Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Jock
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Clem Robins
Review by KrisK
The Wytches are back! After a hiatus of writing Batman and Justice League, Scott Snyder has written another addition to the Wytches series. Jock, the original Wytches artist and occasional Batman collaborator with Scott, has returned as well. And boy, are they back.
Wytches: Bad Egg serves as a prequel to the first arc, set in 2012. A major character for the next mainline Wytches arc, Sebastian, gets introduced here as a much younger teenager. His mother, Clara Clay, kills Wytches and their sucklers for an ancient organization known as “The Irons.” The Clays move around constantly as Clara hunts her prey. Her work now brings them to Beasley, IN, a standard-issue town. Sebastian’s best friend, Jackson Isbelle, is the son of two members of the High Order. They raise wytches, feeding them small animals and children. Sebastian’s job is not too get too close.
Clara trains Sebastian more and more, giving him more responsibility. She assigns him Jackson’s parents as his targets. Kill the parents, then kill Jackson. Jackson’s parents raised him to slaughter, like a pig, gutloading him full of nutrients to make him tastier, and the sucklers will always haunt him to use as food for their baby wytches.
This story kicks ass. The writing and pacing pulls the reader in and leaves them guessing until the end. I loved the characters, and I loved not knowing what was going to happen. The scenes are tense, and the issue has action, horror, and subterfuge to spare. The art was gorgeous. The wytches terrify. Jock shows emotions, not just with faces, but with all aspects of body language, building the suspense.
This one-shot works great as an introduction to the Wytches universe. You don’t need any background information to enjoy the comic, as Snyder does an exceptional job of introducing ideas and concepts without making it feel like an exposition bomb went off. Also, since this story is a prequel, it really is an easy jumping on point regardless.
My one issue with this issue is the colors sometimes cover up the scenes a bit. Due to this, the horror of the wytches can be blunted, and it’s harder to sink into the story.
Verdict: Buy! I loved this comic! The story took my breath away, and the art matches the writing in style and execution. A reader couldn’t ask for a better pairing for this comic.
