Webcomic Wednesday – Witchy Comic Review

Jeannette Mooney ’20 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Nyneve is a young witch living in a world where the strength someone’s magic is determined by the length of their hair. She hides the true length of her own hair because her father was executed for having hair too long, marking him as too strong and therefore dangerous to the kingdom of Hyalin. The Witch Guard, “protectors” of the kingdom, are responsible for her father’s death and want Nyneve to join their ranks.

Witchy is a fantasy webcomic written and drawn by Arial Ries. The world building is mostly done through dialogue and paced evenly throughout the story, giving the story a touch of mystery. This serves the story well as it reveals more and more of the corrupt nature of Hyalin’s government. The characters are also well done, each having a unique personality that effects how they individually perceive and interact with the world around them.

Ries’ art style works very well with both the story’s fantasy setting and large cast of characters. The design of the magical elements is inventive and appropriately charming or creepy depending on their intended role in the story. The colors also contribute much to the atmosphere of individual scenes.  The designs of the witch characters, meanwhile, are each distinct in their own way. Ries is also very good at drawing movement and energy, which is especially apparent in Witchy’s action scenes.

Witchy is an engaging and compelling read for anyone interested in fantasy, action, or even young adult fiction. The characters are interesting and the art is both beautiful and very well suited for the story. As more and more is revealed about Hyalin and the Witch Guard, more stakes are added to Nyneve’s coming-of-age story. She is in a place of vulnerability, both when she has long hair and when she no longer does, so learning all she can about the powers that killed her father can mean life or death for her. This mounting tension, as well as the way Ries shows motion in and between her panels, makes this webcomic a page-turner.

Witchy can be read for free in its website