Longtime collaborators Mike Mignola and Chris Roberson revisit one of their most engaging creations this week, Sir Edward Grey, a Victorian (and paranormally focused) investigator who blends the sluethiness of Sherlock Holmes with the occult know-how of John Constantine. But those mutton chops? They’re all his…
Here’s the official word from @darkhorsecomics
Sir Edward Grey, occult adviser to the queen, confronts flesh-eating corpses and discovers a temple beneath London. The mystery that compels him the most is what the sinister Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra wants with it—and from him.
It’s pretty safe to say by now that Mike Mignola isn’t just a creator anymore, he’s a brand. And central to this brand, of course, is the Mignolaverse – a shorthand term used to encapsulate all the volumes of continuity, characters, and storylines that grew from the tiny flame that Mignola sparked with his original Hellboy one-shot back in 1993. And while Mignola can take the lion’s share of credit for how the Hellboy franchise grew, the truth is that he’s nearly perfected the art of collaboration, always finding *just* the right partner to expand his ideas into something exciting and new. And while it might be sacrilege to suggest that some of the character’s these collaborations have birthed are more interesting than the granddaddy Hellboy himself, I have to admit I’ve always liked the snarky occult advisor to the Queen, Edward Grey.
And I bet you will, too.
If you’re longtime fan of the Mignolaverse, it’s likely that Witchfinder: City of the Dead is not your first exposure to Sir Edward Grey, but what’s lovely about this run – and all of Mignola’s limited arcs – is that even if you’ve never encountered Grey before, you won’t be lost. Yes, there are gestures to earlier adventures, and the ghoulish Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra still plays the role of central villain, but the real action starts in a much more neutral place: with the Molemen of the late 1800’s, the working class folks who dug the London Underground. While digging tunnels the Molemen uncover a hidden temple that, they quickly learn, is not as abandoned as they initially suspected. Whatever magic the underground temple had repressed – or contained – has suddenly been released by the city’s industrial progress, and begun to unleash a host of oddities back on the surface. The most notable? The dead are coming back to life.
Grey’s crankiness and lack of fear are both endearing and entertaining. Some of the best writing of this issue comes from this character’s seemingly endless ability to toggle between ass-kicking shenanigans and deep, nearly philosophical reflections on the state of death and magic. In this sense, Grey is a nearly perfect hero – he can fight, and think. And the last pages of this issue will leave you wanting more.
Ben Stenbeck’s art is awesome here – his ability to capture facial expressions and his mastery of anatomy are strangely useful when illustrating zombies that are charging at Grey naked while their guts fall out. Ultimately a period piece, Stenbeck’s ability to capture a long gone era is necessary here – he depicts city blocks, old medical tools, and period garb in ways that are real, and add palpable authority to the book.
Overall, Witchfinder: City of the Dead #1 was a joy read. Fun, spooky, and worth every cent.
Review by Max Delgado; [email protected] ; Twitter: @LongBoxProject
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