Beasts of Burden #4

Written by Evan Dorkin
Art by Jill Thompson

I really feel like this was the best mini-series of 2009, and it came as a total surprise to me. I had never read the 'Book of...' shorts (still haven't despite their being available on-line for free), and wasn't a fan of Evan Dorkin's comedic work. I picked up the first issue for Thompson's art, and was blown away by the level of quality in this comic.

Now, with this fourth issue, we get more of the same greatness. While each of these issues has told a done-in-one story, we see here that they build on each other, and paint a picture that shows that bad things are happening in Burden Hill. This time around, the gang investigates some strange goings on in a cemetery, which includes a resurrected human, who the animals can talk to.

Central to this comic is the strong character work from both Dorkin and Thompson. These animals are individual characters, and the creators have a really good feel for who they are, and what they each bring to the story.

I strongly urge anyone who hasn't been buying this to either snatch up the single issues, or buy the trade when it becomes available.