By Scott Snyder, Jock & Matt Hollingsworth

This reinvention of the witch myth continues with the Rooks family. After seeing a ghastly creature, Sail is left with a wound on her neck and more concerns for her parents. Some light is shed upon Lucy’s (Sail’s mother) accident and how all the current horrifying events are possibly connected…

One of the key elements of great horror stories that Scott Snyder writes very well is the exploration of human relationships and their everyday tribulations, only to then set them against a supernatural or extraordinary circumstance. This grounds the material and allows audiences to really connect with it…works for The Walking Dead (comic & TV series). The majority of this book focuses not on the witches, but the fears and worries of each of the Rooks. Snyder devotes a good amount of the issue to all three: the parental fears of Charlie, Sail’s trouble with being ostracized, and Lucy’s sense of helplessness. These are the true horrors. The presence of the surreal is sprinkled throughout, but that is not the focus.

Also, the use of writing and art techniques to make it a post-modern work only helps to further elevate the book. Snyder ties in the theme of the current children’s book Charlie is writing with a key theme of Wytches. Matt Hollingsworth’s patina-type splatter on the pages feeds into the notion of the material being a relic, a common quality associated with witches.

By now, most comic readers are aware of how strong Jock’s work is (check out Batman: The Black Mirror) and this series looks to be no exception. Laden within this issue are several close-up panels of characters’ eyes. This shows he isn’t afraid to show that much detail, very admirable. Even without Scott’s words, the imagery alone would deliver a sense of unease and goose bumps.

Wytches #2 continues to deliver gold by striking fear. This creative team knows how to the use the ingredients of the genre to their potential and the end result absolutely shows. This series is only two issues in, so there is no reason not to pick this up!

DIG031601_1

 

About The Author Erik Gonzalez

I was exposed to comics early on, one of my earliest vivid memories was picking up the entire run of Dark Horse’s Aliens vs. Predator(1990). Odd and perhaps morbid choice for a kid, I know...At the same time, I was immersed in the pop culture of the time which included, but not limited to: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and of course, Batman: The Animated Series. Upon reflection, it’s fairly evident why I’m such a zealous geek. My day job is in television operations, so basically I’m exposed to media at every turn, which is where I want to be! Writing comic book reviews is another outlet to convey my respect and fanaticism for the this graphic medium. I hope what I have to say will resonate with others and also spark heart-felt discussion. Simon Pegg said it best, “Being a geek is extremely liberating.”

Related Posts

comments (0)

%d bloggers like this: