Scott Snyder (Author), Jock (Illustrator), Image Comics (Publisher)

> Review by JOE TELL

Do not read Wytches if you plan on going camping soon. Wytches invokes terror and suspense, using a mysterious, well-balanced narrative to incorporate many of our most basic fears into the story. The natural fear of being all alone in the woods at night is used to tell a dark, horror tale. Forget about the Wicked Witch of the West: Wytches delivers a new and scarier witch, shattering all the classic notions we all have of an evil woman riding on a broomstick. The wytches of the story are frightening, disfigured creatures who live in the trees just outside of our bedroom windows. Wytches also uses losing a child—any parent’s worst nightmare—to add heartfelt emotion to the story. The tale is told through the eyes of the Rook family, highlighting a troubled relationship between father and daughter. The Rooks are a tight family unit that has recently relocated. Unfortunately, they go from the frying pan into the fire. The female lead, Sailor, is very likable and it’s easy to see her as your own child. The story also explores wish fulfillment and the secret desires we all keep hidden inside. The wytches can grant any wish as long as you’re willing to “pledge” another human to them, leaving no one safe from their evil grasp. How far would you go to make your darkest dreams a reality? Wytches is the scariest graphic novel you will read this year. You’ll want to look away, but the story will draw you in, making it impossible. Turn the lights on, lock your doors and don’t dare look outside—the wytches are coming.