Wiccan: Witches’ Road #4
(W) Wyatt Kennedy (A) Andy Pereira
WITCHES BRAWL! The dark sorceress Morgan Le Fay reveals herself!!! Teaming up with the ancient witch Baba Yaga, Wiccan finds himself overwhelmed against the forces of dark magic and will have to call on his allies to help him! Meanwhile, the war among these great magical forces echoes out into chaos around the world!
Sometimes, the staff at Graphic Policy read more comics than we’re able to get reviewed. When that happens you’ll see a weekly feature compiling reviews of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full one for.
These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.
Logan
Wiccan: The Witches’ Road #3 (Marvel) – Wiccan #3 is another middling issue of this series starring one of Marvel’s most iconic gay couples. I enjoyed the glimpses Wyatt Kennedy and Andy Pereira gave us of Billy Kaplan’s past as a kid in New York and his “first love”, but the comic is really text heavy. Also, I’m not super invested in the new Demiurge. Having Morgana Le Fay kind of be a sympathetic figure works for a while, but of course, she doesn’t end up that way. There are definitely fragments of a cool story, and any scene with Billy and Doll-Teddy are heartwarming, but I can’t recommend this series just yet. Overall: 6.7 Verdict: Pass
Escape #6 (Image) – In Escape #6, Rick Remender and Daniel Acuna‘s war story lives up to its title as Milton is nabbed by the Narenians and must make his way out. His interactions with the Narenian commander shows the contrast between his solid heroism and the Narenians’ evil as the baddie taunts him about his wife and tries to get a rise out of him by saying enemy saboteurs will seduce her. This conversation (Really, more of a monologue) makes the ensuing action even more explosive. I love how Remender and Acuna use tiny, quick panels to show Milton freeing himself from captivity and put his individual actions in the larger context of the war. I’m not exaggerating when I say that in the future, Escape will be considered one of the great war comics, and lot of it is Rick Remender’s personal connection to the material because his grandpa was a World War II vet. Overall: 8.9 Verdict: Buy
The Power Fantasy #16 (Image) – Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijingaard show the true extent of the Superpowers’ destructive abilities in this mind-blowing issue of The Power Fantasy. This issue definitely feels like a finale, but I’m glad that it’s being continued with its new more cynical status quo. Wijingaard’s art is just flat out epic in this issue, especially a crimson-tinged double page splash that will be drilled into my brain for quite some time. The Power Fantasy #16 shows why the detente between the Superpowers is so important and digs into the frightening reality of being a human being in this world where you’re just a figure on a casualty list. Overall: 8.6 Verdict: Buy
Wiccan: Witches’ Road #3
(W) Wyatt Kennedy (A) Andy Pereira
IN THE BATTLE FOR MAGIC AND BILLY’S SOUL, WHO WILL WIN? NATURE OR NURTURE? Wiccan’s journey on the Witches’ Road begins to have ripple effects as the Avengers become aware of magical mischief spreading across the globe! Plus, evil reveals her face… and it’s NOT Agatha Harkness! P.S. The Weather Goddess herself, Storm, might have some thoughts about tampering with elementals…
Sometimes, the staff at Graphic Policy read more comics than we’re able to get reviewed. When that happens you’ll see a weekly feature compiling reviews of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full one for.
These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.
Logan
Wiccan: Witches’ Road #2 (Marvel) – With Hulkling immobilized or a puppet, Wyatt Kennedy and Andy Pereira don’t have his chemistry with Wiccan to draw on so this second chapter suffers in comparision with the first one. We get Wiccan finally setting off the Witches’ Road on a fetch quest for Baba Yaga with a sarcastic talking fox named Nameless for a companion. I love their interactions, but at this point, Billy Kaplan’s journey isn’t super compelling. His first stop is connected to Roxxon, but the corporate satire elements don’t really mesh with the magical ones. By the final page, Kennedy has bet big time on the Demiurge to be the story engine for this comic so your enjoyment of Wiccan : Witches’ Road depends on how cool you are with that concept. Gotta love a stakes-raising cliffhanger though. Overall: 6.9 Verdict: Read
Touched by a Demon #1 (Dark Horse) – Touched by a Demon #1 is a delightful mixture of pitch black comedy and pure emotion all wrapped in a cute visual package courtesy of cartoonist Kristen Gudsnuk. An earl of Hell named Bifrons and his assistant Zuzu set up a life coaching program so Bifrons can find redemption after he’s spurned by Lucifer and other demons like Mammon. They have exactly 1 customer and give some advice that might work in a theoretical/vent-type of way, but not in practice. Gudsnuk peppers Touched by a Demon with all kinds of funny background gags like hellish athleisure brands as well as witty one-liners, but she uses a lot of the page space in this first issue to get to the core of Cifron’s feelings along with his first client, Wendy. They’re both in bad, no-win situations that escalate as the comic progresses and really sinks its claws (Or pitchforks.) in you. Overall: 7.9 Verdict: Buy
The Power Fantasy #15 (Image) – Shit truly and utterly hits the fan in The Power Fantasy #15. Eliza is slowly starting to realize that her visions maybe aren’t from God so the other Superpowers have to band together to figure out a way to neutralize her. Kieron Gillen deftly walks the plot tight rope and even leaves room for something interesting world building like the Vatican’s new location being in Ethiopia as well as some emotional moments between the newly broken-up Isabella and Masumi. (Caspar Wijingaard‘s art is a vision for Masumi’s paintings.) And speaking of Wijingaard, his linework and especially color palette is pure apocalyptic fury. He crafts red skies that make Crisis on Infinite Earths look like child’s play just like the events of this issue. Overall: 8.5 Verdict: Buy
Exquisite Corpses #9 (Image) – Tyler Boss, James Tynion, Valentine De Landro, and Michael Walsh give the folks of Oak Valley a fighting chance in Exquisite Corpses #9. A queer black nail polish-sporting baddie and a crazy conspiracy theorist teaming up to save the day is a foreshadowing of the US in the future, and I love Xavi’s growth as an unlikely hero especially their fight with the bunny-masked hero. However, victory is still far away. Like almost every issue of Exquisite Corpses, the story is sprawling and split between a massive cast, but it’s nice to see the good guys get a bit of a W for once. Also, Jordie Bellaire‘s flat black and reds continue to accentuate the violence and menace through her color palette. Overall: 7.6 Verdict: Read
Wonder Woman #29 (DC) – In Stephanie Williams and Jeff Spokes‘ inaugural issue of Wonder Woman, they show that the titular character is more than just Diana Prince. In fact, this is more of an ensemble book with different iterations of Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl babysitting Diana’s daughter Lizzie Prince. Before setting up the conflict, Williams gives us a flavor of Donna Troy, Yara Flor, Cassie Sandsmark, and Queen Nubia and their different personalities that especially shines in the way they fight and spar. There’s a real “it takes a village” family dynamic in this book, which makes its initial baddie that much more compelling. Also, Spokes’ fight choreography is gorgeous just like the powerful women he draws. (There are no men in this comic.) Overall: 8.3 Verdict: Buy
Wiccan: Witches’ Road #2
(W) Wyatt Kennedy (A) Andy Pereira
THE BEGINNING OF THE WITCH’S JOURNEY! Wiccan has been forced to make a deal with a dark witch to protect Teddy! But what are the witch’s goals? What chaos will come on this dark and twisting quest? And what unlikely ally will reveal themselves?!
After a sci-fi interlude as the consort of Emperor Hulkling, Billy Kaplan aka Wiccan aka the Demiurge is back in supernatural fantasy mode for his first solo series Wiccan: Witches’ Road #1. Wyatt Kennedy, Andy Pereira, and Bryan Valenza put one of the Marvel Universe’s alpha couples through some strange, difficult situations to restore balance to the Marvel Universe. This is definitely the “in sickness and in health” part of the traditional marriage vows, but with an extra helping of monsters from Slavic folklore, and it’s nice to see Hulkling and Wiccan work through their problems in a mature way instead of having relationship drama for the sake of drama.
Especially in its introduction and conclusion, Wiccan: Witches’ Road #1 has major fairy tales starting with the fonts and caption style that Ariana Maher uses for a one page recap of Billy Kaplan’s life and lore up to this point. Even though there’s plenty of light couple’s trip banter and adorable peasant girls that have crushes on the 100% unavailable protagonist, Kennedy and Pereira are taking a big swing at making Kaplan a supernatural player in the Marvel Universe up there with Dr. Strange, Dr. Doom (RIP, I think. I only read the Runaways tie-ins of One World Under Doom.), and of course, his mother, Scarlet Witch.
The issue’s kind of/sort of antagonist and the elevated language of some of the captions sets up Wiccan as a kind of epic hero, and the aforementioned little girl echoes that by asking him if he’s a knight. (Of course, he’s not, he’s a good witch!) Andy Pereira and Valenza match this energy in some of the visuals like a panel drawn from the POV of a creepy house with gabled windows.
Speaking of the art, Pereira has solid storytelling instincts from screenshot-worthy reaction shots of Hulkling and Wiccan reacting to their unfamiliar surroundings to fast and furious, knife-life panel layouts showing Wiccan in action against his first monster. There is a little bit of manga in Andy Pereira’s line work with big sound effects and rapid speed lines showing the frantic surprise of the combat as well as Wiccan’s development from just a kid who mouths spells to a skilled melee fighter. Bryan Valenza’s bright, flat colors are the finishing touch on these fight scenes, and he goes moodier and more atmospheric for the slower scenes like when Wiccan and Hulkling explore a suspicious house. Sometimes Wiccan is Goth, sometimes it’s a superhero, and this shift in tones keeps it from getting boring.
Wiccan: Witches’ Road #1 is a fun, surprisingly flirty launch issue that goes deep into the fantasy rabbit hole that is all just a big metaphor for Billy Kaplan and Teddy Altman picking up the pieces of their life together after a cosmic crisis. This kind of a setting is a no-brainer for Wiccan, and I respect Wyatt Kennedy and Andy Pereira’s use of figures from Slavic folklore and mythology instead of supervillains to create conflict and mystery. This book has some of the same DNA as Kieron Gillen’s Journey into Mystery and Steve Orlando’s Scarlet Witch while putting its own unique spin on the fantasy-meets-superhero genre thanks to having a cute, loving couple at the heart of it. I hope the subsequent issues in this series have the same real talk and flashy magic.
Story: Wyatt Kennedy Art: Andy Pereira
Colors: Bryan Valenza Letters: Ariana Maher
Story: 8.2 Art: 7.7 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
Wiccan: Witches’ Road #1
(W) Wyatt Kennedy (A) Andy Pereira
SOMETHING WICCAN THIS WAY COMES! A dark, macabre adventure awaits down the Witches’ Road that will reshape Wiccan — and the magical fabric of the Marvel Universe — forever… Wiccan and Hulkling arrive back on Earth, but nothing is ever easy for Marvel’s favorite (former) space emperors! With Hulkling grievously wounded, it’s up to Wiccan to save the day — but what lengths will he be willing to go to do so?
Wiccan: Witches’ Road #1
(W) Wyatt Kennedy (A) Andy Pereira
SOMETHING WICCAN THIS WAY COMES! A dark, macabre adventure awaits down the Witches’ Road that will reshape Wiccan — and the magical fabric of the Marvel Universe — forever… Wiccan and Hulkling arrive back on Earth, but nothing is ever easy for Marvel’s favorite (former) space emperors! With Hulkling grievously wounded, it’s up to Wiccan to save the day — but what lengths will he be willing to go to do so?
Wiccan, the son of the Scarlet Witch, claims his place in Marvel’s magical hierarchy in Wiccan Walks the Witches’ Road to Mystical Greatness in His First Solo Series: Witches’ Road, his first solo series. Launching in December Wiccan: Witches’ Road will be a five-issue limited comic series written by rising star Wyatt Kennedy and newcomer Andy Pereira, in his Marvel Comics debut.
Since bursting on the comic scene as a Young Avenger, Wiccan became one of his generation of heroes’ biggest breakout stars! Now, following the character’s live-action debut in Marvel Television’s Agatha All Along last year, Wiccan headlines a saga that explores his mighty legacy and the very nature of his immense mystical power! Following Wiccan and Hulkling’s part in Jonathan Hickman’s Imperial, Hulkling’s life on the line, forcing Wiccan to take a spellbinding trip down, down the Witches’ Road, where he’ll face a new enemy and discover his unique role in protecting Earth from magical threats.
SOMETHING WICCAN THIS WAY COMES!
A dark, macabre adventure awaits down the Witches’ Road that will reshape Wiccan—and the magical fabric of the Marvel Universe—forever… Wiccan and Hulkling arrive back on Earth, but nothing is ever easy for Marvel’s favorite (former) space emperors! With Hulkling grievously wounded, it’s up to Wiccan to save the day—but what lengths will he be willing to go to do so?
Wiccan: Witches’ Road #1 will boast covers by Lucas Werneck, who will provide the series’ main covers, as well as superstars like Russell Dauterman and Luciano Vecchio. Check them out now along with a sneak peek at Andy Pereira’s interior artwork.
