Lands Unknown

Here’s a newsflash that isn’t really news to anyone: Mike Mignola is a veritable fountain of ideas that inevitably find their way into great comics. The wellspring he draws from can be from old folktales, or worlds that he creates in his own mind. In the case of this Dark Horse anthology, ‘Bowling with Corpses & Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown,’ it is a little bit of both. Ten tales that intertwine with narratives of creation, challenges, rewards and consequences. Each told in the unique vision that is Mike Mignola and, in a Universe, co-created by frequent collaborator Ben Stenbeck.

Combining Folklore with Original Creation

Starting with the title tale, based on an Italian folklore about a kid who bowled with corpses. How typical of Mike to adapt that tale. Narrated as only a duck can do. But he didn’t stop there. He used that one story and expanded an entire universe from it. Taking from Japanese folktales and other sources and enriching it with his own unique storytelling. Along the way, discussing the rules of creation and how important the choices one makes can affect their lives and the lives of others. All the while exploring guilt and innocence, good and evil and many ways it can manifest itself. Contrasting the worlds of God and Men.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Comic book cover showing a young person holding a skull, surrounded by flying bats, an eerie tree, and ghostly hands. Text reads "Bowling with Corpses & Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Comic page titled "Bowling with Corpses" showing a mysterious house, a person contemplating life, and a couple talking. A house is in the background as someone walks away. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. A hooded figure walks through a moonlit forest. Two skeletal figures discuss having dinner. Another person in colonial attire appears. Eerie atmosphere with looming trees and a small building. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. A comic page depicting a person encountering skeletal figures in a dark, eerie setting. Dialogue discusses fate and destiny. Skulls and bones are prominently featured. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. A comic page showing cloaked figures with skull faces in a dark setting. One figure speaks to a man. Bones and skulls are depicted. The caption reads: "Two crypts down, fifty-eight to go. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Comic page featuring hooded figures and a seated character in religious attire. The lower panels show dialogue and a close-up interaction between a robed figure and others in a dark, gothic setting. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. A comic page with a cloaked figure holding a bone, a person speaking to a goose in the woods, and a silhouette of the sun through trees. Dialogue suggests insight about a forest creature. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Comic page showing a person walking through a dark, wooded area. They observe their surroundings and pass a sign labeled "Vinzio. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. A comic page shows two characters conversing near a village sign. One points towards a distant town. They discuss unusual occurrences in the village. The art style is dark and atmospheric.

Stories Inside of Stories

The structure of these tales enriches the previous one and sometimes even features a story inside a story. Such an example is “Justice Denied,” as a challenge is offered to man in place of an offering for the fable he just shared. Another clever way for Mignola to use the aforementioned Japanese folktale to good effect. While expanding it into another chapter of murder, theft and perhaps justice. Great stuff and just the start for this new “Lands Unknown” world, which is being co-created by Mignola and his long-time collaborator Ben Stenbeck.

Dark Horse Comics ‘Bowling with Corpses and Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown‘ by Mike Mignola and Dave Stewart is available now from great book and comic stores everywhere.