Title: Bowling With Corpses (& Other Strange Tales From Lands Unkown)
Type: Graphic Anthology
Authors: Mike Mignola (Art and Story), Dave Stewart (Colours)
Publisher: Dark Horse Books
I’ve been meaning to publish the odd little spoiler free review of some books, stories and the like for a while so this little volume seemed like a fitting place to begin.
If you don’t know, Mike Mignola is the auteur behind the wildly successful Hellboy series, spinoffs and world. Yeah maybe you know Hellboy just from the films (stick to the first one if not) but Hellboy grew into this world spanning, apocalyptic legend from quiet beginnings steeped in Mike Mignola’s love and excellent knowledge or particularly, but far from only, European folklore with an emphasis originally on the British but quickly bringing in particularly Eastern Europe’s fantastic, dark and grim tales.
But with the main tale of Hellboy done and Mignola muttering about half retirement, the urge reawoke and what this is, frankly, is what Mr Mignola does so well: Strange, dark, grim and tales that are also often fiendishly funny and strangely humorous.
The art is instantly recognisable. He draws in initially simple broad strokes and heavy shade but in a few frames the magic of his eye and hand unfolds. The expression and emotion he can draw with small lines interrupting a broad face, or one word issuing from a cow (no, really) can cause sadness, or smiles or inquisitiveness. He draws an old world of shadow and moonlight and lost artefacts, midnight conversations by candlelight, strange animals breaking the fourth wall, stranger people muttering into the depths and just an intense atmosphere of a world blended from his huge imagination and the whispers of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Fritz Lieber, Lord Dunsany and the like haunting the chapel.
This is not Hellboy’s world. This is a world apart, a new haunted playground. It is a dark folklore haunted place with a strong feeling of Eastern Europe perhaps around a melding of 15th, 16th, 17th century atmosphere. It is a place where a seemingly witless youth can find himself the owner of a powerful artefact simply for, well, what the title says and with nothing but the confidence of youth.
We cross paths with pirates who made bad deals and tiny cows who make great cheese. We also get the origin of the world, as long as you believe crows, and the wonder of simply listening to travelling storytellers in distant deserts or smoky inns in a wild wood. The devil and vampires and pushy racoons and rabbits demanding starring roles.
In short this is an absolute delightful collection of the first tales of this world where the art and tales of the natural storyteller quietly do their thing like small creatures rummaging around your library. It should be a natural place to settle down for any fan of dungeon synth who doesn’t mind not just a grand sense of adventure but also a wry and eccentric sense of humour. It should be a natural wayside inn for anyone who loves folklore and simply reading.
The art will spellbind you, the words will entrance you and the characters will stay with you long after the back cover closes.
Now skidaddle to your local comic shop and seek it out. It is a treasure.
Gizmo
Bowling with Corpses and Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown HC :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics
Walking The Liminal Space 