The latest in Mignola and Golden’s sporadic adventures of their World War 1 era hero, ‘The Witch of Harju’ is another fine tale for fans of period horror and serves as a worthy addition to the series.
WRITTEN BY: Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden
ART BY: Peter Bergting
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: July 30, 2014
Review By: Ooknabah
Set in Estonia in 1920, our story kicks off strong with Baltimore running across Sofia Valk, a woman pursued by her undead husband. This meeting kicks off an investigation which will delve deeper into the events surrounding both her husband’s rising as well as the plentiful occult happenings in the area at large. And so our hero moves deeper into the territory of the weird, as dangers mount and doom lurks ever closer.
Baltimore manages to make good use of its time period, drawing on the most unsettling parts of the turn of the century, all while maintaining a hero who is at once prepared and game for a fight while also being clearly outmatched on many occasions. His men are brave and do not balk at the undead, but that does not prevent them from meeting grisly ends and from suffering all to human faults of poor judgement and foolhardy courage. This has you rooting for the heros, while at the same time knowing that they may not be long for the world, and this excitement helps propel the story forward even at these early stages.
Peter Bergting’s art works well, bringing to mind the work of Jeff Smith, with bold lines and expressive faces, while the action has suitable heft and weight grounding each movement and making them feel tangible and real. Dave Stewart’s colours present a muted look that evokes the sepia tones of old photographs, helping reinforce the period, although they make the horror elements feel rather pedestrian and mundane.
If you’re looking for another Mignola book, this one will fit the bill, rising to the usual high standard of quality. If you’re intrigued about horror in the early 20th century, this issue promises to deliver on that premise. That said, there is something lacking from this book to make it an absolute must read, which may be resolved as the story continues on to the next issue and the stakes are increased. Still, there is plenty here worth reading and the tight plotting should mean many more twists and turns to come.
Ooknabah AKA Brent Hirose is a writer, actor and gigantic nerd from Vancouver B.C. You can listen to his podcast about that at HugeNerds.Podomatic.Com or check out his many other projects at BrentHirose.com