Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden
Artist: Peter Bergting
Editor: Scott Allie
Release Date: OUT NOW!
Price: $3.99

In Baltimore: Empty Graves #2 we begin with an ending. Specifically, with a burial. The mysterious Lord Baltimore’s team of heroes have suffered losses and if you are new to this series, that is as good a starting point as any. We all know that death in comic books is seldom permanent, but the feeling here is that we are not dealing with your average comic books characters.

One death is usually a mammoth marketing event in the comic nook publishing machine. Multiple deaths are practically unheard of and you want to mourn their loss even if you don’t have a clue as to who they are in Baltimore: Empty Graves #2.

For Baltimore: Empty Graves #2 it seems, our intrepid band are on the hunt for someone called the Red Witch and as they bury their companions, memories come to the fore and Mr Kidd tells the assembled crew his story. A humble blacksmith from the north of England, his beloved wife is possessed by a hideous demon and, unable to save her, Kidd eventually ends up running with Baltimore’s monster hunters.

Baltimore: Empty Graves #2 is a reflective, sombre issue, told with feeling and dexterity by acknowledged masters of their craft. This is #32 in an ongoing series and it’s easy to see why it has lasted so long. If you want horror blended with subtlety and fully rounded characterisation with the bloodshed and the monsters, well, Baltimore: Empty Graves #2, would be your cup of hemlock!

Reviewer: Gary Orchard
Reviews Editor: Steve Hooker