“The Sandman Presents: Thessaly, Witch for Hire”
October 13th, 2009

Another Sandman-related graphic novel, Thessaly, Witch for Hire by Bill Willingham (Fables) and Shawn McManus, revisits a character from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman storyline A Game of You. She’s the last and most powerful of the Thessalian witches, a Greek coven. When an old “friend” turns up, he turns out to be part of the problem. He’s a ghost called Fetch, and he’s called down a series of demons on her that she’s had to dispatch. The problem, though, is that she’s trying to live in peace, after a lifetime of violence. Demon killing is not only NOT peaceful, it’s not low profile, so Thessaly has to keep moving once the neighbors twig to what she’s up to. But the biggest and baddest demon of them all is yet to come, and Thessaly has no idea how, or if, she’s going to survive it. She and Fetch give it a go, though, with predicable results.

This is a good one-off story, entertaining and well-drawn by McManus, who created the character along with Gaiman. There’s funny banter, and some mean people get what’s coming to them. Good, but doesn’t scratch much deeper than the surface, and some graphic sex and violence mean it’s for older teens and adults. ( )

One of the more enigmatic characters in the unfathomable world that is Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman," Thessaly has also become one of the most endearing. Maybe its because she's a waifishly cute witch of the bookish variety (oftentimes seen wearing fluffy pink slippers) -- at first glance -- but more of the powerful and ruthless type once you get to know her.

Thessaly is your average immortal, powerful witch. She gets up in the morning, goes to the market, and fights off the demons that happen to invade her home. Actually, she's fought off more than 30 demons in the past two years, and she's getting a little tired of trying to explain that to the neighbors.

Everything becomes clear when Fetch shows up. He is her erstwhile suitor, a charmingly dapper fellow who looks like a 1940s screen star and is a ghost somehow composed of all the people Thessaly ever killed (and believe me, there's a lot!).

Smitten with Thessaly, Fetch has attempted simultaneously to get closer to her and give her life a little meaning by signing her up for a monster-killing contract without her prior knowledge or consent.

Her general irritation with him grows into actual anger and fear when she learns that they are slated to fight a Tharmic Null–a being composed of nothingness and impossible to beat.

The art is lively and cartoonlike, a nice counterpoint to some of the grimmer elements of the story. Thessaly is slight and girlish; her looks belie her ruthless nature. Fetch is a fantastic contrast for her–jovial and slick where Thessaly is dark and cruel.

The climax of ( )

The further adventures of Thessaly. Not as well written as Gaiman, but still quite good. Thessaly is an interesting character that you want to explore further. Not your standard witch. ( )