Ichi the Witch, Vol. 1

Gr 8 Up–A skilled hunter breaks new ground when he becomes a witch in a world where that title is reserved for women. In this realm, monsters named ­Majiks are a constant danger to humans, and witches, who are always female, fight them not only to ­remove the danger but also to gain the ­Majik’s powers. This is of zero interest to Ichi, who was abandoned as a child and survives by hunting. He lives in the woods, and while he loves to hunt, he will kill only for food or because the animal is threatening him or another human. When he sees a Majik attacking a witch, he traps it and gains its power, becoming the first male witch. After a trip to the witches’ capital, he teams up with a daredevil witch named Descarras and a smart but timid witch cadet named Kumugi, and together they are turned loose on the local monsters. While Ichi breaks a lot of rules, he has a directness that combines with his hunting skills to make him a ­natural fighter. The art, like the story, is high-key, with crowded pages, speedlines, flashes, and other visual cues to keep the action moving. The characters, human and Majik, are beautifully rendered, with lots of variety and an original quality to the character ­designs.