Witchblade manga

[NewsaramaBen]

Along with the Gonzo-animated Witchblade anime, the Top Cow property has a separate manga incarnation, Witchblade Takeru. Who's she, and what's her deal...?

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=81702

[Guido]

Matt Hawkins said that both anime and manga are canon within the Witchblade continuity, and in the not so distance future the Witchblade will be staying in Japan for a while.

I wonder if Takeru's story in the manga precedes Masane's in the anime for a time interval of decades? or it happens a few decades later after Masane's?

Matt Hawkins also said that the manga, unlike the anime, won't be censored in any way.

I can't wait to get the manga in my hands, but first a US manga licensor has to step in to acquire the rights for it.
http://heiseidemocracy.net/2006/04/0...eru-chapter-1/

[Masanori Ota]

Well, well, well. There is a Witchblade manga thread after all! Seems like it's kinda disjointed though. Dead, even. Well, let's set some things straight...

Witchblade ~Takeru~ (Manga)

There are a few things I want you all to understand simultaneously. This shouldn't be hard if you pay attention:

1. This is canon.
2. This happens before the Witchblade Japanese novel. The itself novel takes place before the Witchblade anime.
3. This was created first as a manga, then translated and colored for release to the American comic market.

A summary of the series follows (http://topcow.com/comics/71/overview)...

Top Cow and Bandai Entertainment proudly present the Witchblade, diving into the popular world of manga with this authentic Japanese series. Takeru is an average schoolgirl being raised in a Buddhist monastery by a group of nuns. Except for the forbidden wicked-looking claw locked in a box that keeps appearing in her dreams! That’d make a relationship with cute Kou hard enough, but when a group of mysterious, black clad monks show up at the monastery, the Witchblade chooses its newest bearer! Originally serialized in Japan’s popular magazine, Champion Red and written by Witchblade Anime head story concept & scriptwriter, Yasuko Kobayashi, this uniquely Japanese tale is considered part of the Witchblade canon. Now collected for the first time for an American audience in standard comic format and in full color, plus this first issue is double-sized for the same low price of $2.99! And an introduction from original series artist, Kazasa Sumita, and original publisher Champion Red!

Now, go check out the official Witchblade Manga trailer on YouTube.

All done? Here's a summary of the first volume (not much different than the above until about halfway through)...

Top Cow and Bandai Entertainment proudly present the Witchblade, diving into the popular world of manga with this authentic Japanese series. Takeru is an average schoolgirl being raised in a Buddhist monastery by a group of nuns. Except for the forbidden wicked-looking claw locked in a box that keeps appearing in her dreams! That’d make a relationship with cute Kou hard enough, but when a group of mysterious, black clad monks show up at the monastery, the Witchblade chooses its newest bearer! Originally serialized in Japan’s popular magazine, Champion Red and written by Witchblade Anime head writer, Yasuko Kobayashi, this uniquely Japanese tale is considered part of the Witchblade canon. Now collected for the first time for an American audience in standard comic format and in full color, plus this first issue is double-sized for the same low price! Three covers by original artist Kazasa Sumita, Christian Gossett (The Red Star), and a special Witchblade Anime cover by Studio Gonzo (Witchblade Anime, Afro Samurai, Chrono Crusade)!

Discuss?

[shaselai]

I read the manga and overall it was alright. It seemed to be too fast paced since the series is only 11(?) chapters (2 takubons). I personally think they hasted the story quite a bit and made it kinda crappy.

[Masanori Ota]

I agree that the pacing is a little bit too quick for a manga, but for a comic, it's just right. And since this was marketed towards the Japanese fanservice crowd and the American comic market, I think they hit the sweet spot. The art is amazing, as is the coloring (done by BLONDE). Nice little article on the coloring right here: http://www.comicbookresources.com/ne...em.cgi?id=9266

I'm waiting to buy the manga version too, just to see if it feels any different in the original right-to-left, b/w format. I wish they'd translate the Witchblade novel too, which is placed chronologically between the manga and the anime. There's definitely some gaps that need filling.