This exuberantly creative comic is a happy reminder of why I love comics. Ed Clayton is a very singular voice, bursting with talent and craft. He has produced a truly independent comic that takes the most mainstream of ideas and makes them utterly his own.
Dr. Grave may the most selfish, arrogant, petty and utterly insensitive hero in comics, for he is a hero, he truly does battle with demonic forces that seek to do harm in the world. He is a turbo charged Basil Fawlty and the gap between his vision of himself and his actions are a source for skillfully drawn comedy.
Dr. Grave, along with his much abused manservant, Shandar, are called to a monastery in the Austrian Alps to deal with a case of suspected demonic possession. While this is resolved with the maximum confusion and carnage, it leads to a greater threat, The Unholy Twelve. This group is dedicated to the destruction of the earth and they are old enemies of Dr. Grave. The encounter with the Unholy Twelve leads to stunning episode which had me laughing and gasping at Ed Clayton’s nerve and skill in equal amounts. The afterlife will never look the same to me again.
Ed Clayton has taken a threadbare concept, a master of the mystic arts defending the Earth and getting no thanks for his lonely work and animates it with savage wit and sharp artwork. Dr. Grave is a superb creation, repellent and self-righteous in the extreme, yet possessing such vitality that he is to be cherished, his dignity never punctured he is a true comic gem.
