Review – Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files: Down Town #3 (Dynamite)

April 8, 2015

2–3 minutes

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Story by: Jim Butcher & Mark Powers
Pencils and colour by: Carlos Gomez & Mohan
Release Date: 8th April, 2015

Stars and stones! Dresden’s now in comic form! When I saw that there was a Dresden Files comic, published by Dynamite, I have to say I was overcome with an almost Christmas0like glee, and that’s saying something (what a partnership!). I’m sure by that reaction you could probably tell that I’m an avid fan of the books. Not being much of a reader throughout my teens, I was suggested by a friend to pick up Butcher’s series about Chicago’s only professional wizard – and he naturally had me hooked.

However, after the initial wave of glee had subsided, fear struck! What if I didn’t like it? What if it didn’t capture the tone and feel of the books? Thankfully, my fears were short-lived thanks to Jim Butcher himself having a part to playing in the story, in partnership with Mark Powers. The comic follows the ever struggling (mis)adventures of Harry Dresden and his battle with the Supernatural world of Chicago.

The story itself could be something ripped directly out of the series of novels, and has all the characters that I have grown to love throughout my time reading the books. I was worried, like most fans when adaptations arise, that it wouldn’t live up to the hype or that the characters wouldn’t look or feel like they did in my head while I was reading the books. This was most definitely not the case. Anyone who’s read the British books knows there is an almost neo cowboy looking gent on the cover. Personally, I have never thought of Dresden as a long haired, Stetson toting wizard (a character who wouldn’t be out of place on a Mills & Boon cover) and the comic thankfully hasn’t adopted this motif. Honestly, I think that the pencil work of Carlos Gomez and the colours of Mohan have managed to perfectly capture these characters better than I could have imagined.

Anyway let’s step away from my fanboy ramblings and talk about the comic itself. Issue three sees Harry and Molly better understanding the nature of the supernatural menace that’s wreaking havoc across their city, whist Murphy and Rawlins continue to look at things in a clinical, non-supernatural way. Both teams begin to shed light on just who is tormenting local business owners, and the reasons why. Whilst our heroes are trying to stop the deaths, Marcone is struggling to keep his reputation as the only protection the locals have from supernatural terror!

I will be keeping a look out for further issues of this series as it has absolutely everything I like, although with Dynamite publishing and Jim Butcher and Mark Powers co-writing there was the option of making the ink work a little darker, instead of the clean and polished Marvel/DC feel. But if this is my only criticism, I feel that this one has definitely earned its rating. Keep up the good work guys!

Rating: 4/5.

INTERIOR ARTWORK [Click to Enlarge]