In the category of “most pleasantly surprising, yet horrifying comic” of the week, Wytches #6 takes the cake, easy. It’s been a suspenseful, horrifying ride, and rumors were circulating that it was going to end with the end of this arc. I’ll spoil the letter's column at the end and tell you Snyder and Jock are apparently coming back for more, even if it’s after a break. There is much rejoicing. Most of this issue is an action-packed cap on Charlie Rooks’ adventures deep in the bowels of the demon tree. It’s properly scary and it doesn’t let the characters get out easy. Unfortunately for them, they get out of the demon tree only to be surrounded by rednecks (the worst version of “out of the frying pan, into the fire”). The issue (and this arc) build up to a giant reveal in the last few pages, that’s a hell of a twist. I’m not sure how earned it is, but it hits the mark for shocking, and even in the ways that it helps close off this part of the world, there are tendrils of storylines that get out that could be expanded really well into the next arc.
I basically spent this entire issue wondering, “if this is the end of the story, will it be a satisfying narrative?” Snyder and Jock have built this huge world in a small town, it would be a shame to see all that work go into just one mini-series, and a fairly short one at that (I mean, we all know Snyder’s got a maxi-series or four in him, after The Wake). The end of this issue let me breath a lot of sighs of relief, but it didn’t tie up all the loose ends. In short, the best way to end a chapter in a continuing series.
Jock and Hollingsworth kept up their streak of career-peak work right through the end of this issue, selling the horror of a grown-in witch’s nest and the intimate betrayals that happen outside of the woods. Snyder keeps tossing new horrifying things at them to deal with and they keep taking it in perfect stride and turning out really interesting pages. It also seems to my untrained eye that Hollingsworth scaled back his watercolor splotching during the flashback scenes of Charlie’s book launch, which is a nice touch, and really sold the squeaky clean aspect of that bright moment in the past.
As much as I love Jock and Snyder, and I love the work they’ve done, I’d be intrigued to see someone else come to this universe, even if it’s just for a sidestory miniseries (like Sean Murphy and Dustin Nguyen’s minis for American Vampire). Team Wytches has created a broad canvas, and I enjoy the parts here in the middle, but I think I would enjoy the weird splotches on the outside just as much. Regardless, I’m excited to buy the trade next month and get scared all over again.
Score: 5/5
Wytches #6 Writer: Scott Snyder Artist: Jock Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 5/20/15 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital