From Publishers Weekly
Move over, Joan of Arc here comes Shiori-sama. Avery (No Honor) puts a Japanese spin on the Witchblade series, opening up a new world of samurai. Lady Shiori hears the call of the Witchblade a legendary living blade that, throughout the ages, magically finds it way to certain women to help them combat evil after the evil Lord Tsunetomo raids her land and murders her husband. Exiled from her home, she has visions of the Witchblade and follows its cues to gain its power and avenge her husband's death. On her journey, she's escorted by twin retainers and is later joined by other women: a mouthy chimney sweep, a young runaway, a warrior/archer/rogue and a mountain priestess. With beautifully glossy, dynamic, full-color illustrations by Tan (Tomb Raider), Avery's tale explodes visually, but the story falls flat under the weight of a predictable plot and simplistic characters. Dedicated to providing an authentic context, Avery learned Japanese and immersed herself in Japanese culture and history. Unfortunately, her research doesn't save the dialogue, which is at times awkward. Nevertheless, fans of the TV series will want this, and it's worth reading just for Tan's artful, exquisitely rendered fight scenes.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In the original Witchblade comic, which spawned a live-action TV series that ran on TNT for two seasons, a New York City police detective uses the power of an ancient artifact to fight evil. The comic is known more for its overendowed, underdressed heroine than for its stories. This book, however, is set in feudal Japan and tells the story of another woman entirely, with only an echo of the original's trademark titillation. When Shiori's husband, Lord Nabushige, is killed by the usurper Tsunetomo, she is drawn by her dreams to an ancient sword that can help her gain revenge. But to be worthy of the sword, she must learn to live for something more. The attractive art by Billy Tan, colored by Steve Firchow, hints at manga style, and Avery's capably told story is inspired by Akira Kurosawa's samurai films. Though not bound to be a classic, this enjoyable, above-average mainstream comic will find favor with fans of Witchblade and of samurai tales such as Usagi Yojimbo (Dark Horse).
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
