The dry humor in this book is not to be missed. I cannot think of a book, especially one dealing with the Super Hero Genre, which takes itself so lightly while providing very pertinent topics, serious plotlines, and unmistakable mastery of tradition.

One thing that mystifies me continually is the low print-runs of this book and the lack of popular fan-base. Like the new version of Swamp Thing, this title has a loyal, but limited following. Unlike Swamp Thing, this book has the potential to reach an audience of all ages and one which prefers any given genre.

The classic look of this book betrays its modern application and its perfect entertaining quality. Beyond the corny names, and 70’s-80’s style hairdos, this book offers a reinvention of the teen focused book. This is so vastly more serious, so enjoyably lacking in silly side-quips, and an overall superior book to the other teen super-team books of our time.

That being said, let me point out that the throw-back art by Leonard Kent is excellent. Nowhere in this title will you find stiff, rigid, or poorly figured characters. There is no focus on obscene muscularity. This is art which is appropriate for the genre, and pleasing to watch.

The writing by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson is so good that one must wonder why this book pales in popularity to ridiculous books like X-Men Academy. There is real underlying seriousness and weight to this story surrounded by light humor and genuine wit. The dialogue is superb for any genre, and makes Fumanchu’s writing look lowly and obscene.

I would really like to find someone who has a problem with this book...and throw them off of a bridge. It could be that lovers of the original – traditionalists, if you will – might have a problem with a revamp of something they hold dear, and that is understandable. People have trouble with change, dealing with reinvention. But, my guess is that the majority of those who avoid this book avoid it for the older-style art. To these people, who no doubt would prefer Michael Turner or Mark Silvestri to Kent, let me say, I don’t like you. There is a place for Turner’s art, and that place is either on the cover of great books, on the interior of boob-teaser titles which rely on single men hoping to get a glimpse of super-crotch, or, on a rare occasion, as a use to bring sales to a book with a truly great story which is having lack-luster sales due to good artists not meeting the single-male standard.

What we have here is a book which, in time, will be a great collectible - a story which is one for the ages, and a concept which will never be dismissed. For those of you who continually “pishaw” this excellent work, I want to say: Stop hoping to see Witchblade’s goods, and turn yourself on to an awesome story which will make you apply your imagination to something more than late-night fantasy.

-Peblee