MTHR has transported Adri, Em and Michele away from the sanctum, so she alone can face the threat that has been hunting and killing the wytches across the city. However, this threat and MTHR are connected by a fateful night years ago, and that connection could prove to be MTHR’s undoing. Will the coven be able to finally unlock the sight and save not only MTHR but all of wytchkind? Bytchcraft #4 is written by Aaron Reese, illustrated by Lema Carril, colored by Bex Glendining and lettered by Morgan Martinez.
Whether from biological family or found family, a positive mother figure can have a profound impact on a person’s life. This is especially true for queer people of color who have been rejected by their biological families. In fact, the term “Mother” as used by the LGBTQ+ community came from ball culture, established by queer Black and Latinx folks. According to an article in Gay Times, the “Mother” of the house in ball culture is a leader who takes younger LGBTQ+ folks under their wing. It is this role that Bytchcraft‘s MTHR has embodied for the coven of Em, Adri and Michele.
Until this issue, MTHR has served as a source of guidance from afar, informing the coven about their prophecy, their full potential and Eve, the mysterious threat hunting wytches in the city. Now, things have escalated to the point where MTHR must step in and confront Eve herself. It is here that MTHR’s true power and form are shown beautifully through Lema Carril’s stunning artwork and Bex Glendining’s brilliant colors. My favorite image from this comic is MTHR’s true form, which shows how much the coven members take after her.
When it comes to MTHR versus Eve, the two feel like opposites as characters. Whereas MTHR embodies guidance, Eve embodies dominance and an insatiable thirst for power. Something about Eve that I didn’t notice until this issue is how she seems to be a twist on the Eve from the Christian Bible. For those not familiar, Eve got kicked out of the Garden of Eden by God after being tempted by Satan (in the form of a snake) to eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge.
In Bytchcraft, a snake functions as Eve’s familiar as she uses the guidance of angels called Seraphim to claim the magic she feels she rightfully deserves. The Seraphim are guiding Eve through a process called The Sacrament, a series of sacrifices involving a blood sacrifice, a spirit sacrifice and a bodily sacrifice. With the killing of wytches in the city, the blood sacrifice has already been made. Now, Eve just needs two more sacrifices and aims to make the coven one of them.
Speaking of the coven, the previous issue was a LOT for them, and they’ve needed a bit of R&R. Luckily, MTHR sends them to a chic diner owned by the goddess Circe, where they can eat and catch up on how bad things are with Eve and the ongoing eclipse they caused in issue #1. Circe encourages the coven to try to harness the power of “The Sight” again and allows them to use the void space in the back to do so. However, right before they can attempt it, the battle with MTHR and Eve reaches its climax as the issue ends.
Now, it is up to the coven to defeat Eve once and for all with everything they’ve learned from MTHR and their journey. Whether they succeed remains to be seen, but I am rooting for them.
Latonya "Penn" Pennington is a freelance contributor whose comics criticism can be found at Women Write About Comics, Comic Book Herald, Newsarama and Shelfdust, among others. Follow them @wordsfromapenn.com on Bluesky.
