Review – The Witcher #3 (Dark Horse)

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Paul Tobin
Artist: Joe Querio
Release Date: 21st May 2014

The opening scenes the third issue of this brand new Witcher series drops us into a terrifying action scene, with cursed monsters of former men attacking from all angles in the basement of a seemingly cursed house. This scene is set up beautifully by the slightly jarring sudden end to last month’s Witcher #2; an ending which now makes sense when read together with Issue #3.

The Witcher comics are based on the role playing, hack and slash series of Witcher games. The games have collectively sold more than 5.5million copies worldwide; so anticipation for this series was high. This anticipation was translation in a demand for quality …quality which was provided in the script written by Eisner winner Paul Tobin.

Following the battle in the basement, the rest of the issue circles the often cited, universally known idea of “love”; coming at the topic from each characters own perspective. The man who has “lost” his wife to a supernatural virus, a succubus with an appetite for the physical form of love and the Witcher, who lives a life where there is “just no room” for love. Paul Tobin seemingly uses the character of Jakob to voice his voice for feminism throughout this issue, stating in an overlong monologue that “woman are divine creatures …they demand our respect!”

There are only two problems with Issue #3; the first being the art, which are so noticeably different from the graphics of the computer game that the characters can often be barely recognisable. The second problem was the way in which Jakob was written out of the story to allow a 1-2-1 discussion between the Witcher and his new Succubus love interest; declaring “I can’t just stand here, I must find [my wife]!” …before running out of the story to nowhere in particular.