Ash & Thorn

 

 Ash & Thorn is a compilation of the first five issues of the eponymous series by Mariah McCourt (writer) and Soo Lee (artist) with a bang-up cover by the brilliant Jill Thompson. Due out 27th Oct 2020 from Ahoy Comics, it's 120 pages and will be available in paperback format. 

This was unbridled fun for me (a middle aged bionerd comics/gaming fan of long long loooong standing). Take one unrepentantly no-bullcrap octogenarian female black retired art teacher's seen-it-all-and-isn't-putting-up-with-your-apocalyptic-nonsense with an equally annoying school marm-ish trainer/helper and a young goth female teenaged protege. Add one "Puck'ish" Nightcrawler looking (the blue Marvel guy) miniature fairy for comic relief, and an eldritch crossworlds horror - wearing an attractive property developer white guy meat-suit, and stir well. 

The dialogue is often funny and the plotting is solid. I really loved it that the creative team didn't take every cheap old-lady trope (Lottie Thorn is pretty badass - she uses her baking to stomp, not build bridges) and just run with it. She reminds me in All The Best Ways of Joan Hickson's Miss Marple and Granny Weatherwax ( ❤❤❤ ).

I found it completely delightful and I'm glad to see Ahoy putting non-mainstream work out here for us. I've always loved fiction which combines humor and horror. It's not easy to do, and this team manages. There is a fair amount of gore and violence, but nothing egregiously out of context. I would put it at PG-13. I was unfamiliar with the series before (but have enjoyed the team's previous  individual work) and I'll be looking out for more!

Four stars. Love it!

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.