I have been reading Dark Horse comics' Beast of Burden's series since the publication of their first mini-series back in 2009. The series follows the adventures of a group of dogs (and the occasional feline appearance) who are not only intelligent beings, but who track down and fights the supernatural forces of darkness that try to invade this world. While the artists have rotated over the years, the writer, Evan Dorkin, who created the series, has remained consistent (although he has had assistance, on occasion, from Sarah Dyer). And although the title refers to the fact that the "beasts" live on or abound Burden Hill, I personally think it can also attest to the fact that these dogs (and cat) bear the burden of protecting not just their community and humans, but the entire world!
"Occupied Territory" is the fourth mini-series (not including the various one-shot specials, as well as appearances in Dark Horse anthology books) and features a look back at one of Emrys's past adventures. Emrys is a sheepdog that is also considered one of the "wise ones" to the animals set with fighting the darkness, and he has been a featured character throughout the series. In these four issues, Dorkin takes readers back to the year 1947, when Emrys and his companion (the human named Jonathan Hope) were sent overseas to an island in the Pacific to discover what has been causing the unusual deaths there.
In the first issue, while scouting for information, Emrys ends up rescuing a small dog without a name (but who Emrys quickly calls "Mullins" after the name of a newspaper comic strip character). Mullins is quite the excitable little character who, without any magical powers like Emrys and his associates, manages to be a very lovable and quirky character. Mullins agrees to help Emrys and his human, but by the end of the first issue, discovers that battling the supernatural means expecting the most unexpected!
From this point forward, the story takes its darker turn, with Emrys, Mullins, and a group of animals that are similar to the wise dogs looking for a way to put an end to the horrors that are attacking the island. The curse at work is a vile one, and it was put in place by an ancient being that is determined to get revenge for what the humans did to her. But what happens when she discovers that her curse is expanding, and it is not only affecting humans, but the animal world as well? Will she put a stop to it? Will Mullins' life be spared? Will the deaths come to an end?
Dorkin and Dyer's plotting keeps the story moving at a pretty quick pace, but not so fast that you don't get to know and appreciate all of the characters, whether good or bad (or somewhere in-between). Benjamin Dewey's art is absolutely beautiful, and something I never realized while reading the story and did not notice until I was looking back over the issues a second time is that there are no text boxes to provide the reader with exposition - rather, the panels of art and the dialogue are sufficient to keep the story moving and provide everything the reader needs to know to enjoy the story. For me, that makes for a much more cinematic telling of the tale, as it keeps the reader engaged in the story itself, rather then stepping outside the story for a second here and there to read an explanation of what has happened, what is happening, or what is about to happen. "Show, Don't Tell" works perfectly here.
Overall, another great addition to the Beasts of Burden series of comics, and here's looking forward to the next story Dorkin has to tell!
RATING: 10 headless bodies out of 10 for showing the world that comic books with animal protagonists can be just as good, if not better, than most of the comics on the market today!
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