There are plenty of supernatural investigators you could cozy up with this Halloween season. But only one group is furry enough to make it a true joy… Beasts of Burden by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson is the only pets investigating terrifying supernatural mysteries you need this year.
The characters first appeared in Dark Horse Comics‘ 2003 anthology The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings. The plot focuses on a group of dogs and one cat who look into weird goings on in the town of Burden Hill. Over the course of more shorts and several miniseries, Dorkin and Thompson have built up a not-that-complicated but still engrossing mythology…. There are recurring enemies, a continuing plot, Apprentices, Wise Dogs (aka the town elders), and multiple freaky beasties who aren’t dogs or cats we meet over time.
While it has a cute premise and is indeed cute thanks to Thompson’s whimsical linework, Beasts of Burden doesn’t shy away from actual scares. This isn’t Scooby-Doo, it’s closer to Buffy the Vampire Slayer in terms of mixing haunting villains with complicated character dynamics and real stakes — in between dogs and cats being generally adorable.
It’s also been lauded by the comic book industry, winning a whipping eight Eisner Awards out of nine total nominations. If you’re curious to check it out, the best place to start is with Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites, which is available in either hardcover or paperback and collects all the shorts, through the first four-issue miniseries. Just be warned that once you sniff out your first Beasts of Burden story, it’s an itch you won’t stop being able to scratch. That’s a pet joke, sort of.
Bonus: Less spooky, but if you like Jill Thompson’s work (and who doesn’t), don’t miss Scary Godmother, about a Halloween witch fairy godmother. That’s getting its own compendium, coming out November 5, 2024.
It’s spooky season, and you know what that means: time to curl up with a comic book or graphic novel that will scare your socks off. With that in mind, we’re posting a new horror book to check out every day of October, for our 31 Days Of Halloween Comics. Awoooo! Looking for the rest of our picks? Check them out on the Halloween tag.