Graphic Novel Review – Jim Butcher’s Dresden files: Ghoul Goblin by Jim Butcher, Mark Powers, Joseph Cooper (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Graphic Novel/Urban Fantasy
Length: 152 pages
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: December 3, 2013
ISBN: 978-1606904381
Stand Alone or Series: 5th in the Jim Buther’s Dresden Files graphic novel series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars

I actually read this as the individual comics and not the trade paperback. It was a decent original story set in the Dresden Files world. The artwork was better than it was in Fool Moon, so that’s a plus.

Harry is contacted by a small town cop who wants him to come out and investigate a series of murders. The cop thinks that something paranormal is involved in the murder of a series of people from the same family. When Harry finds out the family has been cursed, he sets about seeking a way to both protect them and remove the curse. Little does he know he is in the middle of a contest of sorts involving goblins and ghouls.

This is a decent original graphic novel story in the Dresden Files series. The artwork is better than it was in Fool Moon (they switched illustrators again from Brett Booth to Joseph Cooper), but still not as good as it was in Welcome to the Jungle and Storm Front.

This was a decent read and I enjoyed it. It has a lot of Dresden elements we are familiar with. There is humor here, a good paranormal mystery to be solved, and Harry gets the stuffing beat out of him more than once…just like normal.

We don’t really see any of the other Dresden Files characters outside of Harry and Bob, so that is a bit disappointing but understandable since this story takes place outside of the normal series.

I did think it was strange that the first issue in this collection spends so much time recapping. If you have read the previous graphic novels or the novels you don’t really need more explanation about what Bob the Skull does or more recapping about what Harry does. It was weird to have all this background thrown in again since this is the fifth trade paperback released in this series.

Overall this was a fun read and an engaging story. The artwork is improved over Fool Moon (but not as good as the first couple trade paperbacks) so that is a good thing. It was fun to read an original story that I didn’t know the outcome of and have it be set in this world. Recommended to Dresden Files fans and urban fantasy graphic novel fans.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge
– 150+ Reading Challenge
– Graphic Novel Reading Challenge