DIRT WITCH (ONE-SHOT), by Blood Moon Comics on 4/24/24, recounts a tale of summoning when a bully’s victim plays the wrong record backward and brings forth a hungry nightmare.
The Details
- Written by: Jon McCarthy
- Art by: Thomas Tikas
- Colors by: H.G. Tobalina
- Letters by: Garrett Berner
- Cover art by: Thomas Tikas
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover price: $6.99
- Release date: April 24, 2024
Is DIRT WITCH (ONE-SHOT) Good?
Jon McCarthy’s ode to Satanic Panic-inspired horror films of the 1980s takes on gruesome life in Dirt Witch. Don’t bother calling 9-1-1 or 976-EVIL because this monster is unstoppable.
McCarthy’s script centers on Randal Rogers, a young teenager who gets picked on mercilessly by bullies at a school. Randal’s friend tries to cheer him up by showing Randal a novel item he purchased on the Dark Web, a Norwegian Black Metal record supposedly tied to the occult since the band who made it was brutally murdered during the recording.
On a lark, Randal listens to the record backward, a common trope during the era of subliminal recordings, and inadvertently summons a malevolent being.
The next day, the bullies chase Randal after school. When Randal is cornered in abandoned building, the Dirt Witch emerges to brutally kill Randal’s tormenters. A terrified Randal tries to “unsummon” the Dirt Witch, but the bond is now for life. The Dirt Witch will periodically return to feed, and if Randal does not supply the food, Randal will be next on the menu.
Years later, the horrific consequences or Randal’s lifelong curse become clear.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump to the Final Thoughts and Score.
What did we like about DIRT WITCH (ONE-SHOT)?
More of this, please. Jon McCarthy hits the nail on the head as an homage to the bullied kid who unleashes a terrible evil types of horror stories that were everywhere during the 80s and 90s. All the technical bits are pristine, from the pacing to the dialog. The monster is, in a word, monstrous, and the anticipation for what comes next is through the roof.
What didn’t we like about DIRT WITCH (ONE-SHOT)?
Why the hell is this a one-shot?!? McCarthy ends the story on the precipice of anticipation, but by virtue of being a one-shot, will not be finished. It’s the joke without a punchline, a windup without a pitch, a permanent case of horror blue balls.
How’s the Art?
Thomas Tikas’s art is perfectly good for portraying teenagers being horrible toward each other, but the big question is, “How does the monster look?”. Great! The creature design has a believable yet mythic quality that immediately puts the reader on edge as something you don’t want to mess with.
Final Thoughts
(Click this link 👇 to order this comic)
DIRT WITCH (ONE-SHOT) is a excellent homage to 1980s Satanic Panic-inspired films with a malevolent and hungry creature summoned by playing a record backward. McCarthy’s concept and script execution is on point, and Tikas’s creature design is the stuff of nightmares.
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.