Witchblade (2017) Issue 5

Witchblade (2017) Issue 5 is the fifth issue of the 2017 reboot Witchblade comics series. This issue is the fifth part of Life After story arc.

Synopsis[]

How do you stop a demon that could be anyone, anywhere in New York City? Alex better figure it out fast because among other tricks, this demon has the NYPD convinced Alex is guilty of murder, and the Witchblade is on the run.

Characters[]

Plot Summary[]

Previously

Alex runs through the woods, remembering the time she was kidnapped and managed to escape. She's then confronted by Perdida's demon taken the form of Johnny. The demon proceeds to grab her by the throat, telling Alex, that she's afraid of the Witchblade. The demon is the set on fire by the Witchblade, but doesn't seemed to be fazed by this. It then slaps Alex for burning it. The demon then reveals its plans to take over Alex body and then use it to kill all her friends. Suddenly the demon begins to freeze. Realizing what's happening, Perdida's demon screams at someone, saying that Alex belongs to it as it got to her first. The demon then breaks apart into snow.

Blake Grooves demon, taking the form of Johnny, approaches Alex and helps her to get up on her feet. Alex questions why the demons keep to take the form of Johnny and the demon guesses that whoever this kid is, he's worn some deep grooves in her subconscious. She then notices the arm on its hand, realizing, that its Blake's demon. Alex then asks why did it helped her and the demon answers that it needed somewhere it could talk and actually make her listen. The demon then gives Alex an offer to leave its city and the demon will let her and her friends live. It continues by saying, that there are plenty of other places where Witchblade could do its work. Alex then asks, what happens if she refuses. Blake's demon tells her, that he will kill all her loved ones and Alex herself. After hearing this threat, Alex claims that she will kill it, but the demon doesn't believe this happening as she couldn't kill even a minor one like Perdida's demon.

Alex then rejects his offer and the two fall from the bridge into the water. As Alex sinks to the bottom, the demon tells her, that it will see her in the light world. Alex then wakes up, surrounded by her friends. Debbie decides to call to the police, but Ash, Majil and Perdida doesn't let her. While walking down back to home, Debbie tries to wrap her head about the news, that demons are real. When they enter Alex's apartment, Debbie is surprised to see the entire wall filled with maps and clippings of Blake's old cases and places he visited. As Alex doesn't trust Detective Roseland and her partner, she decided to do her own investigation. She goes to take a shower.

At night, Alex sneaks out of her apartment, leaving Debbie sleeping on the sofa. She then begins to follow Detective Barrows around New York. When she enters a club following Barrows, a women stops her, telling her that she can't be here as "they" will kill her. Sensing danger, the Witchblade then conjures multiple tentacles, which wrap around the women's arm. Alex answers, that she will be fine and she can also help the women as she works with district attorney. The women tells Alex, that the men she's working for have taken all her belonging and marked her with a hex mark.

Alex then goes deeper into the club, finding Detective Barrows talking with a mobster, Frank Leonetti. Frank expresses his displeasure with the girls, Barrows has given him as they are all drug addicts. He then warns Barrows, that he better give him a raise, otherwise his guy at the port forgets to be on duty and law enforcements find out that his containers are filled with hookers instead of stereos. Barrows then proceeds to take Frank's drink from his hands and tells him not to threaten them, unless he wants to end up like his buddy Blake Groves. Frank is confused as he heard that his wife killed him, but Barrows tells him that it wasn't the wife who killed him.

As Alex leaves the club, she runs into Victoria Roseland, whose been following her. Alex reassures her, that she didn't killed Blake and the detective should instead look into her partners activities. Roseland reveals that she has looked into Alex past and knows what she has been through. Detective then adds, that she's well aware about how much corrupted is the system she's working in, but Roseland doing the best she can. Alex then leaves and tracks down Barrows to Crown Heights in Brooklyn. Leonetti with his guards, watch as Barrows brings a new shipment of women. Meanwhile, Alex receives a call from Debbie, but doesn't answer it. As Barrows gets out of the truck, he asks if Leonetti didn't bring any additional backup. Leonetti questions him, why would he need backup to wrangle five hookers on drugs. When one of his men open the truck, he's immediately shot. Barrows, accompanied by his colleague, open fire on Leonetti. During the ensuing firefight, Leonetti and his men are killed.

Having been wounded, Barrows colleague asks him to call the ambulance. Barrows instead shoots him, saying that there can't be no witnesses. He then approaches the truck, preparing to kill the women inside. Seeing this, Alex jumps into action. Enveloped in the Witchblade armor, Alex jumps in front of the women and catches the bullet from Barrows gun with her bare hand. Alex then tells him, that this city is not there's anymore. She then tells that every last one with Barrows mark, must leave the city as their time in her city is up. To be continued...