Saturday, April 30, 2022

A Witch is Among Us

Time to finish up this month of witchcraft madness, as well as burn the 'ol midnight fires this Walpurgisnacht evening, and with what is, in my opinion, probably the best witch story I've posted this week-- heck, it may even be the overall best story I've posted around here in years! Don't believe me? Then read on, dear THOIA follower, and then state thy defense in yon comments below... way, way, way down below. From the August 1951 issue of Marvel Tales #102.

7 comments:

Brian Barnes said...

That's really cinematic; the ending is paced like a 70s supernatural film (many many years earlier.). It is very good!

Normally my only complaints in Atlas tales is wall to wall text. This one goes further and squeezes more panels with more text than I've ever seen. YET: It works! Both page 3 and 4 have 4 rows, and that's a bit crazy to see in a horror comic, but the panels are all necessary, as is the text, and it's breezy and a quick read, even with the sheer volume of panels. So bravo!

I don't know if it's the best in years, but it is very good.

Panel 6, page 4 would not be out of place in a 60s-70s Marvel superhero book. That's a real dynamic pose.

Todd said...

I hope Rosa got a nice "I'm sorry."

Doc Briar said...

Right from page one we learn that we modern sissies should take a lesson from those old New Englanders. Suspicion is guilt. Burn 'em!
This really was cinematic. For a moment I thought Faith was somehow involved. Sometimes the obvious twist is the best. Great stuff.

JMR777 said...

I agree, this is one of the best stories you have posted, Karswell. For most of the story I thought Ms. Bonham, the landlady, was the witch since she knew so much about witchcraft.
A great surprise ending with an open ending, leaving the reader to wonder if another witch might find a home in Ms. Bonham's town.

Glowworm said...

This one's great because no one ever questions the stranger who comes to town as being the witch, most likely because everyone assumed that the witch was female, and already had a suspect in mind. Not to mention, the doctor doesn't actually appear in town until after the baby has gone missing, so the twist ending to this one actually works really well. I didn't suspect that the witch was actually/technically a warlock when I first read this one either. I love the panel of the reveal of Dr.Poole being witch intending to sacrifice the baby in his room. It looks so awesome. The panels of him rapidly aging are terrifying awesome as well. Especially the fourth panel on the last page.

Mr. Karswell said...

Thanks for the comments, hope everyone had a pleasant Walpurgisnacht with the witches! That was quite a month of posts, eh? Lots of super stuff lined up for May as well, and stay tombed and extra well groomed for some lesbian vampires coming up here shortly...

Mr. Cavin said...

Happy belated Walpurgisnacht!

This was groovy. I got a real kick out of all the witchy esoterica littering the bottom of page six. Gotta feel a bit of a pang for Rosa's granny though. I appreciate a story that veers so morally equivocal: Yes, witches were real; but the hot takes of witch hunters are still wrong. They could have written an ending in which the doctor did not do it, where he turned out to be the grandmother in disguise. The timing works well; we'd just need some note about what it was they buried that night under the old witch stone. Shudder. But I like that the doctor did do it, frankly, and not for nothing because it stymies the old gender nonsense we attach to the word "witch."