Witchblade #150

If you ever wanna feel like a dodo, here's a good example. Run a nerd blog and go to review a comic, just to realize your about 3 months late because your local comic book shop can't won't carry enough stock for someone to walk in and pick up a copy.

That said, here we are, 3 months late, but I finally got a hold of Witchblade #150, first print, cover A, and to me the book felt like a bit of a swan song for the series.

Sara Pezzini is the bearer of the Witchblade, a powerful and mystical artifact that takes the form of a deadly gauntlet. As as New York City Police Detective Sara, along with the Witchblade, investigates the city's most supernatural crimes.

Witchblade #150, The End of an Era, finds Sara under the eye of Lieutenant Phipps of Internal Affairs as he offers her 24 hours to decide between her career or the Witchblade.

We see Sara go back to where it all began, back to the Rialto where she is confronted by the Witchblade as it takes a human like form. Sara is shown moments from her past, and where she understands that if it was not for her, none of what has transpired would have come to pass.

*SPOILER*
In the end, Sara has to make a choice between the Witchblade or her career as a detective. Citing that she needs time away, Sara walks away, not only from her job, but from Detective Gleason, her boyfriend.

Being a reader of Witchblade for several years now this issue feels like Sara Pezzini has come full circle and ready for a new beginning. Until now Sara has always walked the beat and its felt that she has used the Witchblade as a tool. When confronted by the Witchblade Sara had made the statement that she didn't like feeling "powerless." I feel that Sara has given into the Witchblade and that her decision to leave the force was not her decision after all, it was her destiny. Now after leaving her career and Gleason behind, the Witchblade can take her to fill a much larger role. It feels Sara has a new calling and its exciting.

Getting into the nuts and bolts of this issue, it was written by Ron Marz with artwork by Stjepan Sejic. The writing is superb and easy to follow. It honestly didn't take me long to read this issue because it didn't get too wordy like you can find in some other books. A lot of the panels can be told simply by the artwork. It sucks you in. The work in Witchblade, to be digitally painted and printed on a monthly basis, is top notch. I've been a fan of Stjepan Sejic's work for some time now but there's not an issue that doesn't seem to amaze me every time I pick it up. Overall the writing and artwork come together eloquently and I find it an easy read.

Witchblade #150 ends with lots of goodies (which I don't have any pictures of).

We get to see a 6 page preview of Witchblade #151 with a new artistic team, Tim Seeley (writer) and Diego Bernard (artist). The change in style brings me back to the beginnings of Witchblade so it all feels new again. While Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic seem to be moving to Artifacts (also published by Top Cow) and I wish them the best of luck, I look forward to Tim Seeley and Diego Bernard and all that they have in store for Sara Pezzini.

Witchblade #150 also includes a time line of the character, a Creator Hall of Fame, and a look back at every cover for every issue that brought us to where we are now. The look back of covers is by far my favorite of all the goodies because it covers so many great works from Stjepan Sejic back to Michael Turner, rest his soul.

Witchblade is one of those books I just can't seem to speak highly enough of. It is truly as masterful piece of art every month.

I do have only one regret of Witchblade #150. That is that I couldn't pick up every cover.

-"Nurd" Pat!