Simply put, Season of the Witch is a property that reads like Red Sonja if a wise-cracking Reese Witherspoon were cast in the title role. There's potential to be found in the writing, but ultimately, the premise is all about watching a good-girl warrior-heroine slicing and dicing her opponents. It's not a genre that I'm terribly enamored of, and this latest foray into it does little change my mind. The art in this black-and-white preview book is capable, but never rises beyond a simply standard level of comic-book art. What's irksome about this book is that it tells the reader little about the premise, offering only a 12-page action sequence for the same price for as a full-color comic. It's entirely missable and certainly doesn't come across as being required reading for those interested in the new series.
A young witch-warrior ventures into a dark forest, looking for the marauders who killed a convoy of human travellers. She discovers the attackers are a band of greedy orcs, trying to extort a toll from those who make their way through their woods. The bestial criminals attack, and that's just what this woman wants, as she sets out to exact some bloody justice. Armed with her sword and sorcery, she gives the gang of orcs quite a fight.
The artists credited with this project are experienced ones, and that's why I'm so surprised that the line art really could use more polish. There's a sketchy quality to the art in a couple of spots when the overall tone that the artists strive for here is clearly one of great detail with clean lines. The orc designs are uninspired, and the heroine outfit is a generic good-girl look, with breastplate armor to accentuate the cleavage and an exposed midriff.
Nitz does pique my interest with the juxtaposition of the more grounded narration and its references to real-world elements and the clearly fantastic nature of the setting and characters in the midst of the action. The problem is that there's nary a hint of how the two can reconcile. It's not enough of a tease to make me want to check out the "first issue," but enough of a tease to frustrate and annoy. The banter between the heroine and her prey is awkward and even a little repetitive as well.
To be honest, I'm really sick of the notion of the "zero issue." This book tells the reader nothing while demanding a similar monetary commitment as a regular comic book. Few creators are using the zero issue properly. J. Scott Campbell disappointed with his Wildsiderz #0 last month as well. One title that will get the zero issue right is the upcoming ongoing Supergirl series. That zero issue, due out in a couple of weeks, is actually a reprint of a sold-out and self-contained Supergirl story from Superman/Batman. This zero issue seems more like it should be a convention giveaway, as a promotional/marketing tool rather than an early commercial test for a new property. 3/10
