Capsule Trade Review: Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites Is A Beauty

With Evan Dorkin's pithy, sharp script and Jill Thompson's beautiful artwork, Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites succeeds as work of art. The combination of great storytelling and engrossing artwork is, for readers, irresistible. The writing is reminiscent of Neil Gaiman's treatment of felines in the Sandman opus, in particular Sandman # 18 entitled "A Dream of a Thousand Cats". As for Thompson's illustrations, you can just stare at a particular panel for a while, without the use of any outside illicit stimulation. The result of this witch's brew is a series of interlocking and compelling supernatural stories as seen through the eyes of dogs and cats. If it sounds weird, it is weird, but Beasts works. Think Kolchak The Night Stalker meets its illegitimate son, The X-Files, meets Watership Down. The animals become the unofficial guardians of Burden Hill, ferreting out mysteries, monsters, and developing as characters as well as in any other good forms of fiction.

Thompson is also known for the Scary Godmother children's books.