Compared to the previous three issues, the series ends on a weak note. It’s still awesome and all, but it’s a kinda cliffhanger and kinda cliffhangers are damned annoying when it comes to limited series. The letters column even opens with talk about another series, instead of giving this one any kind of closure. In fact, it raises even more issues, with the ostensible team leader (Ace) showing a murderous streak (he, possessed, helped kill the young Republican in issue two).

It’s a dark issue, with the Burden Hill Beasts (their team name, which I missed completely–it’s never used in the actual issues) fighting a resurrected human. It ties into the second issue and the third issue, not just their mysteries but also picking up the thread of the kitties in love from issue three, only from the disapproving canine perspective.

Great stuff; just wish it was an ongoing.

As a rat owner, I’m horrified Dorkin uses them as these master villains, the animal kingdom’s equivalent of Al Queda or something; however, as a reader, I have to admit, it’s a darn good book–though I’m not sure I like getting done with it without the mystery being solved.

This issue’s a romance issue, at least it turns into one and it’s a fine romance issue. The issue starts like a–well, it feels almost like Tom Sawyer, just because it’s all these distinct characters in a suburban setting, but it’s also a lot like Lady and the Tramp (for the same reason)–it ends like an old detective movie, with the happy couple in the moonlight.

Dorkin and Thompson should be very proud of themselves (and Dark Horse should be paying them very well); this series is easily the best thing I’ve read from Dark Horse in years.

I certainly hope no one ever sells this issue to a kid. It’s–wow. Let’s see. It’s about a dog with two missing puppies. The team (do they have a team name?) investigates and ends up in the forest where they try calling the puppies spirits. That attempt works, but has the unintended side effect of loosing all these other spirits (of dead animals) who the team tries to protect themselves against.

Except the team members who are possessed by some of the spirits and run off and kill the teenage boy who’s been killing cats and dogs and dumping them out in this pond.

So you’ve got murder, vengeance, then the possessed team members (once unpossessed) filled with guilt and the other team members all messed up because they should have tried the spell in the first place.

It’s a heavy, heavy read.

Real glad I bought this series.

Here’s an idea: dogs and cats who fight the supernatural (animals). It sounds Disney on paper, but the execution of Beasts of Burden has a lot of darkness and a lot of oomph. Dorkin’s killing off animals left and right here; admittedly, they’re all off-panel deaths (at least of the cute animals), but the survivors describe what’s happened in detail.

Jill Thompson’s art somehow makes everything–whether it’s an easy subject like a pug or a cat–or a more difficult one like a demonic toad–look adorable. It’s painted art, so there’s this definite “Dogs Playing Poker” thing going on.

There’s some uphill resistance when getting into this first issue as there are previous adventures in some Dark Horse anthologies (something I didn’t know as I picked up the comic to read). Dorkin does a good job of filling in the new reader through dialogue.

Adorable, if hardcore.