Dark Horse Comics 2018
Written by Aleksandra Motyka
Adaptation by Travis Currit
Illustrated by Marianna Strychowska
Coloured by Lauren Affe
Lettered by Steve Dutro
Geralt is summoned by an old friend to help solve a mystery involving his daughter. Upon arriving to investigate however, Geralt is surprised by another friend from the past and he soon finds himself transported to regions beyond his original expectations.
This is a series that I absolutely adore and the fact that it started as short stories and novels then found it’s way to video games, films, television shows and final graphic novels, see comics, is stupendous! All of this from a nice Polish man. This is such a hit in Poland and Russia and fantasy writers in that region of the world have made this what it is. That it hasn’t hit the United States with that kind of intensity is a tad disappointing but I am here to help spread the word. Well Dark Horse really is but hey semantics right.
If you have never read one of these arcs that’s okay this is an excellent jumping on point. Though if you do join us, which you really should, you’ll want to go back and read the previous arcs. I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed in the slightest! The way this is structured is extremely well done and the opening is superbly done. That we get to see some of the creatures that live in this world that can be akin to cherubs or faerie is great to see and really does grab the readers attention. Seeing this makes you want to see and know more and that is exactly what it should do. It is beautifully creepy and piques the interest and curiosity.
The way the story unfolds is great to see and the introduction of characters, old friends and the reason by Geralt is here come together in a smooth and natural feeling way. There is no feeling of the story feeling forced or people and places, or things, put into this to make it work. To be able to do that is rather impressive to me considering the fantasy aspect of this world. Also the characterisation here is bloody brilliant as well. This extends not only to those that are in the spotlight but also those little characters that we meet along the way. That so many people can be understood, their nature and the kind of folk they are, through words and visuals is very high quality stuff.
Speaking of high quality work the interiors here are mind blowingly good. The strength of the linework that we see is sensational and how it’s manipulated through it’s varying weights to bring this to life looks like it’s done by a strong steady hand. The attention to detail is crazy good and it nearly mesmerises the reader as the eye moves through the panels searching out everything there is to see. Mixing in the colour work, Geralt’s eyes are a perfect example, in and what we see becomes extraordinary. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels demonstrates a superior eye for storytelling. The way that backgrounds are utilised here is stunning and it works to expand the moments and show us the size and scope of the story. Even without the words you could get the gist of what is happening and that should tell you the strength of the interiors here.
The way that this combines story & plot development, uses it’s pacing and has this level of characterisation alongside this beautiful interior artwork and you can see why this franchise is in so much demand in various media. This is a superb example of how a comic series can stand on it’s own and you’d never know it was part of a larger franchise.