Part II: Nerissa's Revenge

W.i.t.c.h. Arc #2

by Elisabetta Gnone, Alessandro Barbucci, Barbara Canepa

The Guardians must face an old enemy of Candracar – Nerissa, the corrupted ex-Guardian and the previous Keeper of the Heart. When the Oracle realized how the immense power of the Heart was corrupting Nerissa, he took it away from her and gave it to Cassidy, the former Guardian of Water. Obsessed with her lost power and blinded by jealousy, Nerissa tricked Cassidy and killed her. As punishment, Nerissa was stripped of her magic and sentenced to sleep, alone, in Mount Thanos for an eternity. When Cornelia accidentally absorbed all five elements into herself, the seal on Nerissa's tomb broke, setting her free. When Caleb is kidnapped, the Guardians must face Nerissa along with her four Knights of Vengeance. While successful in their rescue mission, they lost Luba who sacrificed herself to save them. Hoping to steal the Heart, Nerissa later attacked the girls through their dreams in order to weaken them (but failed). She was later successful in stealing the Heart back by tricking Will into giving it to her. With the Heart now corrupted by Nerissa's hatred, the former Guardian and her Knights of Vengeance attacked Candracar. Will later acquired the Star of Cassidy, a copy of the Heart from Cassidy's ghost. With it Will and her friends faced Nerissa in Candracar. In the final battle, Nerissa was killed by the Guardians. Despite their victory, Cornelia is heartbroken when Caleb left her due to their complicated romantic relationship.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Romance, Middle Grade, Comics Manga

840 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

About the author

Elisabetta Gnone is an Italian writer. In April 2001, she co-created the Italian comic/magazine W.I.T.C.H. with Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa. The publication was later made into the television series of the same name. Gnone also wrote the children's trilogy Fairy Oak: Il segreto delle gemelle (The Secret of the Twins), L'incanto del buio (The Spell of Darkness), and Il potere della luce (The Power of Light). She expanded the Fairy Oak Universe with four more books, "The four mysteries": "Captain Grisam's love", "Shirley's wizarding days", "Flox smiles in autumn", and "Good-bye Fairy Oak".

information taken from wikipedia.com

Reviews

[Kyriaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Α ρε σειρά...αυτό με τον Caleb δεν μπορώ να στο συγχωρήσω!

[Jacky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is thus far my favourite plot of the whole series. Nerissa's arc is the most exciting one for me because it's filled with mind games and manipulation. I feel like she was the only one to really get under the character's skin and bring them down. A strong villain always creates a great story.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 So much nostalgia! I realized that I never read this comic in its entirety, but better late than never. This arc was great, it has a lot of action, lots of family drama, grey morality and questioning of right and wrong that makes W.I.T.C.H. such an interesting read. Nerissa is a terrifying antagonist, using psychological torture over violence.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and entertaining volume. Loved the Nerissa arc.

[Dessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Irma and Cornelia's banter cracks me up. The comics are quite silly, but I promised my 8yo self I would finish them.

[Isabella ⸙ · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I predicted, this was darker and more realistic than the first arc. I enjoyed exploring the emotional toll that the abilities and responsibilties of being Guardians had on the girls, especially Will. The romance was handled better in this arc, with it being both sweet and tragic. As always, the dynamic between the five girls is what steals the show and I appreciated the injections of humour here and there.

Nerissa was a far more menacing villain than Phobos. The idea of someone being able to manipulate your thoughts and dreams is haunting, to say the least. She also represents a future that could very well be in store for the Guardians if they don't let their darkness overpower them, which was hinted at nicely throughout the arc. It was refreshing to see the Oracle finally challenged, instead of being blindly followed. The moral dilemma of creating beings for one's personal agenda (whether they be Whispers, minions or astral drops), without considering their feelings surprised me. I didn't expect it to get that deep. XD

I only wish that the art style were more consistent. It ranges from absolutely gorgeous to, er, not, and the contrast was a bit jarring.

I look forward to Taranee's character development in the future arc, which I have found lacking thus far, and I hope the ethics of astral drops are delved into further.

[Yaniii_15 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continuando con el segundo arco de estos cómics, la historia sigue siendo entretenida y nos permite explorar más acerca de las guardianas, así como de Kandrakar y el Oráculo, el cual no es tan bueno como se pretende.
Tengo que confesar que, aunque sí me entretuvo y lo leí bastante deprisa, este es un arco más simple (y corto, o al menos así se siente) y por ello siento que es más un arco de transición.
En cuanto a las chicas, aquí Will sí coge bastante protagonismo (lo cual no es malo, pues está claro que siendo la portadora del corazón tenía que ser ella la protagonista), pero aún así Cornelia también lleva mucho peso en la trama, por lo que sigue habiendo cierto balance entre ellas... aún así, me gustaría que otros personajes tuvieran más peso (sobre todo me encantaría ver más desarrollo de Irma, quien deja de vez en cuando varios detalles muy interesantes).

[kai arlo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the previous arc. I'll give it a 4.5 stars

[Denisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another rating: 7/10

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love this comic books!!!

They are cute and remind me of when i was younger. The plot line isn't forced nor pointless. Everything that happens makes sense and I just hope they can continue like this (which is unlikely since there are 136 issues). It's not super elaborate and complex, but is still a good story

I don't know for how long I will keep reading them or if I'm going to be able to finish them all, but so far is looking good and I'm intrigued.

[Amna C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I'm reading these again. They do feel a bit childish sometimes but I'm having so much fun right now just lounging about reading easy comics.

[Ambrosia Aiyren · Rating 4 out of 5]

My absolute favourite ARC, loved to see the old guardians (and outfits :P ).

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in love with this series.

[Ana TM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am returning to my childhood and I regret nothing. These comics are so freaking entertaining.