Giant rats attack in Beasts of Burden: The Presence of Others No. 1
Your favorite animals are back in Beasts of Burden: The Presence of Others No. 1!
Talking animals are a favorite trope of writers, probably since time immemorial. The Bible has that snake, Aesop had a bunch of creatures; even Avengers: Endgame has a talking raccoon. Writer Evan Dorkin and artist Jill Thompson have been pumping out the Beasts of Burden for a couple decades now, focusing on the magical adventures of a pack of dogs theoretically living in upstate New York.
The hounds work with other animals, such as cats and birds, and occasionally with a human or two who is sensitive to the magic the dogs are capable of using, known as a “companion”, to fight evil wherever they may find it. Thompson does some absolutely gorgeous watercolor work, and Dorkin has a real knack for making the adventures both engrossing and soulful, which is a testament to his skill. Nate Piekos did the lettering, and the whole thing is just a treat to enjoy.
Dark Horse Comics
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Paranormal investigators team up with the Beasts of Burden
In the last series, our Wise Dogs defeated an evil group of warlocks trying to summon a demon from a mine, dealing with shape-shifting magicians and monstrous boars. This series starts off with a letter from a woman, Sabina, to her mother, informing her that she, her brother, and her father made it to Burden Hill, at the request of the local sheriff, to investigate some unusual deaths. While in the cemetery, the humans are confronted by the beasts of Burden, who don’t trust the people. Sabina and her father, Paul, have “the gift”, passed down in their family, which allows them to understand what the dogs are saying. Her brother, Russ, doesn’t have the gift, but if he holds hands with his family the gift transfers over to him, temporarily. The Wise Dogs warn the humans about a magic rat colony living in the grave of one of the recently deceased people and “skull golems” roaming the graveyard as well.
Dark Horse Comics
The Master threatens the lives of all the Beasts of Burden
The humans are also warned about The Master, a disembodied voice that is clearly evil and up to no good. Paul wants to examine the crypt of a boy killed by wild dogs, and the beasts of Burden act a little weird about it, implying the story isn’t all that it seems. As Paul is picking the lock to the crypt, everyone hears the cats scream, and Russ and Sabina head off to check it out, leaving two dogs behind with their father.
Once he gets the doors open, Paul is attacked by powerful red vines that drag him into the crypt and make him drop his pistol; the dogs try to help but are knocked unconscious. His children come across some rats who claim to be fleeing from both the rat king and The Master, and then they are attacked by the magic rat colony, along with a humongous three-eyed rat the size of a Shetland pony.
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The giant rat kills a cat, and is close to killing Sabina, when one of the dogs who was with her father comes running, bringing her his pistol, with which she blows the giant rat away. The other rats flee, and everyone heads back to the crypt, where Paul is acting quite zombie-like. Russ tasers his father and there the issue ends. If magic talking animals aren’t for you, you won’t like this comic, but if you like that idea, this is absolutely the comic for you. 9/10, highly recommended. Let us know what you thought in the comments section below.