Welcome to Burden Hill-a picturesque little town adorned with white picket fences and green, green grass, home to a unique team of paranormal investigators. Beneath this shiny exterior, Burden Hill harbors dark and sinister secrets, and it's up to a heroic gang of dogs-and one cat-to protect the town from the evil forces at work. These are the Beasts of Burden Hill-Pugs, Ace, Jack, Whitey, Red and the Orphan-whose early experiences with the paranormal (including a haunted doghouse, a witches' coven, and a pack of canine zombies) have led them to become members of the Wise Dog Society, official animal agents sworn to protect their town from evil. This turns out to be no easy task, as they soon encounter demonic cannibal frogs, tortured spirits, a secret rat society, and a bizarre and deadly resurrection in the Burden Hill cemetery-events which lead to fear and heartbreak as our four-legged heroes discover that the evil within Burden Hill is growing and on the move. Can our heroes overcome these supernatural menaces? Can evil be bested by a paranormal team that doesn't have hands? And even more importantly, will Pugs ever shut the hell up?
Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Burden Hill looks at first glance to be the epitome of the idyllic suburb, but unbeknownst to its human populace the place is rife with all manner of supernatural menaces, both great and small. Werewolves, hauntings, black magic covens, and less easily defined things that go bump in the night wreak havoc just under the radar of man's perception, but do not go unnoticed by the unlikeliest occult protectors of all: a group of household pets comprising several dogs and a stray cat. These four-footed paranormal investigators, occasionally aided by "wise dogs" trained in the arcane arts, take on all comers with devotion and diligence. Dorkin's clever writing and Thompson's charming painted art effortlessly draw in readers--Thompson's realistic take creates a full world to get immersed in. Loaded with fun in every panel, this series has massive crossover appeal for those who enjoy horror, humor, and stories about endearing animal characters. This gorgeous hardcover edition contains the short stories that introduced the characters, along with the 2009 miniseries and supplemental behind-the-scenes material with notes by Dorkin. A stunner.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By Jesse Hughes
Format:Hardcover
This book collects the four issue miniseries and three previous short stories. They are all supurbly written and beautifully illustrated (watercolors, folks- not Photoshop) supernatural/horror stories. Please don't be misled by the fact that our main characters are talking animals- there's nothing childish happening between these pages. In fact, parents, you may want to read the whole thing through before offering it to the little ones. I'd give this book a strong PG-13 rating.
The stories have just the right blend of creepy horror, adventure, a dash of comedy relief, and alot of heart.
The stories have just the right blend of creepy horror, adventure, a dash of comedy relief, and alot of heart.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Rosewater
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The Beasts of Burden is surely one of the greatest comic titles to come out in years, a fantastic combination of elements that don't seem to fit together at first glance.
The world of the book is a sunny, idealic suburb with the dark forces of the supernatural creeping in at the fringes. There to fight back are the eponymous beasts, a group of dogs (and one cat) who find themselves reluctant heroes. Evan Dorkin's writing gives each member of the cast (even characters who only pop up for a few panels) a distinct personality and an arsenel of sharp dialog and Jill Thompson's watercolor art is gorgeous - it looks even better due to this hardcover's slightly oversized dimensions.
The world of the book is a sunny, idealic suburb with the dark forces of the supernatural creeping in at the fringes. There to fight back are the eponymous beasts, a group of dogs (and one cat) who find themselves reluctant heroes. Evan Dorkin's writing gives each member of the cast (even characters who only pop up for a few panels) a distinct personality and an arsenel of sharp dialog and Jill Thompson's watercolor art is gorgeous - it looks even better due to this hardcover's slightly oversized dimensions.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I usually read very fast. Beasts of Burden took me about a ten days however, because I read it slowly, lovingly and with great attention. It supports rereading well too.
As with most graphic novels, the visuals are a large part of the storytelling and they are what catches the eye first.
Visually this book is beautiful - Jill Thompson's style can sometimes seem wispy and insubstantial to me, however this book was a labor of love and it shows. Her love of this work is solidly there in the rich panels, background, and in the naturalistic yet expressive, charming and powerful characters depicted. I honestly think this may be Ms. Thompson's best work to date, though I can only hope for more in this small, richly imagined world.
Mr. Dorkin's writing is powerful. The characters are warm and evocative, the setting by turns exquisitely normal and chilling. When the film Blue Velvet came out, much was made of how David Lynch evoked the normal American surface that we WANT to see in ourselves, and then the wormy things under that surface. For my money, Beasts of Burden mines this vein better. It has less flash and melodrama in most of its situations and even the most fantastic and fictionalized parts of the drama still are so deeply grounded in human and animal behavior to feel familiar and that familiarity is what gives such a punch to the evil and unnatural here. It shows us ourselves in a mirror. Darkly.
This is not a book for children. It will give them nightmares! Kids seldom have the subtlety to see the warmth and power of friendship that balances the darkness here. But for adults, it's a bittersweet touch of childhood's wonder and fear of the dark, coupled with the grown up's realization of the bonds and social ties that help us survive such things, more than any heroics could. The heroics that are here, and there are plenty, are the kind of every day heroics that the reader can identify with, even if presented by a dog a or a cat. This book is about what's dark us, but also what's light.
Wonderful and I would LOVE to see more.
Jylene Livengood
As with most graphic novels, the visuals are a large part of the storytelling and they are what catches the eye first.
Visually this book is beautiful - Jill Thompson's style can sometimes seem wispy and insubstantial to me, however this book was a labor of love and it shows. Her love of this work is solidly there in the rich panels, background, and in the naturalistic yet expressive, charming and powerful characters depicted. I honestly think this may be Ms. Thompson's best work to date, though I can only hope for more in this small, richly imagined world.
Mr. Dorkin's writing is powerful. The characters are warm and evocative, the setting by turns exquisitely normal and chilling. When the film Blue Velvet came out, much was made of how David Lynch evoked the normal American surface that we WANT to see in ourselves, and then the wormy things under that surface. For my money, Beasts of Burden mines this vein better. It has less flash and melodrama in most of its situations and even the most fantastic and fictionalized parts of the drama still are so deeply grounded in human and animal behavior to feel familiar and that familiarity is what gives such a punch to the evil and unnatural here. It shows us ourselves in a mirror. Darkly.
This is not a book for children. It will give them nightmares! Kids seldom have the subtlety to see the warmth and power of friendship that balances the darkness here. But for adults, it's a bittersweet touch of childhood's wonder and fear of the dark, coupled with the grown up's realization of the bonds and social ties that help us survive such things, more than any heroics could. The heroics that are here, and there are plenty, are the kind of every day heroics that the reader can identify with, even if presented by a dog a or a cat. This book is about what's dark us, but also what's light.
Wonderful and I would LOVE to see more.
Jylene Livengood
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great graphic novel if you like horror and talking animals. :-)
One of the better graphic novels I've read. Some truly scary and emotional moments, with good artwork and characters and some humor mixed in. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Maitreya
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty amazing!
I really loved this compillation of the whole "Beasts of burden" series. Not only it has a great and really different script by Evan Dorkin, Jill Thompson's art does create... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Alberto Padierna Quintana
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beasts of Burden
My first time reading a graphic novel and I really enjoyed it. The illustrations make this a coffee table book.
Published 3 months ago by Linda
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic.
Absolutely wonderful paranormal adventures of a gang of dogs (and a cat(s)) trying to protect their town from the forces of darkness. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Clay
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful book with great characters that leaves you wanting more
This was a very good read. The characters kept me interested, and they had distinct traits and where well developed. Read more
Published on March 5, 2011 by Chris
3.0 out of 5 stars
I'm 40 years old, its not for me.
I'm 40 years old and I love comic books. This graphic novel was highly rated, however, what was not reflected in the reviews is that its young reader material. Read more
Published on February 27, 2011 by Juan B. Trinidad
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "Must" For People Who Like Things That Are Good
This is one of those rare things that is simple, straightforward and just plain old fashioned fun. I purchased this as I was a huge fan of Evan Dorkin back in the days when he was... Read more
Published on February 24, 2011 by ObiWanShinobi
5.0 out of 5 stars
Deeply moving and superbly illustrated
The mixture of utterly beautiful watercolors, unforgettable characters,and mesmerizing storylines filled with heroism, horror, and H P Lovecraft and you have this incredibly... Read more
Published on February 3, 2011 by Porgy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best graphic novel in years!
I read my share of books and comics, but frankly, I was stunned by how powerful this mini-series was. Read more
Published on January 29, 2011 by J. Bongiorno
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dogs and Cats are really amazing.
When I first saw this book I did not know what to think of it. On the outside it seemed like a children's book with some amazing artwork. Read more
Published on January 23, 2011 by Brandon C.
