THE LAST WITCH #4, available Wednesday from BOOM! Box continues the tale of Saoirse and her growing powers. She’s faced two lethal battles so far and barely managed to survive both. She’ll have to get even stronger before she faces off against the next witch.
Not too long ago, little Saoirse’s biggest concern was whether or not she’d get away with sneaking out into the woods. Those days are long gone. Now she’s striving to gain as much power as possible before being forced into battle against yet another witch.
Yes, that’s right, another witch. She’s already faced off against two of them: one wielded fire and the other water. Next, Saoirse will be facing off against a wind witch, though she must take a minute to train before that can happen.
The Last Witch #4 continues the tale of one young woman and her fight to keep the world safe. More specifically, she’s fighting to keep her grandmother and brother safe. They’re all she has left of this world, and she’ll do whatever it takes to protect them.
The Writing
Each and every issue of The Last Witch has felt different from the last. That is partially due to how much Saoirse seems to change between each issue. But it’s also more than that. Her battles, her elements, and countless other details have changed along the way as well.
The Last Witch #4, written by Conor McCreery, continues her story. By this point, she’s defeated two witches, and it shows. Her power and confidence have risen, though that in itself brings complications. Already we’ve seen the grandmother warn time and time again about the dangers of magic use – of how it can corrupt.
That has been a dark undercurrent this whole time as we watch Saoirse grow in power. It’s hard not to be concerned about her, and this issue really picked up that particular thread. So while there is no major battle fought in this issue, there is still quite a lot going on.
Much of it is internal, while there are some new developments happening around our little witch (and her remaining family members). The new changes are fascinating, and admittedly just a little bit concerning. That seems to be the theme of the series, after all.
The Art
As per usual, the artwork inside The Last Witch #4 is simply stunning. V.V. Glass (art), Natalia Nesterenko (colors), and Jim Campbell (letters) really do make a fantastic illustration team. Saoirse’s story is just as much a visual tale as a narrative one, and I sincerely do not believe it would carry the same impact without the artwork to support it.
The magic portrayed within this issue is fascinating. Here we see her fire and water, but also more than that. Finally, we’re getting a chance to see the deeper connection that has formed—the connection between Saoirse and the world (ley lines) around her.
There are so many little details worth picking up on, much like previous issues in this series. It makes it a worthwhile experience to read the issue more than once. Speaking from experience, it seemed like I spotted a new implication every time I read it.
The colors are vibrant and do an excellent job of blending with the magical elements (literally) of the series as a whole. Saoirse’s fire is a dominant feature, but it felt like water demanded more attention this time around. Likely, we’ll soon see more of an influence from air in the future.
Conclusion
The Last Witch #4 is yet another fascinating addition to this series. Saoirse has grown and changed so much already – and somehow the series is doing the same right alongside her. This is one of those series that is nearly impossible to predict, thanks to all of the surprises it brings with it. Yet it still feels so familiar at the same time – delightfully so.
