Not only is Regine Sawyer the founder of Women In Comics Collective New York International, but she also writes comic books of her own through her own company Lockett Down Productions. In this first issue of her latest title Ice Witch, an enhanced woman with the power to control ice and snow searches for her daughter in a frozen landscape. Her search leads to a fight with a guard who seems to more about her than she’s aware of. Not only can she manipulate ice similar to Iceman from Xmen, but whoever her nemesis is has taken her child. 

Chenoa D’Ken (a.k.a.- Ice Witch)

Bu’toh

Chenoa D’Ken (codename “Ice Witch”) travels alone and at first glance doesn’t seem to be dressed for the inclement weather. That is until the reader is shown that the ice and snow ARE her elements, in that she can control them like a lethal Avatar-like water bender.

The compaound that she is approaching is guarded by Bu’toh, a superpowered bodyguard and glorified gatekeeper to the faceless “Queen” and possibly her kidnapped child. This elusive woman is clearly giving orders to Bu’toh (who is obviously her lackey). He is also expecting a visit from Chenoa, known only in this first issue as the “Ice Witch”.

What is not fully presented in this first offering is that Chenoa was previously leader of an intergalactic order of assassins with a deadly efficient reputation,  until one day she decided to retire and start a family. Apparently, retirement packages in her line of work are more permanent and subsequently, the very organization that she used to helm, has murdered her husband and taken her child in retribution for her desertion. Needless to say..

She.is.pissed.

Chenoa has the ability to make constructs out of the ice and water around her and can even reach an advanced “avatar state” in which she becomes extremely powerful, which is exactly what the “Queen” is interested in witnessing, as she demands that Bu’toh to bait the Ice Witch into a rather brutal fight to unlock those powers.

What I Think

I feel that this is a preteen and up comic (due to the violence, although she does get some hits in trust me.) I really like this style of writing in a first issue because it reveals a characters’ intentions, motivation and a bit of their backstory without resorting to pages and pages of exposition. I also like this first issue because the premise is very simple…

“I’m coming for my child. Move.”

The artwork of the fight scenes was done well and was easy to follow. The colors and line art were visually stunning as well. Although the photo references of the faces and hair textures were sometimes inconsistent, I feel that the interior artwork is superior to the cover art and that Sawyer should let the interior artist work on the cover in the next issue.

This first issue gives you just the right amount of information about the main character and the world that she’s in. After reading this, I definitely want to know more about who took her child, why and how she became so powerful, why the organization betrayed her and who the mysterious Queen is.

TBG Review Rating*

8/10

ICE WITCH #1

(28 pgs)

print: $6.99

digital: $1.99

WHERE TO BUY:

– Big Cartel (print)
– Peep Game Comix (digital)

CREATIVE TEAM:

Writer: Regine A. Sawyer

Artist: Antonio Crespo

Letters and Layout: Ed Watson

Cover: Y. Sanders

Editor: Regine A. Sawyer

*Rating System: A rating of 1= poor writing/storyline and poor artwork/lettering while a rating of 10= Excellent writing/storyline and High-quality artwork/lettering