Title: Cosmyx: The Time Witch Issue 1
Author: Alysia Anderson (Story), Asiah Fulmore (Art), Alaine Baybayan (Cover)
Publisher: Time Crunch Comics
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 81
Genre: Supernatural, Action
The Story
For as long as she can remember, Dorothy has heard a ticking noise in her head. Whenever something bad was about to happen, the ticking would grow louder and louder. Because of this, she became a superhero of sorts. Whether it was warning someone about an oncoming car or stopping a bodega robbery, Dorothy held within her a strong sense of justice.
Of course, this lifestyle had its drawbacks… such as being late for school nearly every single day. Even when she does show up, she attempts to get bullied by a girl named Alstyn, and constantly gets lectured by her teachers and the school’s Principal. She doesn’t seem all too fazed by it as she lets those harsh lectures roll off her back.
Meanwhile, there is discussion amongst a group of people that a certain prophecy is about to be fulfilled as The Time Witch is believed to have returned or is close to returning. Leading the investigation into this claim is Constance Grove, and needless to say, Dorothy inadvertently becomes quite the thorn in her side.
Our first issue wraps up with Dorothy frequenting the hospital for a few reasons, one of which is to help a boy named Jairo, whose father is sick. Little did either one know that the hospital had become the prime target, and it’s all because of Constance! Will Dorothy’s strong sense of justice save the day this time? Did she get involved with something that’s finally out of her league?
Characters
Our main character here is Dorothy. She’s got quite the yin/yang attitude about her in the sense that she’s got a strong sense of justice, a willingness to help people, and a sweet and kind side to her. On the other hand, she’s sharp, not afraid to back down from a fight, and a bit numb to harsh critique, as if strong words and threats don’t bother her in the slightest. There is a certain situation that happens that helps shape her strong will, though, and that also ties into why she’s so attached to the hospital. As a character, I enjoyed her very much. She has a spine, she has attitude, but at the same time, she’s sweet, and you just want to hug her. She has the perfect balance for what a main character should be!
Our other main character is Constance Grove. In addition to her duty of looking into the prophecy, she has quite a target on her back. She is the daughter of William Grove, a man whose philanthropy helped develop the city, and because of that, she has a special attachment to it; however, the high status also comes with a bit of a stuck-up attitude. She’s very harsh in her words, and when she runs into Dorothy (or the other way around, quite literally), there is no mincing of words with her reaction. Despite the brash and forward nature of her attitude, she, too, has a sense of justice and a willingness to protect others. She just has quite a few walls around her that we’ll need to break down over future issues to better understand her character.
Next up, we have the comic relief antagonist Alstyn, although I probably wouldn’t go so far as to label her a true antagonist, as she is not the main evil focal point of the series. Instead, she just plays the role of the annoying gnat that you’re trying to swat away every 10 seconds. She shows up at the school gates every morning, looking to pick a fight with Dorothy; however, the result is always the same: her getting embarrassed. Maybe she’s secretly a masochist and loves the beatings? I don’t know, but one would think she would have learned her lesson by now. Then again, comedic relief needs to stay consistent… even if it defies all common sense on her part!
There are a few other characters (such as Lucian and Jairo), but they do go a bit deeper into the first issue’s plot and some of the characters’ backstories, and I would much rather you discover those on your own!
Final Thoughts
I will say this… Independent comics are either hit or miss, and if I’m being honest, about 85% of the time, they are a miss. You can tell that there are story pacing issues, character development issues, overall quality of the artwork being sub-par, and other telltale signs that the work is just a manifestation of fandom rather than passion.
I’m happy to say that Cosmyx: The Time Witch does NOT fall into that 85% category!
The story was cohesive and interesting, the gimmick of a ticking sound in Dorothy’s head was quite clever and not something I have typically seen all too often (or at all), the characters all had unique personalities, the dialogue was intelligently written, and the artwork, while a few panels looked a bit blurry, still screamed something that you could find on a comic store shelf.
When you look at the cover and its title, one would think you would have been taken straight into a fantasy setting. After all, that’s where witches typically live, but to place this in a slice-of-life environment was a great twist. While we have seen many magical series set in a modern environment before, the elements all came together here in a way that just works and works well.
A lot of times, a character can carry a series with an uninteresting story, or a story can prop up rather generic characters to make a series enjoyable. Cosmyx: The Time Witch strikes that perfect balance where interesting characters and an interesting story complement one another to create an enjoyable read.
If you’re looking for a hybrid story blending magic and fantasy with slice-of-life in a high school setting, this is a series you should give your time and attention to.
Grab a copy for yourself at: https://www.timecrunchcomics.com/
You can also check out other Outerhaven reviews on your favorite social media networks:
Subscribe to us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theouterhaven.net
Subscribe to us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheOuterHaven
Subscribe to us on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/theouterhavennet
This item was provided for review by Time Crunch Comics
