Wytches--Issue #3--A Review

Okay, here we go!

*by the way, I apologize for the lack of post last Friday. I'd spent the whole day not realizing what day it actually was. 0.o *

So without further ado, issue #3 for your delectation and delight...



 

The previous two issues of Wytches had already injected some very endearing, personal moments with the Rooks family (aka the main characters) in order to ground us and give us something to care about, but issue #3 starts off bam! in your face with a very warm moment between Sailor Rook and her parents.

It's several years before now and they're happy and whole and nothing has happened yet to put the fear that currently pervades their lives.

What issues #1 and 2 had begun to do, #3 clinches. This is no longer just a story about scary monsters that pop out of the page at you. It's a personal, family tale of people you care about, and suddenly those monsters are a lot scarier than they were before.

And one disturbing scene where a half-naked woman warns Mr. Rook that he's going to forget his daughter, that his daughter is going to go over to the witches, brings it all home.

The artwork and story continue to impress in this issue. Even as we start to understand more of what's going on, the chaos and the horror portrayed by the artist continue to make us uncomfortable.

I can't wait for issue #4 (pub date: February 4th)! In the meantime, feel free to make any recommendations or requests for review. Thanks!

Wytches--Issue #2--Review

 

A busload of children disappears in the woods. A strange bite grows on a girl's neck. And the wytches are getting closer, creeping from the woods. Be there for the terrifying second chapter of the new smash hit, WYTCHES.

From Comixology.com.

Oh wow, guys. I wanted to try something a little different today, so I waited to read issue #2 until this morning. This way you can get my initial, unedited thoughts. I might just sound a little bit all over the place, but such is the risk.

First of all, issue #2 is even more mind-blowing than issue #1. And the ending? Ah! I'm still trying to recover.

Chills. So many chills.

The art is still so tantalizingly chaotic and gorgeous. The writing still pushes you to try to figure out just what is going on, never feeling like you really know.

And the wytches. They finally make their full appearance. And they are terrifying.

I love how Scott Snyder and Jock are working together to really unnerve the reader. There are whole pages of just illustration, with one little bit of dialogue at the end. It works like a punch in the face. It's brilliant. And I love how Jock weaves his art on the page. He forces you, through color and effects, to stay and look and try to find the hidden nuggets. To see the eyes in the woods staring back at you.

Brilliant. I'm just going to use that word over and over again.

If you haven't picked up Wytches yet, I strongly suggest you do. There are three issues out so far, so you can go immediately from one to the other. And, hopefully, we won't have to wait too much longer for issue #4.

Enjoy!

Wytches --Issue One -- Review

I don't try to make it a big secret that I'm absolutely in love with two art mediums meshing together to make something brilliant. It's probably why I'm obsessed with comics and rock music; one artist--the writer--meeting up with another--the illustrator (or musician)--to bring something to life that wouldn't have been quite the same without the both of them working together. Writing is great. But writing with images? Even better! Poetry is beautiful. But poetry with instrumentals? Brilliant!

And though I love all forms of comics and graphic novels, the ones that really get me salivating are ones that push boundaries. Or maybe I just feel they push boundaries more because they speak to something in my soul. They don't have your perfect lines or flowing sentences. They're visceral and emotional. Through art, they communicate something so much more than what's on the surface of the paper.

When I heard about Wytches, by Scott Snyder and JOCK,  I knew it was something I needed to read.



 

And when I saw that subdued cover with just a hint of bright red, the shadow playing against the trees, I fell in love.

The story opens with four panels in pure chaos. The perfect lines are nowhere to be seen. There are splotches of color against a subdued black and blue background. And then we see this distorted face amidst the chaos and the only dialogue on the whole page is, "...Please...Please help me!"

It's powerful, and honestly scary.

The next page only adds to the creepiness. The face, we see on closer inspection, is being swallowed by a tree. The splotches of color are blood. And then there's this little boy who does the last thing you'd ever expect. It was honestly one of the most disturbing openings to a comic I've ever seen.

The rest of the story continues with its chaotic theme. We're slowly introduced to backstory, jumping around from scene to scene, never quite comfortable. Never quite understanding everything that's going on until the last page.

Wytches is definitely a brilliant example of multiple artists coming together to make something brilliant. The words and the art work perfectly together to disarm you. You won't be able to put this one down.