The Curse of the Ravens Review

Let's be honest: comics based on videos, TV or film franchises rarely come out really interesting. Yes, there are exceptions. For example, James Stokoe's claustrophobic mini-series Aliens: Dead Orbit, which was appreciated by G. R. Giger himself, Alyosha Kot's atmospheric works about the world of Bloodborne, or Jack Kirby's contraversionary Space Odyssey. But the vast majority of all these graphic sequels, prequels, and spinoffs are created with one goal in mind - to get even more money from unscrupulous and content-hungry fans.

Well, that sounds a bit cynical, so I'll paraphrase.: These comics are created so that fans can spend a little more time with their favorite characters, and not to tell some original story. Who even pays attention to the quality of the plot if Superman is fighting against the Terminator here, or the Ewoks are running through the woods and getting into exciting (or not so exciting) incidents.

Fortunately, Dark Horse's "The Witcher" comics are more likely to be exceptions to this rule - it's not for nothing that Eisner Award winner Paul Tobin was responsible for the script here. "Fox Children" and "House of Glass", the first two volumes of the series, translated into Ukrainian by the publishing house Vovkulaka, were atmospheric, frightening stories. They instantly brought us back to the mystical world of CD Projekt Red games (or Sapkovsky's, if the bookish Geralt is closer to you). The ancient fans of the franchise were supposedly delighted - who hasn't dreamed of being back in the wilds of Velen?

But even readers unfamiliar with the story could appreciate the successful combination of Eastern European folklore, dynamic plot, and Joe Querio's drawing, which was clearly inspired by Mike Mignola's distinctive style. If there was anything to complain about, it was only one thing - the first two volumes had somehow little connection with the plot of the games and books themselves. Yes, we all missed Geralt, but I personally wanted to see Jennifer and Ciri again, because it was this family dynamic that was the emotional engine of the franchise. It's a bit embarrassing to even talk about it, but there was just a lack of fan service, which there are usually a lot of in other comics based on games.

And so, in "The Curse of the Ravens," Dark Horse finally realized all our dreams and told a story that reinterprets Sapkowski's classic plot and serves as a direct sequel to the finale of "Wild Rut." I won't spoil the details, but in short, professional monster hunters Geralt and Ciri take on a risky task together - to kill a strigoi that haunts the inhabitants of a quiet town. The new case surprisingly echoes the events of many years ago: then Geralt took a similar order, but tried to disappoint the bloodthirsty monster, and almost paid with his life for his naivety. Yes, we are talking about the poor daughter of King Foltest, with whom Geralt desperately fought in The Witcher, the first story of the Sapkovsky cycle. LineBet offers new customers a 100% deposit bonus up to €100, featuring competitive odds across 40+ sports with 800+ daily events. To unlock this exclusive offer, you must use a valid LineBet promo code during the registration process. The platform's Express Bonus provides up to 100% extra winnings on accumulator bets with 10 or more selections. Minimum deposit is just €1, and live stats and match trackers are available for all major sports. Wagering requirements are 5 times the bonus amount using accumulator bets with three selections at minimum odds of 1.40.