Dresden’s Dog Men

It seems like everything is coming up Harry right now. And if you were to hear that spoken it would sound very strange. It is an allusion to Harry Dresden and the thoughts that I have been working my way through Brief Cases (I mentioned a story from that one already recently). Well, I also picked up a copy of the limited series Dog Men (Dynamite 2018). Which is another one of the Dresden Files Comic series.

I like the way Mr. Butcher is laying these all out now. In some of the earlier releases of the comics, he had just rehashed a story from the books. But for the most part the comics have been tie ins to the books, additional stories to expand the world that Harry Dresden lives in. Dog Men is a continuation of that trend. But (you had to expect that) the comics not only tie in to the books but also to the preceding comics.

They all take place during different stages of the books, so we are given a glimpse at the larger world and even some connections to events that are referenced in the books. This story made a reference to an earlier story line in a different comic set. I mean to say that the cohesion within the story lines is fantastic, and yet another reason that the following for the series has continued to grow. There is always a connection readers have with each other when they find fellow readers (and I see a good number of them when they check books out at the library).

But I digress…

The story follows the usual pattern within a Dresden story, the problem you think is the problem isn’t necessarily the problem. And somehow it ties in with the issues Harry is facing in his own growth as a super powerful wizard. And of course, as always, there are bigger and badder things out in the world than Harry. (some believe that Jim Butcher may have a torture fetish for all he puts poor Harry through).

But the thing of it is, it’s always more than just that issue of what happens to Harry and the people around him. Mr. Butcher has built this living and breathing world that we as reader can get lost in. Sure, it is a shadow world just on the periphery of the world we know as our own. But it’s that moment of doubt where it could just possibly exist that stirs something within us.

And as I sit here thinking of all I just mentioned, I don’t know that I really said much of anything about the story at hand. Well, aside from vague generalities. I don’t know if I am trying to sell you on the ideas of the Dresdenverse as a whole or simply bring you into this singular story. But maybe that’s the thing of it.

See, when you begin the journey into Dresden’s world, you can’t just pick a single moment in time up. This is one of those worlds where everything is built deeper and deeper through each brick laid down. Sure, you could pick up the gist of it when you randomly go through a story. But you won’t really see beyond the veil without the foundation built into the series as a whole.

Which is where the comics play an important role in the stories. They give us even more of the world and draw us deeper into the universe that might exist just beyond what we know. We could talk about the suspension of disbelief needed for an average story, but when it comes to the built-up blockers you gain from each iteration of Dresden’s world, you grow that much leerier of what your eyes might tell you about the world we live in (now that sounds a bit toward madness).

Where was I?

So yeah, is it worth your time to read through some tie in comics? The short answer is yes. The longer answer is, pack a lunch. You’re going to be traveling a long dark road in the underbelly of the world we accept as reality. If you get the taste for one, you will want more.

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If you enjoy these stories, consider leaving some coffee money in the jar or you could buy a book or two. Either way helps keep the stories flowing.