Sons of the Batman [Plus Hemlock + Hector]

"The Sons of the Batman is a magical order dedicated to the spiritual model provided by the world's greatest urban shaman: The Batman."

No further explanation necessary. Become the Bat.

Speaking of comics...since Halloween is approaching, I thought I'd take a moment to plug a couple of graphical works that would be of interest to witchy folks such as ourselves.

The first is an online strip called Hemlock, by Joceline Fenton. It's the story of a wandering witch named Lumi, and a hapless farm boy named Tristan, who gets transformed into a toad and bound to her service. I really, really love this series. Aside from extrapolating from the Baba Yaga stories in some really interesting ways, and regularly featuring one of my favorite subjects (that is, man witches), I find it pretty relatable. Lumi doesn't know the same magics that her peers do (she's learned the older, freakier ways from her familiar), she gets caught in strange pacts with some pretty dubious characters, and always makes sure to put on an enormous, engulfing coat when it's freezing outside. (But I always manage to stay cold, somehow.) Thanks to all that and Fenton's wonderful sense of style, mystery, and humor, I've become a loyal reader. It's like I can feel the icy wind blowing through me, when her witches fly and burst through the snow.

The second is a series from Image comics called Hector Plasm, by Benito Cereno and Nate Bellegarde. The hero, Hector, is nothing less than a Benandanti, guarding the living from the dead - and the dead from the living - with the help of an ectoplasmic sword. (Also, can I just say: dreamy?) And let's not forget his familiar spirits: a beatnik named Sinner, and a cowboy named Saint, who are not always helpful but usually have okay advice. Unlike your typical "paranormal investigator" dynamic, this comic is much less about interrogating people at breakfast tables and drinking establishments, and much more about finding ghosts and using swords. (I know what I prefer.) You can read a one-shot that appeared in Pop Gun #1 on the artist's blog. Or, you can check out this beautiful and very amusing featurette the creators put together for the Halloween season, called Hector contre le Dance Macabre, in which Hector encounters the Dance of Death, and is swept up in the madness for awhile. It's a delight to watch. (Mild warning for boobies.) The author also has a tumblog where he discusses myths and folktales on Tuesdays and Thursdays. (Guy really knows his history, too. Instafollow!)