Witchblade Takeru

I just finished reading Witchblade Takeru, a series I had been waiting to get on trade paperback for over a year. Being a fan of Witchblade, I was interested in seeing the Japanese take on the series's mythos. Also, liking manga quite a bit, I was very much looking forward to seeing what Witchblade would look like in this particular style.

The story, written by Yasuko Kobayashi, isn't exactly groundbreaking, but it's not bad either. The book tells the story of Takeru, an innocent Japanese schoolgirl who finds herself the bearer of the Witchblade when a bunch of nasty demons show up in her little village. Throw in a few standard elements such as a best friend, a silly girl, a beloved grandmother, some sketchy military people, and creepy demons, and you know what to expect. Not greatness, but lots of entertainment.

The artwork, by Kazasa Sumita, is certainly my favorite part. His drawings are very sensual, and his panels are jam-packed with non-stop action. Needless to say, we get lots of fan service, but that has never bothered me, and I was sort of expecting it anyway, so it wasn't a shock by any means. Again, his depiction of the Witchblade-possessed Takeru is very, very sexy, and I loved it.

Having in mind American audiences, this manga has been colored by Blond, and even though it feels a bit strange at first (the shades of gray and textures from the original black and white illustrations seem to clash with the color when you start reading the book), Blond did a very good job, and the finished product looks great.

Also, this TPB collects all the crazy different covers, variant covers, special covers, posters, and everything else you could possibly imagine (plus the twelve original issues of the series, of course), so you definitely get your money's worth. And in addition to that, the introduction reveals Witchblade Takeru will also be published in the original non-flipped, black and white digest format for the purists (or collectors), so you get to pick and choose. Do you want Takeru in color and American comic size, or would you rather have it in black and white, digest size? Either way, this incarnation of the Witchblade makes for a fun read!