Witchblade has long been one of comics most iconic, beloved, and cheesecakey comics property. Steeped in the wild world of ’90s badgirl books, the title has a devoted fandom and was a huge part of many of our formative comic book experiences. Marc Silvestri’s horror-tinged brand of superheroics and Micheal Turner’s erotic vaseline-lensed art defined a generation of crushes and comics. But as the years have gone by, it’s been hard for Witchblade to find its place in the modern landscape. At its core, though, Witchblade has always been a fantastic female led sci-fi story which, when you get passed the lore and sex, is some of the most fun comics has to offer. 2015’s Switch tapped into that spirit with a vivid YA reimagining of the Witchblade lore. But now Top Cow is relaunching the title with a brand new female-fronted creative team and a new character taking on the supernatural mantle.
With Caitlin Kittredge and artist Roberta Ingranata taking the lead on this new book, it’ll be the first time that Witchblade has ever been both simultaneously written and drawn by women, and the new team have created a brand new protagonist to wield the Witchblade. “Alex Underwood is a journalist who thinks she’s seen it all… until she becomes the unlikely host to an ancient and powerful artifact known as the WITCHBLADE,” said Top Cow’s press release, expanding on the new hero.
Beginning with our new hero left for dead on a New York rooftop and saved by the intergalactic weirdness that is the Witchblade, it sounds like the team plan to drop readers straight into the action. The ongoing series looks like it’ll follow Alex as she comes to terms with her new powers and tries to stop the epic battle between good and evil that’s raging on the streets of New York.
“Everywhere you look in the real world, you’ll see a hero. Not the kind that wears a cape and flies around a comic page or across the big screen but the kind you see walking around being kind of unremarkable. Basically people. People that, when given the choice, will simply do the right thing. Because that’s what a hero does. Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, as it often means being selfless. Without hesitation. But again, that’s what a hero does. Our most enduring superheroes come from this simple idea: people choosing to do the right thing. People like the wielders of the Witchblade,” said the character’s co-creator and Top Cow founder, Marc Silvestri.
Kittredge is a prolific novelist and comic book writer, known for her novel series Nocturne City and Black London, as well comics like Vertigo’s Coffin Hill and Throwaways from Image. Ingranata has worked primarily with Zenescope Entertainment, drawing for their Robyn Hood and Van Helsing series.
Witchblade #1 is available for preorder now, and will be hitting your local comic shop on December 6th!
Are you a hardcore Witchblade fan? Still waiting for that Witchblade tv adaptation? Just discovering the wonders of the Witchblade for the first time? Let us know in the comments!
Images: Top Cow
