Book Review: Sir Edward Grey Witchfinder Omnibus Vol. 1 by M. Mignola et al.

Sir Edward Grey Witchfinder Omnibus Volume 1 written by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Kim Newman, Maura McHugh, and Scott Allie, art by Ben Stenbeck, John Severin, Tyler Crook, and Patric Reynolds

In an interesting expansion of his Hellboy universe, Mike Mignola creates a Victorian-era supernatural investigator named Sir Edward Grey. Grey deals with a lot of problems and monsters similar to what Hellboy faces over a hundred years later. Grey is much more scholarly and reserved than Hellboy, giving him a different approach. Six stories fill this volume...

Murderous Intent--Three English witches want to kill Queen Victoria in 1879. Edward Grey has been appointed by Her Majesty to investigate occult occurrences, so it's his job to stop them. The story is very short and explains why he's called "Witchfinder." The art by Mignola is his classic style which I enjoy a lot.

In the Service of Angels--Investigating some truly bizarre deaths, Sir Edward comes in contact with some of the Mignolaverse mythology. An expedition in Egypt uncovered a subterranean passageway that might lead to Hyperborea, the ancient lost civilization that lived inside of the Earth. The members of the expedition have been dying off, the last few in London. They brought some strange bones back with them. The bones belonged to some demon-type being that has been hunting them on their return to England. The Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra (a weird pseudo-religious, pseudo-scientific cult) is also interested in the bones and wants Edward to hand them over. The plot is a slow-burn horror that reveals more of the bleak truth as it moves along. The art is gray and dismal, following the tone of the story and the environment of late 1800s England.

Lost and Gone Forever--Grey pursues a fellow Englishman to Utah in 1880. The trail disappears in a small town that's lost its Christian church and any sense of morals. Grey is pulled out of town by Morg, who has another bigger problem to deal with. A lot of local natives are following a young white woman who claims to be in touch with their gods and is using them for some unexplained purpose. Their investigation turns up some weird details. The sinister character of the story is well matched with a washed-out color palate. The art is more focused on the horror than the Old West, making the area more bleak and desolate, like the situation for the characters.

Beware the Ape--Back in London, Grey is called in to to confront Jerome Bagsby, a gentleman who, while at his club, beat another man for an archeological treasure. Bagsby denies responsibility and puts the blame on an ape in his home. Being weird fiction, this explanation turns out to be true as Grey confronts the beast. The story is very short but does the job.

The Mysteries of Unland--The town of Hallam has been reclaimed from English swamplands by industrialist Sir Horace Poole. He is trying to get approval for his health elixir made from the local waters. One of the queen's men has died mysteriously while inspecting the elixir-works to see if it meets royal approval (which would certainly boost sales). Grey is sent, though he thinks it is a common enough case. Poole is ill, so Grey is led around by underlings, including the local constable who does not seem very competent. Grey is ready to leave when his hotel room is attacked by giant eels who tell him to go back to London. Since the case does seem to have a supernatural element, Grey stays. The story moves methodically, building up the revelations and the horror as it goes. The art isn't as good as the other stories but the creepy eel people are very creepy.

The Burial of Katharine Baker--A short story about Henry Hood, a "witchfinder" from the 17th century. Katharine Baker was accused of witchcraft after ever other family's crops failed except hers. Also, she visits her boyfriend in a graveyard...the boyfriend who died several month ago! When Henry Hood hangs her, her family comes to give her a good burial. Another group shows up claiming to be her family, causing a lot of consternation and a chance for Hood to show off his skills. The story was interesting but very short.

Overall, I found the stories entertaining. Grey is an interesting character but sometimes he seems like he's more "along for the ride" than figuring things out on his own. The horror has a good variety and the different locations are used creatively.

Recommended--highly for Hellboy/Mignola fans.