Wytches Vol. 1

You want to talk excellent comics? No, scratch that. You want to talk excellent books? WYTCHES is it. My daughter and I both read comics, but the stuff we read is vastly different. I read stuff like GREEN LANTERN and JUSTICE LEAGUE while my daughter’s favorites are REGULAR SHOW and ADVENTURE TIME. But last year when, on a whim, I bought the first issue of Scott Snyder’s WYTCHES, I knew as soon as I read that I had to pass it along. My daughter read it and loved it and every month would ask if the new WYTCHES had come out yet. And she always stole it from me and read it before I got to it. WYTCHES is the story of the Rooks family, Charlie, Lucy, and their daughter Sailor. They’ve just moved to a new town to escape some rather unpleasant talk about their daughter. Sailor was being bullied by a girl named Annie who actually drew a gun on Sailor one day. It was also the last thing Annie ever did because she was snatched and dragged into a hole in a nearby tree, her body bent and broken, before disappearing. Sailor tried to tell people what she saw, but after being pistol whipped by the bully, her explanation of the events was taken as fantasy. However, talk around town was that Sailor had killed the girl and disposed of her body. So the Rookses left town. Now, in their new town, the gossip has followed them. Unfortunately, that’s not the only thing. When Sailor comes up missing next, Charlie goes on a mad search, desperately trying to track down his daughter, with little to no help from anyone else. Even his wife Lucy asks him one afternoon, “Who’s Sailor?” WYTCHES is an incredible story of one father’s love and devotion to his daughter, which is undoubtedly why the story connected so well with my daughter and I. We’re thick as thieves, she and I, and this book was the perfect thing for us to read together. Snyder puts so much of himself as a parent into this book, it helps the book to straddle a very strange line between horror and heartbreak, especially the events of the last issue (this collected edition contains issues #1-6), which I won’t spoil here, but I will say had my heart in my throat both times (I read first the individual issues, and now the collected edition). And if I ever brave the book again, I expect it’ll have the same effect then, that’s how powerful Snyder’s writing is. And the entire tone of the story is only complimented by the art, provided by Jock (alias of the Scottish-born Mark Simpson) who combines a series of ink drawings and watercolor and acrylic backgrounds to give WYTCHES and surreal and dreamlike quality, with lots of shadows and dark colors. Snyder tells a great story, but it wouldn’t be half as effective without the mood Jock establishes with his colors. This is what a horror comic should look like. But the art aside, what I love most about this book is the heart Snyder puts into it. The relationship between Charlie and Sailor is beautifully written and is the core of what makes this book so effective. Despite the horror aspects and the trials they go through as a family, this book can stand as a testament to the love Snyder has for his own kids. And that’s the most any parent who’s also a writer can hope for. I can’t wait for volume 2.

I will include SPOILER material. If this is an issue, please skip the review. The first thing I want to add is a note on Wytches 0. This was available to hype the release of Wytches, and it really did make an impact. Wytches 0 is in the back of the book, relegated to the area behind all the newsletter articles and the process pieces, and I almost missed it on the first go. That is sad, too, because I like some of the panels and the short piece really sold me on the book, which, considering the amount of hype and how much I hate hype, says a lot. Wytches 0 is basically about a family visit gone wrong, wherein a brother pledges something unthinkable in order to gain a boon. The way it is told and illustrated, with some items seen through fingers stretched over a face, is awesome and I encourage you to check it out, possibly first, because I like the way it fits as a pre-pre-storyline. Wytches revolves around the Rooks family moving to Litchfield, New Hampshire, and what is waiting for them in the woods just beyond the town. The story revolves around the family's past and the reason they move there, as well as the present and their wants for the future. It is a good horror story, too, and it has an interesting art style behind it that is something overwhelming in the 'getting to know you' portions, but that is awesome when you get into the horror aspects. The artwork (specifically how the colors are added in) took me some time to really appreciate, too, but I find that rereading the story has really cremated this as a way to remove a person from comfort and to make even the familiar seem less so. Now, it did get a tad too much hype in my opinion due to Scott Snyder's association with the project, and that hurt it in a way because a lot of people had monstrous expectations. I recall reading about how people thought it would be this beyond creative, beyond bold, and beyond scary, and that did not leave any room for the reality, which was a good horror story dealing with some rather creepy sorts. The graphic novel here includes all of the articles from the back of each comic, plus the 'process' pieces that detail every one of the art to color items. It has a page of unused promotional art and a page of original art that shows how this was developed, plus the original inks. This is average item filler in the back, and 0 - mentioned at the beginning - adds a lot to that.

Nice artwork and decent story. Loved how visceral the Wytches are. Wish there was more.

i love Snyder's work! His AMERICAN Vampire is one of the best comics I've ever read--and I've read a lot of comics. Also, his batman, drawn by the ultra talented Greg Capullo, is brilliant too. So, I figured I'd give this new project a try, and, newsflash, it's awesome! It's original, scary tale, delivered with brilliant story telling and Jock's great, really unique art. Image is at the forefront of horror comics, and Snyder is writing some of the best on the market! This is the 1st volume, the epic begins here, and the reader can just pick up this volume and it's off to the races, it's a self contained universe with all new charachters. The story is smart, dark, and fun,neither twist and turns and jaw dropping moments that keep you turning the page. Jock's art is beautiful, although a bit non-standard (it's a bit different than Kirby's clean lines of yore), and may be a new style to some readers. but I love it. It fits the mood of the book well, and conveys both a sense of movement and dread flawlessly. Ultimately, this is a top notch first volume of a story I hope to see stick around for along time to come! A great first print of the first volume, perfect for readers of all ages, especially those a bit more mature (maybe, say, 15-1,015). The story may be a bit much for a 9 year old. If you loved Joe Horne's Locke and Key, Williamson's Ghosted, or American Vampires, like Horror, or like comics, but what toothy something different than Superheroes throwing down for their city- here is a great book you can't pass up! Plus, Sail is one tough young lady, and a great protagonist, in all to often male dominated art form! Plus, her beautiful relationship with her comic artist dad feels genuine and it's remarkable. The supernatural stuff is all fresh and creative, presenting a take on the dark magic phenomenon as unique and new as something out of Lovecraft, King, or Crowley (his novels really aren't half bad; just steer clear of his grimoires dear reader). Enjoy! A horror book like no other...a total must read!

The first volume of this graphic novel will turn the majority of the lore that you know about witches on its head. Or make that wytches – as they are referred to here. Sailor Rooks has been cursed, or rather “pledged” to the wytches of Litchfield, New Hampshire. Once you are pledged they will mark you, and they will come for you, and they will take you. We follow the story of Sailor and her family as they discover what this means and fight to survive. We quickly learn that the Rooks family has experienced a number of unfortunate traumas before even moving to Litchfield. They are deeply sympathetic characters. This is especially the case for our two major protagonists, 13 year old Sailor and her guilt ridden father, Charlie. One of the most intense fears is the terror that a parent feels when their child is endangered, and that is heavily prevalent in this story. As I read Wytches, it felt reminiscent of the transformation and reinvention that Steve Niles’ 30 Days of Night series provided for vampires and their lore. He made them feral and frightening again. These wytches are not seductive temptresses but vicious animals. What we learn of the wytches creates a powerful and exciting new mythos, ranging from how pledging works to where the wytches reside. There are still cauldrons used to cook children and create magic but that is where the fairy tale nature of witches ends. Their special blend of magic creates a web of intrigue, as it is based on offering great rewards to the humans in league with them. Thus, we have betrayals and some surprising twists. The art perfectly completes the powerful story. The feral nature of the wytches is captured magnificently as is the pain and emotion of our lead characters. The coloring is also noteworthy and pretty unique, with every panel speckled with colors over the actual drawing. It’s an atmospheric technique that adds additional quality to the story. The book wraps up with a gripping conclusion and I can’t wait for the next volume. If you’re not really into graphic novels, this could be the book that could change your mind and get you hooked.

I love Scott Snyder's writing. I'm obsessed with Jock's art and have spent too much money on posters of his work. I'm also recently in love with horror–ˆwith the itch of familiar fear it creates in your head, the chill of realization that hits you when you realize the monsters might not be the scariest thing out there––so you can imagine that I was really excited to (finally) sit down and read this first volume of Wytches. Except, I didn't love it. It's obviously a deeply personal story for Snyder, and his connection to the themes the comic wrestles with is clear and easily the greatest asset the book has going for it. The fears, the anxieties, the paranoia that Snyder injects his horror with are so familiar and raw that they easily make an impact on the reader. It's just...as much I loved the themes and the worldbuilding of Wytches, the characters failed to make a real impression on me. The motivations of the Rooks family are great, and again, offer a strong foundation that the core themes of the story get to build off of. But the explanations for those motivations and the ways they manifested themselves lacked...something. I can't even put my finger on it, but there was some piece, some sharpened edge that was missing, and its absence made the characters feel more like tools for plot progression than actual, individually driven people in their own right. I was still invested in the story, but not on account of the characters, unfortunately, but on account of wanting to see how Snyder was going to continue grappling with the themes of the book. While the story was a bit muddled, thankfully Jock's art is, as always, sharply powerful. His framing, expressions, and general eye for the most grotesquely upsetting images play a huge role in giving tangible form to the ideas Snyder's script deals with. What's didn't work for me, unfortunately, was the coloring, or more specifically, the watercolor "splashes" that occupied literally every single page of the book. These bright, colored splatters were effective occasionally––especially early-on when the actual Wytches are still kept in the shadows––but when the action picks up and the reader is supposed to be on the edge of their seat...I wasn't. The splattered colors were distracting and actually made it difficult to read what the characters were doing on the page. It pulled me out of the story and the (otherwise effective) horror, and that's disappointing. Hollingsworth colors are good otherwise, and he adds an impressive level of mood and general discomfort into Jock's artwork, but the splatter effects felt overdone and self-indulgent, which is a problem since they're apparently a staple for the comic's general aesthetic. Still, I enjoyed Wytches, and am eager to see where Snyder, Jock, and Hollingsworth take it next. The ideas and thematics Snyder works with feel distinctly personal, and it's that level of sincerity that gives his script just enough energy to overshadow a cast of characters who never felt fully realized. Jock's art is also great––his design for the creatures is especially unsettling––but I hope that in future installments of the series his art is less shrouded in the distracting color-splatters that seemed to keep me *out* of the book, instead of in it.

This book is worth getting for the artwork alone. The monster design is original, the artist uses an interesting layered-collage technique I haven't seen before, there are elements of impressionism, pop art and graphic art combined in novel ways, and even the most blood-spattered panels are beautiful to look at. IMO the writing doesn't quite live up to the art, though. The premise is interesting and chilling, and the overall story is good, but I found the writing a little weak overall. At the beginning when the dad and daughter are bantering, because I didn't yet know the rules of the story world I didn't know they were joking when they talked about the girl being a monster slayer. Also, at times it was hard to follow, as the characters jumped back and forth between four different points in time in the characters' lives. It wasn't always immediately obvious when a jump occurred, and I often had to stop and get my bearings from context cues before I could continue reading. This pulled me out of the story. But again: worth buying for the artwork alone. So much so, that the book still gets 5 stars from me.

This is an awesome indie comic that is absolutely worth checking out, especially considering it is less than five bucks, i mean you can't go wrong. The art style is pretty cool, and the horror is thrilling/chilling, but to my surprise, the best part for me is the rather deep story. The thought provoking themes regarding the flaws of the human condition raise questions that are just as troublesome as the monsters themselves. Keep in mind though, this is an indie comic, so there are some flaws,though mostly ascetics. No "wow wtf who would do that" moments. I know I am interested in what happens next.

Some ideas are cool, but it feel like a giant cliche - especially in the underground scenes, the development and some dialogues The finale shine in its own light after a good idea - but the humanity in it ruined it, bringing it to another cliche, this time of a battle. Should have ended in the mother decided way - that would have been innovative and took care of the other flaws. Such a wasted opportunity...

Me lo compré tras leer toda la andadura de Snyder y Capullo en Batman porque tenía ganas de más del guionista y no salí decepcionado. Desde el primer momento, todo tiene un ambiente muy misterioso y sabes que no va a acabar bien, pero a medida que avanzan los números (los 6) todo va poniéndose más intenso. Lo tiene todo para que adapten la historia a una película, ojalá sea así algún día. Al final te deja con ganas de más, pero no insatisfecho. Ojalá Snyder continúe con Wytches, porque puede salir algo grandísimo de aquí.

Oh Mr Snyder you always aim to impress. What a wonderful addition to anyone's collection in my opinion. When I first heard of this story in October, I immediately started asking my favourite comic book store if they knew when it was going to come out (which annoyed some employees eventually). After waiting and waiting I saw a release date for this book and pre-ordered a copy quickly. When I finally got my copy I almost didn't want to open it as I just admired the cover artwork so much and hold it in my hands. The artwork was very creepy BUT at the same time was also very beautiful, which I always like to see in a horror series. I will admit that there were some panels that I had trouble understanding what exactly was happening I don't think that is a major problem. One could make the argument that this problem actually adds to the horror element Snyder's writing is as enjoyable as always and I loved how he gave the readers a twist on another classic monster, the witch (sorry I mean wytch). The titular villains seem almost unstoppable in their advance of those who have been "pledged" and are the stuff of nightmares in both appearance and in their communication (which is bird or insect-like). The human characters are wonderful as well, particularly Sailor Rook and her father, Charlie. With both characters, I felt a connection with them on a personal level. Each character has their own demons (won't go into detail) and you can't help but root for Charlie and Sailor. My only major problem with this book is that there is currently no hardcover form available. Image comic books generally wait 'til 2 or 3 volumes to and then release a collected hardcover edition (ie Saga). I find this personally irritating as I cannot wait that long for a series I enjoy so IF I ever want a hardcover version I essentially would need to buy the book again. I wish Image would publish hardcover individual volumes but this is just a personal problem. A final thing worth mentioning that I truly enjoyed was Scott's letters at the end of the volume. The six letters allowed the reader to get to know the man behind the story a bit better and I loved this. These letters allowed me to connect on a personal level with one of my favorite writers and now I like him even more. I can't wait for the next volume of this series and see what happens next...Full Recommendation

Si bien compré este libro por verlo recomendado en una lista y por la opinión favorable de Stephen King,en mi opinión es una excelente historia de terror tanto en argumento como en dibujo. Los comics no suelen tener el evocador poder de los cuentos de terror en la literatura, no es lo mismo ver dibujado un miedo que imaginárselo, pero este título deja un grato sabor a quienes gustamos del genero y buscamos novedades a los clásicos ya conocidos

Synopsis: A horror story, but looking deeper this story is actually centered around a father-daughter relationship that is pushed to the limit by the 'wytches' who haunt their family. Although the hype around this book sells it as a very scary graphic novel, as most people who have read it agree, it's not that scary. This, however, does not stop it from being brilliant! The artwork is amazing, although I personally thought it could do with a few less layers. The story crosses between the past and the 'present' very smoothly and really aids the story. I loved that both the daughter and father characters were fully explored and given real personalities, the dad being devoted but with a past full of mistakes, made him very real with a good duality. The daughter character 'Sail' I found quite irritating, but then I guess this will lead her to have more character development (hopefully) in later issues. Also the name 'Sail' really bugged me for some reason, but that's just a personal dislike. The addition of the authors letters to the reader at the end really made this graphic novel a 5/5 for me!