The Toad Of Geralt’s Burdens In The Witcher: Of Flesh And Flame #2
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
We flashback to when Geralt accidentally slew the Ofieri prince, Servat, in the form of a monstrous toad in the sewers beneath Oxenfurt. In the present, Geralt and Dandelion have been brought before Servat’s father, King Nibras. Dandelion claims to be a prince himself, and Geralt says that his name is Lambert. Nibras tells them that they are bound for death unless “Lambert” brings the head of Geralt of Rivia, the man who killed his son and court mage. Geralt agrees to hunt himself, but the new court mage, Hatun Radeyah, reveals that she knows Geralt’s true identity. She needs his help; something has gone awry in the king’s court. Meanwhile, Dandelion is being served by concubines, and they have a scheme of their own to resolve the troubles in the royal court of Ofier.
Witcher: Of Flesh and Flame #2 brings some classic Witcher political intrigue into the mix, as Geralt and Dandelion must face the mistakes of Geralt’s past–well specifically, the mistakes he made in the Hearts of Stone expansion to The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt.
It really does read like a side mission in Witcher–which may sound like condemnation–but the writing in Witcher is excellent. There are multiple sides to the story, a mystery, and some very dry Geralt humor.
A duel takes place towards the end that throws things further into chaos, and it’s pretty damn cool.
Marianna Strychowska’s artwork is great, and it continues to render Geralt, Dandelion, and other characters perfectly in line with the game. It adds a level of sleekness to the visuals that make for a nice addition. Lauren Affe’s color work is vibrant and well-balanced too.
Witcher: Of Flesh and Flame #2 is an interesting and faithful expansion of the Witcher universe. Geralt and Dandelion are in a land strange to them and asking to pay up for an action Geralt thought was taken nobly. Plus, it ties into an expansion to the last Witcher game, so that’s kind of cool from a nerdy standpoint. In any case, this one is worth a recommendation. Feel free to check it out.
The Witcher: Of Flesh and Flame #2 comes to us from writers Aleksandra Motyka and Travis Currit, artist and cover artist Marianna Strychowska, color artist Lauren Affe, and letterer Steve Dutro.
