Witchblood occurs in the western US, modern-day. A bit dusty, a lot groovy. From Vault Comics, Witchblood #1.
Yonna is on her motorbike, crossing the US southwest. She has her crow with her. They are sort of like characters from the 1969 movie Easy Rider, looking to explore America, perhaps. Strange and stranger. Anyway, all is not good for very long, and so suddenly, her path is intersected, so unexpected, the bike needs to be respected and inspected. Why not pull into the nearby town of Carlos, Texas for all that, and stuff?
Well, then there are heartless vampires on their motorbikes, and their search for witches, and all kinds of magicky making!
Matthew Erman builds this expressive tale with all cylinders firing; the characters are chatty and dramatic, the moments elongated and mined for their potential entertainment. There is plenty of dialogue for exposition, everyone has their moment at the mike. It’s tense, it’s confrontational. Meanwhile, the narrative arc is taking its time, setting plans and making hay.
Visually, it’s a treat. Lisa Sterle renders wonderful people, places and things. The atmosphere, the gestures, the expressions, the emotions. It’s all revealed for the reader, and nicely coloured by Gab Contreros. The colours are vivid, à la Paper Girls, a full palette of hues from bright fuschias and yellows to the nights of indigo. Lettering is by Jim Campbell. Plenty of variant covers! Plenty!!
Vault Comics, Witchblood #1, $3.99 for 24 pages of content.
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