Hex Wives is a 2018 series from Vertigo Comics.
For hundreds of years a war has been waged between a coven of perpetually reincarnating witches and the all-male conspiracy known as the Architects. After the death of the lead Architect in 2005 it seemed the witches had finally defeated their foes.
Now, 13 years later, waking up in a perfect cookie cutter home at the end of a cul-de-sac in a sunny corner of suburbia, Isadora has no recollection of her past life as the leader of a witch coven, nor her soulmate Nadiya, let alone the centuries-old war she has waged in defense of the soul of America…
Hex Wives contains examples of:
- All Witches Have Cats: Danali is almost always accompanied by her fat white cat. In #4, one of the Architects refers to her as possessing some kind of 'cat magic'. In the same issue, when Becky starts flying after her magical abilities activate, the Architects miss it, because a large number of cats swarm all of the cameras, blocking their view.
- Big Brother Is Watching: The Architects have every inch of the cul-de-sac covered by cameras and microphones: allowing them to monitor the witches at all times and ensure they never do anything that might lead to them discovering their powers.
- Blood Lust: Isadora's special witch power is that she basically gets stronger and more violent the more blood that gets spilled. Doesn't matter who's spilling the blood or who's blood is being spilled.
- Blood Magic: The witches' magic is based on blood. The more blood that is spilled, the more powerful the magic becomes-even something as small as killing a spider.
- Bratty Teenage Daughter: Danali is given this personality in the Stepford Suburbia that is Desert Canyon.
- Broomstick Quarterstaff: In 2005, Isadora killed the Head Architect by stabbing him with a broomstick.
- Carrying a Cake: In #2, one of Nadiya's cakes is destroyed by Danali's cat charging through her kitchen.
- Cats Are Magic: Danali is almost always accompanied by her fat white cat. In #4, one of the Architects refers to her as possessing some kind of 'cat magic'. In the same issue, when Becky starts flying after her magical abilities activate, the Architects miss it, because a large number of cats swarm all of the cameras, blocking their view.
- Chairman of the Brawl: In #6, Bradley hits Aaron with a wheelchair as the Architects start to fall apart.
- Full-Frontal Assault: When the ancient Mother of Witches escapes confinement in #6, she launches an attack on the Architects stark naked. Definitely Fan Disservice.
- Hands Go Down: In #6, Nadiya is in the middle of an angry rant at the Architects, when her 'husband' Eric unwisely decides to interpret her sarcastic question literally:"Oh well, please forgive me! I'd hate for you men to feel diminished. Does anyone else feel betrayed in any way? Eric, put your hand down."
- How Do I Shot Web?: When Becky sheds blood by accidentally killing Danali's cat, she starts to fly. She then crashes to ground because she has no idea how to control her flight.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Isadora's memory gets erased by the Mother of Witches after she discovers the latter because Aaron threatened to harm her otherwise.
- Lipstick-and-Load Montage: In #1, an entire page is devoted to Isadora's morning routine to make her the perfect 50s housewife.
- Madwoman in the Attic: In #3, Isadora discovers that Aaron is keeping the wizened Mother of Witches strapped to a chair in a secret room of their house. The Mother attempts to tell Isadora of her true nature as a witch, but Aaron knocks her out and she loses all memory of the meeting.
- Man on Fire: When the witches regain knowledge of their powers and break out of the men's control, one of Becky's first acts is to set fire to her 'husband' Ryan, who goes running off into the distance on fire.
- Men Can't Keep House: In #3, Aaron deliberately invokes this as part of his reinforcing of gender stereotypes. Isadora comes downstairs to find Aaron making breakfast for her, but, in doing so, he has dirtied every dish in the kitchen, splattered batter on the windows, knocked a bin on to the floor, etc.
- Menstrual Menace: Danali's magical powers activate when she has her first period. Isadora gives her some pretty frank advice on dealing with menstruation.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Aaron goes to great lengths to make sure the witches don't accidentally cut themselves and thereby activate their Blood Magic. Then he tells Isadora to make sure she washes the black-handled knives by hand as putting them in the dishwasher blunts them. Isadora, who was already in a strange headspace, decides to cut herself to see what happens.
- No Periods, Period: Averted. The men attempt to enforce this by putting the witches on birth control pills due to their Blood Magic, but Danali's magical powers activate when she has her first period. And Isadora gives her some pretty frank advice on dealing with menstruation.
- Reincarnation: The witches are effectively immortal; being reincarnated every time they die. However, there is no guarantee they will awaken to their power, and it is possible for one to live an entire lifetime and never discover she is a witch.
- Rip Tailoring: In #6, after taking their revenge on the Architects, the witches change up their outfits. Isadora decides to take a pair of scissors to most of her clothing, most noticeably her coat.
- Rhetorical Question Blunder: Combined with Hands Go Down in #6. Nadiya is in the middle of an angry rant at the Architects, when her 'husband' Eric unwisely decides to interpret her sarcastic question literally:"Oh well, please forgive me! I'd hate for you men to feel diminished. Does anyone else feel betrayed in any way? Eric, put your hand down."
- Roll in the Hay: In #1, Nadiya and Isadora are having a lesbian tryst in the hayloft of a barn when the soldiers catch up to them in 1777.
- Rule of Seven: There are seven total members of the coven, and all of their magic gets stronger when they work together.
- Secret War: A centuries long war has been waged between a constantly reincarnating coven of witches and all-male secret society known as the Architects. The story starts with the Architects having come up with a new strategy to remove the witches from the board: make them forget they are witches.
- Stepford Suburbia: The prison that the Architects create for the witches is a picture perfect 1950s suburb.
- Tap on the Head: In #3, Aaron knocks out Isadora by hitting her over the back of the head with a lamp. When she wakes up, she can't remember what happened, and has a bruise that Aaron tells her she got from rolling out of bed.
- Torches and Pitchforks: In #1, a Puritan mob bearing torches and pitchforks comes for the witches. Leads to Aaron Gabriel's quote (several centuries later):"Their magic is Blood Magic. Blood is spilled, and their magic gets stronger. So, yes, by all means, let's keep attacking them with pitchforks."
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Bradley pretends to be badly burned as part of a scheme by the Architects to dissuade the women from wanting to leave the cul-de-sac.
