Wytches #6

We have an interview with Scott on the arc and the series moving forward HERE.

The Good

The creep factor has been cranked up. Last issue Charlie Rook ventured into the heart of the Wytches’ lair to save his daughter, Sailor, and we’ve been on the edge of our seats. We’re witnessing the extent a father will go through in order to protect his family. This is a deep and heavy theme throughout this issue. Once you become a parent, it’s clear how there are times you have no other choice but to put everything on the line. Scott Snyder illustrates this point in a fantastic way. As we Charlie and Sailor work their way through the Wytches’ caverns, you’re intrigued to see more but, at the same time, want the scene to end.

There is a nice sprinkling of flashbacks with the action of Charlie giving a talk about his novels and how they relate to his life. Just when it looks like the action and suspense are dying down, Snyder cranks up the action once again and slams us with a nasty twist. The signs have been hidden throughout and some may say they saw it coming but it's a very dark and sweet twist to the story that changes things a bit. Snyder shows that there are different sorts of horrors to write about. This leaves a pretty heavy feeling in the pit of your stomach. Just when you've barely recovered from the first twist, there's another one right on top of the first.

Jock's art captures every beat of the story. You can feel the action and see the suspense building up. Matt Hollingsworth's colors adds to the feel with some nice change in the light and dark scenes.

This definitely is a heavy comic that will stick with you for some time after you read it.

The Bad

You can almost say the feeling you get reading this is "bad" but it's supposed to affect you this way. The only problem I had was one I've mentioned before. Some scenes have too much color sprinkled on the page. It does add to the vibe of the story but it can also be a little distracting. For my personal taste, I'd like to see it toned down a little. Other than that, the story, art, and colors are all amazing.

The Verdict

It's hard to digest the ending of this first arc. This ending has definitely given the series a pretty big turning point. Twists in stories, especially horror stories, are common. Scott Snyder manages to pull one that punches you in the gut. Snyder, along with Jock on art and Hollingsworth on color, have taken us to a dark and creepy world. With a surprising and satisfying conclusion to the first arc, we can't help but wonder how we'll managed until the next arc begins. Be sure you have a happy place to go to after reading this book.

I remember seeing a preview a while ago on comicvine that included a scene where a "witch" comes into the house and you see images of it through open and closed eyes... I didn't see that in any of the issues though. Does anyone remember where that was from?

@lmothander: I think you might be talking about the free preview issue. It might still be on comiXology.

Man that was just hard to get through specially if you're reading it with nobody home. If I were to have one complain about this is the way they splash those colors on the page it can get really distracting at times. It worked very well when they were in the caves but it was distracting as heck afterwards.

@victorcheenoanleu: My thoughts exactly.I like the splashes but they really need to be turned down.

Couldn't agree more with you and G-Man. Tough to get through, but this review summed it up. Pure kick to the gut. Especially having a daughter myself.

I hope they quit with this art style or at least tone it down.

I don't understand what was so great about the arc...it was interesting before you saw the monsters, then it just became a simple hord.