Witch Doctor, Vol. 2: Mal Practice

Witch Doctor #2

by Brandon Seifert, Lukas Ketner

Dr. Vincent Morrow, specialist in supernatural diseases, is back - but this time, he's the patient! In the second collection of the hit medical horror series, Doc Morrow himself is targeted by shadowy supernatural forces. With his body betraying him, Morrow races against the clock to diagnose the threats he faces - and to punish those responsible! Collects Witch Doctor: The Resuscitation and Witch Doctor: Mal Practice #1-6.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Tina Haigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story: 5 stars!
Art: 5 stars!

I absolutely love this series! It is awesome! I love ALL of the characters. I love the monsters. I love the science. I love the beautiful art. I love the colors. I love the plot. I love, love, love everything about this!

It hurts knowing that Vol 1 and 2 is all there is. This can't be the end. I NEED MORE VOLUMES! I know many others share this sentiment, so can we do something about this? Can we do something to uncrush my heart please? Pretty please? No? Fine. Be that way. I can hold a grudge, you know. Thanks to you, now I have to go pick my soul up off the ground and find a nice corner to ugly cry in while I rock in a fetal position. I will not forget this...

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't love a good magical STD?



This was great! I think volume 2 was so much better to me because we seem to get to know just a tad bit more about our main characters and the world they live in this time around.



The art is stunning. The facial expressions are extremely expressive realistic and the fantastical creatures are amazing to look at - just a lot of cool stuff to eyeball in Mal Practice.



I'm not sure where this title is going, but I'll definitely read the next volume when I find it.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

House for the supernatural set. Dr. Morrow is typically an ass to his patients and staff so when the doc gets infected with a supernatural disease, it's hard not to take a bit of glee in it. Filled, with double, triple and quadruple crosses, the story is filled with dark horror and humor. Lukas Ketner's draws some inventive and deeply disturbing monsters. I really wish there more volumes of this series. It's a great, macabre, Lovecraftian thrill ride.

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Doctor is Back!

His Snarkiness has returned to warn us all about the dangers of spellborne illnesses.

Watch as The Doctor and Penny Dreadful battle a boatload of new enemies - a devilish medicine show trio, blood-sucking phantasms, vengeful Egyptian gods, golems, an assortment of beings with "glowy eyes", and Charlotte Fever, a gal with a bad case of centipede tongue.

Look out for the sinister Surgeons! Looking not unlike the Cenobites from Hellraiser, they only want to HEAL YOU!

One of the things I love most about the Doc is that even when he's using the Diablosuction machine, he's never too busy to debate theology:

"The Gods are our shepherds," claims Catrina Macabrey, pathologist and the Doctor's future ex-wife.

Shepherds don't tend sheep because they're NICE GUYS. They do it for the FLEECE AND MUTTON," he replies.

Next to 'Chew' and 'Preacher', this is my favorite graphic novel series, and probably the ONLY book to ever use the phrase ...floaty cluster of umbilical guts.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is much improved over the first volume with a few uber-antagonists that linger between issues, and some ongoing mystery regarding the source of Dr. Morrow's metaphysical abilities. I'm terribly unclear how Morrow pulls all his crazy shit off, or where he learned his trade. Better than that though is giving us a chance to fear for his success - once we see he's not invincible, he becomes almost instantly more sympathetic. Still an arrogant dick to his associates, but that's just entertaining.

What's harder to swallow are the passages of monologue lecture - usually expounding on the explanation right in the middle of a tense or action-filled scene. Did you ever read any of the fiction Isaac Asimov wrote, or early Tom Clancy? Those men had no hesitation in arresting a very interesting scene with a detailed technical treatise (usually accompanied by relevant historical facts and other oddities) on the subject at hand. It's almost like the authors didn't actually care about the reader's enjoyment, and the entire writing exercise was a veneer around their infatuation with how much they knew (and how much they wanted you to know how much they knew).

The creators are doing a lot to be inventive in this book - weird diseases with mystical/science-based names and cures, odd details scratched into the edges of the visuals just for fun. Sometimes it seems like Siefert is just pulling syllables out of thin air with no forethought, which feels a bit tedious. But then they'll throw in D&D dice as the rear-view mirror replacement for fuzzy dice, and I'm right back comfortably "in".

I'm enjoying Siefert and Ketner home their craft, and the ideas they're pursuing are my kinda weird so I'll keep coming along for the ride.

[Zedsdead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mal Practice forgoes the episodic nature of v1 for a single protagonist-oriented story spread across the five issues. A mysterious adversary infects the good doctor with an incurable parasite, promising a cure in exchange for a Necronomicon-like book of demonic power.

Except for the narrative change in direction, v2 provides more of the same: quick-witted, monstery, character-rich, mystical-disease detectivery with brilliant art.

Included are some concept sketch pages with notes from both the author and the illustrator that provide a fascinating glimpse of the design process. Including disagreements. It's very instructive.

It is a crime that this series ceased publication, but it's definitely not coming back. Per the author, over in his Goodreads questions section:

Unfortunately I can't go into that [ie "why the series will probably never return"]. (If I could, I would've already!) We really, really tried hard to make another volume happen. But multiple things happened, all of them deal-breaking, It was my choice to step away from the project — so if you want to blame someone, please blame me instead of my collaborators or my publisher! It was a very hard decision to make, but the years since made it clear to me that I made the right choice.

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another volume of gleeful insanity as House meets Van Helsing in the form of Dr. Morrow. In this volume Morrow meets his match in two different ways - a striking Necromantic Mortician described as his either soulmate or arch-nemesis, and a mysterious figure who gets the Doctor infected and then blackmails him with the cure. And that's before the double-crosses, and triple-crosses, and quadruple-crosses. I hate to repeat descriptive terms, but Gleeful Insanity is the best way to describe it, and the artwork is beautiful in its monstrosities - there are creatures here I've never seen before and they are fascinating. The story is a careening car that looks like it's out of control, but manages to reach its destination in a manner that makes sense of the strange trip. And speaking of strange trips, the plot and art around the Doctor's spiritual journeys are worth a note just for their distinctiveness.
This is a hard 4.5 - the only reason I can't give it a 5 is because it's not really life-changing. But it is the apotheosis of its form, and some of the most fun I've had reading graphic novels in a long time. If you've got a taste for dark humor, monsters, gore, and appallingly behaved 'heroes,' this is the book for you.

[Alec · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this issue by issue as it came out and I absolutely loved it. i can't wait to go back and read the first trade.

[Kristin Lansdown · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s more disappointing than finishing a volume only to find out that’s the end of the story? All types of unanswered questions and loose ends. Just as good as the first volume but story felt a little more complex this time around.

[Amie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witch Doctor Volume 2 continues the wild, horror-tinged adventures of a supernatural medical doctor dealing with bizarre and grotesque cases. The story escalates the stakes, blending dark humour, gruesome monster designs, and thrilling plot twists.

I loved the artwork and the crazy storylines in this volume. It’s a visually striking and entertaining read that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

[A. Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been so long since I read the first volume that I probably should have re-read it before diving into this one -- I just didn't want to wait that long! So it took me a bit to get back into the swing of Morrow and all that jazz. That said, it was fun! Definitely fun. There's a good mystery and the writers do a great job of fitting all the characters together and leaving us with just enough to want the next bit, now!

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great set of stories. A six-issue series of graphic novels about the Witch Doctor's adventures with diabolic possession, a loo garou, a sort-of vampiress, and other interesting things. If you enjoy House, MD but would like to see it given a paranormal twist, check out the Witch Doctor graphic novels.

[Bjorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so good.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great arc for this fabulous medical/horror series. I love all of the characters, the art is great, and the snark and action is super fun.

[S.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rereading, knowing there isn't and never will be a Volume 3. Because I guess I needed something to cry about today.

[Loveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

whoever is responsible for this series being discontinued, drop your address. I just want to talk :)

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots to enjoy about the follow-up to the first 'Witch Doctor' miniseries.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Actually read via single-issue monthlies.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Image has been scoring tons of home runs with all of their creator owned titles lately. Fatale, Revival, and most certainly Witch Doctor, are all worthy of your attention and hard earned money. And this is before today's Image Expo announcements. Needless to say, my discretionary income will be stretched to the limit.

There is a charming purity to the tongue in cheek macabre happenings in the life of Dr. Vincent Morrow, an “Occult Doctor” who treats patients plagued by magical maladies. Everything here feels very British, and I imagine Morrow talking with a British accent even though there is nothing in his backstory that would corroborate this.

We meet a potential love interest and/or arch nemesis for the Doctor in Catrina Macabrey, a ne'er do well Necromancer/Pathologist of the occult. I love the faux scientific and medical explanations for these spells and curses. Seifert goes to great lengths to keep the characters playing it straight even when the events are whimsical, at least in a macabre black humor sort of way.

I also loved the introduction of the Surgeons. Truly creepy stuff there. The artwork and the coloring are effectively moody without being overly dark. If Andy Troy used darker hues the lighthearted aspect of the title would be lost amidst the murkiness. Things are “dark” here without being depressing. It's like a big fat witchcraft party or something.

The names of the characters are great. Dr. Morrow instead of Dr. Moreau (as in The Island of...), Penny Dreadful (Google it), Catrina Macabrey...macabre...get it? Great tongue in cheek stuff there.

According to the biography blurb on the inside back cover, Brandon Seifert was a student of Brian Michael Bendis. Well, this is one case where the student far exceeds the ability of his teacher. Seifert has a far better grasp on what makes a solid, entertaining comic that can stand alone yet be part of a larger tapestry than Bendis does. Bendis would have milked the amount of story in this book for three or four trades.

While I would love to see this title cranked out on a more regular basis I am more than happy to have these trades come out every other year as long as the quality is there. There are tons of other things to read to help keep me occupied until Volume 3 makes the rounds.

[Václav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witch Doctor is fun. Even in the second book. The prologue is interesting, then it gets a little chaotic but it only gets better from that. I really enjoyed. A humorous mix of medical science, Hellblazer and other magic, monsters and people stuff. And I really love the premise - that all monsters and demons are actually some kinds of disease brought aeons ago by Ancient Ones. And people are Earth immune system. It's more complex, but you'll get the idea. The second book is even more comedy and grotesque than the first one. The Vincent (doctor) is fun, clever but not actually hard to outsmart (or outsmart his outsmarting), he is well-balanced between heroism and cowardice. Not actually charismatic, but so fun to watch and root for him. And second really interesting character is (former) student Penny (Dreadful), a patient possessed by a rare powerful demon, who accompany and help the doctor based on mutual interest. But the difference with Penny is that in her body live both demon and her "spirit" at the same time, both in control (maybe here comes Liu's inspiration for Maika from Monstress. But Penny is more fun and I would pick her story over Maika's.). Witch Doctor is fun, good writing, fine colourful art with strong ink and neat details. I am a bit sad there is nothing more from his World. I really enjoyed it, there is a lot of good ideas, which is always so refreshing.

[Alex Sarll]

The second and apparently final outing for occult physician Dr Vincent Morrow – though it's a tragedy that when so many unsuitable comics get mangled into case-of-the-week procedurals on TV, this one which genuinely works as a case-of-the-week procedural hasn't had an adaptation. I love the cantankerous lead (who now gets a chance of romance with someone equally unsound), the niche references (the Sedlec Umbrella!) and the general ingenuity with which the stories are stitched together. The first issue here, for instance, opens with the old urban myth about waking in a bath of ice with an incision to the midriff – but the victim seems still to have both kidneys. Except what if one isn't his? Combined with that, the sense of magic as something susceptible to experimentation, just as science and engineering are – so if a traditional Hand of Glory is from a hanged man, and confers the powers folklore promises, what might one from someone executed by a lethal injection or electric chair do? Mix that inquisitive spirit with ghoulishly detailed body horror and the result is somewhere between Rivers Of London and Hellraiser. That's something for which there should be a market, surely?

[Pilipma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced, entertaining, imaginative and charming story about an interesting set of characters. I have actually came across vol two (which I read in singles, not that it's important) before the first one. And I still didn't feel like I've missed anything. Definitely going to get me the first volume now and enjoy the shit out of it.

Oh yeah... the only annoying part was the ∎∎∎∎ing sensoring of swear words. Apparently it's fine to draw blood covered bodies chewed to a bone by hellish monsters and talk about shaved privates and unholy things feeding on unborn children, but words like "shit" need to blacked out.
Good priorities, Image. And here I thought you were cool...

Still a great book to have.

[Baska · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* - I didn't feel like there was a good overall plot to bring everything together. The premise for the novels is fantastic, but the execution is a little bit off, and whereas in the first volume I was impressed with the originality of it all, by the second volume the novelty wore off and I was left a little dissapointed.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very strange but ultimately very enjoyable series which mixes some intellectual and Lovecraftian sensibilities with some splatterpunk horror stuff for combination that works better than it should.

[Nathanael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a weird, fun series that sadly seems to have been cancelled. It's a shame, because this volume sets up some interesting questions. Still, it's worth reading anyway for the incredibly strange and manic blend of magic and medicine and wild worldbuilding.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witch Doctor si riconferma ancora una volta una saga davvero avvincente e originale. Meraviglioso!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witch Doctor si riconferma ancora una volta una saga davvero avvincente e originale. Meraviglioso!

[Matt Kelland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hoot. Should've been book 2 of 200. Hope the team eventually gets to do more.

[Sean Goh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really needs a 3rd volume. The series and world has a ton of potential for great stories exploring mythology through a medical/scientific lens.