The Witcher is a comic book series that has been published by the American publisher Dark Horse Comics since 2014. It is based on The Witcher media franchise of CD Projekt.
The stories presented in the series are mostly originals. They were not written by Andrzej Sapkowski, but by other writers; the exception being volume 2, Fox Children, which adapts a story from the anthology Season of Storms. The first issue debuted in 2014, with story by Paul Tobin. Although Dark Horse Comics is an American publisher, a significant proportion of artists involved in the project have been Polish. In particular, volume 4 (Of Flesh and Flame) was both written and illustrated solely by Polish artists.
It is the second The Witcher comic book series, following the Polish series of the same name published in 1993–1995.
Reception In 2014, Jesse Schedeen reviewed issue 1 of the first volume (House of Glass) for IGN, noting that while the story "doesn't stand out as being remarkably different from other violent fantasy comics, it's definitely an enjoyable read that requires no familiarity with the source material".
In 2015, Charlie Hall reviewed the issue 1 of the second volume (Fox Children) for Polygon, writing that the series has the potential to explore "moral ambiguity" which the franchise is known for. Torin Chambers at Bloody Disgusting! wrote that the issue is worth recommending, although it would have benefited from an explanatory page for those less familiar with the universe. Likewise, Joie Martin at the Geek Initiative agreed that given the interesting cliffhanger, those who read the first issue will likely want to pick up the next one.
In 2017, Donna-Lyn Washington in her review of volume 3 (Curse of Crows) for the Review Fix concluded that the book is a good story "told in a way that wants you to seek out everything related to this character". The issue was also reviewed that year by Dana Folkard for Impulse Gamer, who called it "an engaging and exciting read". Jason Segarra at AIPT was less impressed, describing it as "a fine story, just not a great one", and noting that it feels like a forgettable sidequest.
In 2018, Ricardo Serrano Denis reviewed the first issue of volume 4 (Of Flesh and Flame) for The Beat. He praised the comic for "one of the truest and most genuine game to comic transitions in recent memory", although he noted that the comic is perhaps less accessible to casual readers than the previous three volumes, and seems to aim more at fans of the series already familiar with the franchise. The issue was also positively reviewed by Patrick Hellen at AIPT, who noted that "this is a great start to a new limited series". On the other hand, Tomasz Gardziński writing for Polish magazine Spider's Web was much more critical, calling it disappointing both when it comes to art and plot.
In 2019, Jody Macgregor reviewing The Witcher comics for PC Gamer, wrote that "Andrzej Sapkowski's books survived being adapted for games and for TV and they make for pretty decent comic books as well". He also ranked the released comics (both from Dark Horse as well as those published by CD Projekt independently); for the Dark Horse works available in time of writing he ranked them worst to best as: House of Glass (volume 1), Of Flesh and Flame (volume 4), Fox Children (volume 2) and, best, Curse of Crows (volume 3). A year later, Nick Smith reviewing the Omnibus Edition Volume One, which collects the first three volumes as well as a short story previously published by CD Projekt, gave it 4 out 5 stars, noting that the fans of The Witcher universe "will really enjoy the book", but that it also "stands on it own" for the casual readers.
In 2020, Matthew Aguilar in a capsule review for Comics called the first issue of volume 5 (Fading Memories) "another excellent addition to the franchise" giving it a score of 5 out of 5. Calum Petrie writing for Flickering Myth gave the issue a score of 9 out of 10, concluding that "this is one of the strongest first issues I have come across". The issue was also praised by Jonathan Brown at Monkeys Fighting Robots who noted that all readers, both fans of The Witcher universe as well as those new to the universe, "will adore this comic". Tomasz Gardziński writing for Polish magazine Spider's Web called the volume an interesting experiment, a psychological thriller worth reading at least once, praising the author for ambition in taking the story in interesting and novel directions, but criticizing the story for a number of plot holes and characters, for acting irrationally. The volume was also reviewed by Bartłomiej Romanek for Polish newspaper Dziennik Zachodni; Romanek positively reviewed the artwork and the story, but also noted that the book is "heavy" and quite different from most prior works in The Witcher universe, focusing on psychology more than on slaying fantasy monsters, and therefore it may disappoint some fans which expected something similar to what they are familiar with and focused on action instead of introspection.
In 2021, Mark Scott at Big Comic Page reviewed the first issue of volume 6 (Witch's Lament) as average, praising the story but criticizing the inconsistent quality of artwork, giving the issue 3/5 score. Later that year, Marcin Zwierzchowski, discussing the series in the Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza, noted that it presents a solid level, but plot-wise, does not equal that of Sapkowski's originals until volumes 5 and 6 (Fading Memories and Witch's Lament) written by . Zwierzchowski praised Sztybor's plots for not repeating old motives, like those of Tobin's or Motyka's, but by bravely – and according to the reviewer, successfully – going into uncharted territories. On the other hand, Cian Maher, reviewing Witch's Lament for TheGamer, criticized the book for changing Geralt of Rivia's character too far.
Publications Issues Story arcIssueRelease dateStoryArtColorsCoverHouse of Glass#119 March 2014Paul TobinJoe QuerioCarlos BadillaDan Panosian & Dave Johnson#223 April 2014Joe Querio#321 May 2014#418 June 2014#516 July 2014Fox Children#11 April 2015Paul TobinJoe QuerioCarlos BadillaJoe Querio#26 May 2015#33 June 2015#41 July 2015#55 August 2015Killing Monsters (hardcover) (only digital)19 May 2015Paul TobinMax BertoliniCarlos BadillaJoe QuerioCurse of Crows#131 August 2016STORY:Paul Tobinwith Borys Pugacz-Muraszkiewicz& Karolina StachyraDIALOGUE:Travis CurritPiotr KowalskiBrad SimpsonGrzesiek Przybyś#25 October 2016#32 November 2016#47 December 2016#522 March 2017Of Flesh and Flame#119 December 2018Aleksandra MotykaMarianna Strychowska#223 January 2019#320 February 2019#43 April 2019Fading Memories#125 November 2020Bartosz SztyborAmad MirHamidreza SheykhEvan Cagle Jeremy Wilson (variants)#230 December 2020#327 January 2021#431 March 2021Witch's Lament#126 May 2021Bartosz SztyborVanesa del ReyJordie BellaireVanesa del Rey Anato Finnstark (variants) Stefan Koidl (variants)#230 June 2021#328 July 2021#425 August 2021A Grain of Truth (hardcover)27 April 2022Jacek RembiśTravis CurritJonas ScharfJosé VillarrubiaKai CarpenterThe Ballad of Two Wolves#121 December 2022Bartosz SztyborMiki Montlló Oriol PérezMiki Montlló Helena RossettiJakub Rebelka#225 January 2023#322 February 2023#46 April 2023Wild Animals#120 September 2022Bartosz SztyborNataliia RerekinaPatricio Delpeche Agustina VallejoSara Kipin Matt Smith Manuele Fior#225 October 2023#313 December 2023#414 February 2024The Lesser Evil (hardcover)22 December 2023Jacek RembiśAdam GorhamPatricio DelpecheKai CarpenterCorvo Bianco#18 May 2024Bartosz SztyborCorrado MastantuonoMatteo VattaniTonci Zonjic Neyef Jorge Molin Corrado Mastantuono#212 June 2024#317 July 2024#411 September 2024#56 November 2024The Edge of the World (hardcover)21 January 2025Magdalena SalikTommaso BennatoChris O'HalloranKai CarpenterThe Bear and the Butterfly#123 April 2025Simon SpurrierStephen GreenJosé VillarrubiaStephen Green#225 June 2025#33 September 2025#422 October 2025A Question of Price (hardcover)29 July 2025Marta KrajewskaMatteo BellisarioIgor MontiKai CarpenterThe Witcher (hardcover)16 December 2025Aleksandra ZielinskaMichael DowlingLuis NCTKai CarpenterBlood Stone#128 January 2026Daniel FreedmanPius BakRoman TitovPius Bak Gigi Cavenago (variants) Patrycja Podkoscielny (variants) Axel Sauerwald (variants)#211 March 2026#315 April 2026#413 May 2026The Last Wish (hardcover) 11 August 2026Marcin ZwierzchowskiGuillermo FajardoNeeraj MenonKai Carpenter
Collections TitleRelease dateCollectsCoverISBNThe Witcher – Volume 1: House of Glass24 September 2014The Witcher: House of Glass #1–5Mike MignolaThe Witcher – Volume 2: Fox Children16 December 2015The Witcher: Fox Children #1–5Julián Totino TedescoThe Witcher – Volume 3: Curse of Crows21 June 2017The Witcher: Curse of Crows #1–5Grzesiek PrzybyśThe Witcher – Library Edition Volume One(hardcover)31 October 2018The Witcher: House of Glass #1–5 The Witcher: Fox Children #1–5 The Witcher: Killing Monsters The Witcher: Curse of Crows #1–5Mike MignolaThe Witcher – Omnibus Edition Volume One(trade paperback)20 November 2019The Witcher – Volume 4: Of Flesh and Flame17 July 2019The Witcher: Of Flesh and Flame #1–4Marianna StrychowskaThe Witcher – Volume 5: Fading Memories28 July 2021The Witcher: Fading Memories #1–4Evan CagleThe Witcher – Volume 6: Witch's Lament24 November 2021The Witcher: Witch's Lament #1–4Vanesa del ReyThe Witcher – Library Edition Volume Two(hardcover)14 September 2022The Witcher: Of Flesh and Flame #1–4 The Witcher: Fading Memories #1–4 The Witcher: Witch's Lament #1–4 The Witcher: Once Upon a Time in the WoodsEvan CagleThe Witcher – Omnibus Edition Volume Two(trade paperback)4 October 2023The Witcher – Volume 7: The Ballad of Two Wolves20 September 2023The Witcher: The Ballad of Two Wolves #1–4Miki MontllòThe Witcher – Volume 8: Wild Animals24 July 2024The Witcher: Wild Animals #1–4Matt SmithThe Witcher – Volume 9: Corvo Bianco25 March 2025The Witcher: Corvo Bianco #1–5Corrado MastantuonoThe Witcher – Library Edition Volume Three(hardcover)26 August 2025The Witcher: The Ballad of Two Wolves #1–4 The Witcher: Wild Animals #1–4 The Witcher: Corvo Bianco #1–5 The Witcher: Frog KissCorrado MastantuonoThe Witcher – Omnibus Volume 3 (trade paperback)24 March 2026The Witcher – Volume 10: The Bear and the Butterfly(hardcover)31 March 2026 The Witcher: The Bear and the Butterfly #1–4Stephen Green The Witcher – Volume 11: Blood Stone(trade paperback)27 October 2026 The Witcher: Blood Stone #1-4Daniel Freedman
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