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The Witcher (Dark Horse Comics) #1-3 + Killing Monsters
The Witcher Omnibus, Volume 1
Multi-Eisner award-winning writer Paul Tobin pens a fantasy epic of the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, a witcher--one of the few remaining monster hunters from the critically acclaimed video game fantasy The Witcher by CD Projekt Red!
Featuring story art by Joe Querio, Piotr Kowalski, Max Bertolini, with a bonus sketchbook section and additional art by Dave Johnson (100 Bullets), Dan Panosian (Slots), Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo), Duncan Fegredo (MPH), Simon Bisley (Lobo), and a cover by Mike Mignola (Hellboy).
Collects issues #1-#5 of The Witcher comic series House of Glass, Fox Children, Curse of Crows, and the Killing Monsters one-shot--and features annotations from the creators of the comics, as well as a sketchbook section.
Featuring story art by Joe Querio, Piotr Kowalski, Max Bertolini, with a bonus sketchbook section and additional art by Dave Johnson (100 Bullets), Dan Panosian (Slots), Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo), Duncan Fegredo (MPH), Simon Bisley (Lobo), and a cover by Mike Mignola (Hellboy).
Collects issues #1-#5 of The Witcher comic series House of Glass, Fox Children, Curse of Crows, and the Killing Monsters one-shot--and features annotations from the creators of the comics, as well as a sketchbook section.
440 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 2019
277 people are currently reading
1293 people want to read
About the author
Paul Tobin
928 books406 followersPaul Tobin is the Eisner-award winning, New York Times-bestselling author of Bandette, Colder, and many other comic books and graphic series.
Bandette, drawn by Colleen Coover, was awarded the Eisner Award for Best Digital Series in 2013, 2016, and 2017; and was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award for Graphic Literature in 2016. His original graphic novel I Was the Cat was nominated for an Eisner in 2015.
The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat , first in his five-book series of middle-grade books, came out in 2016 from Bloomsbury Kids. It was followed in 2017 by How To Outsmart A billion Robot Bees , and How To Tame A Human Tornado in March 2018.
Bandette, drawn by Colleen Coover, was awarded the Eisner Award for Best Digital Series in 2013, 2016, and 2017; and was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award for Graphic Literature in 2016. His original graphic novel I Was the Cat was nominated for an Eisner in 2015.
The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat , first in his five-book series of middle-grade books, came out in 2016 from Bloomsbury Kids. It was followed in 2017 by How To Outsmart A billion Robot Bees , and How To Tame A Human Tornado in March 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 331 reviews
January 31, 2020
This was super fun to read! I'm really glad to have started reading more graphic novels.
Also, I haven't watched the show, so I'm not entirely sure how similar this is to the Netflix series.
Also, I haven't watched the show, so I'm not entirely sure how similar this is to the Netflix series.
February 3, 2023
The volumes towards the end of this were far superior to those at the start, as the incorporation of Ciri, Vesimir and Yennefer really elevated this beyond Witcher fodder to actual storytelling. I really didn't like the Fox Child volume in particular. It felt very pointless and drawn out, with a really unsatisfying ending. At times the art style felt a little questionable too, however overall this wasn't bad and it felt good to be back in The Witcher world.
February 12, 2020
Il prezzo del volume Panini é una vera e propria rapina a mano armata ed i disegni delle prime due storie sono di qualità altalenante, ma l'autore ha centrato perfettamente atmosfera e caratterizzazione dei personaggi al punto che i quattro racconti a fumetti in esso contenuti sembrano scritti da Sapkowski in persona.
Se avete letto tutti i romanzi, finito e rifinito i videogiochi, oppure siete in attesa della seconda stagione dello Strigo su Netflix, e lo trovate scontato, io me lo sono regalato per il mio compleanno, prendetelo.
Non ve ne pentirete.
September 8, 2020
This is a collection of the four Witcher comics, House of Glass, Fox Children, Killing Monsters and Curse of Crows, and it is excellent!
The Witcher universe is one of my favorite universes, it’s dark, humorous and diverse, full of monsters and creatures from slavic folklore. It’s also full of moral choices, of complicated relationships, of finding the truth in a world that’s never black and white. Of having to do the lesser evil when no other option has been given you, and taking responsibility.
Geralt travels this world, often alone, sometimes with company, taking up contracts, the odd job of slaying a monster or help solve a murder for coin. Witchers don’t kill humans, even though they often prove to be the monster, but just as often they don’t kill monsters either, if they can avoid it, because on the Continent, humans aren’t always right.
If you are familiar with the Witcher universe then these comics are a must-read. They’re full of dry humor, moving gestures and tragic fates, just like the books and the games.
If you’re not familiar with the Witcher books or games but enjoy The Sandman-ish fantasy heavy on text and dialogue, then I’m certain you will enjoy this, too!
The Witcher universe is one of my favorite universes, it’s dark, humorous and diverse, full of monsters and creatures from slavic folklore. It’s also full of moral choices, of complicated relationships, of finding the truth in a world that’s never black and white. Of having to do the lesser evil when no other option has been given you, and taking responsibility.
Geralt travels this world, often alone, sometimes with company, taking up contracts, the odd job of slaying a monster or help solve a murder for coin. Witchers don’t kill humans, even though they often prove to be the monster, but just as often they don’t kill monsters either, if they can avoid it, because on the Continent, humans aren’t always right.
If you are familiar with the Witcher universe then these comics are a must-read. They’re full of dry humor, moving gestures and tragic fates, just like the books and the games.
If you’re not familiar with the Witcher books or games but enjoy The Sandman-ish fantasy heavy on text and dialogue, then I’m certain you will enjoy this, too!
January 17, 2020
OH HELLO. Where did you come from??
October 18, 2022
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski probably didn’t see coming the Westernized treatment of his beloved Witcher saga over the past years. From movies, television series, video games, and comic books, the various adaptations remain tantalizing to voracious and hungry fantasy aficionados all around the world. With the recent Netflix television series adaptation that unleashes actor Henry Cavill as the witcher, there was no denying its timely and fitting arrival in the entertainment field for viewers around the world as it fills in the void left by HBO’s Game of Thrones. But how are the comics compared to the rest of these adaptations? In the hands of the multi-Eisner award-winning writer Paul Tobin, publisher Dark Horse continues their foray into adapting critically-acclaimed video games into comic book stories with the dreary and rugged adventures of the infamous witcher Geralt of Rivia.
What is The Witcher Omnibus (Vol. 1) about? Collecting all three volumes written by Paul Tobin (House of Glass, Fox Children, and Curse of Crows), a one-shot story titled Killing Monsters, and a sketchbook section featuring additional artwork, this omnibus is a diverting visual adaptation of the video game developed by CD Projekt Red, which has greatly grown in popularity since the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. While some are original stories (see House of Glass), others are adaptations of certain chapters of Season of Storms (see Fox Children), but all follow Geralt of Rivia on a myriad of adventures as he slays fiends, completes contracts, tries to enjoy baths, and teaches humans a couple of lessons on monsters.
In this omnibus, The House of Glass story arc introduces readers to a variety of creatures within the Witcher universe while exploring the concept of true love. The Fox Children story arc continues down the same lane and presents other fascinating creatures while showcasing the witcher’s vast knowledge of monsters and his understanding of their customs to solve mysteries. The Curse of Crows story arc focuses on the lore behind strigas and finally includes Ciri and Yennefer into the narrative. The Killing Monsters one-shot story is a quick tale where humans are illustrated as monsters amidst the presence of an ugly creature roaming in the darkness of the forest.
These all contain plenty of neat ideas explored through different characters but every time you turn a corner thinking that you’re about to be impressed, the story skids into an underwhelming web of standstills and gimmicks. The pacing is a noteworthy issue that is inconsistent from one story to another, unable to find a rhythm that works well with the linear storylines. The action sequences are another problem as writer Paul Tobin struggles to make them interesting, resorting rather to hack-and-slash tactics or a simple Witcher spell (igni, aard, etc.) to solve the problem within a page, making it all rather underwhelming.
Artist Joe Querio’s does a fairly great job in utilizing a shadow-heavy and blurred visual style, especially for facial expressions, that captures the grim and depressive atmosphere within the different regions in the Witcher saga. While he allows the omnibus to maintain artistic consistency for the first two stories, the illustration duties are then handed over to Max Bertolini for the one-shot story and then Piotr Kowalski for the final story arc. The former accentuates shadows and prefers a rougher and less clean style that remains within the same veins as Joe Querio’s established vision for this comic book universe. The latter steers slightly away from the previous artworks and utilizes designs closer to the video games, giving the story a refreshing touch that works for the better.
The Witcher Omnibus (Vol. 1) is a solid collection of stories that further expands the lore, despite story-telling flaws, and paves the way to riveting adventures featuring Geralt of Rivia.
January 14, 2022
This omnibus collects the first three volumes of The Witcher at Dark Horse, given that they're not massively out of print. These include three five issue mini-series and a one-shot, plus some sketchbook stuff.
The opening series, House Of Glass, took me a little while to get into. It feels like the mystery plays out over a little too much of the page count in the middle; Paul Tobin probably could have gotten to the point a bit faster since the plot kind of spins its wheels around issue 3. The ultimate conclusion was neat, if leaning a bit hard on the whole 'it's the humans who are the bad guys!' trope.
The main problem I had was Joe Querio's artwork, which felt super rushed and under-developed. People were just blobs at times, which always puts me off, and it wasn't even like a stylistic choice like the Mike Mignola cover, since there were other times when everyone was super detailed.
The second series, Fox Children, is also by Paul Tobin and also has the same pacing problems. It takes two issues to really get going, then spins its wheels for two more before kind of ending midway through the final one so that we can get another 'it's the humans who are the bad guys!' coda at the end. I get that we need to see that the crew Geralt allies himself with are all assholes, but it doesn't take nearly four issues of them being toyed with and slowly killed off to understand that. They're all fairly faceless anyway, so it's not like you'll care that your favourite has been killed.
There's a reveal regarding one character that's never addressed again after being revealed so I wonder what the point of that was. I also did a double-take since Paul Querio is on art again, but fares much better this time around. Maybe he had more lead time or something, but the level of detail is much more consistent throughout.
Killing Monsters is next, which is an oversized one-shot, again by Paul Tobin. This one doesn't feel quite so bloated, since it's about half the length of the other series, but it still spins its wheels for longer than it needs to in order to get to the conclusion. While it wasn't perhaps the same approach as the last two, it still tells the same type of story, just under a different guise. The addition of Vesemir is nice, since it puts Geralt on the back foot for a while, but Max Bertolini's artwork is severely lacking in backgrounds for like 80% of the book.
And finally we have Curse of Crows, still by Tobin, but with dialogue and scripting help from three or four other people. This story's easily the best, because it tries to do something different to the others. Roping in Ciri and Yennefer allows for the dynamic and the focus to change away from Geralt, and while all five issues tell one continuous story, it feels more like a week in the life of the three, rather than just one big adventure since there are multiple moving parts. The complicated relationship between Geralt, Ciri, and Yen makes for good reading as well, since you never really know what each of them is going to do (or forgive each other for).
Piotr Kowalski's artwork is also a high point, a sleek, clean style that really suited the world without sacrificing details. After the blandness of the earlier stories, it was nice to get one where I could always tell what was going on and who was meant to be who.
Geralt's first adventures at Dark Horse have some teething problems; they mostly avoid the point for too long when it's obvious where the story's going to go, and the artwork doesn't always work as well as it should. But there's a shining light at the end of the omnibus that almost makes it worth fighting through the first three stories, which aren't bad, but could have been so much better.
The opening series, House Of Glass, took me a little while to get into. It feels like the mystery plays out over a little too much of the page count in the middle; Paul Tobin probably could have gotten to the point a bit faster since the plot kind of spins its wheels around issue 3. The ultimate conclusion was neat, if leaning a bit hard on the whole 'it's the humans who are the bad guys!' trope.
The main problem I had was Joe Querio's artwork, which felt super rushed and under-developed. People were just blobs at times, which always puts me off, and it wasn't even like a stylistic choice like the Mike Mignola cover, since there were other times when everyone was super detailed.
The second series, Fox Children, is also by Paul Tobin and also has the same pacing problems. It takes two issues to really get going, then spins its wheels for two more before kind of ending midway through the final one so that we can get another 'it's the humans who are the bad guys!' coda at the end. I get that we need to see that the crew Geralt allies himself with are all assholes, but it doesn't take nearly four issues of them being toyed with and slowly killed off to understand that. They're all fairly faceless anyway, so it's not like you'll care that your favourite has been killed.
There's a reveal regarding one character that's never addressed again after being revealed so I wonder what the point of that was. I also did a double-take since Paul Querio is on art again, but fares much better this time around. Maybe he had more lead time or something, but the level of detail is much more consistent throughout.
Killing Monsters is next, which is an oversized one-shot, again by Paul Tobin. This one doesn't feel quite so bloated, since it's about half the length of the other series, but it still spins its wheels for longer than it needs to in order to get to the conclusion. While it wasn't perhaps the same approach as the last two, it still tells the same type of story, just under a different guise. The addition of Vesemir is nice, since it puts Geralt on the back foot for a while, but Max Bertolini's artwork is severely lacking in backgrounds for like 80% of the book.
And finally we have Curse of Crows, still by Tobin, but with dialogue and scripting help from three or four other people. This story's easily the best, because it tries to do something different to the others. Roping in Ciri and Yennefer allows for the dynamic and the focus to change away from Geralt, and while all five issues tell one continuous story, it feels more like a week in the life of the three, rather than just one big adventure since there are multiple moving parts. The complicated relationship between Geralt, Ciri, and Yen makes for good reading as well, since you never really know what each of them is going to do (or forgive each other for).
Piotr Kowalski's artwork is also a high point, a sleek, clean style that really suited the world without sacrificing details. After the blandness of the earlier stories, it was nice to get one where I could always tell what was going on and who was meant to be who.
Geralt's first adventures at Dark Horse have some teething problems; they mostly avoid the point for too long when it's obvious where the story's going to go, and the artwork doesn't always work as well as it should. But there's a shining light at the end of the omnibus that almost makes it worth fighting through the first three stories, which aren't bad, but could have been so much better.
August 15, 2025
The Witcher Omnibus was a pleasant surprise. I did not expect the quality of the stories I encountered. Paul Tobin's stories are quite good overall, and he understands the source material. The first three stories are 5 star quality in terms of writing, the last story is good but not to the same quality as the others. The artwork, while never great, works well for this kind of story.
The House of Glass- Geralt tries to help a man who thinks his wife has become a vampire. As he and Geralt are trapped in a cursed house, Geralt will find out the truth about what is really going on. Great story.
Fox Children- Geralt tries to help a group of adventuring sailors who kidnapped the child of a Vulpess and know it is stalking them. Also an excellent story.
Killing Monsters-Geralt and Vesemir must fight against a fiend in Niflgarrdian-occupied territory.
Curse of Crows- This one had the best art, but the story wasn't up to the quality of the others, though it is still good. Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer must solve a mystery that might have a monster that has the ability to shift into a crow.
A great collection of Witcher stories.
The House of Glass- Geralt tries to help a man who thinks his wife has become a vampire. As he and Geralt are trapped in a cursed house, Geralt will find out the truth about what is really going on. Great story.
Fox Children- Geralt tries to help a group of adventuring sailors who kidnapped the child of a Vulpess and know it is stalking them. Also an excellent story.
Killing Monsters-Geralt and Vesemir must fight against a fiend in Niflgarrdian-occupied territory.
Curse of Crows- This one had the best art, but the story wasn't up to the quality of the others, though it is still good. Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer must solve a mystery that might have a monster that has the ability to shift into a crow.
A great collection of Witcher stories.
August 2, 2025
A fantastic anthology of Witcher shorts that visually and narratively captures the essence of the franchise. It is akin to the midpoint between the hit video game, Witcher 3, and Sapkowski's original novels thanks to the comic medium. Prior knowledge of the lore and characters isn't required, but it definitely enriches the overall experience. Overall, it is a worthy expansion to the world that pleasantly surprises with its quality.
triggers nudity, child death, graphic violence, incest, cannibalism
triggers nudity, child death, graphic violence, incest, cannibalism
August 5, 2020
This omnibus has been my first experience with graphic novels, and - if I'm honest, I am still rather on the fence about them.
To some degree I admit that it may be me. I struggled at first to give myself proper time to take in each panel, to read the art as much as the text. But I made a conscious and concerted effort and I think, at least toward the end, that it paid off.
I am a huge Witcher fan and have been following Geralt's adventures for almost a decade now, across all of the formats. This, unfortunately, has been my least favourite. Not bad exactly, just the least my style.
Overview:
(all linked reviews are spoiler free)
3 stars. Maybe 3.5 at a push.
So yes... Overall it was a mixed bag, with the quality (at least in my opinion) taking a hit in the later two stories.
I am sure that I shall try more graphic novels in the future, and will have a better frame of reference regarding the standard to which these things should be judged.
I would recommend this for Witcher fans who are looking for more of CD Project's style of the Witcher Universe, but I would suggest not putting to much hope on it impressing you all the way through.
________________________
Thank you for reading my review!
To some degree I admit that it may be me. I struggled at first to give myself proper time to take in each panel, to read the art as much as the text. But I made a conscious and concerted effort and I think, at least toward the end, that it paid off.
I am a huge Witcher fan and have been following Geralt's adventures for almost a decade now, across all of the formats. This, unfortunately, has been my least favourite. Not bad exactly, just the least my style.
Overview:
(all linked reviews are spoiler free)
The Witcher Volume 1 - 4 stars.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Witcher, Volume 2: Fox Children - 4 stars.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Witcher: Killing Monsters - 3 stars.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Witcher, Vol. 3: Curse of Crows - 2 stars.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
3 stars. Maybe 3.5 at a push.
So yes... Overall it was a mixed bag, with the quality (at least in my opinion) taking a hit in the later two stories.
I am sure that I shall try more graphic novels in the future, and will have a better frame of reference regarding the standard to which these things should be judged.
I would recommend this for Witcher fans who are looking for more of CD Project's style of the Witcher Universe, but I would suggest not putting to much hope on it impressing you all the way through.
________________________
Thank you for reading my review!
July 28, 2019
“La casa di vetro” (6 capitoli) e “I figli della volpe” (5 capitoli) mi sono proprio piaciuti, le illustrazioni di Querio si adattano bene allo scopo ricreando l’atmosfera perfetta per i racconti scritti da Paul Tobin, che non sfigurerebbero assolutamente in una delle antologie di Sapkowski. Mi hanno letteralmente coinvolto come spesso accade con le avventure del famoso strigo: misteri sovrannaturali dalla forte impronta folkloristica che ne accresce la caratterizzazione.
Il monocapitolo “Uccidere mostri”, nel suo piccolo non sfigura affatto, da qualsiasi punto di vista lo si voglia guardare. Viene anche suggerito negli editoriali di cercare su youtube “The Witcher 3 killing monsters” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVKkB...) dopo la lettura: “Troverete così un vecchio video promozionale del gioco che è una specie di pseudo sequel della storia raccolta in questo volume”. A mio avviso del sequel, pure pseudo, non ha poi molto, ma un paio di minuti di video non fanno male a nessuno… a parte i tre tizi nel video stesso forse :P
“La maledizione dei corvi” (5 capitoli) la storia conclusiva, si becca invece un pollice verso. A partire dalle illustrazioni di Kowalski (si chiama come uno dei pinguini id Madagascar!) che ho trovato piatte e anonime - preferisco un disegnatore che non mi piace magari ma che comunque conferisca una certa nota di personalità al proprio lavoro. Anche la narrazione, sempre di Tobin ma qui coadiuvato da altri, non mi ha affatto convinto. Pur ricollegandosi alla nota vicenda della strige, ritengo che un forte elemento di disturbo abbia guastato il tutto… mi riferisco a quell’esibizionista di Yennefer. Pedina fondamentale negli eventi principali, in storie “minori” come questa la sua presenza risulta soffocante.
Se vi state chiedendo se valga la pena acquistare o meno questo omnibus (che comunque non contiene tutti i fumetti su Geralt dato che ne sono già usciti altri) da 50 sacchi, vi dico la mia… dipende da quanto vi piace la saga - se tutte le storie fossero state come le prime due l’avrei consigliato a prescindere, ma non è così.
Diciamo che, se non riuscite più a farlo a meno di essere a cavallo di un unicorno, questo tomo fa per voi; un curioso arricchimento al vasto mondo del cacciatore di mostri che vi catapulterà in quell’ambiente durante lo svolgimento di tetre avventure. Pregevole la fattura del volume, a mio avviso impreziosita dalla meravigliosa cover realizzata da Mignola (magari avesse disegnato tutto lui). All’interno trovate anche tutte le altre cover e pure un paio di facciate in cui l’autore spiega le decisioni prese per le storie.
Se invece riguardo alle cacce di The Witcher (videogames o romanzi che siano) siete piuttosto freddini o lo conoscete solo di fama, lascerei perdere, optando per un primo approccio diverso al famoso personaggio - nel caso vi interessi.
Preso come fumetto a sé stante, in merito ai contenuti, è un buon volume… ma per quel prezzo ci si aspetterebbe qualcosa di ottimo. Concludendo imho ribadisco, molto dipende dall’attaccamento che già nutrite verso questo personaggio. Non perché sia brutto, ma considerato il prezzo lo consiglierei solo ai fan del titolo.
Il monocapitolo “Uccidere mostri”, nel suo piccolo non sfigura affatto, da qualsiasi punto di vista lo si voglia guardare. Viene anche suggerito negli editoriali di cercare su youtube “The Witcher 3 killing monsters” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVKkB...) dopo la lettura: “Troverete così un vecchio video promozionale del gioco che è una specie di pseudo sequel della storia raccolta in questo volume”. A mio avviso del sequel, pure pseudo, non ha poi molto, ma un paio di minuti di video non fanno male a nessuno… a parte i tre tizi nel video stesso forse :P
“La maledizione dei corvi” (5 capitoli) la storia conclusiva, si becca invece un pollice verso. A partire dalle illustrazioni di Kowalski (si chiama come uno dei pinguini id Madagascar!) che ho trovato piatte e anonime - preferisco un disegnatore che non mi piace magari ma che comunque conferisca una certa nota di personalità al proprio lavoro. Anche la narrazione, sempre di Tobin ma qui coadiuvato da altri, non mi ha affatto convinto. Pur ricollegandosi alla nota vicenda della strige, ritengo che un forte elemento di disturbo abbia guastato il tutto… mi riferisco a quell’esibizionista di Yennefer. Pedina fondamentale negli eventi principali, in storie “minori” come questa la sua presenza risulta soffocante.
Se vi state chiedendo se valga la pena acquistare o meno questo omnibus (che comunque non contiene tutti i fumetti su Geralt dato che ne sono già usciti altri) da 50 sacchi, vi dico la mia… dipende da quanto vi piace la saga - se tutte le storie fossero state come le prime due l’avrei consigliato a prescindere, ma non è così.
Diciamo che, se non riuscite più a farlo a meno di essere a cavallo di un unicorno, questo tomo fa per voi; un curioso arricchimento al vasto mondo del cacciatore di mostri che vi catapulterà in quell’ambiente durante lo svolgimento di tetre avventure. Pregevole la fattura del volume, a mio avviso impreziosita dalla meravigliosa cover realizzata da Mignola (magari avesse disegnato tutto lui). All’interno trovate anche tutte le altre cover e pure un paio di facciate in cui l’autore spiega le decisioni prese per le storie.
Se invece riguardo alle cacce di The Witcher (videogames o romanzi che siano) siete piuttosto freddini o lo conoscete solo di fama, lascerei perdere, optando per un primo approccio diverso al famoso personaggio - nel caso vi interessi.
Preso come fumetto a sé stante, in merito ai contenuti, è un buon volume… ma per quel prezzo ci si aspetterebbe qualcosa di ottimo. Concludendo imho ribadisco, molto dipende dall’attaccamento che già nutrite verso questo personaggio. Non perché sia brutto, ma considerato il prezzo lo consiglierei solo ai fan del titolo.
January 3, 2020
A mix of original Witcher stories and rehashes from the novels. My favorite story was "House of Glass"; it was suitably creepy and had a fun twist. My least favorite was "Curse of Crows", which is a mix of an older Witcher story rehash mixed with an original (and pretty boring) story.
August 29, 2023
Enjoyed this a lot, this is actually the first time reading, watching or playing the Witcher. I liked this collection of stories because you didn’t any prior knowledge and had some good stories with the last one being the best I thought. Looking forward to reading some more.
Read
February 1, 2022I wasn't a fan of this comic book version of the Witcher, neither the art nor the storytelling won me over - the only good parts were the retellings IMO, but even there you're still better off reading the original stories. I felt that there were several out of character moments, especially in Geralt's dialog.
I found it striking that while visually a lot in the comic seemed based on Witcher 3 (the game) in particular, it had been scoured of everything that might look even vaguely Slavic... very different not only from the books, but also from the game!
Colorist work struck me as really rather unengaging and drab in most of the stories save for the last one. I felt the last story was a bump up in quality both wrt line art and color, and the story worked slightly better for me too. (Different but overlapping set of creators.)
I did like the lettering, Nate Piekos is always great and he shares his knowledge very generously on social media (follow him if you're interested in lettering!).
Overall, this book lacked most things I enjoy in the Witcher, and I could have forgiven that if it was a great comic otherwise; but alas, it's not. I only finished reading because I'm a completionist, but I don't think I'm going to pick up the next volume, and I'm not keeping this one either.
Updated to add: I found out that some of the later volumes feature Polish creators, so I might give those a try after all, but probably only if I can get them from the library.
____
Source of the book: Bought with my own money
I found it striking that while visually a lot in the comic seemed based on Witcher 3 (the game) in particular, it had been scoured of everything that might look even vaguely Slavic... very different not only from the books, but also from the game!
Colorist work struck me as really rather unengaging and drab in most of the stories save for the last one. I felt the last story was a bump up in quality both wrt line art and color, and the story worked slightly better for me too. (Different but overlapping set of creators.)
I did like the lettering, Nate Piekos is always great and he shares his knowledge very generously on social media (follow him if you're interested in lettering!).
Overall, this book lacked most things I enjoy in the Witcher, and I could have forgiven that if it was a great comic otherwise; but alas, it's not. I only finished reading because I'm a completionist, but I don't think I'm going to pick up the next volume, and I'm not keeping this one either.
Updated to add: I found out that some of the later volumes feature Polish creators, so I might give those a try after all, but probably only if I can get them from the library.
____
Source of the book: Bought with my own money
January 8, 2020
Jsem velký fanoušek herního Witchera 1,2,3 a teď už i seriálu (knihy jsem ještě nečetl), no a od té doby co jsme si domů pořídili tablet tak comiXology už pro mě začalo davat smysl.
Co se celého komiksoveho zaklínace týče, opravdu si zaslouží 4*. Jednotlivé příběhy jsou super, hodně nad nimi vyčnívá House of Glass. Kresba je taky hodně příjemná sketchbook na konci je taky fajn.
Komiksového zaklínače doporučuji všem co mají tento vynikající zaklínačský svět rádi i těm pro které je tento svět nový.
Co se celého komiksoveho zaklínace týče, opravdu si zaslouží 4*. Jednotlivé příběhy jsou super, hodně nad nimi vyčnívá House of Glass. Kresba je taky hodně příjemná sketchbook na konci je taky fajn.
Komiksového zaklínače doporučuji všem co mají tento vynikající zaklínačský svět rádi i těm pro které je tento svět nový.
February 14, 2022
The stories work just as well in comics as they do in the books, and TV show, and, I assume, the game. If you don't know: he fights monsters, rides horses, grunts wittily, and takes baths. Lots of baths in this book.
The first two stories have art by Joe Querio and resemble the look of "Hellboy". The latter stories have different art which I enjoy less.
The first two stories have art by Joe Querio and resemble the look of "Hellboy". The latter stories have different art which I enjoy less.
January 13, 2020
The Witcher Library Edition by Paul Tobin is a terrific way for new readers to get into the comic book series. I admit that I have never played the game and have watched several of the Netflix episodes, which has only cemented the belief that Henry Cavill sucks at acting and if it wasn't for the time he spent in the gym, he wouldn't have a career at all. So my expectations in the comic book were not high.
Wow was I surprised!
Summary
This collection is far more than your traditional graphic novel and is a hard bound book which collects tales from House of Glass, Fox Children, Curse of Crows and the one-shot; Killing Monsters. Eisner winner Paul Tobin pens these stories and his Geralt of Rivia is far different from the wooden monotone swordsman of the Netflix series. His Geralt does feel and is capable of social interaction beyond the act of killing or having sex.
Geralt of Rivia is a Witcher, one of the few remaining monster hunters and he travels from town to town hunting and killing for a price. His code is not to harm any human, but in one tale, Geralt comes across a man who is far more evil than any monster and finds his conscious (yes he has one) tried. His solution is creative and unique. There is another tale of foxes and the murder by humans of one such creature and the vengeance of the murdered child's mother. Another has Geralt's own daughter taking center stage as she hunts a creature that her father is famed for killing.
Review
What makes these tales so much fun is that there is no clear cut line between good and evil. Just because the creature is a monster, does not make it evil and worthy of killing. No, in some of these tales the monster is in fact a victim of the lies and evil of the people it is supposedly terrifying . This is crisis of faith that the Witcher much discern as to what to do. Otherwise he is nothing more than a killer. Something Geralt is careful not to be.
The Witcher in these comics thinks and speaks and is actually quite aware of what he is and his responsibilities to his world at large. He knows his sole existence is in killing monsters but he also knows that at times, people are capable of being the greater monsters. This Geralt is about more than just money and understands that his duty does not outweigh what is right and what is wrong.
When I started reading this book I did not have high expectations. The Netflix series, while entertaining, was not anything special and Cavill's portrayal of the main character was actually boring on too many levels. Add to this the fact that it is based on a video game and not original material, well, I admit to being somewhat biased to this comic. I was wrong. I was very, very wrong.
Strong stories and good artwork make this a very enjoyable read. I loved it!
A really good read.
Wow was I surprised!
Summary
This collection is far more than your traditional graphic novel and is a hard bound book which collects tales from House of Glass, Fox Children, Curse of Crows and the one-shot; Killing Monsters. Eisner winner Paul Tobin pens these stories and his Geralt of Rivia is far different from the wooden monotone swordsman of the Netflix series. His Geralt does feel and is capable of social interaction beyond the act of killing or having sex.
Geralt of Rivia is a Witcher, one of the few remaining monster hunters and he travels from town to town hunting and killing for a price. His code is not to harm any human, but in one tale, Geralt comes across a man who is far more evil than any monster and finds his conscious (yes he has one) tried. His solution is creative and unique. There is another tale of foxes and the murder by humans of one such creature and the vengeance of the murdered child's mother. Another has Geralt's own daughter taking center stage as she hunts a creature that her father is famed for killing.
Review
What makes these tales so much fun is that there is no clear cut line between good and evil. Just because the creature is a monster, does not make it evil and worthy of killing. No, in some of these tales the monster is in fact a victim of the lies and evil of the people it is supposedly terrifying . This is crisis of faith that the Witcher much discern as to what to do. Otherwise he is nothing more than a killer. Something Geralt is careful not to be.
The Witcher in these comics thinks and speaks and is actually quite aware of what he is and his responsibilities to his world at large. He knows his sole existence is in killing monsters but he also knows that at times, people are capable of being the greater monsters. This Geralt is about more than just money and understands that his duty does not outweigh what is right and what is wrong.
When I started reading this book I did not have high expectations. The Netflix series, while entertaining, was not anything special and Cavill's portrayal of the main character was actually boring on too many levels. Add to this the fact that it is based on a video game and not original material, well, I admit to being somewhat biased to this comic. I was wrong. I was very, very wrong.
Strong stories and good artwork make this a very enjoyable read. I loved it!
A really good read.
April 22, 2019
O.M.G! This volume is massive! When I suggested the purchase to my library I thought I was asking for the 1st book. Either I screwed up the ISBN or the library went ahead and bought the entire collection under one cover. Either way, my library is AWESOME!
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4.5
Book source ~ Library
Geralt of Rivia is a witcher, someone who is a monster hunter for hire. This massive volume contains several comic series: House of Glass, Fox Children, Curse of Crows, and Killing Monsters. Plus the usual goodies at the end, like a sketchbook and such.
The Witcher series showed up on my radar when my teenager asked for the books. I think he discovered the books after seeing the video game. Then he heard there was going to be a series and now he’s witcher obsessed. I want to read the books, but haven't gotten around to them yet. When I saw there were graphic novels out I jumped at the chance to dive into the witcher world with them first. I can fit a graphic novel (or two or three) into my schedule much more easily than some hefty books. I have to admit, I’m hooked.
The monsters are plentiful in the witcher world as this graphic novel will show. There’s not much background on how Geralt becomes a witcher or who his traveling companions are to him, but the stories are self-contained and entertaining. Geralt has principals that chafe him when they go up against witcher code, but I like his unique ways of resolving the situations. Also, Geralt is hot. Nom nom! My son has asked me to stop saying that. LOL I consider this an excellent volume to get started in the world of Geralt and if you have already been through the books then I imagine it would be a wonderful addition. Finally, the artwork is gorgeous. I may have suggested this purchase to the library (and they bought it-I love my library!), but we’ll be adding it to our own home library soon.
***************************************************************
4.5
Book source ~ Library
Geralt of Rivia is a witcher, someone who is a monster hunter for hire. This massive volume contains several comic series: House of Glass, Fox Children, Curse of Crows, and Killing Monsters. Plus the usual goodies at the end, like a sketchbook and such.
The Witcher series showed up on my radar when my teenager asked for the books. I think he discovered the books after seeing the video game. Then he heard there was going to be a series and now he’s witcher obsessed. I want to read the books, but haven't gotten around to them yet. When I saw there were graphic novels out I jumped at the chance to dive into the witcher world with them first. I can fit a graphic novel (or two or three) into my schedule much more easily than some hefty books. I have to admit, I’m hooked.
The monsters are plentiful in the witcher world as this graphic novel will show. There’s not much background on how Geralt becomes a witcher or who his traveling companions are to him, but the stories are self-contained and entertaining. Geralt has principals that chafe him when they go up against witcher code, but I like his unique ways of resolving the situations. Also, Geralt is hot. Nom nom! My son has asked me to stop saying that. LOL I consider this an excellent volume to get started in the world of Geralt and if you have already been through the books then I imagine it would be a wonderful addition. Finally, the artwork is gorgeous. I may have suggested this purchase to the library (and they bought it-I love my library!), but we’ll be adding it to our own home library soon.
January 29, 2021
This was a real chore to get through. I've never played the games, read the novels, or seen the Netflix show, and this chunky omnibus did virtually nothing to fill me in on who Geralt is, why he does what he does, or who any of the supporting characters who come and go in every story arc are. Too Inside Baseball for me. I console myself by saying that it was worth buying for the spectacular Mike Mignola cover....
August 1, 2020
The Witcher Omnibus is a collection of Witcher graphic novels. The first is about a cursed house in the woods, with a Vampire trying to keep its inhabitants trapped. In the second, the Witcher protects a river boat crew from a vengeful Vulpess. In the final volume, the Geralt the Witcher and his companion, Ciri, seek out a Striga.
I really enjoyed all of these, with my favourites being the first two volumes, and enjoying the third to a lesser degree. Awesome fantasy world building as always from the Witcher. A series I continue to consume in its print form, and looking forward to the show. Easy recommendation for fans of the Witcher who have yet to try out the graphic novel stories.
I really enjoyed all of these, with my favourites being the first two volumes, and enjoying the third to a lesser degree. Awesome fantasy world building as always from the Witcher. A series I continue to consume in its print form, and looking forward to the show. Easy recommendation for fans of the Witcher who have yet to try out the graphic novel stories.
March 14, 2022
A excellent fantasy novel, includes multiple stories, the artwork is very good, and well detailed, there are lots of additional artwork included, alternative covers etc. I like the story were the witcher meets a man at the side of a river, they travel into a very dangerous wood, full of many creatures that are watching them, in this wood they discover an house, the witcher as an opportunity to discover love and relationship with a woman who lives in this house but turns her down to continue his life were he hunts monsters. The running theme of this story is that the man who the witcher meets, claims his wife had been killed and transformed into a Vampire, the reality was that this man killed his wife when he caught her with her lover. This story took a very unexpected turn to reveal this in the final pages. The additional stories were just as good. The book artwork is done in colour. Well worth reading if you like fantasy themes. No editorial errors that I discovered. the artwork works well with the wordings, the stories are easy to follow.
February 25, 2020
Read due to the Netflix show - which is preferable if you want an origin story(ish) + narrative arc. The series here drops one in without explanation or setting up the character's isolation from humans... in fact, one might be forgiven in thinking that Witchers are as well or poorly liked as any stranger roaming the countryside, and even a bit more respected than most. It's basically an episodic slaying monsters tale with sometimes-decent character development on the monsters... definitely better than Geralt himself.
I'll probably stick to the streaming series instead since there's a lot more story there & the titular character is actually developed rather than a composite strong, silent-type.
I'll probably stick to the streaming series instead since there's a lot more story there & the titular character is actually developed rather than a composite strong, silent-type.
December 16, 2021
It's quite appropriate that Mike Mignola did the cover art, since this has a very 'medieval Hellboy' feel to it.
March 3, 2022
"A witcher is a witcher."
February 25, 2020
Трохи коротко, та разом з тим.
"Дім зі скла" та "Прокляття воронів" є дуже різними, але однозначно найліпшими коміксами у світі "Відьмака" від CDPR, і одну зірку омнібасові збиває лінивий та погано реалізований в плані зображення екшону переказ уривку з мітквельного роману, він же "Лисячі діти".
"Дім зі скла" - це типовий для серії ігор квазідетективчик, що при тому дуже стильно-ламаний у графіці, наділений кількома хорошими візуально-наративними прийомами і вельми доцільною колористикою. Та, що головніше, КНИЖКОВИМ Ґеральтом, який тримається тактики "моя хата з краю", просто намагається зловити фану і, насамперед, вижити. Розширяє "ігровий канон"? Ні. Але змінює погляд на персонажа, за що авторам великий респект.
"Прокляття воронів" - симбіоз усієї трилогії ігор в одному коміксі. Якщо коротко, то: війна змушує людей робити жахливе, за жахливе треба платити, Цірі хоче бути самостійною, Єн - ревниве та високомірне стерво (драсті, ще одне викривлення книжкового образу), Ґеральт любить свої сім'ю та роботу, в усіх все закінчиться добре. Без поєднання із "Домом зі скла" цей сюжет був би нічого не вартий, але в ось цьому протиставленні Ґеральта, що не вірить в кохання і призначення КОЛИСЬ проти Ґеральта, якого в інтерпретації CDPR це все наздогнало, оповило і поглинуло - щось є.
Пи. Си.: геппі енд для головних персонажів, який CDPR роблять каноном у "Проклятті воронів" - це зло, за яке вони не вартують прощення. Таки чекайте на якийсь ширше розписаний суб'єктивний бомбьож щодо усіх "що не так з Відьмаком"
"Дім зі скла" та "Прокляття воронів" є дуже різними, але однозначно найліпшими коміксами у світі "Відьмака" від CDPR, і одну зірку омнібасові збиває лінивий та погано реалізований в плані зображення екшону переказ уривку з мітквельного роману, він же "Лисячі діти".
"Дім зі скла" - це типовий для серії ігор квазідетективчик, що при тому дуже стильно-ламаний у графіці, наділений кількома хорошими візуально-наративними прийомами і вельми доцільною колористикою. Та, що головніше, КНИЖКОВИМ Ґеральтом, який тримається тактики "моя хата з краю", просто намагається зловити фану і, насамперед, вижити. Розширяє "ігровий канон"? Ні. Але змінює погляд на персонажа, за що авторам великий респект.
"Прокляття воронів" - симбіоз усієї трилогії ігор в одному коміксі. Якщо коротко, то: війна змушує людей робити жахливе, за жахливе треба платити, Цірі хоче бути самостійною, Єн - ревниве та високомірне стерво (драсті, ще одне викривлення книжкового образу), Ґеральт любить свої сім'ю та роботу, в усіх все закінчиться добре. Без поєднання із "Домом зі скла" цей сюжет був би нічого не вартий, але в ось цьому протиставленні Ґеральта, що не вірить в кохання і призначення КОЛИСЬ проти Ґеральта, якого в інтерпретації CDPR це все наздогнало, оповило і поглинуло - щось є.
Пи. Си.: геппі енд для головних персонажів, який CDPR роблять каноном у "Проклятті воронів" - це зло, за яке вони не вартують прощення. Таки чекайте на якийсь ширше розписаний суб'єктивний бомбьож щодо усіх "що не так з Відьмаком"
January 13, 2020
A set of 4 Witcher tales. House of Glass and Fox Children I liked the best. Killing Monsters dragged a bit for me.
December 6, 2021
The book itself.
The Witcher Omnibus is a collection of comics based in the world of The Witcher, taking inspiration from the games and the books respectively. Each writer showed an influence from one or the other, resulting in an omnibus that collects many detatched issues. The art is also subject to this, in particular, with the last comics, which used direct copies of appearances and style from the games. The writing is mostly enjoyable, but each writer feels as thoug hthey want to do very similar stories, and thus characters and places from the books are left out (they all just want to write about Geralt more of less doing his own thing).
Intention.
The purpose of a story in the world of The Witcher is to show that not everything is as it seems, and that appearances can be decieving. Reguarly, Geralt will be sent on a mission to kill a beast or monster in order to save a village, but he later discovers the creature is just defending itself, and the people are aggravating it, or that they are the real monsters - as seen in the notion of 'Killing Monsters' - the comic and the idea that is present in all forms of the Witcher media.
As such, this is what a story involved with the Witcher should be about. Definitions of good and evil, and what is the right thing to do. Despite this, not every comic in this omnibus followed this recipe, and stepped out from the mould to do something completely different that the writer would have preferred. Sometimes this works, and others it doesn't, but it makes the omnibus feel slightly confused in it's message/ what it's intention is with it's stories. Perhaps if a longer run of Witcher comics was written by a single writer, this would have been more successful, rather than multiple differing opions on Geralt and what is means to be a Witcher.
Realism.
The Witcher is set in a world that is meant to refelect the harsh realities of medieval life. War, famine and deciet are key themes along side poverty, classism and racism. As the Witcher stands out from many other comics in this regard, it certianly has it's appeals for being more like a novel, however, the writers may have taken this too far in certain aspects.
For example, the final story 'Curse of Crows' has excessive nudity in it. As the Witcher is a mature story anyways, this would not normally be an issue, however reading it felt as though the writer jsut wanted an excuse to make all the characters as naked as possible. And by characters I mean the females. As a male reader, this always feels uncomfortable as it's clearly sexist, and reflects a perverted side of comics that will probably never go away. In addition to this, of the two males that were naked, they were each covered up where it mattered, and quickly got changed, where as the women were flaunted, and given entire boxes to themselves to to display their nudity for multiple panels. This was made even worse when Ciri was naked as she is considered a child throughout the books, and is rather young. When her character role is that of the child/ the prodigy who has been brought up through the books and game, it's not appealing to then see them sexualised.
Overall.
Overall the art work was good and clear, particularly in the 'House of Glass' and 'Fox Children' stories. The cover art by Mike Mignola is amazing as always, and makes me want an entire issue in his style. The writing is appealing, and easy to read, yet could have done with more identity in some cases. I have given this 4 stars which is a good/average score for me as I see 3 stars as more negative than anything.
Other than what I have mentioned here, there isn't much else to critique and i will probably read the omnibus again at some point, but will probably skip over a few of the stories.
The Witcher Omnibus is a collection of comics based in the world of The Witcher, taking inspiration from the games and the books respectively. Each writer showed an influence from one or the other, resulting in an omnibus that collects many detatched issues. The art is also subject to this, in particular, with the last comics, which used direct copies of appearances and style from the games. The writing is mostly enjoyable, but each writer feels as thoug hthey want to do very similar stories, and thus characters and places from the books are left out (they all just want to write about Geralt more of less doing his own thing).
Intention.
The purpose of a story in the world of The Witcher is to show that not everything is as it seems, and that appearances can be decieving. Reguarly, Geralt will be sent on a mission to kill a beast or monster in order to save a village, but he later discovers the creature is just defending itself, and the people are aggravating it, or that they are the real monsters - as seen in the notion of 'Killing Monsters' - the comic and the idea that is present in all forms of the Witcher media.
As such, this is what a story involved with the Witcher should be about. Definitions of good and evil, and what is the right thing to do. Despite this, not every comic in this omnibus followed this recipe, and stepped out from the mould to do something completely different that the writer would have preferred. Sometimes this works, and others it doesn't, but it makes the omnibus feel slightly confused in it's message/ what it's intention is with it's stories. Perhaps if a longer run of Witcher comics was written by a single writer, this would have been more successful, rather than multiple differing opions on Geralt and what is means to be a Witcher.
Realism.
The Witcher is set in a world that is meant to refelect the harsh realities of medieval life. War, famine and deciet are key themes along side poverty, classism and racism. As the Witcher stands out from many other comics in this regard, it certianly has it's appeals for being more like a novel, however, the writers may have taken this too far in certain aspects.
For example, the final story 'Curse of Crows' has excessive nudity in it. As the Witcher is a mature story anyways, this would not normally be an issue, however reading it felt as though the writer jsut wanted an excuse to make all the characters as naked as possible. And by characters I mean the females. As a male reader, this always feels uncomfortable as it's clearly sexist, and reflects a perverted side of comics that will probably never go away. In addition to this, of the two males that were naked, they were each covered up where it mattered, and quickly got changed, where as the women were flaunted, and given entire boxes to themselves to to display their nudity for multiple panels. This was made even worse when Ciri was naked as she is considered a child throughout the books, and is rather young. When her character role is that of the child/ the prodigy who has been brought up through the books and game, it's not appealing to then see them sexualised.
Overall.
Overall the art work was good and clear, particularly in the 'House of Glass' and 'Fox Children' stories. The cover art by Mike Mignola is amazing as always, and makes me want an entire issue in his style. The writing is appealing, and easy to read, yet could have done with more identity in some cases. I have given this 4 stars which is a good/average score for me as I see 3 stars as more negative than anything.
Other than what I have mentioned here, there isn't much else to critique and i will probably read the omnibus again at some point, but will probably skip over a few of the stories.
December 6, 2021
(4,2 of 5 for great Geralt's stories from Witcher lore)
When I first read those three (four) stories, I still missed playing the games. Most of the Witcher 3 is now behind me and I must say the stories work better now for me. House of Glass is still a perfect thing, best for readers to move from or to Hellboy comics. Fox children are great following the first one but moving more towards the game. And the third, Curse of Crows, is leaning more towards Witcher 2/3 games, and it has a slower tempo, having a main line but jumping back and forth to other "quests", so the feeling from narration is very game-like. This one also has the least favourite art from the series. Not bad, but I generally dislike something about the art style. The "Killing Monsters" is a great addition which "DH only" readers could miss.
When I first read those three (four) stories, I still missed playing the games. Most of the Witcher 3 is now behind me and I must say the stories work better now for me. House of Glass is still a perfect thing, best for readers to move from or to Hellboy comics. Fox children are great following the first one but moving more towards the game. And the third, Curse of Crows, is leaning more towards Witcher 2/3 games, and it has a slower tempo, having a main line but jumping back and forth to other "quests", so the feeling from narration is very game-like. This one also has the least favourite art from the series. Not bad, but I generally dislike something about the art style. The "Killing Monsters" is a great addition which "DH only" readers could miss.
February 6, 2020
In light of the Netflix series, I decided to dive into the world of The Witcher. I dig this gritty fantasy riddled with terrifying creatures and larger than life stories. The artwork was also well done. There are some other Witcher properties that I would love to venture into, but the comics are pretty rad!
May 3, 2021
there was only ONE story in here that was just an adaptation from the novels (and then a flashback within a new story to a previous witcher story, which doesn't really count) so it was awesome to see a bunch of new content. the artwork, particularly on the first story, was so richly atmospheric and creepy it set the tone perfectly. also loved the last story with yennefer and geralt being parents to ciri....all the content i want ;A;
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