Comic Review: Witchblade Takeru Manga #9

Witchblade Takeru Manga Vol. 9
Written by Yasuko Kobayashi
Art by Kazasa Sumita
Colors by Blond
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $3.99; Available now

Sometimes, you just need a butt-shot.

It’s true! One of those ancient facts of life. Richard Donner understood it when he filmed Mel Gibson taking a walk in Lethal Weapon, McG understood it when he directed Cameron Diaz’s surfing scene in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, and Joel Schumacher most DEFINITELY understood it when he showed Val Kilmer, George Clooney, and Chris O'Donnell suiting up in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. They all understood that, sometimes, y’just gotta show a little ass.

Well, it seems the creators of Witchblade Takeru Manga have upgraded that old saw from “Ancient Wisdom” to “Prime-effing-Directive.” Through the course of issue #9 of the American-translated manga series, we are treated to a total of 13 bare-ass shots, 11 of which feature the heroine, Takeru, in her free-swinging, imagination-defying Witchblade uniform (or, as I like to call it, “The Scab From Hell” ...have these jokes been made already...?). The other two belong to some random school-girl -- we can only assume is a friend of the main characters -- who has lost her panties and doesn’t really seem to miss them...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Comic Review: Witchblade Takeru Manga Vol. 8

Witchblade Takeru Manga Vol. 8
Written by Yasuko Kobayashi
Art by Kazasa Sumita
Colors by Blond
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow Productions
Cover price: $3.99; On-sale: Sept 19, 2007

Manga is an entirely different art form than the western comics I’m used to reading, requiring alternative modes of visual interpretation. Luckily, Witchblade Takeru Manga Vol. 8 gives readers -- new to the series and manga itself -- plenty of time to acclimate.

One of the most striking aspects of the book (written by Yasuko Kobayashi with artwork by Kazasa Sumita), in relative connection to what I typically see as manga style, is the dynamic vibrancy the book maintains throughout the issue -- from character rendering to the full-color displays utilized from page to page...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!