If Clive Barker sat down to co-write an episode of Doctor Who with Douglas Adams’ ghost, you’d get “Witch Doctor.”
If that’s not enough to convince you to read the book, read on for a review. But, really, that should honestly be enough. And of course, since this is an advance review, there are no spoilers.
Written by Brandon Seifert
Illustrated by Lukas KetnerThis is it: Doc Morrow’s last stand against the forces making his life hell! If Morrow and his allies fail here, all of Arkham, Oregon will suffer! Too bad he screws it up. Oops: SPOILERS!
Horror in comics is a very tricky thing to come by. It’s one of those things where it’s very difficult to get right. In movies, horror is easy because everything is realized visually in front of the viewer, perhaps in a realistic way. In books or even in audio, everything is left up to the imagination of reader and listener; if the writer is strong enough, a very viable form of terror can be left in the brain. But comics come in between the two mediums, where things are visualized but perhaps never enough to truly frighten. In fact, most horror comics just seem a bit ridiculous outside of a few creators, leaving the genre sorely under-represented within the medium.
So why not just embrace the insanity of it all and turn it into a bit of a gag?
That’s what “Witch Doctor” does. It’s not a comedy-horror like we’ve come to expect from things like Shaun of the Dead, but rather the type of book you’d get if Hellraiser were a bit more funny. It’s a smart comic with a biting sense of humor that essentially stares the horror genre in the face with a grin before turning a cold shoulder after a sarcastic remark. “Witch Doctor” is great that way, because you almost never know what you’re going to get; it’s demolition of specific horror tropes leave the entire experiment of a book open-ended in approach, allowing for a book that truly leaves you guessing up until the last moment. That’s perhaps the most clever aspect of it, really, and one that makes “Witch Doctor” one of the most underrated gems on the market today.
Of course, with this issue of “Witch Doctor” the current volume is brought to a close. It’s done in a rather neat fashion, as well; everything is pretty much wrapped up in a nice bow. There are a few leftover threads that obviously open the book up to another volume, and it’s one that would be welcomed with open arms. “Witch Doctor” is perhaps one of those books that seems to understand just how much of itself is needed to hook a reader and satisfy them without over-doing it’s shtick, and that’s perhaps one of the more endearing qualities about it. You get just enough, so to say, as if the creative team is giving off specific doses of the comedy-horror book to fans while leaving them wanting more. And as the curtain closes on this particular issue, it’s easy to see that we’re looking at a book that in a few years time may just be considered a comic staple.
There are some light downsides to it, of course. Nothing particularly egregious, but there are a few eyebrow raising moments in the book that leave you questioning as to whether or not the book was written into a bit of a corner. The ending is fine within its context, but its also one of those moments where you begin to question how clever Morrow really is, and whether or not he’s just inexplicably lucky. Granted, it’s hard to judge the actions of the character and not look at it as a result of the creator’s decisions, but for what was a great storyline the finale is just a bit too convenient.
However, that doesn’t stop “Witch Doctor” #6 from not being effortlessly enjoyable. Seifert, Ketner and colorist Andy Troy have a great book on their hands, one that feels very unique. Seifert has the same humorous sensibilities as the sharpest in sardonic British wit (despite not being British) and Ketner’s artwork remains detailed and gritty in all the best ways, wonderfully brought to light by Troy’s coloring. It’s tough to say anything explicitly new about how well the creative team works together while at the last issue of a particular mini-series, because truth be told everything has already been said within the previous issue. Yet, it’s never the less clear: this is a creative team that works wonderfully in unison with one another, all of them playing in Morrow’s twisted and deformed little world where darkness reigns and we can still have a laugh about the world ending.
It might be a bit unfair to say, but it’s possible that “Witch Doctor” is simply an acquired taste. It’s a comedic book, but it has a rather dry wit. It’s a horror book, but it doesn’t really fit into any traditional tropes within horror. The writing and the art isn’t like that you’ll find in your average comic book, all of it very much being rather singular to this book. In the wide world of comics, that’s definitely one of the highest compliments we can give; there is nothing else quite like “Witch Doctor,” and until the next volume hits the stands that will remain a fact of life.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Make sure to pick up this and the previous issues (if you haven’t already) when you go to your shop tomorrow
