Compared to the last issue of this mini-series, this third issue is quite a bit different. After watching a man be eaten alive before his eyes in the last issue Sir Grey looked like a man on a mission, a man who was about to hand the world its ass. Instead Grey comes back to this issue with a sharper tongue and more of defiant attitude more than anything else. Sir Grey approaches the bumbling police officer that he’s been dealing with as he coaches a family on what to say to Grey. Grey throws him off script as the body of the dead man is brought up and the little girl from the family kind of freaks out… in the creepiest way possible.
“I want to touch they bones” is said creepiness.
Grey has some great responses to the police chief as he’s convinced that the Doctor will find the death from natural causes. Grey tells the Copper that he should stop worrying about the Queen’s seal because he’s only there to investigate a murder and now he has two.
The rest of the issue is spent with Grey as he heads to the Poole house for dinner. He asks to pay his respects to Mr. Poole and discovers that he may in fact be cursed by a witch. Will he be allowed to prove it though?
Each issue of this mini-series has been different from the last. The first issue had action, the second had gore and a few reveals and this third issue was all talk, but a great deal of information was learned about the town and Unland. It makes for an enjoyable read having the style of the issue change and gives a clear indication that all three elements will end up playing a role in the ending.
The dialogue is very sharp in this issue. Grey is taken up a notch which seems like it would be a difficult thing to do. The way he lays into the police chief is just funny, but it’s also belittling which makes you wonder what their next interaction will be like. Overall a great job by Kim Newman and Maura McHugh on the dialogue and pacing of the overall story.
If you couldn’t tell the issue is mostly conversations, but Tyler Crook does his thing and makes everything interesting to look at. What is really impressive for Crook’s art this issue is the how he illustrates rain, wet clothing and wet hair. In particular Sir Grey’s hair looked like the hair of someone who had been out in the rain for hours. I really can’t remember a time that I’ve seen rain and the effects of the rain illustrated so realistically, but Crook has set the bar high going forward.
If you haven’t checked out this series then you should catch up. It’s very different from the other Mignolaverse titles, but it still feels at home in the universe. It’s worth checking out even if you only like the mystery or the supernatural. Either way, it’s worth a read.
Score: 4/5
Writers: Kim Newman and Maura McHugh Artist: Tyler Crook Colorist: Dave Stewart Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 8/20/14