For me, the story of William of Newbury has been a kind of centering. When the series debuted a few months ago, it seemed like writer/artist Michael Avon Oeming had leaned too far into Mike Mignola-esque fantasy/horror, and the series was detached from its own spark and heft. But that was resolved pretty effectively across issues #2 and #3, and William of Newbury became this fun, slightly creepy meditation on belief, friendship, and spiritual responsibility.
But as we all know, it’s ultimately the ending that rings loudest in readers’ hearts and minds, and William of Newbury could’ve just as easily dropped the ball moments before the final bell. Luckily, William of Newbury #4 may be the most wonderfully effective, wholly singular issue of this short but potent run.
The trick for William of Newbury‘s “pivot,” as it were, was for Avon Oeming to lean into what made the series fun outside of its inherent context and influences. Namely, the reverence for medieval history and what that offered us from a social perspective; an earnest but pointed examination of what faith really does for people and how to wield it effectively; and a little bit of aw-shucks joy and brevity. Issue #4 of William of Newbury has all that in spades.
After being sent to the abbey for several months, William spends his days dictating and researching. But when his brother Edward mostly botches a case involving “green children,” it’s up to William (with a big assist from Winnie) to basically save the day. On the one hand, it’s another thread in this book’s one-and-done approach, where you can read this whole issue alone and get a really great story that feels like a perfect encapsulation of those aforementioned threads but distilled in this extra snackable format/configuration. But we also get more great work about the larger, overarching story in William of Newbury, as the brothers come closer to possibly regaining the lost portions of their soul and ending their own curse/search for answers.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
Whatever you get out of it, there’s lots of big moments and threads to enjoy. William and Edward, for instance, reach a kind of consensus in their relationship, and it’s a point where they can agree that both their approaches matter (even as Edward mostly comes around to the notion of fighting these supernatural things to better emphasize their own faith). Winnie also has a really solid performance across this issue — she’s this powerful demonstration that faith and belief may be good, but what matters most is how much you’re willing to do for others.
And even the green children play a big role in #4; they allow Edward and William to reconnect in a way that fosters their new understanding of one another. They’re also a great realization of another vital thread in William of Newbury: it’s not where you’ve been or what weirdness happened in your origins, but how you embrace life that matters. That last lesson, especially, speaks so much about the brothers’ relationship, Winnie’s whole arc, and just the way this story’s regarded humanity in a way that really pushes it into its own unique slot in this overarching “genre.”
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
And speaking of novel decisions like that, it’s of course worth mentioning that this issue’s accomplishments weren’t just narrative in nature but very much with the visuals. Across William of Newbury, Avon Oeming has done a great job of setting this book apart from similar titles. Yes, it’s very Mignola-esque in that sense of the cartoon-y, highly moody line work and specific kind of fantasy/horror elements emphasized, but William of Newbury nonetheless had a heft and magic all to its own. And that continues in issue #4 as we get to see the larger spirit world.
There’s so many great bits about the spirit world that make it feel really important and novel in the scope of this book. The whole place is basically green, and yet Avon Oeming manages to work with light/dark as well as shades and tones to create a world that’s very much beaming with life and texture. In some ways, it may be even more vivid and still terrifying compared to the real world, and that juxtaposition says a lot about this book’s continued effort to align these disparate worlds and get us thinking about their connections and the value of any differences.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
There’s also a great mix of action (like Winnie’s badass moment with an axe) and some romanticism (the way William’s spiritual work here just resonates extra loudly/intensely) — these upticks are essential for giving us something different from the rest of the story/reality and speaking further about the book’s themes in a more compelling/exciting manner.
Even some of the creature designs in the spirit world are just extra unnerving, and that level of confrontation is big in pushing how uniquely jarring and edgy this book is at its core. That, as sweet and endearing as it may be, there’s a real pointedness and depth to these places and larger ideas. And that, perhaps more than almost anything else, is what sets William of Newbury apart: it can be cute and creepy in the same breath, and the visuals are a huge part of providing that distinction and cementing the true scope and prowess of this book.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
Sure, it may look like some things you’ve seen before, but it goes further and deeper (while respecting its story and larger messaging), and that’s done so much to make William of Newbury feel so real as it truly came into its own in a way that feels alive with utter significance.
Unlike some books/miniseries, William of Newbury doesn’t leave you guessing about future stories/volumes. And I welcome even more William of Newbury with open, giddy hands. Sure, it started out slightly tenuous, and uncertain if this book even knew its own spark. But it quickly developed into something magical, and this last issue proved that with efficiency, heart, humor, and just a smidge or two of dark magic. Whatever is next for William of Newbury and company, you’d better be up for that sweet and spooky adventure.
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