LitPick Review
Outside her dismal, dilapidated house lies a pile of sticks; knock them over and tomorrow they will be back in place, but never, never take one – the consequences are beyond the limits of your mind. Ali, a high school senior, and her two dads, Jared and Von, are unknowingly moving just across the street from Richland’s witch. Despite their many misgivings about Jared’s new job at the nuclear power plant, they agree to tolerate Richland, a place where they stand out like sore thumbs. Both Ali and Von struggle at first to adapt; Ali begins to, but Von only begins to become more reclusive. Tensions and paranoia rise in their household as the house across the street becomes increasingly terrifying. Read Witchland: The Graphic Novel to find out what entails for our dear family.
Opinion:
I was especially excited to read this considering that horror comics are my favorite, and the novel did not disappoint! Tim Mulligan’s skillful use of dialogue coupled with the illustrations by Pyrink made for a great read. The banter between characters in the calm parts made it quite clear they are a family filled with jokes and snarky comments. The successful banter of these aforementioned “calm” parts, though, does not detract from the stress factors of the horror aspect. The proximity of the witch’s house to that of the main cast definitely carries through in their interactions. Additionally, the art is consistently visually interesting. Pyrink dynamically poses the characters in each panel and keeps each scene fresh, even when they are in the same location. The character designs are unique in themselves, and the cast does not suffer the “same-face syndrome” that many artists are prone to. On top of this, all segments depicting horrific magic or terror are extremely well done. Each time they pop up it takes the reader a bit to truly soak it all in and appreciate the work.
Understanding that Witchland: The Graphic Novel is adapted from Mulligan’s Witchland (the play), it makes sense for characters to provide the rationale for their emotions verbally as there is a limit to subtle exposition due to performance time and production budget. However, the medium of graphic novels is perfect to show readers what is causing a character to feel that way. For instance, a quick few panels of Von being gawked at or avoided may have added a deeper understanding of his growing reclusive behaviors, rather than just mentioning the staring.
Overall, Witchland was really enjoyable. If you are a fan of graphic novels or horror movies, Witchland is the place to go for a quick, scary read. Be warned: You may leave feeling jealous of people who got to see it on stage.
