The Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin

This spinoff from Butcher’s popular Dresden Files series is just the right blend of magic, horror, and good old-fashioned monster butt kicking. Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden might be Chicago’s only wizard for hire, but this time he’s been drawn away from the Windy City to Boone Mill, Miss. There, he must face the deadly tandem of a ghoul and a goblin that have a bone to pick with the Talbots, a family plagued by a nasty curse. Dresden, with the help of a local policeman, Prescott Tremaine (aka “Pres”), is set on foiling their plans. Dresden’s use of arcane magic in a contemporary setting and his interaction with the characters of a realm called the Nevernever give Ghoul Goblin some spice. Cooper’s clean but lively penciling and the color work by Mohan serve as a visual anchor for the narrative, and allow readers to connect with Dresden, his cool powers, and even some of the strange creatures and forces in the story. (Dec.)