The Witcher: Fox Children #2 continues with Geralt trying to protect the crew from the wrath of a Vulpess since the death of her fox child. It opens up with some crew members believing since they’re far out at sea they’re safe from the Vulpess despite Geralt’s warnings. They all know how bad things turned since the original plan was to sell the fox child until one of the crew members killed her. So Geralt says the best plan now is for them to sail away as fast as possible before they get caught in the Vulpess’s trap. Even Javil Fysh, who initially mocked the Witcher’s concerns about holding a fox child captive, agrees that it’s best to make haste in order to flee the area. However, as they sail along the weather starts to get worse until they’re caught in a terrible storm that results in them losing their way and ending up in unfamiliar waters. They’re presented with a fork in the sea but the captain can’t make sense of anything since the compass is spinning out of control and a fog is reducing visibility greatly. And the river is carrying their ship so even if they wanted to go in a different direction there’s no way they could as they see they’re being led back to where they started. The Vulpess already has them in her illusion but when did it start? And can even Geralt protect the crew at this stage?

Paul Tobin has a way of making even routine actions seem intriguing with his writing style as it makes you wonder if a character’s subtle actions hint at a deeper mystery or give a clue. Fortunately the Vulpess’s power of illusion fits that perfectly because there’s the obvious dilemma of trying to decipher the truth from mirages. Although the start of this issue spent a lot of time detailing the ship’s movements even with it apparent that there was some outside influence affecting their voyage. And the fact that no one on the ship knew, or at least claimed to not know, when these illusions could have first started only made everything more interesting. Could the ship be an illusion? Could the Vulpess already be among the crew and the illusion is the one in the woods? This issue wouldn’t get deep into the many possibilities the scenario created because it would focus more on the crew and Geralt actually fighting various illusions being thrown at them. That’s not necessarily a complaint as there would be plenty of action and it was enjoyable. And based off the stories Geralt told in the first issue about the capabilities of a Vulpess, the action was pretty intense since any misstep could lead to the deaths of the wrong people.  I was on the edge of my seat at one point thinking the Vulpess might project illusions to fight each other with Geralt unknowingly burning them. I won’t give away any spoilers but with the way this issue concluded I can’t wait to get my hands on the next issue. It’s been a good ride.

SUMMARY

The Witcher: Fox Children #2 is an excellent issue that puts on an entertaining display of the Vulpess’s powers while making the entire situation more intriguing. The mystery behind the illusions is perfect for Paul Tobin’s writing style because now everything that has taken place can be significant when the truth of what’s occurring is revealed. As a Witcher fan, I’m very pleased with the direction and pace of this series and can’t wait to see what’s next.

Release Date: 5/6/15

Writer: Paul Tobin

Artist: Joe Querio