The StoryTeller Witches #2 by Archaia continue to impress

This is the second issue of four in Jim Henson’s The StoryTeller Witches.  The first one was great and I was skeptical if the second could continue the journey.  It does.  The StoryTeller Witches are four standalone tales of witches that are in the same vein as The StoryTeller series back in the late 80’s. Back then it was a TV show, now it’s a comic book mini-series.

In The StoryTeller Witches #2 we meet Mosaku, an old famer and his young traveling companion Minokichi.  They’re out in the cold one night when the evil snow witch comes in the tent and takes Mosaku’s soul.  Minokichi sees it happen, but is allowed to live if he never, ever speaks about the fact that he saw the snow witch.

What makes The StoryTeller Witches #2 so much fun to read is the art.  I know, it makes it fun to read by looking at the art, but it’s true.   The art in this book is beautiful and a great example to show people who mainly think of comic book art as being more realistic, with people in tights, like that’s realistic at all.

The art alone in The StoryTeller Witches #2 tells a story.  There are lots of spaces between panels and the blank space between the art helps tell the story.  This is as beautiful a comic book as I’ve seen in a long time.  When I was checking out the guy behind the cash register said, “oh, The StoryTeller Witches, I’ve heard that the art in that is brilliant”.

It is.  Aside from the art standing out the story has real emotion.

When Minokichi grows up he has a family and lives happily until he starts to get very sick.  His young son curses the snow witch and blames her for his illness.   In that moment of weakness Minokichi tells his son his secret.  His wife comes in at that point and (surprise!) reveals that she’s the snow queen! (I know..you saw that coming too)

She rages at him about her secret, but he sticks to his story that he can only see good in her.  She keeps her word by making him suffer by disappearing into a field of snow, never appearing again to the family.

What makes The StoryTeller Witches work even more is that the story is told in landscape/panoramic viewing.  This is different and allows for bigger close ups of the characters and better panoramic views of the landscape.  The landscape art is drawn in traditional Japanese fashion, which is beautiful and rarely seen in color comic books.

The only downside is that I wish a digital download came with the purchase of the physical comic book.  Otherwise, The StoryTeller Witches #2 is the best new, all ages comic book that we’ve seen this week.  It might be a little scary for younger (5YO) readers, but it is not too scary to not read it to them.