It’s October. I like October. Halloween’s in October. I like Halloween. Halloween means witches. I like witches; their history, their depictions in media, culture, and fiction – it’s all good creepy fun. With that said, at this point, it’s tough to take something as established as “the witch” and do something new with it. I applaud Scott Snyder for trying with “Wytches” #1.
WRITTEN BY: Scott Snyder
ART BY: Jock
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: October 8, 2014
Reviewed by Nick Brehmer
The first few pages containing the prologue of “Wytches” issue #1 had me pretty intrigued. A mother in the early 1900s has been “pledged” and finds herself trapped inside a knotty tree. After her son bashes her face in with a rock, she’s pulled into the tree’s roots by pale, long-fingered hands. In the back matter of this issue, Snyder divulges to his readers the inspiration for this comic. “Forget everything you know about witches,” he writes – the creatures who the aforementioned hands belong to are something else entirely. Don’t get me wrong, reinvention is great, but “forget everything you know” statements make me nervous. Granted, Snyder’s childhood encounter in the woods does sound like it merits a good story.
The artwork by Jock is exceptional. If you’re reading this review and saying to yourself “what was this guy expecting?” I’ll answer by saying “darkness.” I’m surprised to see the amount of color used in a witch or witch-y themed comic. And I say that with respect. I think it would be “easy” to use dark coloring to help convey elements of horror – expected. Using brightness and pastels as a juxtaposition is a very smart aspect of the collaboration between Snyder, Jock, and colorist Matt Hollingsworth.
Maybe I’m being slightly too simplistic, but the dynamic artwork and coloring of this series seems to be playing off the “everything isn’t so bad” idea – that is until a deer vomits up something on your living room floor and that girl you thought was dead has actually just been trapped inside a tree…waiting.
If you’re looking for a Halloween-timed comic that features a lot of familiar spooky motifs, then you’ll probably enjoy “Wytches” a lot. There’s a weird girl who’s moved schools because of a violent history, trees that hold some pretty dark secrets, and some seemingly inexplicable natural phenomena. “The chosen one”, bullies gettin’ their comeuppance, and loving but powerless parents all have roles to play in this series. Does it work to make something gripping and fresh? Maybe?
I like witches – not too sure if I like Wytches. We’ll have to wait and see what Snyder has in store for us.
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A product of the harsh lands of Northern Ontario, Nick Brehmer is in fact a sensitive flower currently blooming in the GTA. He spends his downtime wishing he was British. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @nicholasbrehmer