THE DARK HORSE BOOK OF WITCHCRAFT Written and illustrated by various writers and artists
Original release date: June 30th, 2004
The Dark Horse Book Of Witchcraft
Various writers and artists, Edited by Scott Allie
Dark Horse Publishing
96 pages
This hardback anthology is a collection of seven comics and one illustrated short story exploring various interpretations of the titular subject. The Hellboy piece is, as usual, the highlight ā€“ Mike Mignola continues to refine the storytelling potential of sequential art, and his pacing is a delight to behold. Editor Scott Allieā€™s contribution (with regular collaborators Paul Lee and Brian Horton) is typically open-ended, while Evan Dorkinā€™s story about talking dogs saving the world from a coven of witches ups the cuteness factor, thanks especially to Jill Thompsonā€™s art. The short story is an unexpurgated piece by pulp writer Clark Ashton Smith, with classic-style illustrations by Gary Gianni, and thereā€™s also a lengthy interview with genuine Wiccan High Priestess Phyllis Curott to counter the stereotypes portrayed in the book. Tony Millionaireā€™s excerpted adaptation of Macbeth may be a weak opener, but on the whole itā€™s still a more fulfilling collection than IDWā€™s similar Tales of Terror book.
Owen Heitmann
