Salem: Queen of Thorns: Free Comic Book Day Edition

From the random pile of unread comics, here's another Free Comic Book Day offering.

Title: Salem: Queen of Thorns: Free Comic Book Day Edition
Date: May, 2008
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Writer: Chris Morgan, Kevin Walsh
Artist: Wilfredo Torres
Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse
Letterer: Marshall Dillon
Cover: Wilfredo Torres
Editor: Mark Waid

The setting is Salem, Massachusetts, in 1673, a setting that is more about flavor than historical accuracy. There's an attack by a demon on a family before we meet our (anti- ?) hero, wandering demon-slayer Elias Hooke.

After a bit of demon-slaying, we move to the human villains, standard overzealous inquisitor-types, in the process of trying to extract a confession from a woman accused of witchcraft (her actual issue appears to be atheism). As one of the clergymen begins to have second thoughts, there is Elias Hooke to break up the proceedings.

We end up with the good deacon, the accused witch, and Hooke in the woods, with supernatural forces closing in.

The best thing about this was Hooke himself, who's in interesting mix of trickery, supernatural lore, and a silent loner attitude. The supporting characters had potential, although the villains felt very generic.

As a Massachusetts boy, I was underwhelmed with this version of Salem, which felt a lot more like a fantasy setting than a historical (or even historical fantasy) one.

Rating: 5.5/10