WITCHBLADE/VAMPIRELLA #1 is a Modern Showcase of Bad Girl Royalty
Is Witchblade/Vampirella #1 worth reading? Here’s our review of the highly-anticipated crossover that teams up the two beloved supernatural heroines.
Top Cow/Image/Dynamite | (w) Marguerite Bennett (a) Laura Braga (c) Gibran Ferdian (l) Troy Petreri
If you were to ask someone what immediately springs to mind when it comes to 90s comics, you’re likely to get a variety of answers. Gimmicks. “Xtreme” art. Pouches and chains. These are going to be common responses. However, you’re also likely to hear the term “bad girl” bandied about. Bad girl comics did not originate in the 90s, but they were certainly popularized in the decade. Lady Death, Shi, Fathom, and Danger Girl rose to and fell from prominence during the decade. Yet Top Cow’s flagship title, Witchblade, has endured and is currently in the midst of a successful revival under the penmanship of Marguerite Bennett. With a vote of confidence from Top Cow and Dynamite, Bennett continues her stewardship of Witchblade in this team up featuring the OG bad girl, Vampirella.
As is the nature of crossover comics, nothing truly of consequence happens in this issue. This isn’t an indictment on Bennett’s writing, just a fact as both titular characters will need to resume their status quo by the issue’s end. What is of consequence is Bennett’s handling of the characters, which is fantastic. In that regard, Witchblade/Vampirella #1 is great for new readers. Sara Pezzini is written true to form, which can be expected from the series’ current writer. She’s a no-bullshit detective that will reluctantly use the Witchblade if the situation calls for it, and is the primary driver of the story. Conversely, Vampirella acts in a supporting role here. She watches from the shadows and afar, only intervening when Pezzini truly needs her help. She’s kind and compassionate, smart, and capable in a fight. As a whole, Bennett does enough for unfamiliar readers to get a feel for the character in a short span of time.
What’s really great about Witchblade/Vampirella #1 is that Bennett steers clear of the heavy lore that each character has. Witchblade debuted over 30 years ago, and for Vampirella it’s been over 50 years. Yet readers do not need to burden themselves with all that history when they pick up the book to enjoy a self contained, concise story. As for the story itself, the biggest criticism is that it’s too short even with the higher page count. With so much of Bennett’s emphasis being on the characters and situational setup, the actual story she’s trying to tell takes a back seat. The issue’s resolution ends up being the primary casualty, as the story rushes to a conclusion in the final pages. But despite this, Witchblade/Vampirella #1 is actually an entertaining comic in the underserved supernatural/horror space.
Laura Braga brings her A-game in her return to Witchblade. She brings big energy and expressiveness to each page of the book. The amount of detail that she puts into each character regardless of panel size is impressive, especially when contemporaries often will take shortcuts when there are smaller panels. With that said, there is less attention paid to the backgrounds, which are often sparse or nonexistent on a number of pages. But because of how much the reader’s focus is placed on the foreground characters, this isn’t truly noticeable unless you’re a pain-in-the-ass comic critic that’s flipping through the book multiple times.
In truth, I would love to see a line-art only version of this issue or a “remix” with Braga providing her own colors, because I found myself disappointed with Gibran Ferdian’s work here. It’s fine, but Braga’s art really shines with a brighter palette (such as her own colors on the cover), but Ferdian chooses to use muddy tones with heavy shading that undermines much of Braga’s best qualities. It’s a shame as it turns what could have been an excellent-looking book into something lesser.
Despite the criticisms, Witchblade/Vampirella #1 truly is an entertaining comic that will appeal to fans of both characters, and is welcoming enough for new readers to latch onto. If you’ve ever been interested in either of these characters, bad girl comics in general, or some light supernatural horror, throw this on your pile when you pick up your books this Wednesday. With the seasons transitioning from summer to autumn, this is a perfect comic to pick up and enjoy during spooky season.
