In 1979, Lash created the comic strip Wolff & Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre, about two attorneys specializing in cases dealing with supernatural matters. Unlike Wolfram & Hart, the law firm with a similar clientele on the TV show Angel, Alanna Wolff and her partner, Jeff Byrd, have always been on the good guys' side, and their exploits are comedies. Over time, Wolff and Byrd have migrated from one comics venue to another, and now star in their own comic book, Supernatural Law, from which the stories were collected for this paperback. The stories aren't laugh-out-loud funny, but instead deal in quiet, gentle whimsy. The appealingly cartoony art maintains a light tone even in the more morbid scenes; the firm's secretary looks as if she grew up in Archie's Riverdale. Lash is overly fond of some of comics' and soap opera's kitschier clichEs. His characterizations tend to be one-dimensional; Wolff and Byrd have little personality and function as the straight men to a supporting cast of eccentrics. What's most impressive about this book are the inventive concepts. In the title story, a man with an obsessively negative attitude visually transforms into a photo-negative version of himself. Lash parodies pop culture targets ranging from Stephen King and Harry Potter to other comics. The high point is a satire on Dave Sim's Cerebus comics, which should delight even readers unfamiliar with the target. After a full quarter century, it's remarkable that Wolff and Byrd's saga still demonstrates such imaginative vitality. Practicing supernatural law isn't always safe. Just ask attorneys Alanna Wolff and Jeff Byrd, whose office is currently being renovated after a client's rampage. Such vicissitudes don't deter the pair, who now take on the case of Nagy D'Viti, a guy so pessimistic he literally radiates negative energy and whose constant whining even gets on their nerves until they realize he might be able to help them with another case. In "Trail of the Trial of the Mummy," Wolff and Byrd try to prevent an ancient mummy from being reawakened and unleashing its curse on its descendants. "Courting the Muse" brings a disgruntled muse--the tenth muse, the muse of potboilers--to the lawyers' doorstep, feeling she has been taken advantage of by the cute slacker who convinced her to write his novel for him. Little does he know, the joke is on him. Meanwhile, both Alanna and the firm's secretary, Mavis, are torn between two men. Clever, witty, and funny, Lash's tales delightfully evoke the humorous side of the supernatural. Kristine Huntley Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved A fascinating graphic novel with a unique premise--that in today's complicated world, supernatural horrors need lawyers too! Enthusiastically recommended. -- Midwest Review of Books Clever, witty, and funny, Lash's takes are a delightful look at the humorous side of the supernatural. -- Kristine Huntley, Booklist Pure fun for genre fans, enjoyable even if you don't get all the in-jokes. -- Carolyn Cushman, Locus "Clever, witty, and funny, Lash's takes are a delightful look at the humorous side of the supernatural." - Kristine Huntley, Booklist "A fascinating graphic novel with a unique premise--that in today s complicated world, supernatural horrors need lawyers too! Enthusiastically recommended." - Midwest Review of Books "Pure fun for genre fans, enjoyable even if you don't get all the in-jokes." - Carolyn Cushman, Locus Batton Lash was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he attended James Madison High School. He went on to study cartooning and graphic arts at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, where his instructors included the legendary cartoonists Will Wisner and Harvey Kurtzman.