Not for a long time have I felt that there was a new series custom built for my personality, until I discovered Beasts of Burden. The original, Eisner Award-winning Beasts shorts that began appearing in Dark Horse horror anthologies back in 2003 dragged me in, hook, line and sinker. What Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson have created in this book is a certifiably original Milo & Otis meets Ghostbusters scenario. Set in the seemingly average town of Burden Hill, this gaggle of house pets team together to fight the mysteries of the occult, and discover that there may be more to their town than doghouses and picket fences.
The previous shorts - some of which are currently available for reading on Dark Horse's website - saw the group tackle things from ghosts to witches, all the while oozing heart-wrenching moments and laugh-out-loud dialog. I'm a sucker for cute animals, nearly always; what makes the pets of Beasts of Burden so unique amongst a plethora of other comics featuring personified animals, like Mouse Guard or The Mice Templar, is that these characters are still pets. Though they may have human language and personality, they are still sniffing each others asses, hunting for table scraps, and concerned about returning to their yard before their "people" get home from work. It wouldn't surprise me if the germ of this idea originated in the classic "I wonder what my dog does while I'm not home" cubicle amusement.
Being a debut issue, I have somewhat of a concern that there is not enough of an introduction to these characters and their past adventures for the unfamiliar reader. No doubt that a new reader could pick up on a character's general personality after two lines of dialog, but there are events referenced here that play a fairly important role in the characterization of specific characters that may not translate to a reader enjoying Beasts for the first time. It's not much of a gripe, but when a series is going to essentially live or die by its first four issues - declared a "trial run" by Editor Scott Allie in the letters pages - I would think it essential to capture the reader fully.
However, I think it's relatively safe to say that any readers who, for whatever ungodly reason, aren't immediately sold on Beasts of Burden in terms of Dorkin's hilarious pet renderings, they will be assuaged by Jill Thompson's gorgeous painted pages. Not only is the brush style and general presentation just pretty, but Thompson's ability to make these animal characters emote is uncanny. Within this one issue alone, just about every position on the human emotional spectrum is hit at one point or another, and regardless of which character it is, dog or cat - or frog - Thompson nails them all.
The combination of Thompson's art with Dorkin's clear love of his characters gives the book a lot of heart, particularly for what will generally be seen as a horror comic. It's a very odd and unique dichotomy, but one that works brilliantly in execution. It's also important to note that despite the look of the art and the apparent tenderness of these characters, this isn't a book intended for children. It could be enjoyed by them, for sure, but there are, in fact, animal deaths: something that irks me to my core even at my age. In fact, if you decide to check out the first short story, "Stray", at the link provided above, I will challenge you to resist tearing up.
As I said, these first full-length issues are a trial run, so snatch this up. Whether you are looking for a good ghost story or just want to ogle a good mix of dog breeds, you'll be jumping on board at the first issue of what has the potential to be one of the most enduring and original comics in recent years.
