I’m a huge Evan Dorkin fan. I’ve collected almost everything he’s done (including his Bill and Ted series). So I’m fairly ashamed to admit that I haven’t read his Beast of Burdens stories (with art by Jill Thompson). To catch up, I grabbed the collected edition: Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites. This collection has the first four short stories and the four issue mini-series. It has painted art by Jill Thompson that works wonderfully with Dorkin’s fun and scary stories. So, who are the Beasts of Burden?

In Burden Hill, there is a group of five dogs (Ace, Rex, Jack, Whitey, and Pugsley) who hang out with a neighborhood cat, Orphan (and later a witches cat named Dymphna). Together they investigate paranormal activities in their area. They are helped by wise dogs who are magical beings that can give our gang help or advice. They investigate missing dogs, cannibal frogs, a rat the size of a doberman, zombies and a scene straight out of Stephen King’s Pet Semetary.

Along the way, we get the humor, friendship, loyalty and courage you would expect from a pack of dogs. And I can’t emphasize how well Jill Thompson’s painted art adds to the ambiance.

Thompson captures the essence of the animals and does a wonderful job making each dog unique (not just in breed, but in temperament as well). The art also brings out the supernatural side of the story as well and is an amazing complement to Dorkin’s stories.

Overall, this is just a fun set of stories that mixes together man’s best friend and man’s nightmares. The art and the story work together well to bring an exciting, funny, adventurous and scary atmosphere that makes it a joy to read. Highly recommended.