Michael Paris thought he had a lucky break when he inherited some land from his grandfather. It was located in the remote town of Raven's Hollow, but that was okay. The municipality was eager to purchase the plot from Paris, and he was just as eager to sell.

However, upon arriving in Raven's Hollow, Prais finds out a pall hangs over the little town. Literally. The townspeople, led by the mayor, are eager to purchase the plot (and by "purchase" I mean "destroy") - as it turns out the plot houses the town cemetery, which, it turn, houses several, ummm, unusual characters. These include, among others, an animated, cigar-smoking, skeleton called Sid; a shade-totting werewolf; Glumph, a minor demon with a fear of socks; and Abbey, a rather fetching vampire who seems to be leading the lot.

Paris is beset upon by both sides, which need his consent to either get rid of all of this abnormality or, respectively, protect their home. He decides to stay for a while, in order to weigh all positions and options. He soon discovers things are even more sinister than they seem. His time seems to run out, and he's pressed into action.

Richard Moore does a splendid job. He manages to create a book for the whole family without compromising one bit. Younger readers can enjoy the array of fantastic characters, the bright colors and the action, while older ones can savor the humor, the romantic (and even sexy) touches and even the occasional dash of horror. This is truly a fun read, and, while light-hearted, the dedication and talent that has been put into it shines through. Moore seems to be a versatile artist, at least content-wise: while this is a family-friendly title, he has also released erotically inclined work. The only trace of that here, though, is his excellent treatment of the human (especially the female) form - so there's nothing to worry about (or expect).

Boneyard is an independently published ("indie") comic that has been ongoing for five years now - a rare achievement in this day and age. The trade paperback collections are published by NBM Publishing - and while the comic appears in black and white and the trades are first released in b&w as well, they are then re-released in color (done by Jessica Kindzierski). Currently, there are six released paperbacks, the first four of which have been colored.

So far, I have only read Boneyard, Volume One. While it is a short read, it is also a self-contained story arc, and thus, left me both satisfied and hungry for more.