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This week, Top Cow releases the first trade paperback featuring Hack/Slash writer Tim Seeley's take on the Witchblade, with Witchblade: Rebirth, Vol. 1: Unbalanced Pieces. Though you may have gotten a peek at the story on Free Comic Book Day, the trade expands on the myth of the Witchblade, as well as transplanting its wielder Sara Pezzini to Chicago for a healthy helping of Deep Dish Horror! That's our words, not Seeley's.

Anyway, we chatted with Seeley about the book, his take on whether Witchblade is just cheesecake, and the possibility of Sara Pezzini meeting Cassie Hack:

MTV Geek: So this week sees the release of the first Witchblade trade... Looking back on it now, did you accomplish what you wanted to with your first arc on the book? I imagine there was a bit of nerves playing into there, coming into a storied franchise like this - or not?

Tim Seeley: Yeah, for sure. Fortunately, I have these sort of blinders doing stuff like this. I'm always aware of the pressure, the rabid fans, the potential for massive failure in the eyes of people who I respect... but, at least while I'm working, I pretty much never think about it. It's not until maybe a day or two after a book comes out that I go "S**T! I should've been nervous about that!" and then I collapse into a gibbering, trembling mass on the ground and can only be consoled by Mallo Cups.

Geek: Let’s talk about the first arc a bit, which really hit the grossness/sexiness dichotomy that I think is at the heart of any great Witchblade story... What was your idea here? What was the thought process?

TS: My thought was that we had to hit the ground running. Though there was a larger back story going on due to the effect of ARTIFACTS, the focus had to be establishing a new city with it's many new characters and a new vibe, and doing it fast. I think Ron's run really defined the character, and he built her up before taking her apart. I wanted to write about a Sara who was looking at a life in pieces, trying to figure out how they went back together. I think Witchblade has always been a sort of dark urban fantasy story with elements of horror and superhero genres, so I cooked up a tale I thought drew from all of those things. I first read Witchblade as a teenager, so I know how important the sexiness is to the story, and wanted to make sure I didn't avoid it!

Geek: Who is Sara Pezzini, to you? Other than a cop, and the bearer of the Witchblade, what makes her such a unique and enduring character?

TS: Sara is first a foremost a survivor. No matter what situation she's in, she just takes a deep breath, and figures out how to get through it. She's kind of zen that way. And, I think most importantly, she's a very moral person. To Sara, there's good and bad. She doesn't think of thinks in terms of moral grey areas, and she rarely doubts herself.  Read More...