Top Cow and Image relaunch Witchblade this summer

Sara Pezzini is back, or at least she will be, as Marc Silvestri’s Witchblade will be getting a full reboot from Image Comics and Top Cow.

Wit-chay woman

Did you check out the Kickstarter for the Witchblade Complete Collection that launched last year? If you did, then you also got a glimpse of what Witchblade co-creator Marc Silvestri was planning for what would be a full reboot. Or, as Image Comics and Top Cow are calling it, a “reimagining”.

That tease came in the form of a glimpse of the new armor for lead character (and Witchblade alter-ego) Sara Pezzini, which again has been crafted by Silvestri. But there’s a lot more to what will be on the stands later this year, as there’s a totally new Witchblade universe that’ll be going along with Sara’s fresh look.

Fans can look for that to be built-out by penciler Giuseppe Cafaro, who’ll also be the artist on the monthly. Cafaro will be joined by writer Marguerite Bennett, who formerly worked on several DC Comics books including DC Bombshells and Batwoman.

So what can you expect from all of this? Well for one thing, Sara definitely looks different in her superhero guise, and for another, there are some very interesting influences for the storyline being tossed around. Mentioned in the press release is everything from True Detective, to Berserk, to Zodiac.

Here’s the full skinny, along with a sneak peek:

“The ability to tell a story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible,” said Bennett. “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.” 

In Witchblade #1, New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life is forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power? …Or will she be consumed by it?

Through last year’s WitchbladeComplete Collection Kickstarter, the world received a glimpse of Silvestri’s Witchblade armor redesign. But now a whole new universe has been created by Cafaro to go with it. “The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade,” said Cafaro. “So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac!”

Silvestri added: “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the ’90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Image Comics press release

Coverblade

As this new Witchblade is going to be reimagining a true 90s classic, you might imagine that Image Comics is planning out some variant covers for the occasion. You’d be right on that assumption too, as there’ll be a total of eight different covers to pick from (or collect) when the book hits the stands.

There are some very impressive names on the list as contributors too, including Silvestri and Cafaro themselves, but also J. Scott Campbell, Bill Sienkiewicz, and more. Scroll down to check out some of the images, as well as get a look at the full list of artists.

• Cover A by Silvestri and Arif Prianto – Lunar Code 0524IM221
• Cover B by Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto – Lunar Code 0524IM222
• Cover C Blank Sketch Cover – Lunar Code 0524IM223
• Cover D (1:10 copy incentive) by Dani and Brad Simpson – Lunar Code 0524IM224
• Cover E (1:25 copy incentive) by Silvestri and Prianto, virgin cover – Lunar Code 0524IM225
• Cover F (1:50 copy incentive) by J. Scott Campbell – Lunar Code 0524IM226
• Cover G (1:100 copy incentive) by Bill Sienkiewicz – Lunar Code 0524IM227
• Cover H (1:250 copy incentive) line art by Marc Silvestri, virgin cover, B&W inks – Lunar Code 0524IM228

Witchblade #1, including all of the above covers, will arrive in stores and on digital platforms this July 17th. Pre-orders should be open right now in shops, with June 24th being the final order cutoff. The issue will run a chunky 48 pages, with a cover price of $4.99 USD.