable character. (Reminds me a little of Jessica Cruz, but with even less determination)
I'm not really sure how to feel about this title. 1) Alex is a likable enough character, but she has nowhere near the chops and balls that Sara had. 2) I don't like the new Witchblade outfit. (Going to pull my rarely out stereotypical male card) I have never seen the Witchblade look more "witch" than "blade". The outfit reminds me a lot of Monstress, and not at all like the typically over-sexualized female that Witchblade usually is. 3) The timeline is very jumpy and makes the book harder to follow. At more than one point, I double checked the spine to see if some pages had been ripped out. 4) Who had the Witchblade before Alex? Is this really a full reboot?
The comic creates enough mystery to cause me to want to continue, but if the next Volume doesn't appeal to me as much, I'll stop.
Recommend, but with hesitation.
New bearer of the Witchblade, Alex Underwood, was granted the powers at the moment of her death. Trying to balance her old career as a journalist, new current job as a client advocate, and time fighting evil, she has a busy life, and it is made even more so by her various neurosis. Something happened to her as a kid (which they don't explain), she has PTSD from being a war journalist, and dealing with her new powers and ability to kill has her seeming to be an unstable character. (Reminds me a little of Jessica Cruz, but with even less determination)
I'm not really sure how to feel about this title. 1) Alex is a likable enough character, but she has nowhere near the chops and balls that Sara had. 2) I don't like the new Witchblade outfit. (Going to pull my rarely out stereotypical male card) I have never seen the Witchblade look more "witch" than "blade". The outfit reminds me a lot of Monstress, and not at all like the typically over-sexualized female that Witchblade usually is. 3) The timeline is very jumpy and makes the book harder to follow. At more than one point, I double checked the spine to see if some pages had been ripped out. 4) Who had the Witchblade before Alex? Is this really a full reboot?
The comic creates enough mystery to cause me to want to continue, but if the next Volume doesn't appeal to me as much, I'll stop.
Recommend, but with hesitation.
December 18, 2019
I'm pretty disappointed with how this one turned out.
The art is beautiful and I absolutely love the premise - a woman gets a superpower to help her defend other women - but the story is extremely clunky.
This was seriously confusing as hell. The first chapter, which I felt should have taken its time to tell the origin story, instead jumped around with disjointed scenes and kind of just implied what happened without showing it. The rest of the volume was very similar. I kind of followed what was happening but there was so much jumping around like the author kept forgetting what they were doing. I seriously kept back tracking in the first chapter because there was zero explanation for how she died or where the bracelet came from. I thought maybe I had accidentally picked up volume 2.
The story and characters are great in theory but the pace should have been slowed way down. I want to see the story unfold, not try to piece it together from disjointed scenes. It makes it impossible to get emotionally invested. And again, there is so much potential so being totally unable to immerse was disappointing. There were also NO action scenes - it jumps to after the fight or the action without warning and is like oh yeah that already happened.
I probably won't keep reading, but there was a lot of good potential here and the art was fantastic. I wish the pace had been slowed down and the story actually told. I wanted to watch this story unfold, not read about what supposedly happened in cheesy dialogue after the fact.
The art is beautiful and I absolutely love the premise - a woman gets a superpower to help her defend other women - but the story is extremely clunky.
This was seriously confusing as hell. The first chapter, which I felt should have taken its time to tell the origin story, instead jumped around with disjointed scenes and kind of just implied what happened without showing it. The rest of the volume was very similar. I kind of followed what was happening but there was so much jumping around like the author kept forgetting what they were doing. I seriously kept back tracking in the first chapter because there was zero explanation for how she died or where the bracelet came from. I thought maybe I had accidentally picked up volume 2.
The story and characters are great in theory but the pace should have been slowed way down. I want to see the story unfold, not try to piece it together from disjointed scenes. It makes it impossible to get emotionally invested. And again, there is so much potential so being totally unable to immerse was disappointing. There were also NO action scenes - it jumps to after the fight or the action without warning and is like oh yeah that already happened.
I probably won't keep reading, but there was a lot of good potential here and the art was fantastic. I wish the pace had been slowed down and the story actually told. I wanted to watch this story unfold, not read about what supposedly happened in cheesy dialogue after the fact.
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