Written by Jon McCarthy
Art by Thomas Tikas
Colors by HG Tobalina
Letters/Design by Garrett Berner
Development Producer Nathan Jared
Published by Blood Moon Comics

At 36 pages, this oversized issue is sure to have you quaking in your boots:

“Randal made a terrible mistake. He knew not to play the record backwards, but victims of bullies often make desperate decisions. Now she is here and she must be fed. A terrifying new creature to the world of horror via a tragic tale about the consequences of action.”

The last comic I reviewed on here a few months ago was Jon McCarthy’s Loup Garou horror one-shot. He’s back again with a new horror one-shot also set in New Orleans. As a New Orleans local I loved all of the nods to places in the area, including the Peaches Record Store.

The suspense that McCarthy is able to build up in the first several pages is fantastic for the eventual reveal and horror of the Dirt Witch. The pacing throughout the story is excellent in keeping the reader on edge and waiting for the Dirt Witch’s next horrific appearance.

The art from Thomas Tikas and HG Tobalina is perfectly terrifying and gruesome. I absolutely love the character design for the Dirt Witch and just how creepy she is. I particularly enjoyed her entrance scene and the horror she was able to wreak upon the bullies. The letters from Garrett Berner were fantastic, especially when dealing with sound effects and the words coming from the Dirt Witch.

I love some of the messaging behind this comic too. It is very anti-bullying, but it also gives “fuck around and find out” vibes with regards to both the bullies and Randal’s decision to play the record backwards and accidentally summon the Dirt Witch. The ending sort of leaves us on a cliffhanger, which leaves me wondering: will the Dirt Witch return? Will we get a crossover with Loup Garou and maybe some zombies from McCarthy’s other horror one-shot Signal 29? I would love to see a New Orleans horror-verse created here.

If you love horror, scary demons, and seeing bullies get what they deserve (okay, maybe nobody deserves what they got), then you’ll love Dirt Witch, a new one-shot releasing soon from Blood Moon Comics.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Dirt Witch will be in shops on April 24, 2024 and is in the February Diamond catalog with the code FEB241285. (Note that the catalog has it listed as DIRT WATCH ONESHOT)

Dirt Witch will be coming to Kickstarter soon also with an exclusive cover homaging Goosebumps! Click to follow the campaign and be notified on launch day: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jonmccarthy/the-dirt-witch?ref=clipboard-prelaunch