Witchblade moves closer to its final issue (frowny face) with part two of the Power Broker arc. Is it good?
Witchblade #183 (Top Cow Productions)
Looks like Sara took that job offer at the end of last issue, because this one starts with her and Keene (one of the agents who sent monsters after her) skulking around a home to steal artifacts from a man named Otunde.
Things don’t go smoothly, as you might imagine, and a fight ensues. Besides an epic beat down, the conflict results in Sara learning some interesting history about her new boss.
Is It Good?
Okay, I’m really struggling with narrative right now.
Last issue, Sarah decides to take a ride to New York with the same guys who have been sending monsters to kill her. That I could at least kind of suspend my disbelief enough to justify as curiosity.
Then she meets the Amaryllis, the person behind the attacks, who also collects ancient artifacts (not a profession Sara’s had a lot of luck with) and keeps Cthulhu trapped inside of a fish tank (seriously).
THEN Amaryllis walks out looking like the personification of evil, TRIES TO KILL HER, and finishes off her charming recruitment presentation by offering Sarah a $1 million a year salary job as her enforcer.
To say it was surprising to see that Sarah took the job would be an understatement. In fact, it was actually pretty disappointing. What about Sara’s friend and partner, deputy Kate Rooney? What about the town she was in charge of protecting? With only two issues left in the series, is that just getting wiped away like this?
I’d hoped maybe Sarah had taken her new gig as a way of putting herself undercover, but her dialogue toward Otunde—and how she reacts about the ‘revelation’ that Amaryllis is evil—all but proves she thought it was legit. I’m not saying Sara couldn’t ever be tricked into something like this, but she’s way too smart to fall for something like this so easily. Maybe this story was supposed to take place over a number of issues and got compressed for the series’ ending in October (frowny face). Either way, it just doesn’t feel like something the Sheriff Pezzini we all know and love would do.
What does still feel genuine, at least, is her dialogue and fighting, which is the issue’s saving grace. The artwork by Fracesco Manna is gorgeous and Sara’s as cool and snarky as ever.
There’s also a very cool back up story by Top Cow Talent Hunt 2013 runner-ups Jeffrey Bridges (w), Susan Bridges (w), and Luigi Crisk (a). It’s not very new reader friendly, but if you’re decently versed in the Top Cow universe, the gorgeously rendered tale is an excellent read.
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