Witchblade
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| The Witchblade armor, as seen on the Witchbladevolume one trade paperback |
Publication information
Publisher Top Cow Productions / Image Comics (in US and Canada)
Delcourt (in France and Belgium)
Schedule Monthly
Format Ongoing
series
Publication date 1995 - present
Number of issues 152 (as of January 25 2012)
Main character(s) Sara Pezzini
Creative team
Writer(s) Christina Z, David Wohl, Marc Silvestri, Brian Haberlin, Ron Marz
Artist(s) Michael Turner, Keu Cha, Marc Silvestri, Stjepan Sejic
Creator(s) Marc Silvestri
David Wohl
Brian Haberlin
Christina Z
Michael Turner
Witchblade is an American comic book
series published by Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics, from 1995
until present. The series was created by Top Cow editors Marc Silvestri and
David Wohl, writers Brian Haberlin and Christina Z, and artist Michael Turner.
The series follows Sara Pezzini, a
tough-as-nails NYPD homicide detective who comes into possession of the
Witchblade, a supernatural, sentient artifact with immense destructive and
protective powers. The weapon has bonded with various other women throughout
history, the most recent being the series' former co-lead, Danielle Baptiste.
Others who have come into contact with the Witchblade include Cleopatra and
Joan of Arc. Sara struggles to hone the awesome powers of the Witchblade and
fend off those with a nefarious interest in it, especially entrepreneur Kenneth
Irons. She also struggles to maintain a personal life.
There have been many spin-off titles
which place the Witchblade in other times and settings. The character of Sara
Pezzini was also featured in crossovers with characters from other franchises,
including Lara Croft, the Justice League, the titular creatures from the Alien
and Predator film series, and the cast of Battle of the Planets.
Witchblade was adapted into a
moderately successful television series in 2001–2002, starring Yancy Butler as
Sara Pezzini.
The title was also adapted into an
anime and an unrelated manga series in 2006. Each takes place in a futuristic
Japan and features a new blade-wielder, with little resemblance to Pezzini or
to each other, in the role. There have been two soundtracks to the manga series
(which had a limited print run).
A feature film, currently titled The
Witchblade, was scheduled for a 2009 release,[1] but is now set for 2013.
The Witchblade
| “ | In a lot of ways, the Witchblade universe is about the heavy weight of destiny, and the power, consequence, and dilemma that comes from carrying that weight. | ” |
—Writer Bryan Hill
The Witchblade is a male entity of both light and dark which
represents both order and chaos. It is the offspring of the primal forces of
the universe The Darkness and The Angelus and therefore acts as a balance
between the two entities. The Witchblade is semi-organic, a union of the genes
of The Darkness and The Angelus. Because of its semi-organic structure it is
able to create a symbiosis-like bond with a host. According to one of the TV
episodes, the Witchblade was made out of a branch from the Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The Witchblade was discovered in modern times in Greece
byKenneth Irons, but before he found it, it had many hosts. When not in use,
the Witchblade can look like an ornate, jewel-encrusted, right-handed gauntlet
or bracelet so it doesn't draw much attention. Any wielder of the Witchblade
who is unworthy will lose their arm. It forms a symbiosis-like relationship
with its host, who can hear the Witchblade. When used, it expands across the
body of the host, often shredding clothes and covering the body in semi-organic
armor. The amount and coverage of the armor depends on the level of the threat.
For example, when facing mortals, it will usually generate less armor than when
facing a demon of hell. This armor can produce extensions of itself that can
form swords, other stabbing weapons, hooks, chains, shields, and wings,
enabling the wielder to fly. It may also become temperamental if the host
chooses not to use it. When wielded, it can shoot energy blasts from the hand
or sword, fire projectile darts, and extrude whip-like grapples to attack or to
climb. The Witchblade is also an excellent lock pick, and can heal wounds, even
mortal ones. The Witchblade can re-animate the dead, empathically show the host
scenes of great trauma, and allow the host to relive experiences from past
hosts as dreams.
Following the events in the First Born mini-series, the
Witchblade was split into two parts. One half belongs to Dani while Sara has
reclaimed the other half. However, with the Witchblade originally being the
balance between the forces of Darkness and Light, it was revealed in the recent
"War of the Witchblades" story arc that each half of the Witchblade
represented one of the two primal forces: Sara having the Darkness one and Dani
the Angelus. This led to changes in the personality of the characters,
especially Sara. Encouraged by the leaderless Angelus Warriors and the
mysterious Tau'ma, both hosts eventually ended up in all-out war for the
complete control of the Witchblade, which concluded with Sara victorious and
once again in control of the full Witchblade.
Top Cow Universe
In addition to unnatural and human-ignorant elements such as
demons, angels, vampires, werewolves, zombies, aliens, ghouls, pagan gods,
dimensional gates, ghosts, and magic, the Top Cow universe is populated by its
two constants, The Darkness and The Angelus, both of whom use the bodies of
various humans as hosts. They are "balanced" by their offspring, The
Witchblade. Superheroes are generally enhanced humans from secret government or
private entrepreneurial projects. Sara Pezzini's old precinct, the 18th, or
"the One Eight" is in the roughest part of New York, where crime is
rampant, and both the Mafia and the Yakuza are prominent forces.
Witchblade wielders
In reverse chronological order (fictional chronology, not
publication dates) save non-canon and alternative realities:
§ Persephani
(fictitious, wielder in the far future)
§ Masane Amaha
(fictitious, from the Witchblade anime, near future)
§ Yuri Miyazono
(fictitious)
§ Takeru Ibaraki
(fictitious, from the Witchblade manga)
§ Akane Nakiko
(fictitious, from Witchblade/Dark Mind: Return of Paradox, near future)
§ Debbie Santalesa
(fictitious, from Dark Minds/Witchblade, near future)
§ Selina Alice Lauren
(fictitious, wielder, circa 2100)
§ Ivy Pezzini
(fictitious, Sara's daughter in a possible future)
§ Danielle Baptiste
(fictitious, the wielder after Sara)
§ Ian Nottingham
(fictitious, second male wielder. Only wielder so far to combine the Witchblade
with either the Darkness or the Angelus)
§ Sara Pezzini
(fictitious, current wielder)
§ Tasya Federova
(fictitious)
§ Josephine Valmont
(fictitious)
§ Elizabeth Brontë
(fictitious)
§ Enola
§ Anne Bonny
§ Roxanne Laroque (fictitious)
§ Yuka-chan
(fictitious)
§ Shiori-sama
§ Joan of Arc
§ Maitea
§ Annabella Altavista
§ Itagaki
§ Leung Lin Yao
§ Zara, Queen of
Bones (fictitious, from Dark Crossings)
§ Hua Mulan
§ Samantha McRenald
(fictitious)
§ Princess Raquel
(fictitious)
§ Katarina (A user
before Sara Pezzini, from Medieval Spawn/Witchblade teamup)
§ Artemisia
§ Lysandra
§ Myrine
§ Una, the first
bearer (fictitious)
§ Princess
(fictitious, from Battle of the Planets/Witchblade crossover)
Other identified wearers include Cathain, who is remembered
as anIrish Celtic war goddess by history in the live action TV series of the
Witchblade. Cathain is connected to the historical Irish Celtic King,Conchobar
Alternative Reality
§ Kimberly Tossovova
(alt. reality, fictitious)
Non-Canon
§ Wonder Woman
(JLA/Witchblade) (co-op universe with DC: non-canon to Top Cow or DC Universe)
§ Sister Midnight
(Fictitious, fromAliens/Predator/Witchblade/Darkness: MindHunter Crossover)
Pretenders
In reverse chronological order:
§ Fiona Irish Counter
Terrorist (fictitious)
§ John Sansman (fictitious)
§ LaFemme Danette Boucher (fictitious)
§ Kenneth Irons
(fictitious)
Adaptations
Television series
Main article: Witchblade (TV series)
Following a pilot film in August 2000, the cable network
TNTpremiered a television series based on the comic book series in 2001. The
series was directed by Ralph Hemecker and written by Marc Silvestri (who also
wrote the comic book) and J.D. Zeik. Yancy Butlerstarred as Sara Pezzini.
Although critically acclaimed and popular with audiences, it was canceled in
September 2002. Announced as a production decision, the cancellation
nevertheless provoked widespread speculation that the true reason was Butler's
alcohol addiction. Butler was ordered to enter rehab for alcohol addiction a
year later, after being arrested for wandering intoxicated amidst traffic.
Witchblade ran for two seasons on TNT, each featuring 12
episodes. The first episode aired on June 12, 2001, and the last episode aired
on August 26, 2002. On April 1, 2008, Warner Home Videoannounced a
long-anticipated DVD release. Witchblade: The Complete Series — a seven-disc
collectors set including the original made-for-TV movie, all 23 episodes of the
series, and special features — was released July 29, 2008.
Film adaptation
Teaser poster for the proposed feature film.
An upcoming Americansuperhero film based on the series is
currently in development. The film will be directed by Michael Rymer, who
directed the 2002 filmQueen of the Damned and various episodes of Battlestar
Galactica, and written byEverett De Roche (who subsequently left the project
because of creative differences with Marc Silvestri). The film is one of two
being produced and financed back-to-back by Platinum Studios, IDG Films, and
Relativity Media. The film will be produced by Arclight's Gary Hamilton and
Nigel Odell, Platinum Studios' Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, and Steve Squillante
of Havenwood Media. Top Cow's Marc Silvestri and Matt Hawkins will be executive
producers with Platinum Studios' Rich Marincic and Greenberg Group's Randy
Greenberg. The film's website and teaser poster were released in May 2009 .
f � i g �o� �O� he joined Jack when Jack was desperate for a partner, but they broke up because
of tensions between them. After that, Tubbimura joins part of Jack's New Army
of Evil and then goes to the side of Chase Young, only to be shot out of a
catapult. His fighting style is a mix between sumo and ninjutsu. He owns a
Chihuahua named "Muffin Face" that he has Jack Spicer walk as a
method of payment for his services in "Something Jermaine". Tubbimura
makes a cameo in "Time After Time (2)". He is voiced by Maurice
LaMarche.
[edit]Vlad
An extremely muscular vendor from Russia who infiltrated the
Xiaolin Temple. Vlad at first seemed to be a friend to the Xiaolin Warriors,
but tricked Omi into believing he would become evil. However, Vlad blew it by
revealing how he had used the Reversing Mirror while Omi wore the Crystal
Glasses (Which he called the "Crystals Glass"), thus showing the
opposite of the real future. Omi then defeated Vlad, who returned and helped
Jack obtain the Heylin Seed. He then showed up again as part of Jack's New Army
of Evil, but went over to Chase Young, only to be shot out of a catapult. Vlad
makes a cameo in "Time After Time (2)". He is voiced by Tom Kenny.
[edit]Ying-Ying Bird
The Ying-Ying Bird is Hannibal Roy Bean's means of
transportation and his messenger. While the others call him The Ying-Ying Bird,
Hannibal calls him Ying-Ying and he seems to prefer that. It can transport
itself to the Ying-Yang World, record what it sees, and play it back using its
eyes as projectors. It has the ability to leave the Ying-Yang World without
leaving its good or bad chi behind, as one would have to do with either the
Ying Yo-Yo or the Yang Yo-Yo. When it is disguised as an ordinary parrot, it is
mistaken for the Bird of Paradise and is taken in by Jack Spicer who calls it
"Little Jack." It later abandons him after Kimiko's showdown with
Wuya for the Moby Morpher with a squawk of, "Fetch your own Wu, sissy
boy!".
[edit]Jessie Bailey
The younger sister of Clay Bailey, introduced in the episode
"The Black Vipers." She was a leader of the Black Vipers all-girl
biker gang. She originally turned evil because she was jealous of the attention
Clay received from their parents, as well as the fact that Clay was allowed to
go to "Monk School." She challenged Clay to a Xiaolin Showdown and
won all the Dragons' Shen Gong Wu, but in the end she had a change of heart,
forgiving Clay and returning all the Shen Gong Wu except for the Wings of
Tinabi, which she kept for herself. She was voiced by Jeff Glen Bennett, same
as her brother.
[edit]Le Mime
A French mime, whose first appearance was in the episode
"Like a Rock!", Le Mime possesses magical powers which allow any
object he mimes to manifest as a solid, but invisible construct, ranging from
an imaginary lasso to an invisible box. These constructs can be altered by the
imaginations of those who come in contact with them, such as the Xiaolin
Dragons imagining a door to escape a box he trapped them in. He first
demonstrated his powers to Jack Spicer when he lassoed him and then shot him in
the gut with an imaginary golf ball . He later mirrored Clay's every move, until
Clay punched himself in the face, knocking out the mime. Like a mime, he does
not talk. He makes cameo appearances in "Chucky Choo," "Time
After Time (1)," and "Time After Time (2)." His blog page is
shown to Jack by Vlad in the episode "Demon Seed." He is aligned with
the Heylin.
[edit]Gigi
Gigi is the evil French flower that blooms when the Heylin
Seed is unleashed. This happens in the episode "Demon Seed" and
"Time After Time 2". He was named by Jack Spicer when he and Vlad
stole the seed from the Xiaolin and allowed it to activate. He is a
self-proclaimed "Very naughty plant, don't you know?" and a
"Little slice of Heaven, no?" He is supposed to be more powerful than
Shen Gong Wu and the only thing that can stop him is a Wu called the Moonstone
Locust which releases a swarm of locusts that eat any plant matter. Gigi has
the power to turn people and dragons into plants by spraying them with spray
from his flowers. By the end of the episode "Demon Seed" everyone
except Raimundo has been turned into their inner plant. Raimundo challenges
Gigi to a Xiaolin Showdown over the Moonstone Locust and wins then destroys
Gigi. The Heylin seed is stored in the Heylin Seed Vault underneath the temple
so that no evil doer will ever find it. He is voiced by Jeff Bennett and is
aligned with the Heylin.
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| Teaser poster for the proposed feature film.
Anime series
In 2004 Japanese animation studio GONZO announced an
animeversion of Witchblade, with a subsequent manga adaptation. The anime
version is considered controversial by some because GONZO has announced that
the main character of the anime is of Japanese ethnicity but is not Itagaki,
one of the previous bearers of the Witchblade. Instead it is a new character
named Masane. This has caused some fans to cry out against what they see as
aNipponisation of the franchise. Although this series sets up an entire new story,
with all new characters, it is consideredcanon.
The anime, which took place in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo,
Japan; began broadcast during April 2006 and ran for 24 episodes (a standard
series run). The lead character, and new blade wielder, is the kind-hearted
Masane who, despite her good intentions, is fairly clumsy and not good around
the house. After the events of an earthquake that struck her home six years
before the series, "year zero", Masane has no recollection of her
past prior to this date. When she comes into contact with the Witchblade,
Masane also finds herself under the watchful eye of an organization called the
NSWF (National Scientific Welfare Foundation), and struggles to hold onto her
daughter Rihoko, whom the government is trying to take from her. Unlike the
comic Witchblade, which only induces bloodlust when in a violent confrontation
and creates armor, the anime Witchblade entirely transforms Masane, giving her
different eyes and hair, and will ultimately destroy her body.
Manga
Likewise, a manga incarnation is being serialized,
introducing a different story that features a unique plot & characters and
with little similarities (except for the Witchblade and some other settings)
with the anime, though the script is written by the same writer Yasuko
Kobayashi (小林靖子).
Witchblade: Takeru
Witchblade: Takeru (ウィッチブレイド丈流 Witchibureido
Takeru?) introduces Takeru, who is an average Japanese high-school girl raised
in a Buddhist convent by nuns. She has been experiencing recurring nightmares
about the Witchblade calling out to her. This is due to the secret that the
temple houses the Witchblade, sealed inside a glass box. Furthermore, her
lineage keeps an unknown connection with the mystic artifact and the folklore
of theOni, hence explaining Takeru's strong attraction to the gauntlet which is
locally called Oni-no-Te (鬼の手, "Hand of Oni").
Ultimately, Takeru's life suffers a drastic change when she becomes the next
bearer of the Witchblade due to some circumstances that force her to randomly
encounter it.
Witchblade: Takeru started serial run since March 2006 in
Champion Red magazine under publisher Akita Shoten. Story by Yasuko Kobayashi (小林 靖子 Kobayashi Yasuko?) with art made by Kazuasa Sumita (隅田 かずあさ Sumita Kazuasa?), whose art and illustrations carry
over an erotic style.
Moreover, at a press conference, Bandai Entertainment
entered an agreement with Top Cow Productions to release an English language
version of the manga. In spite of its violent and erotic content, Bandai
Entertainment stated that they won't be censoring the manga.
Japanese novel
Witchblade Lost Generation: Midori no Shōjo
Witchblade Lost Generation: Midori no Shōjo (ウィッチブレイド 碧の少女 LOST GENERATION Witchibureido Midori no Shōjo Lost
Generation?) is another story published as a Japanese novel since August 2006
by Tokuma Shoten with art and illustrations done byUno Makoto, who previously
worked in the Witchblade anime as the lead art & character designer.
The main protagonist is a sickly 15-year-old Okinawan girl,
Yuri Miyazono, who wields the Witchblade for her own survival. Not much
specific details have been disclosed regarding the date and time when this
novel takes place, besides the postscript which has explained that the novel
takes place in the same timeline as the anime. It says that Yuri is the bearer
who immediately precedes Masane Amaha. It also says she is the immediate
successor of Takeru Ibaraki from Witchblade: Takeru.
Parodies
A parody
of the witchblade, called the "Doucheblade" appears inHoward the Duck
volume 3 issue 3, which was published underMarvel Comics' MAX imprint. The
Doucheblade, empowered by the god/demon Pazuzu, endows the wielder with
revealing and spikey armor just like the Witchblade, but also tremendously
augments her bust size. The Doucheblade's metal component is uranium, however.
The first wielder died of radiation poisoning, but the uranium appears to have
become depleted, since its most recent user was Eleanor Roosevelt. It
originally started to bond with a police woman named Suzi Pazuzu, but after a
timely intervention by Dr. Bong bonded to Howard instead, whose DNA was
unstable at the time, causing him to spontaneously change genders.
In the
Pazuzu entry of Marvel Zombies: The Book of Angels, Demons, & Various
Monstrosities, the Doucheblade is given the alternate (and more PG-13) name of
"Gub-gala-emegir", which in Sumerian roughly translates as
"Cleansing Blade."
Selected bibliography
Ongoing series
Witchblade has starred in the following ongoing series:
Witchblade
#1-current (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 1995 - present)
Witchblade
#0 (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2002)
Witchblade
#1/2 (Wizard Magazine / Top Cow Productions, 2001)
Witchblade
#500 (Wizard Magazine / Top Cow Productions, 1998)
Tales of
the Witchblade #1-9 (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 1996-2001)
Tales of
the Witchblade #1/2 (Wizard Magazine / Top Cow Productions, 1997)
Original graphic novels
Witchblade has starred in one original graphic novel:
Witchblade:
Obekemono original graphic novel (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2002)
Additional series
Additionally, Witchblade has headlined or co-headlined the
following non-ongoing series and one-shots taking place in the Top Cow
Universe:
Broken
Trinity: Witchblade one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2008)
The
Darkness/Witchblade one-shot (Image Comics, Top Cow Productions, 1999)
Tomb
Raider/Witchblade one-shot (Top Cow Productions, 1997)
Witchblade
Animated one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2003)
Witchblade:
Blood Oath one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2004)
Witchblade/The
Darkness one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 1999)
Witchblade
vs. The Darkness #1/2 (Wizard Magazine / Top Cow Productions, 1998)
Witchblade:
The Demon one-shot (Dynamic Forces / Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2003)
Witchblade
and Tomb Raider one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2005, reprints
Witchblade: The Demon one-shot and Tomb Raider: Scarface's Treasure one-shot)
Witchblade:
Destiny's Child #1-3 (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2000)
Witchblade:
Due Process one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2010)
Witchblade
Infinity one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 1999)
Witchblade/The
Darkness one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 1999)
Witchblade
vs. The Darkness #1/2 (Wizard Magazine / Top Cow Productions, 1998)
Witchblade:
Nottingham one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2003)
Witchblade:
Shades of Gray #1-4 (Dynamite Entertainment / Top Cow Productions, 2007)
Intercompany crossovers
Witchblade has been extensively used in crossovers with
characters outside of the Top Cow Universe:
Battle of
the Planets/Witchblade one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2003)
Darkminds/Witchblade
one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions / Dreamwave, 2000)
Devi/Witchblade
one-shot (Virgin Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2008)
JLA/Witchblade
one-shot (DC Comics / Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2000)
Lady
Death/Medieval Witchblade one-shot (Chaos! Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2001)
Lady
Death/Medieval Witchblade Preview one-shot (Chaos! Comics / Top Cow
Productions, 2001)
Medieval
Spawn/Witchblade #1-3 (Image Comics / Todd McFarlane Productions / Top Cow
Productions, 1996)
Silver
Surfer/Witchblade #1/2 (Wizard Magazine / Marvel Comics / Top Cow Productions,
1997)
Tomoe/Witchblade:
Fire Sermon one-shot (Crusade Comics / Top Cow Productions, 1996)
Unholy
Union one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions / Marvel Comics, 2007,
featuring Witchblade, The Darkness, theHulk, Ghost Rider, and Doctor Strange)
Vampirella/Witchblade
Trilogy one-shot (Harris Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2006), reprints the
following:
Vampirella/Witchblade
one-shot (Harris Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2003)
Vampirella/Witchblade:
The Feast one-shot (2005) (Harris Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2005)
Vampirella/Witchblade:
Union of the Damned one-shot (Harris Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2004)
Weasel
Guy/Witchblade one-shot (Hyperwerks / Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 1998)
Witchblade/Aliens/The
Darkness/Predator: Mindhunter (Dark Horse Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2000)
Witchblade/Darkchylde
one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2000)
Witchblade/Darkminds:
The Return of Paradox (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions / Dreamwave, 2004)
Witchblade/Elektra
one-shot (Top Cow Productions / Marvel Comics, 1997)
Witchblade/Lady
Death one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions / Chaos! Comics, 2001)
Witchblade/Magdalena/Tomb
Raider/Vampirella one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions / Harris Comics,
2005)
Witchblade/Magdalena/Vampirella
one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions / Harris Comics, 2004)
Witchblade/Punisher
one-shot (Image Comics / Top Cow Productions / Marvel Comics, 2007)
Witchblade/Red
Sonja #1-5 (Dynamite Entertainment / Image Comics / Top Cow Productions, 2012)
Witchblade/Wolverine
one-shot (Top Cow Productions / Marvel Comics, 1997)
Wolverine/Witchblade
one-shot (Marvel Comics / Top Cow Productions, 1997)
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