Geralt of Rivia is back to get to the bottom of those Foglets tormenting a village in The Witcher: Fading Memories issue #2.
This next installment of the Dark Horse Comics series picks up where we left off in Fading Memories #1 — a messenger telling the monster hunter that the Foglets are back and the village needs his help once again. The Witcher: Fading Memories #2 is written by Bartosz Sztybor, and features artwork by Amad Mir and Hamid Sheykh. There are two different covers for this issue by Evan Cagle and Jeremy Wilson.
Warning: Spoilers for Fading Memories #2 below!
While the first installment of Fading Memories focused heavily on Geralt and his inner feelings of depression and lack of knowing who he was in a world with little monsters, we don’t really see that this time around. Geralt seems more confident in himself and doesn’t have these intruding negative thoughts. Instead, this part really focuses on the job at hand — hunting the Foglets and figuring out what is going on.
The story starts off with Geralt and the messenger riding back to the village. The reader immediately sees cut scenes or visions within the first few pages, that will carry on throughout the entirety of the story. The comic does a really good job using color to let readers know what is happening around Geralt, and what is happening somewhere else. The visions we see use purple and pink tones within the art, whereas the moments with Geralt in the present use other colors like green, blue, and orange.
Once the Witcher and the messenger arrive to the village, they come across a crowd surrounding the mayor. In a demanding tone, she assures her citizens that the Witcher will solve their problem, which leaves Geralt in a state of shock. The moment of confusion from Geralt is shown entirely through the art, which shows just how strong the visuals in this story are. You would think for how much witchers do for villages, the people and those who hire them would be grateful.
When Geralt discusses the case with the mayor, he brings up what she said in the village. The sass and annoyance Geralt has toward the woman is evident, which makes for a nice moment for the reader. One of the many traits fans adore about the monster hunter is surprisingly his dry attitude and obvious irritation with others. Seeing that within the comics is great.
Throughout the story, you see the village folk praising and defending the mayor multiple times, which leaves a bad taste in Geralt’s mouth as well as the reader’s. The Witcher asks the messenger about this and his response was somewhat alarming. Red flags immediately popped up in my head, causing suspicion into what’s actually going on behind the scenes in this village.
“Don’t meet many rulers who enjoy such love from their people.”
“Can’t help bein’ grateful when you live in p-p-paradise.”
As Geralt begins his investigation into the case. He takes a closer look into the mayor herself and the mage who no one has seen in a long time, and he makes a striking discovery. The visions shown throughout the comic are of the mage as a young boy. The abuse we have seen from an older lady during the visions is his mother. Because of this, Geralt figures out that the Foglets are connected to the mage — most likely formed by him using magic. However, Geralt is then immediately attacked by armored guards. That is where the story ends, for now.
To be continued…
The cliffhangers utilized in this comic series truly make the reader want to know what happens next. I am left wanting to pick up the third installment of this series, because I need to know the truth about what’s going on. Overall, the art really carries this story. While it’s a hunt-focused story that could easily have been a filler episode in the television series, Fading Memories #2 is a nice comic addition to Geralt’s journey. It really gives the reader another piece of information about this fantasy world, as well as the monster hunter himself, to hold on to until the second season comes out.
The Witcher: Fading Memories issue #2 is now available. Pick up a copy at your local comic shop or you can find it through Dark Horse comics here.
