“I’m basically a sentient tumbleweed.”
Creative Staff:
Story: Matthew Erman
Art: Lisa Sterle
Colors: Gab Contreras
Letterer: Jim Campbell
What They Say:
A modern, Wild West road trip about a witch named Yonna cruising the Southwest as a band of bloodthirsty biker vampires, The Hounds of Love, hunt her scattered coven for the source of all magic: witch blood. From the critically acclaimed creators of The Modern Witch Tarot Deck and Long Lost comes WITCHBLOOD, a blend of action, lore, and Americana-perfect for fans of Buffy and American Gods
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
I’ll admit I’m usually a bit wary when it comes to a series throwing everything including the kitchen sink into its approach. Matthew Erman’s tale here with Witchblood looks to deliver that with a host of different things and an almost day-glo approach to its design. The script comes across as just a bit too much for me in some of its interactions, though that may just be my age speaking, but it covers a solid introduction to this world and some of the setup. It also rides very well on the energy that Lisa Sterle brings to the pages with its design and character, a kind of infectious energy that’s also transmitted through Gab Contreras’ color palette for it. The interiors aren’t quite as garish as the outside but it delivers a really strong look that keeps you engaged.
The premise for this brings us to what at least seems like a familiar world but one where there’s magic, vampires, witches, and presumably more as well. We’re introduced to Yonna, a witch who has now decided just to roam the open roads and not get caught up in anything. She’s making her way through Texas, singing her song, when she’s practically run off the road by another vehicle, causing her motorcycle to become quite damaged. Unsurprisingly, she ends up in the same town as the woman who caused this, but that realization doesn’t come until later as she makes her way into Carlos, Texas. You get a good feel for Yonna in how she tries to get her bike fixed with trade or some other service as there’s a kind of rough whimsy to her and the approach to things.
At the same time, we follow the diner in town where a mysterious woman has made her way in while running her own job here. She’s searching for a thrall in service to a vampire that runs a biker game down this way that she intends to take down. We don’t know her name but she’s revealed to be a Hex Hunter and ends up throwing down with Yonna who is just messing up all of her plans. It’s a nice bit of weird action at first but then the vampire bikers show up and everything gets a whole lot more serious and violent. It works well as it shows Yonna just wanting to get on her way with her journey and nothing more but the vampires have their own plans and are now going to incorporate Yonna into it. Though there’s just a lot of mystery to this at the moment as we’re getting largely stage setting stuff here.
In Summary:
I’m not sure what to make of Witchblood at this point but it has a really good energy to it and a kind of weirdness that’s just askew to things but not incredibly so that you’re cringing from it. Yonna herself is what drives the narrative and she’s got a really off style and approach to her that’s definitely appealing and makes you want to see where the story goes now that she’s caught up with biker vampires. Erman’s script works well enough overall even if it feels a little clunky at first while Sterle’s artwork is definitely engaging and has some really neat panels and layouts to it overall to let the whole thing flow really well.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Vault Comics
Release Date: March 31st, 2021
MSRP: $3.99
