Written by: Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden
Art by: Peter Bergting
Publisher: Dark Horse
Baltimore: The Witch of Harju faces a huge issue; what does it offer that we haven’t already seen?
The mini-series features a new story in the life of Lord Henry Baltimore. On his hunt of the supernatural, he comes across a young woman with a terrifying story. Her dead husband rose again and followed her for miles and miles. The new mystery on the hands of Baltimore is also linked to other sinister goings-on in Harju, Estonia.
This story might seem stale – which it is – but the gripping narrative keeps it afloat. The story is fast paced and doesn’t mire the reader with details. The exposition does seem excessive, but is expected in such introductions to stories.
Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden seem to be comfortable with this Baltimore story, but the reader doesn’t feel as interested. The only character I cared about was Baltimore, and the other characters were never fleshed out. The issue does have its high points, and the demonic cat’s only word definitely made me laugh.
There were many niggling problems in the issue that I only thought about after I had completed reading it. Sophia Valk seems nearly useless at this point, except as a vessel for exposition. A character’s death in the issue hardly affected me. Such issues really sour the taste of Baltimore: The Witch of Harju in my mouth and I am not inclined to continue reading it.
One significant upside is Peter Bergting’s art. He is able to keep the setting eerie without overdoing it. Some minor details in the panels such as a pre-existing head wound show his investment in the art. The reader is immersed in the world of Baltimore, although that world may bore the reader. The inconsistencies between the wonderful art and the shoddy storytelling are a huge turn off for the reader.
Similar stories render the plot devices in this issue so hackneyed, that it seemed almost humorous at one point. The food turning into dung in a character’s mouth made me wonder whether this was a lazy effort or a witty comment(although all evidence points to the former).
Baltimore really needs to improve by leaps and bounds before it can start captivating readers. This issue is not one I would recommend to readers. However, the series still has time to improve and I may just find myself eating my own words.
