Hex Wives #1

By Hervé St-Louis
November 4, 2018 - 13:01

These witches have been hunted and harassed by men for centuries, but they have exacted their own vengeance on them over the years too. Which one will defeat the other? One descendant from these men who hate these women has a plan. Marry them. Will the Stepford Witches survive marriage?

The premise of this comic does not make me want to read more of this series. I am not against the feminist overtones and perspectives, but I already know how much of this series will turn out. Many women will kill men after discovering their inner strengths. Not a single male in this comic has been portrayed as benevolent or not a jerk. The entire focus has been on the protagonists and their opponents. By not adding any secondary or background characters, this comic reads more like a manifesto so eager to make its point, that it forgets the rest of things that make a solid comic.

This comic reminds me of Inglorious Basterds, a film that I have avoided for its skewed plot which was a festival of killing people which it is legitimate to abhor in society. I don’t like revenge fiction of any kind, even if it makes fun of Nazis. Here, the evil guys are not Nazis, they are sexists. I don’t like sexists either, but one-sided characterizations are not my forte. I want to read more nuances and conviction. I’m not sure how in three years all of the women who were strong militants became docile housewives, but it feels like a classic film that I have heard of before.

I understand that some will perceive my criticisms of this comic as being in continuity of comicsgate or other repressive, and recessive world views. Honestly, I feel that some criticism of some comics that try to address cultural wars in the United States are difficult to write in such a polarized public sphere. Yet, I am not asking for this comic to cease to be and am not trying to berate its creators. I don’t think it is very good because it is based on a series of pastiches like Madmen, the Salem Witches, and the Stepford Wives. I am willing to be convinced on future issues that there are more nuances to this comic. But the moment it becomes a revenge fest, I will stop reading this series.

The artwork by Mirka Andolfo is great although seeing her draw gore is odd given her clean style. It works well for the housewife scenes but is not the right fit for the gore. It feels more like cartoon violence and gore like a failed Bugs Bunny experiment than something from Vertigo.

Rating: 5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12

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