Geralt is summoned by an old friend to help solve a mystery involving his daughter. Upon arriving to investigate however, Geralt is surprised by another friend from the past and he soon finds himself transported to regions beyond his original expectations.

I have been delving into Andrej Sapkowski’s novels about Geralt of Rivia, the Witcher, lately. After reading four books in as many weeks, The Witcher: Of Flesh And Flame #1 came to my comic shop at just the right time for me to decide that if I’m going to immerse myself in the world of The Witcher, then I may as well go full bore (the Playstation game has sat on my shelf waiting for me to finish the last book).

When I started reading this comic I actually had pretty low expectations. After all, adaptations are seldom ground breaking in their quality, and if one is used to experiencing media one way it can be difficult to find that enjoyment for the same world elsewhere if the two mediums are similar enough (books and comics, for example) without an adaptation in sight. Thankfully, Of Fire And Flame #1 has the spirit of the books without seeming like a cheap knock-off story. The themes of racism and intolerance are still here, although with less of a chance for exploration given the comic’s pacing and locations, but it’s a hallmark of the series I am glad to see carried over – which shouldn’t be surprising, given that the comic comes from the same universe as the games.

The comic itself is very solid; everything within its pages works very well; the art is smooth and easily followed, and the story is accessible and enjoyable regardless of whether you’re familiar with Geralt of Rivia or not. The flip side to this accessibility is that the first issue may come off as a little simplistic, but that’s something I’m willing to forgive given how much I enjoyed the comic. As my first introduction to the Witcher’s universe in comic book form, this book turned out to be a great jumping on point.

Story: Aleksandra Motyka Artist: Marianna Strychowska
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Dark Horse provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review