WitchCraft

WitchCraft

by James Robinson, Teddy H. Kristiansen

The three fates, dark witch-goddesses of ancient Greece, seek revenge after their followers are savagely raped and slaughtered by barbarians. Across the generations, the witches' priestess is reborn with one purpose--to slay the reincarnation of the barbarian's chief, with subtle aide from the witches themselves. Ranging from ancient times to modern London, this haunting tale weaves a dark spell in the tradition of Vertigo's Sandman. Graphic novel format. Available in September.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

136 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1996

About the author

James Dale Robinson is a British writer of American comic books and screenplays.

Reviews

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this may have made it to at least 3.5 stars if the foreword didn't say that not liking/understanding the book or believing that justice will ultimately prevail is "unevolved." Lofty claims for a book that's just not very good.

The plot was pretty cool albeit slow, but the art and lettering were so ugly in a way I just struggled to get through. So I guess I'm giving it 3 stars solely for plot and the fact that it doesn't quite win the award for ugliest illustration.

[Leslie Sobel · Rating 3 out of 5]

While over all the story was enjoyable, I feel like there was room to grow. I have the story in the three original comic format and I have to say I liked the third one the best. It involves a granny out for revenge of her granddaughter's murder. I have yet to find a story where the main character it an old lady who looses a sense of reality only to come back and seek justice.
The first one is my second choice, leaving the middle one as an ok read. Each book takes place in a different time period. The last one in the 1990s.
While it was entertaining, I wish the characters were developed a bit more.
If you get a chance to read it, do so. It is unlike anything I have ever picked up.

[Sarah Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story of reincarnation, vengeance and witchcraft. The art was nice (thought I wish the interior lived up to the gorgeous cover) and all 4 stories that make up the different chapters were viscerally absorbing and surprising in their own way. I really liked how the 'Crone' aspect was realised in the story, as a pagan myself I know that the Crone is oftentimes overlooked or seen as just an old lady - rather than a wise and fearless leader.

The minor thing that bothered me was .... (SPOILERS BELOW)

The 'mother' chapter, which is chapter 3. The central female character is reincarnated as a man, and her foe is also a man in this time. Then the protagonist is drugged and raped by the villain - this is not depicted graphically, and it obviously underlines the evil and moral depravity of the villain, as he is also sleeping with the protagonist's mother. BUT to save the protagonist, the 'mother' goddess aspect (and then the two other forms of the triple goddess) have sex with him while he is weakly resisting, and drugged, and later seemingly unconscious. Basically - he is raped, then raped AGAIN as some sort of antidote to the drug/terrible experience of being...raped...

It's just incredibly inappropriate and sort of ruined that chapter for me. In all other respects it could be called a feminist work but having the goddesses who are on this person's side rape them, for their own good? Nah. No thanks.

It also doesn't fit with the 'mother' theme. There is a bit before the second rape, where the guy gets breastfed - and tbh I thought that was more in keeping with the role of the mother in that story. I don't get why she then had to rape him.

But aside from that pretty awful plot decision, the rest of it reads really nicely and contains some really nice playing off of female roles/male perceptions and what it means to be a witch. The idea of being a nun, that us a witch, devoted to a goddess, is part of the second chapter, for example.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was another one of those real world comic shop finds. I flipped through it and was intrigued by the whole witches/black magic/witchcraft/past-present-future lives vibe, and the artwork looked solid enough. Each of the three issues has a different artist, with the artist in Issue 1 being the best. Indeed, Kristiansen's artwork is the best thing this side of Alan Davis. This is a decent read that is worth checking out.

These older (1996 printing) DC/ Vertigo trades have much nicer paper than the later printings do. DC has always been penny wise, pound foolish with their book trade program. The paper is a coated stock and is worlds better than the toilet paper DC passes off in their modern Vertigo trades.

[Michael Benavidez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in the single issues, so I don't know how this is formatted in the paperback edition. But this is a very interesting story based off of revenge. The visuals are sometimes beautiful and dramatic, other times dull and boring. The most visually great one was probably the first and second issue. The third was good but just not to my liking, especially when you have these two striking issues before it.
The story however is really great, with some lull in the plot a few times. It was really good. I won't say much about it, though it does deal with rape and the like, so it can be a bit hard to read.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a random find in the charity shop, and I thought a spooky vertigo graphic novel was worth trying. However, the lack of historical understanding or religion really ruined this for me. Portraying Hecate as the worst goddess, with a secret cult, and then calling her Diana in ritual, and then combining all the Greek and Roman religion with reincarnation and a very modern take on "witchcraft" just didn't make the stories hold up. It was also another story written by a man with the central theme of rape, which was somehow empowering. It had some nice sentiments at the end but I really can't recommend this.

[Will Fenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun read that gives some backstory to the witches 3 from Sandman. Although also definitely "of their time," as way to much violence against women as motivating factor for the plot.

[Katie Timmers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Possible spoilers ahead! I picked up this 3-part series from a seller on Craigslist a while back. I loved the artwork on the covers and, being a Wiccan myself, the Maiden, Mother, and Crone pictures appealed to me. I read the entire series in an evening (each book is quite short). I loved the idea of the goddesses following a woman throughout her various incarnations and helping her to exact her revenge on the man who brutally raped and murdered her many years before. I gave this three stars because, while I found the story to be exciting and the artwork well done, the rape scenes make me uncomfortable. I understand its role in the story, it's just not my favorite thing to read about, that's all. I would recommend this series to other readers, just be aware of its themes!

[Johnny Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. Darkly beautiful tale of revenge through different reincarnations overseen by 3 powerful witches seeking the ultimate revenge on the man who murdered one of their flock.
Even though it is a tale of revenge there is a heavy underscore of the age old battle of man versus woman, power, sex and growth.
Not one you could sit back and read for fun as it deals in mature themes but it is one that is well worth a look if you are interested in magic, witchcraft and the need for a different style of comic.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprised of three issues in a mini-series, I found that I wish they would have gone with one artist for the whole of it. The 'Crone' issue really suffers under a very stylized, cartooning. It was really jarring.

I'm re-reading this as part of warming up to run a Mage campaign. I'm not sure that I like it enough to add it to my bookshelves, but it does provide an interesting look into how Verbenna could work.

[Sarah]

A really interesting and well written vertigo series from the early 90's (1994) that will appeal to fans of Sandman and other early 90's mythological works about women. While the revenge plot is interesting, the star here really is the unconventional pacing and structure. The characters are all very unique and very strong despite being given little individual page time and the story itself is very enjoyable. Good for vertigo die hards.

[Devero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uscita sotto l'etichetta Vertigo, questa mini di Robinson ci presenta il lato "magico" dello scrittore, a mio avviso non inferiore al più noto ed esaltato Neil Gaiman. C'è qualcosa di basilare in queste storie, qualcosa che risale almeno al primo neolitico ma che probabilmente è più antico ancora. Qualcosa che nelle mitologie successive è poco più che accennato, e non è ben compreso. Credo che Robinson lo abbia compreso abbastanza bene, invece.

[Fugo Feedback]

Si no me equivoco, este tomo me lo compré porque estaba muy barato, por su guionista y por ese siempre tentador sellito que dice "VERTIGO" en la portada. Cuando lo tenga a mano, actualizo.

[Dony Grayman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tomo recopilatorio en inglés. Introducción de Penelope Spheeris.

[Silas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a tough one. I think I just don't much like Vertigo books of the mid-90s, and this book is very much of a kind with some books I really haven't enjoyed. It is a tale of reincarnation and revenge, featuring a triple goddess Hecate who tries to get revenge for her worshiper having been raped. This, of course, is triggering material, since it goes over similar situations through history in a number of reincarnations, and of course, it takes a very narrow view of gender, which is distinctly problematic and exaggerated for the purposes of advancing the plot. Apart from the uncomfortable material, and a portrayal of Hecate that does not match my own experience, the story is somewhat interesting, and some of the art was interesting, though other parts were half-done. In particular, the last issue had a noticeable number of frames that had no background at all. It's not that the book was poorly done, overall, but it was not a story that I enjoyed reading.