Being new to the world of Devi and still very green in the ways of Witchblade, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this comic. To my pleasant surprise, this book was new reader friendly, with solid storytelling techniques and gorgeous art. Just what I look for in a new read.

In this Devi / Witchblade crossover, Sara Pezzini (the current bearer of the ancient weapon called the Witchblade) finds herself in Sitapur, India, investigating a series of murders in New York that led her here. She crosses paths with Devi, also the bearer of an ancient weapon, and together they go after the apparent perpetrator of these crimes.

It's a basic story, but itʼs full of the details that make it a worthwhile read: engaging dialogue, great characterization, and fantastic pencil work and colors. I've only read a handful of issues of Ron Marz's recent Witchblade run, but as I read this crossover, all of Sara's dialogue and actions felt as natural and in character as reading an issue of Witchblade. She sounds like a smartass but likeable New York detective, just as she should; Devi is similarly likeable, but not a smartass (which is also as it should be). All of the characters in the issue speak with different voices, like real people, and their dialogue is fun and energetic without being routine comic book dialogue.

Now, the art. As I’ve already mentioned (a couple of times, I think), it’s beautiful. In places, it’s worth framing, and so full of awesome, epic detail that it caused me to just stop and admire it, even study it, for a couple of minutes. I also thoroughly enjoyed the design of Devi’s costume -- it’s elegant and striking, with a particularly Eastern style that just nails the look I would imagine this character to have. The colors are lush and rich in certain scenes, and muted and dark in others. They perfectly fit the feel of each particular situation.

While I’m not giving this book a 5 bullet rating, I really can’t think of anything that I didn’t like about it; it’s just that I feel that I can’t rate it quite that high. 5 bullets is reserved for titles that I feel are pretty much a perfect comic, and this one is fantastic…but not perfect.

But I am now interested in picking up Devi and giving it a shot, and this also solidified my enjoyment of Witchblade. If you are open to fantasy books at all, give this one a shot.

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