The Witcher in Fading Memories #2

The Witcher in Fading Memories #2

Dark Horse Comics 2020

Written by Bartosz Sztybor

Illustrated by Amad Mir

Coloured by Hamidraza Sheykh

Lettered by Steve Dutro

The mayoress of Badreine promises her townsfolk that Geralt will solve the foglet crisis before another child is killed. As we see disturbing visions of some other boy's past, Geralt gleans information about the killed child from his mourning mother.

This remains one of the most intriguing series to come out of a video game that I have or am currently reading. As good as Henry is in the role this is the Geralt that I want to see more of. This particular issue really does showcase why that is and the yellow eyes make me feel like i’m being seen in my soul and it’s eerie and intoxicating at the same time. I wouldn’t want to be on Geralt’s bad side that’s for sure and as we see the Mayor trying to assert her control well it creates this dynamic that keeps you glued to the page to see how it’s going to play out as well as giddy with anticipation of him putting her in her place. This is exciting stuff and it’s being told in a way that the sensibility of the story and the characters are presented in a fresh, new and exciting way.

I am a huge fan of the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information has this mysterious and enticing way about them. The character development is phenomenal and while we kind of know Geralt there are always new ways to see different facets of the man. Plus how all the characters act and react tot the situations and circumstances they encounter along with their dialogue we do get a strong sense of who these folks are. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists & turns along the way it grabs you and pulls you along into the proceedings.

The way that we see this is structured with the layers within the story becoming stronger we get this great misdirection of what we are seeing. I honestly thought the young character was not who he turns out to be and being surprised like this is something I look for in a writer. The way that we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow is utterly delightful.

The interiors here are fantastic. The style is unique and how the linework is seen and how the varying weights are utilised to eek out some nice detail work is great to see. The composition within the panels with full, partial or implied backgrounds helps to set the stage for the creepiness that comes along with a story like this beautifully. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a superb eye for storytelling. The colour work has a ver dark palette to it and this lends itself to the genre perfectly. That we also see various hues and tones to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a wonderful eye for colour and how it works.

The world of the Witcher is vast and untapped and to get stories like this where we see things that are “normal” for Gestalt and yet open up new avenues and adventures at the same time is what makes this so great. I am a fan of the character and the world he lives in and every time we see a new take on him through different creative teams keeps everything so fresh.