Sir Edward Grey, Witchfinder: In The Service of Angels

Sir Edward Grey, Witchfinder: In the Service of Angels (2009)
Trade Paperback
Dark Horse



What better way to kick off the month of October than with a Mike Mignola limited series? Especially one that's as good as In the Service of Angels, the first mini-series about Victorian supernatural detective Sir Edward Grey?

In short, the story follows Sir Edward as he tries to solve the mystery of several inexplicable deaths in London in the late 19th century. The murders are connected not just to one another, but also, it turns out, to a privately funded expedition to the East, and to the remarkable find the members of the expedition brought back with them. By the end of the tale, he's dealt with a medium, two cults, a Victorian deep sea diver, and even a disfigured prostitute or two -- everything you need in a good penny dreadful adventure. Add on a couple of additional shorter comics and a few annotated pages of sketches from the creation of the series, and you get a pretty satisfying read.

I wouldn't hesitate to call Mike Mignola one of the greatest creators currently active in the comics field; he's carved out quite a niche for himself with his pulpy action/horror hybrid tales, starting with Hellboy and growing to include the BPRD and the rest of the expanded Hellboy universe -- of which Sir Edward Grey is a part.

Beyond his own creative abilities, Mignola's got a good eye for talent, and he proves it again with his selection of Ben Steinbeck to handle pencils and inks on this series. Steinbeck is no stranger to the world of Hellboy, having contributed to BPRD and Hellboy Animated prior to his work here, and his art is as well-suited to a Mike Mignola story as Mignola's own.

I borrowed this trade paperback from the library this afternoon and devoured it, finishing it before I even got home. Highly recommended.

Xombi #2 (2011 series)

Xombi #2 (2011 series)
DC Comics
Ongoing



I don't normally write about a comic the week it came out, but I have to share this with you. Because Xombi is probably the best monthly comic going today. It's even, based on these first two issues, better than the original series from Milestone. The first series was great, but the art at times was a little scratchy. Frazer Irving's art (and since there's no colourist credit, I'll assume he's responsible for that too) is absolutely gorgeous. The characters are expressive, lighting and shading is evocative - the colours are even used as a subtle storytelling element in a way few people can pull off.

On top of that, Rozum's script is bang-on and his ideas are, as always, excellent. There's a great supporting cast, intriguing mysteries, and of course a great plot-twist-cum-cliffhanger at the end. You get nuns with guns, haunted coins, and a bad-ass killer homunculus, all for only $2.99. Plus a special sneak-preview of a new Batman comic if you're into that sort of thing.

Sadly, in today's marketplace, this comic isn't selling well. People are too busy buying a dozen Flashpoint comics because it's the SUMMER EVENT, and passing this up because it's not connected to that or, even worse, "because it'll be canceled soon." I'll be honest: that pisses me off. Xombi is an excellent comic that deserves wide exposure and should be selling in the high five-digits at least.

Do yourself a favour: run down to the comic book shop, find issues #1 and #2, buy them, read them, and see that I know what I'm talking about. You'll be doing me a favour too, because the more people buy it, the longer the series will run.