Comics
Review: ‘Witch Doctor: Mal Practice’ #1
Witch Doctor: Mal Practice #1 sees the return of Dr. Vincent Morrow to the realm of the paranormal medical world, as he tackles not only monsters and demons, but his own mortality. Flanked by his sidekicks Penny Dreadful and Eric Gast, Morrow seems to have stumbled onto a brewing conspiracy before he is side-tracked by a heavy night of drinking and… other activities. Thanks to an excellent script from writer Brandon Seifert full of humor and strong characters, as well as Lukas Ketner’s art, this is a strong first issue in this new series.
WRITER: Brandon Seifert
ARTIST: Lukas Ketner
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: November 28th, 2012
The greatest strength of “Witch Doctor” is its characters. Dr. Morrow comes off as what Spider Jerusalem might be if he studied occultism instead of journalism, was slightly less acerbic, and had a significantly lower tolerance for drugs and alcohol. Eric Gast is the straight man of the group, but he has his own quirk – PTSD – which was humorously illustrated in a single panel. And Penny Dreadful clearly has identity issues. This is an entertaining cast of characters, and so when Dr. Morrow is in danger by the end of the book, you’re already rooting for them if only for the simple reason that you enjoy their presence.
In addition, Seifert manages to introduce the reader to all these characters while at the same time building a solid basis for the plot of this series. A particularly nasty demonic infection leads Dr. Morrow to suspect there might be witchcraft afoot. Before he can investigate, however, he stays up at a local bar where – after a number of drinks – he meets a voluptuous woman and wakes up with quite the hickey the morning after. And things go downhill from there. It’s simple, straight forward and compelling, which is exactly what an introductory issue should be.
Ketner’s art is equally impressive. He has a sound command of character expressions which allows him to accentuate the subtle details of characterization that dialogue isn’t capable of doing. This humanizes the characters and allows us to connect with them. But when he’s called upon to do horror, Ketner’s more than up to the task. Suffice it to say that the next time you see a hickey on your neck, you might just piss yourself.
On the whole, this is an excellent first issue with very few, if any, flaws. The only thing holding it back is that this is the first issue, and so there isn’t a lot of weight to the proceedings. Still, that’s an extraordinarily minor complaint. This is definitely one to pick up.
4.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – George Shunick
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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