Beasts of Burden #1

I somehow managed to miss the earlier appearances of the Beasts of Burden, so I didn't know what to expect with this issue.

My first impression was, "Ah, a comic about talking animals. I should show this to my lovely wife - she loves stories about dogs." Then I read it and realized, this is not a humor book - it's a horror story, so it's not a comic for my wife (she hates scary stuff).

However, that's not to say that it's a bad comic - quite the opposite. I really enjoyed this offbeat tale written by Evan Dorkin. Subtitled "The Gathering Storm," the story is set in the quiet neighborhood of Burden Hill, where strange, mystical things are happening.

Luckily for the oblivious residents of the town, the animals are looking out for them. The dogs and cats serve as the first line of defense against supernatural menaces (although some of the animals tackle the job quite reluctantly).

The stories are infused with lots of humor, great characters and some nasty events to challenge the four-legged "Spook Squad."

The art by Jill Thompson is outstanding (which should come as no surprise to those familiar with her work). She manages to walk a fine line between making the animals look realistic while infusing them with character, humor and life. The settings and backgrounds are amazingly detailed and help bring the story to life.

For those (like me) who missed the earlier short stories, Dark Horse has conveniently placed them online - you can read them right here.

I recommend this series to anyone who's ready for a story that's out of the ordinary, tinged with horror and humor, and loaded with animals who seem to be real (in other words, if animals talked, these are the kinds of conversations they'd have).

But don't show it to my wife.

Grade: A-