I AM HEXED, ISSUE #1

Writer: Kirsten Thompson

Illustrator: Christianne Gillenardo-Goudreau

Letterer: Taylor Esposito

Cover Artist: Little Corvus

Editor: James Emmett

Publisher: Self-Published

I Am Hexed, issue #1, cover, self-published, Thompson/Gillenardo-Goudreau

WHAT IS IT?

Politics meets the supernatural in this modern tale of freedom and witchcraft.

It's a little like Harry Potter if the Muggles wanted to regulate or control or otherwise put a stop to the existence of witches.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

(Minor Spoilers)

Charlie Helm is a witch in DC. Unfortunately, practicing witchcraft is illegal. Perhaps even more unfortunately, her boss just got in trouble for using witchcraft.

The whole thing seems like a set-up and, to make matters worse, it’s obvious someone wants to tie her up in the scandal, too.

As other witches she’s never seen before start following her, Charlie is forced to call in favors and lay low while she figures out who's hunting witches and why. But can she figure anything out with few leads and fewer witches each day? And will she be next?

I was lucky enough to get a great quote from the writer of I Am Hexed, Kirsten Thompson, talking about her inspiration for the series:

"For I AM HEXED, I was firstly inspired by my longstanding love of magic and witchcraft and in no small part by current events. A lot of the social upheaval, civil rights struggles, and political double-dealings that are seen in I AM HEXED have some parallel in the world around us. The series' style is a blend of genres, there's a romantic subplot, an overarching political thriller storyline and the struggles of witches, both the protagonists and others, trying to protect their most basic rights."

WHAT WORKS?

• The very real world of politics merges this supernatural secret witch society surprisingly easily and naturally.

• Multiple women of color, body types and LGBTQIA+ people are represented just in this first issue!

• If the cover's obvious ties to current events and fights for quality doesn't grab you, the story's suspenseful mystery will.

• The logo design is fantastic and organic. I appreciate how the logo designer worked in the broom the little curly spirals sometimes associated with witches.

• Speaking of logo design, calling the wine bar "The Circle" and using what I imagine to be the shape of a ring a wine glass leaves when wine has run down its stem...it's nothing short of brilliant. I actually want a witch-themed wine bar called that because it's so perfect.

• The bright color palette (and upbeat, almost slightly cartoonish art style) softens what could otherwise be taken for a very serious and intense comic.

• Taylor Esposito's purple-and-yellow captions really capture that magical color palette. I'm also a fan of when he leaves just a little space between one group of captions and the next. That small pause just makes that last word so much harder-hitting.

WHAT DOESN’T WORK?

• The very serious and suspenseful plot seems oddly represented by such a buoyant art style. At the same time, it helps balance the seriousness of the plot to make a finished product more accessible to readers, as opposed to something that leaned hard into a more traditional, gritty crime thriller comic style.

• If you're not for equal rights, this isn't your thing. That being said, you might not want to continue reading my reviews, since this Yeti is very pro-equality.

I Am Hexed, issue #1, page 6, self-published, Thompson/Gillenardo-Goudreau

WHY SHOULD I READ IT?

It's a bright, stunning and suspenseful political thriller with magic and a pro-LGBTQIA+ and feminist agenda.

While simply a compelling read, it's also an important story about equality in our modern world.

HOW DO I BUY IT?

Find out more about issues #1 & 2:

• I Am Hexed, #2 Kickstarter

The image(s) used in this article are from a comic strip, webcomic or the cover or interior of a comic book. The copyright for this image(s) is likely owned by either the publisher of the comic, the writer(s) and/or artist(s) who produced the comic. It is believed that the use of this image(s) qualifies as fair use under the United States copyright law. The image is used in a limited fashion in an educational manner in order to illustrate the points of the author and not for the purpose of entertainment or substituting the original work. It is believed the use of this image has had no impact on the market value of the original work.

All Kirsten Thompson & Christianne Gillenardo-Goudreau characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademarks of and copyright Kirsten Thompson & Christianne Gillenardo-Goudreau or their respective owners. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

#Indie #Selfpublished #MidweekMadness #Thompson #Fantasy #Witches #Modern #Political #Comedy #GillenardoGoudreau #Esposito #Corvus #Mystery