Sara Pezzini has been a cop, a mother, a girlfriend, and a private investigator. She is none of those things anymore. The only thing tying Sara to her past and preventing her from forging a new chapter in life is the Witchblade. But with everything else gone, who will Sara Pezzini be if she gives up the Witchblade?

Welcome back old friend, man we’ve missed you! Writer Ron Marz, who really defined Sara Pezzini and the Witchblade is back at the helm and with his first issue back, Witchblade #170, he’s set out to redefine the character he built up to be more than just a scantily clad kick-ass woman. And with this return issue, he’s brought with him a new artist Laura Braga who brings a style that matches the tone of the new direction.

What Marz brought to the character was depth and emotion, having her spend what seemed like more time in her detective clothes than the Witchblade bikini armor. He created a character who had a personal life, professional life, and secret identity all rolled in to one. With the first issue back, he’s decided to shake things up giving Sara a new location, new job and new issues with the WItchblade which has been causing her problems lately, preventing a normal life. Through flashbacks, we see how Sara got to where she is, only partially, as she seeks out help to rid herself of the Witchblade after a series of unfortunate incidents.

This Sara is no longer a private eye in Chicago, she’s back to her roots as a cop, now a Sheriff in a small town and immediately thrown into solving grisly murders. It’s a fresh start and perfect jumping on point for those who have never tried the series or have lapsed since Marze left (almost two years ago!).

With Marz, we also have fresh artist Laura Braga whose style reminds me a lot of what we see from Mike Norton on Revival. There’s a down to earth vibe about it all, fitting perfectly with Sara’s new location and Marz’s new direction. A fantastic combination of the two. The cover is by Marc Silvestri and is a homage to his cover for Uncanny X-Men #251, it’s the bonus for an already great issue.

It’s been a bit since I’ve been really excited over Witchblade, but in this first issue, Marz and Braga breathe new life into the character, and I can’t wait to see where they go with it.

Story: Ron Marz Art: Laura Braga
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

Top Cow provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review