Top Cow has sent us the two covers for July’s Witchblade #128, including the Luke Ross homage cover. This momentous issue sees the continuation of the epic “War of the Witchblades” story and hints that all may not end well for the original bearer of the Witchblade, Sara Pezzini. They seem to be emphasizing that the homage on Ross’ cover isn’t just a fluke, but may be an indication of the direction the story is headed. The full details straight from the Cow are below. Reserve your copy of Witchblade at your local comic shop today!
LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 3, 2009 – Top Cow Productions, Inc. unveiled an homage cover variant provided by artist Luke Ross (Captain America) for Witchblade #128. The issue, which is scheduled for release on July 8th 2009, is the forth installment of the six-part “War of the Witchblades” story arc.
Ron Marz, who has been the regular series writer since Witchblade #80, writes Witchblade #128. All interior art is provided by Stjepan Sejic, who has been the regular artist for the series since Witchblade #116. The creative team of Marz and Sejic are committed to staying on Witchblade through at least issue #150.
In this issue of “War of the Witchblades,” both Sara Pezzini and Dani Baptiste are on the ground and it’s uncertain who will rise to reunite and claim the divided Witchblade for herself. The epic storyline continues to raise the stakes in the battle for the ancient artifact called the Witchblade and promises to dramatically change the landscape of the series by its conclusion.
Two covers of Witchblade #128 will be available: one by series artist Sejic and the homage variant cover by Luke Ross (Captain America). The cover created by Ross depicts a dramatized pose of Dani holding a mortally wounded Sara as other characters look on from the background. It is a direct homage to the famous 1980 John Byrne cover of Uncanny X-Men #136 and similarly inspired by the George Pérez cover of Crisis on Infinite Earths #7. Both covers are regarded as one of the most recognizable and “homaged” cover illustrations in comics. Comic Vine calls it the “The ‘Stand with a dead loved one in your arms expressing grief to the sky’ cover,” although the image arguably has inspirational precedents that date back to the earliest paintings and sculptures of the Pietà. The use of the homage cover for Witchblade #128 signifies the major plot developments and character conflicts that are central to the “War of the Witchblades” story arc.
“Obviously things don’t look too promising … for Sara or anyone else … by the end of Witchblade #127,” explained writer Marz, “The Luke Ross cover for issue #128 definitely takes that in account, and gives us a chance to homage two of the great covers in the history of comics in John Byrne’s Uncanny X-Men #136 shot, as well as the George Perez Crisis #7 image. If there was ever a time for this kind of cover on Witchblade, it’s now.”
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