Don't let the lovely artwork and funny talking animals fool you. This isn't a book to give to children. And something to warn animal lovers about before they read it. The book is a fun, quite sad tale of animals but sadly many animals meet tragic and graphic fates. It's one of those stories that be a mixed bag for most animal lovers.Evan Dorkin's "Beasts of Burden" is an interesting collection of a motley crew of dogs and a cat who keep stumbling into paranormal happenings in their neighborhood until they become members of a secret society of dogs dedicated to fighting these terrors. Many would think these themes wouldn't mix with cute talking animals but here Dorkin makes the dialogue fun (¬ as cheesy as most talking animal content these days) and with moving moments of the animals seeing and doing things the humans can not in order to protect their home. Such as infiltrating a coven of witches by pretending to be one of their cats or haunted doghouse or a runaway youth who can actually communicate with the animals. The book ends with some loose ends but the story is continued in one-shots that will hopefully be collected as well soon. Jill Thompson's art is beautiful water colors that make the animals look realistic but a mix of some subtle animated expressions when needed. As mentioned before animals tend to get harm in this book and Thompson can illustrate them is very creepy ways. The most chilling probably being the issue searching for missing puppies.The book's moments of animals being harmed can make it a hard read for some but still it can be a good read for the YA crowd. Again don't let the beautiful art and funny talking animals make you think it's okay for little ones. This is one of the best graphic novels I've read in some time. The premise seems simple and cute, a group of dogs (and one cat) investigate supernatural occurrences plaguing their home town. Don't be fooled! This isn't Scooby-Doo minus the humans. The stories are dark, graphic and often very sad. Luckily there's a good dose of humor to keep it from getting too melancholy. The watercolor and illustrations are beautiful by themselves and, combined with the stories, make for an excellent read.
The dogs (and one cat) of Burden Hill are wise, witty and poignant. A great read.
—nick
Liked the dialogue, especially Pugs. Some of the stories lacked flow, though.
—SophieMaree98
So good, I've bought several copies as gifts. It's really that exceptional.
—temmy
