Doc Morrow’s final battle with Nostrum is at hand and it’s as satisfying a conclusion as any fan of this series would hope.

Official description from IMAGE:

This is it: Doc Morrow’s last stand against the forces making his life hell!! If Morrow and his allies fail here, all of Arkham, Oregon will suffer!

Issue six of Witch Doctor: Mal Practice picks up during the fight between Dr. Morrow’s team and Nostrum’s. The pace is brisk. There are great action sequences and the flow is spot on. Eric and Penny have their hands full with Belladonna and Fontanelle. Penny is great here and she’s as tough as any superhero and Dr. Morrow’s ace-in-the-hole. Eric uses his experience with the good doctor to recall the “Surgeons” to deal with Fontanelle. It’s a nice full-circle moment with characters that felt superfluous when introduced in issue two but make a perfect and welcome return here.

Writer Brandon Seifert has the touch with this book. It’s a dense plot but with great exposition for the casual reader all while treating hard-core fans with respect. He mixes magic, monsters and action with smart dialogue and deft touches of humor. Eric’s ringtone moment and Dr. Morrow’s mocking of Nostrum’s by comparing him to a Batman villain makes this book such a fun and exciting read.

Artist Lukas Ketner’s art is so well matched for this story. He’s fluid with action, great with monsters and horror with detail and flair that makes it as fun to look at as it is to read. This series would be ill served with a lesser artist. Andy Troy’s talents set a dark, mystical tone but handle’s the lighter moments with bold bursts of color making it truly eye-catching.

Seifert’s solution for Morrow’s seemly final defeat could come off as a cop-out but given the dire circumstances, the simple brilliance of the Morrow’s plan comes off as a no-brainer. If you like horror, magic and well-timed humor, give Witch Doctor: Mal Practice a try. None of these genres is generally my cup of tea but this creative team sucked me in without much of a fight. True fans should find this, diamond in the rough, a perfect fit.

4.5/5