Hemlock

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
I will show you fear in a handful of dust...

Hemlock is a black-and-white webcomic by Josceline Fenton. Set in the forests of Scandinavia in the 1800s, it follows the story of Lumi, a young witch who, by a string of bad luck, has found herself tied up in the events of the Witches' Court, and the story of Tristan, a poor peasant boy, who, through a series of unfortunate accidents, ends up being her Familiar.

Updates every Friday, usually several pages at a time.

Tropes used in Hemlock include:
  • Accidental Marriage: Lumi and the fallen witch king, Sindri. Although it was only accidental on Lumi's side.
  • Baba Yaga
  • Back from the Dead/Baleful Polymorph: Tristan died and his soul actually left his body, only to be sucked into the body of a frog.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Ulla appears to be this. Conspiracy to attempt murder on Lumi can be added to her list of charges.
  • Bookworm: Tristan, according to his bio blurb.
  • Chekhov's Gunman: Tristan first shows up in the comic as a little boy that happens to spot Lumi in the forest. Needless to say, he plays a far bigger role later on.
  • Civilized Animal/Talking Animal: Subverted with Richmond. He only speaks in Snailspeak, and he doesn't live in a house: he is one.
  • Clingy MacGuffin: The wedding ring Sindri slapped on Lumi. Not only can she not remove it, it can harm her if she annoys Sindri enough.
  • Dark Is Evil: So far, played straight with Sindri and the Night Things.
  • The Everyman: Tristan fits the bill well... except for not being a man anymore.
  • The Evil Prince: Sindri, who basically went on a tyrannical rampage after Baba Yaga left to the other places, leaving the crown to him. He murdered his Familiar, Hrimfaxi, and sold his subjects into slavery to the Night Things in order to learn their magic. Then tricked Lumi into becoming his wife after she tried to help him.
  • Face Framed in Shadow: Sindri.
    • Actually, it was recently confirmed here that his face is shadow.
  • Familiar: Suul, and later Tristan, as a replacement for Suul. Additionally, all of the witches are said to have these.
    • The only exception, it seems, is Sindri, who murdered his.
  • Family-Unfriendly Death: The first chapter starts with a scene where Lumi eats Suul. When we find out her reasons, though, it can be viewed as a kind act.
  • Incredibly Lame Pun:

Kolya: Strange. Your frog looks terribly familiar somehow.
Lumi: My familiar, yes.

  • Light Is Not Good: Holy crap, Simo.
  • The Lost Woods: Most of the story takes place in the forests of Scandinavia.
  • Meaningful Name: Tristan's last name, Grodkropp, means "frog's body".
    • Additionally, "Tristan" means "sorrow" or alternately "tumult/noise". Make of that what you will. So far, Tristan's adventures do seem both tumultuous and a bit sad.
  • The Obi-Wan: Suul.
  • Peek-a-Bangs: Lumi could be a postergirl for it.
  • Rags to Royalty: Subverted. Lumi was tricked into her marriage to Sindri. As a result of his bad reputation, Simo refuses to recognize her as royalty and she's actually treated more cruelly than she would be if she were a common witch.
  • Really Seven Hundred Years Old: Lumi, Baba Yaga and all other witches, it seems.
  • Third Eye: Tristan, after transferring into the frog's body, has one appear. The eye doesn't seem to belong to him and he cannot see out of it. He covers it up with a spiffy hat.
  • Time Skip: Lumi takes a 10-year nap.
  • Witch Hunt: During the visit to Simo's Court, witches fleeing prosecution from the Salem Witch Trials were shown milling around.
  • Witches Live Longer