Mr. Negativity: And Other Tales of Supernatural Law [Paperback]

Batton Lash (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2004

In 1979, Lash created the comic strip "Wolff & Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre," about two attorneys specializing in cases dealing with supernatural matters. Unlike Wolfram & Hart, the law firm with a similar clientele on the TV show Angel, Alanna Wolff and her partner, Jeff Byrd, have always been on the good guys' side, and their exploits are comedies. Over time, Wolff and Byrd have migrated from one comics venue to another, and now star in their own comic book, Supernatural Law, from which the stories were collected for this paperback. The stories aren't laugh-out-loud funny, but instead deal in quiet, gentle whimsy. The appealingly cartoony art maintains a light tone even in the more morbid scenes; the firm's secretary looks as if she grew up in Archie's Riverdale. Lash is overly fond of some of comics' and soap opera's kitschier clichEs. His characterizations tend to be one-dimensional; Wolff and Byrd have little personality and function as the straight men to a supporting cast of eccentrics. What's most impressive about this book are the inventive concepts. In the title story, a man with an obsessively negative attitude visually transforms into a "photo-negative" version of himself. Lash parodies pop culture targets ranging from Stephen King and Harry Potter to other comics. The high point is a satire on Dave Sim's Cerebus comics, which should delight even readers unfamiliar with the target. After a full quarter century, it's remarkable that Wolff and Byrd's saga still demonstrates such imaginative vitality.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1979, Lash created the comic strip "Wolff & Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre," about two attorneys specializing in cases dealing with supernatural matters. Unlike Wolfram & Hart, the law firm with a similar clientele on the TV show Angel, Alanna Wolff and her partner, Jeff Byrd, have always been on the good guys' side, and their exploits are comedies. Over time, Wolff and Byrd have migrated from one comics venue to another, and now star in their own comic book, Supernatural Law, from which the stories were collected for this paperback. The stories aren't laugh-out-loud funny, but instead deal in quiet, gentle whimsy. The appealingly cartoony art maintains a light tone even in the more morbid scenes; the firm's secretary looks as if she grew up in Archie's Riverdale. Lash is overly fond of some of comics' and soap opera's kitschier clichés. His characterizations tend to be one-dimensional; Wolff and Byrd have little personality and function as the straight men to a supporting cast of eccentrics. What's most impressive about this book are the inventive concepts. In the title story, a man with an obsessively negative attitude visually transforms into a "photo-negative" version of himself. Lash parodies pop culture targets ranging from Stephen King and Harry Potter to other comics. The high point is a satire on Dave Sim's Cerebus comics, which should delight even readers unfamiliar with the target. After a full quarter century, it's remarkable that Wolff and Byrd's saga still demonstrates such imaginative vitality.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Practicing supernatural law isn't always safe. Just ask attorneys Alanna Wolff and Jeff Byrd, whose office is currently being renovated after a client's rampage. Such vicissitudes don't deter the pair, who now take on the case of Nagy D'Viti, a guy so pessimistic he literally radiates negative energy and whose constant whining even gets on their nerves until they realize he might be able to help them with another case. In "Trail of the Trial of the Mummy," Wolff and Byrd try to prevent an ancient mummy from being reawakened and unleashing its curse on its descendants. "Courting the Muse" brings a disgruntled muse--the tenth muse, the muse of potboilers--to the lawyers' doorstep, feeling she has been taken advantage of by the cute slacker who convinced her to write his novel for him. Little does he know, the joke is on him. Meanwhile, both Alanna and the firm's secretary, Mavis, are torn between two men. Clever, witty, and funny, Lash's tales delightfully evoke the humorous side of the supernatural. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Exhibit A Press (February 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963395483
• ISBN-13: 978-0963395481
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,733,759 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Art, Clever Stories!, February 16, 2004

By 

Eunice Verstegen (Seattle WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr. Negativity: And Other Tales of Supernatural Law (Paperback)

I loved this book. Even if you don't read comics regularly, it will provide tons of entertainment. The clever and amusing plots make you want more and the art is a joy to behold, providing rich depth to already great stories. With each one there are treats and surprises for readers. Whether it's about relationships, job issues, lawyers, or pop culture, Batton Lash weaves a yarn that is exquisitely rewarding and reveals his remarkable understanding of human nature.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Raising the Bar, February 12, 2004

By 

Richard Prosch (Jefferson City, MO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr. Negativity: And Other Tales of Supernatural Law (Paperback)

A demonic dybuk sues for religious tolerance. The horrific creations of a respected author unleash a legal nightmare. The witness stand opens to the walking undead. Ghosts and ghouls approach the bench. Eight-hundred pound talking gorillas sit wherever they want. Beware the Creatures of the Night...(reads the masthead of the monthly Supernatural Law) They Have Lawyers! You don't have to be a comic book fan to recognize the concept as brilliant.

In both comic book and strip form, Batton Lash has long chronicled the lives, loves, and legal adventures of Alanna Wolf and Jeff Byrd, the Counselors of the Macabre (along with their secretary, and my personal heartthrob, the ever intrepid Mavis). As horrifically good as those past exhibits are and have been (and they have been very, very good), Lash has raised the bar with this tightly crafted volume, Mister Negativity and Other Tales of Supernatural Law. With written wit that recalls the hell-er, halcyon sensibilities of Forrest Ackerman's Famous Monsters of Filmland and a strong, sure ink line akin to the best of the EC artistic stable, this offering ranks its creator as one of the greatest in the medium of comics.

Enjoy Mister Negativity...for a number of reasons. Enjoy it for the recognizable pop culture foibles Lash so accurately lampoons, for the well woven plots and subplots he smartly conceives, and for the wonderfully realized characters he brings to life with a deft stroke of the pen.

Simply put, this trade paperback collects some of the most consistently fine work you'll find in any comics series of any age.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rewards multiple readings!, February 12, 2004

By 

Alex Grecian (Topeka, Kansas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mr. Negativity: And Other Tales of Supernatural Law (Paperback)

Fun-filled (and pun-filled) stories of a law firm that represents monsters, ghosts and boy magicians. Writer and artist, Batton Lash, manages to wring every possible joke out of every new client, making for some groans among the many guffaws. Great fun for fans of Scary Godmother, Stephen King, Spider Robinson and Universal monster movies. I wouldn't hesitate to read this to my son, but there are barrels of puns and references that would go right over his head and make it much more enjoyable for adults. "Supernatural Law" is among the very best comics being published today and this big collection of recent issues makes it easy to jump on board or to inexpensively reread favorite stories. Highly recommended!