Witchblade, published by Top Cow Productions, is a dark urban fantasy series that blends the supernatural, mythology with gritty crime drama. This series was created by Michael Turner, Marc Silvestri, David Wohl, and Brian Haberlin, this series centers around a NYPD detective named Sara Pezzini whose life is turned upside down when she comes the bearer of the Witchblade.

At its core, the Witchblade works best when there is criminal activity. Sara isn’t a chosen hero in the traditional sense- she is a detective who is trying to survive corruption, violence, and personal loss while navigating the powers of the Witchblade. The procedural elements of this story helps ground it, making the supernatural themes feel more immediate and personal. The tension between Sara’s duty and the Witchblade’s will creates an ongoing internal struggles that drives most of the series.

The mythology stand point is surrounding that the Witchblade is dense and ambitious. It seems like the Witchblade has a mind of its own. With ancient bloodlines, secret societies and rival artifacts add layers to this narrative. Still, the series excels at building a sense of scale-what begins as street level crimes to gradually expands into something far more older and more dangerous.

Visual, the Witchblade is unmistakenly a product of the 1990s comic era, particularly the earlier issues. Michael Turner’s very detailed and stylized art work gives the series its iconic look with the Witchblade armor appearing organic and almost at times alive. While some of the images are sexualized and not all aged appropriate, later runs more towards a more grounded and emotionally expressive art work that shows the hero and protagonist in a better light.

What truly sets the Witchblade apart is Sara Pezzini herself. She is wonderful flawed, stubborn and emotionally guarded character. This series doesn’t shy away from exploring the psychological toll of power.

Overall the Witchblade is compelling mix of crime fiction and dark fantasy. Despite the occasional pacing and dated elements, it still remains an influential series with a strong main character and powerful mythological backbone. It’s worthwhile to read if you are into the supernatural crime stories and character driven graphic novels.

I give th Witchblade two thumbs up. It is an excellent read with brilliant art work.