There’s more to Mike Mignola than Hellboy, though stories like 2017’s Mr. Higgins Comes Homes and its sequel, Our Encounters with Darkness, still bear his indelible signature of supernatural horror and wonder — and a touch of silliness and dark humor. These particular stories see Mignola teaming up with acclaimed artist Warwick Johnson-Cadwell as their fearless characters hunt all the classic monsters that go bump in the night. The intrepid team of Professor J.T. Meinhardt, his assistant, Mr. Knox, and their vampire hunting companion, Ms. Mary Van Sloan, add another member to the mix with their newest adventure, Falconspeare.
“Jump into an eerie Victorian-style mystery with an off-kilter, charming twist in the next knockout collaboration from Mike Mignola and Warwick Johnson-Cadwell! Monster hunters extraordinaire Professor Meinhardt, Mr. Knox, and Ms. Van Sloan have teamed up to slay spooks and investigate the uncanny before, but now they’ll tackle a question that’s haunted them for years: What happened to their friend and vampire slayer extraordinaire, James Falconspeare?”
When this collaboration all began, Mignola described Mr. Higgins Comes Home as “a silly little story that basically wrote itself, inspired by old movies both Warwick and I love.” Mignola didn’t imagine that it would lead to further adventures, but said that, “seeing Warwick take those couple of characters from the original and create a whole world around them has been a real joy.” For Johnson-Cadwell, Mignola’s script “was bursting with ideas and inspiration” that he’s obviously happily run with. “The more I draw these characters (and the villains), the more ideas for incidents and stories come to me. I could write and draw these guys forever.” This is a good thing, especially for Mignola who has said that, now that he’s able to enjoy these stories as a reader rather than the main writer, “I never want him to stop.”
With each outing, Meinhardt and Knox have added an enigmatic new partner to their group. Falconspeare steps back in time a bit to reveal a younger Professor, Mr. Knox, and Ms. Van Sloan, Johnson-Cadwell explains, “[a]t a time when they were developing their specialist skills” in a partnership where they can be open about their weaknesses and share their strengths. James Falconspeare, says Johnson-Cadwell, served as a fourth foundation for the team. “The Professor is the academic. His quest is to find the truth in the supernatural world. Mr. Knox is the compassionate element. Ms. Van Sloan drives the need for action and urgency, and James Falconspeare is a force for good, holding lawful and honorable values dear.”
Both in his artistic style and his writing, Johnson-Cadwell keeps humor at the forefront, despite how deeply the story delves into dark subject matter. Falconspeare, he warns, is much darker than the other stories, “(murder, gore, and the devil notwithstanding),” so balancing that humor and darkness is a very interesting process, but one he also finds to be great fun. “I also love the world that these characters are in. It’s wonderful to draw. And there are so many possibilities to keep going. I hope I do.”
Written and illustrated by Johnson-Cadwell and featuring a cover by Mignola letters by Clem Robins and colors by Dave Stewart, Falconspeare is available now from Dark Horse.
