Review of Witch & Wizard: Battle for Shadowland

Either you're a James Patterson fan or you're not; that seems to be the case with most people. Side A thinks his books are gripping and creative while Side B finds them predictable and unbearable.

Personally, I'm on Side B! Now, before you Patterson fans attack, let me say that I've given him a fair try. I read When the wind blows in high school (required summer reading) and I've made an honest attempt to read some of the Maximum Ride series. While I've found some of his work to be interesting, the writing itself has never captured my attention. Plus, with 85 gazillion books coming out every month, we know he really isn't writing them all...

I got mildly excited yesterday when I came across this graphic novel because I thought it would give me a chance to experience the, excuse my pun, magic that everyone seems to be enjoying. Sadly, my hopes were dropped the moment I opened to the first page and came across Victor Santos' illustrations. As one person put it in an Amazon.com review, "if you like cartoons, then this is your book." The artwork is cloyingly cartoonish, given the more realistic cover art. For a book aimed at a slightly older generation, childish cartoons just don't fit.

Then there's the names of the main characters: Whit and Wisty Allgood. Is it just me or can you not take someone seriously with silly kiddie names? Maybe Patterson (or whomever is writing for him this week) wanted to distract the reader from the horrible dialogue and dragging panels? Perhaps I am just being too judgemental for not having read the actual novel, Witch & Wizard, so this graphic novel that bridges into the second installment, The Gift, just doesn't make sense to me. Either way, I couldn't even push myself to finish it.

I won't lie when I say I have high standards when it comes to graphic novels. For instance, the simply believable characters and brilliant illustrations in Batwoman: Elegy left me in awe. I urge you to compare the panel layouts between these two! No matter if you're on Side A or Side B, I suggest you pick up Witch & Wizard, graphic novel or book, and find out for yourself.

~~Sean