Switch #1

By Stjepan Šejić

Switch #1 is an interesting comic, and not just because that it’s written, pencilled and colored entirely by Stjepan Šejić, who’s one of the strongest artists around right now. It’s also interesting because it’s a new start for fans of the Witchblade comics, almost rebooting the concept by handing the device to a new bearer, after taking us back to the early days and the first person to ever wear it on Earth. That person’s name was Una, a kind, loyal and strong cavewoman. After that intro, we flash forward to the present, and are introduced to Mary, a new character at a school where she isn’t the most popular person around. And whilst she doesn’t actually wear the Witchblade for most of the issue, the book does an excellent job at establishing the characters, stakes and the world that she lives in, providing an interesting cliffhanger that should see readers coming back for more. If you’ve ever wanted to dive into the Witchblade universe, but were scared of jumping into a series that’s over two hundred issues long, then Switch is the perfect launchpad for newcomers.

The dialogue doesn’t always fit, sometimes feeling awkward and out-of-place, but that’s pretty much the only major problem that is presented with Switch. It’s an otherwise solid introduction that shares connections with the original Witchblade series that fans will enjoy, presenting some interesting new characters that offer an entirely different take from Sara Pezzini.

The main draw of Switch #1 however, will be Sejic’s artwork, which is amazing, and with him doing both pencils and colors, the art really shines. The characters feel like they’re straight out of animation, as he easily makes you invested in the lead characters in just one issue, and you will find yourself wanting to get behind the outsider who finds herself thrust into the fire when things take an unexpected turn. There’s plenty of things to explore going forward as to where this series takes us, but for now, it’s on the right track, even if this is a fairly simple origin story that doesn’t for now at least, feel complex or too complicated.

Ms. Marvel fans will feel right at home here with Switch, and for those of you looking to experience something different from the likes of Marvel and DC’s output will find something fresh and exciting here. The artwork from Šejić is the issue’s highlight of course, but there’s enough there to keep readers coming back for future installments in what is a very solid start point.