To give you a good idea of the quality of TIAoDMaPB, consider that the foreword to the first volume was by John “John Landis” Landis, and the foreword to the second volume is by George “Inventor of Modern Zombies” Romero. This shows the quality on display in this comic, as well as the people that the creators idolize. This comic is pretty light on horror and seriously heavy on the humor, but, mostly, it is smart and fun.

Here is a brief, totally non-spoilery plot summery. Dog Mendonça is a lazy PI specializing in the occult, who happens to be a werewolf. PizzaBoy, who isn’t a pizza boy anymore, is the everyman who is along for the ride but brings in the clutch ideas every once in a while. Pazuul is a demon who either lives in or takes the shape of a little girl and smokes a lot. Gargoyle is a talking gargoyle head. So, this stupidly ragtag group of “heroes” is the only thing standing between us and the end of the world. Comedy ensues.

Filipe Melo’s script does something I never thought I would ever see. It justifies setting the Apocalypse in Lisbon, Portugal. It also features the best story about Armageddon since Good Omens. Throughout the book, the writing is sharp and funny. The characters feel lived in, like they actually exist outside of this story. The plot moves at a nice clip and fits everything in quite neatly. More than anything though, the writing conveys a real sense that the guys making this were having a great time, and that fun is infectious.

I loved the art and coloring in this comic. I am too much of an artistic idiot to speak intelligently about the art, but I loved it. The character design and environments ranged from almost realistic to perfectly fantastical, with stops at horror, cute, and just funny along the way. I give all credit to Juan Cavia and Santiago Villa for the art and coloring, respectively. They are clearly masters of the craft and deserve outpourings of wine, women, and praise.

I love this comic. It is smart, well-executed, and does some interesting new things in an established genre. Any of those would be reason enough to recommend it, but I love it because you can see that this is the work of fans. There is nothing as entertaining as seeing the cool things that passionate people are willing to try. It’s always worth your time, especially when they are as talented as this bunch.

Four and Three Quarters Horsemen out of Five