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William of Newbury
From the co-creator of the Eisner Award-winning, bestselling POWERS comes this brand-new anthropomorphic supernatural series that’s Hellboy meets Redwall.
Loosely based on real events in 12th century England during what was known as “The Anarchy,” a time when the country was beset with plague, civil war, and demons.
William of Newbury is a neurotic monk, fearful of the earthly world, but confident and unwavering in the face of true evil. He fights the dead to restore peace, but his brother is intent on stopping him, fearing for his soul. Newbury is dark, yet quaint, deadly yet cute. Follow him as he negotiates with thieves, evades his brother and the church, and battles the undead and evil spirits.
This is a tale fit for lovers of history and supernatural folklore of all ages.
Collects the comic book series William of Newbury #1–#4.
Loosely based on real events in 12th century England during what was known as “The Anarchy,” a time when the country was beset with plague, civil war, and demons.
William of Newbury is a neurotic monk, fearful of the earthly world, but confident and unwavering in the face of true evil. He fights the dead to restore peace, but his brother is intent on stopping him, fearing for his soul. Newbury is dark, yet quaint, deadly yet cute. Follow him as he negotiates with thieves, evades his brother and the church, and battles the undead and evil spirits.
This is a tale fit for lovers of history and supernatural folklore of all ages.
Collects the comic book series William of Newbury #1–#4.
112 pages, Paperback
Published January 21, 2025
5 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Michael Avon Oeming
822 books64 followersMichael Avon Oeming is an American comic book creator, both as an artist and writer.
His 1998 comic book Bulletproof Monk was made into a film of the same name.
The previous mentioned collaborations are The Mice Templar from Image Comics, which he draws and co-authors with Bryan J.L. Glass,[1] and Powers from Icon Comics which he draws, and sometimes co-authors, with Brian Bendis. His creator-owned projects include Rapture, on which he collaborated with his wife, Taki Soma,[2] and The Victories, both for Dark Horse Comics.
As of 2010, he is employed as a staff member of Valve Corporation, working on Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2 and Portal 2 webcomics.
His 1998 comic book Bulletproof Monk was made into a film of the same name.
The previous mentioned collaborations are The Mice Templar from Image Comics, which he draws and co-authors with Bryan J.L. Glass,[1] and Powers from Icon Comics which he draws, and sometimes co-authors, with Brian Bendis. His creator-owned projects include Rapture, on which he collaborated with his wife, Taki Soma,[2] and The Victories, both for Dark Horse Comics.
As of 2010, he is employed as a staff member of Valve Corporation, working on Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2 and Portal 2 webcomics.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 6, 2025
Solid medieval fantasy story with fitting, appealing artwork
February 12, 2025
3.5
Love the art and the humour :)
Love the art and the humour :)
January 24, 2025
43% 5 stars and zero reviews 😂😂👍🏽
As a person who is actually reading this, i say it’s medium so far, and the style seems like a mignola hellboy rip. Which is a fine style but I'm not fanatic by nature.
Its kinda heavy on the religious part and not in a haha way. Is this writer really trying to preach on a hellboy rip 😂😂😂
As a person who is actually reading this, i say it’s medium so far, and the style seems like a mignola hellboy rip. Which is a fine style but I'm not fanatic by nature.
Its kinda heavy on the religious part and not in a haha way. Is this writer really trying to preach on a hellboy rip 😂😂😂
April 19, 2025
Really cute stories with just enough paranormal scares to keep it interesting. A somewhat true account of high strangeness in merry old England. Making the characters animals (mostly cute ones) added a nice twist to the Hellboy like stories and art.
I’d recommend this to any Hellboy fans or even just fans of little creatures dealing with big problems.
I’d recommend this to any Hellboy fans or even just fans of little creatures dealing with big problems.
February 9, 2025
I liked the art, and the basis for the stories (the writings of the real William of Newburgh), but the four tales felt a little bare bones (no pun intended). The dialogue was sometimes funny but mostly only O.K. It did make me curious to read the source material.
February 17, 2025
Oeming is a wonderful visual storyteller and this book was no disappointment. He infuses these stories with humor and realism, all the while using cute animals to lure us in. Beautifully colored and fun to read, I highly recommend this book.
July 28, 2025
This was just ok for me. I wasn't very interested in this storyline but the artwork was good and kept me reading. Not a series I will continue...but it was fine
April 12, 2025
William of Newbury is devout. He must beat back restless souls. He must sever the lies woven by fanciful and manipulative imps. He must outlast the wiles of dangerous faeries. William of Newbury must do all of this, and more, with naught but a staff, some scriptures, and a keen eye.
Beautifully inked, patiently written, and tenderly roused from historical records, WILLIAM OF NEWBURY is a fantastic graphic novel in every way. In this book, Oeming's signature dalliance with imbricated shadows meets the harrowing, unsympathetic dangers of 12th Century England. A sniveling chaplain who returns from the dead to antagonize the townspeople? Dancing skeletons in the sky? The Black Death? Other-world children in search of respite? An increasingly antagonistic prior eager to enforce a decidedly pragmatic church ethos?
And rising to greet these challenges rests a humble monk, William of Newbury, whose faith is strong and who possesses unfailing confidence in his role to calm the dead, defy the devil, and aid in humanity's cause. Sure, he's afraid of spiders and owls and things like that. But still, overall, William has made a name for himself at a time when faith is in short order, help is finicky and rare, and reliable authority scarcely exists, even from the abbey he calls home.
Oeming tells multiple, compact stories in short order. Each story feeds and nestles into the larger tale of a monk at odds with the greater religious order, a monk who never refuses to lend aid, and a monk who always knows better (yet often finds himself on the raw end of a deal). William knows the townsfolk are hard-up for money, yet he gets the runaround from a stable-hand who demands more than is necessary. William knows his brother, the prior, would see him in shackles for his continuous fight against the phantasmagoric (instead of doing the generic, placid, godly preaching and praying other monks do), yet he refuses to fight back when the guards seize upon him. WILLIAM OF NEWBURY sends a monk into battle against demon, fae, and undead, in each issue, only to later emerge with handsome words of thanks, a hardy meal, and the occasional scorn from those who reluctantly acknowledge the fantastical applications of true faith.
In WILLIAM OF NEWBURY, readers will find that visual design helps tell the story. For one, the characters are all animal-folk (e.g., rabbit-folk, weasel-folk, cat-folk, fox-folk, skunk-folk), and yet their species never hinders the narrative's capacity to imbue its characters with their own sense of agency. For example, William is a raccoon, and one of his journeying allies, a thief named Winnie, is mouse-folk. Winnie, though young, is exquisitely brave and constantly brags about her eagerness to validate what she, herself, knows to be true. Perhaps readers will find deeper thematic intrigue in the tale of a monk raccoon who seeks to redeem himself (and others) in fighting the good fight against demons and devils. Perhaps readers will find more engaging moral intrigue in the exploits of a thief mouse whose pride and companionship surmounts all other needs for coin and loyalty. Whatever the case, WILLIAM OF NEWBURY is a great read.
Beautifully inked, patiently written, and tenderly roused from historical records, WILLIAM OF NEWBURY is a fantastic graphic novel in every way. In this book, Oeming's signature dalliance with imbricated shadows meets the harrowing, unsympathetic dangers of 12th Century England. A sniveling chaplain who returns from the dead to antagonize the townspeople? Dancing skeletons in the sky? The Black Death? Other-world children in search of respite? An increasingly antagonistic prior eager to enforce a decidedly pragmatic church ethos?
And rising to greet these challenges rests a humble monk, William of Newbury, whose faith is strong and who possesses unfailing confidence in his role to calm the dead, defy the devil, and aid in humanity's cause. Sure, he's afraid of spiders and owls and things like that. But still, overall, William has made a name for himself at a time when faith is in short order, help is finicky and rare, and reliable authority scarcely exists, even from the abbey he calls home.
Oeming tells multiple, compact stories in short order. Each story feeds and nestles into the larger tale of a monk at odds with the greater religious order, a monk who never refuses to lend aid, and a monk who always knows better (yet often finds himself on the raw end of a deal). William knows the townsfolk are hard-up for money, yet he gets the runaround from a stable-hand who demands more than is necessary. William knows his brother, the prior, would see him in shackles for his continuous fight against the phantasmagoric (instead of doing the generic, placid, godly preaching and praying other monks do), yet he refuses to fight back when the guards seize upon him. WILLIAM OF NEWBURY sends a monk into battle against demon, fae, and undead, in each issue, only to later emerge with handsome words of thanks, a hardy meal, and the occasional scorn from those who reluctantly acknowledge the fantastical applications of true faith.
In WILLIAM OF NEWBURY, readers will find that visual design helps tell the story. For one, the characters are all animal-folk (e.g., rabbit-folk, weasel-folk, cat-folk, fox-folk, skunk-folk), and yet their species never hinders the narrative's capacity to imbue its characters with their own sense of agency. For example, William is a raccoon, and one of his journeying allies, a thief named Winnie, is mouse-folk. Winnie, though young, is exquisitely brave and constantly brags about her eagerness to validate what she, herself, knows to be true. Perhaps readers will find deeper thematic intrigue in the tale of a monk raccoon who seeks to redeem himself (and others) in fighting the good fight against demons and devils. Perhaps readers will find more engaging moral intrigue in the exploits of a thief mouse whose pride and companionship surmounts all other needs for coin and loyalty. Whatever the case, WILLIAM OF NEWBURY is a great read.
April 6, 2025
"Don't underestimate the power of the written word. It has taken down kings and built up empires."
'William of Newbury' by Michael Avon Oeming is a graphic comic book series set in medieval England. The whole country is haunted by ghosts and spirits that refuse to remain dead. We follow William, a monk, on his adventures across the country as he fights these demons. The dark framing of many pages and the somber colors add to the eerie atmosphere.
However, don’t think for a moment that this is a gloomy tale—nothing could be further from the truth. The humans inhabiting this world are actually anthropomorphized animals—bipeds with opposable thumbs who behave like humans but look like animals. If you’ve seen Bojack Horseman, you’ll know what I mean. However, unlike Bojack, which featured both humans and animals, this world is solely populated by animals—except for an angel, who has a very human visage.
The presence of ghosts, angels, and a monk as the protagonist might suggest religious overtones, but they didn’t bother me.
The story is frequently humorous. William, for example, is brave when facing demons but fearful of things in the material world—including, for some unknown reason, owls. In the first part, he is often seen talking to himself. This stops when Winnie enters the story, and her presence only amplifies the humor.
Winnie is a young girl (one minor drawback of the animalistic character designs is that it can sometimes be difficult to determine the ages and genders of characters) who was a robber before she somehow befriended William.
Given her pragmatic values and faith in her axe, she provides a compelling contrast to William, and their interactions are often very funny. Here’s an example:
“So you own this horse?”
“Own-ish.”
“Yesterday you said you borrowed it, Winnie.”
“I borrow a lot of things. It’s hard to keep track.”
“Did you steal it from your gang?”
“Thank you.”
“That’s not a compliment.”
“It is to a thief.”
Perhaps my favorite line is when Winnie later tells members of her gang, “I stole that horse fair and square.”
There is one scene where William is talking to a spirit that is invisible to Winnie, and her reactions—clearly not believing him—reminded me of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza’s friendship.
By the fourth comic, we also get to know more about William’s brother, another monk. We learn a little about William’s past, but nothing about Winnie’s. I hope that changes in future volumes, though I suspect there are deeper reasons why she wants to avoid God’s attention.
I cannot praise enough the overall visual aesthetic created by the artwork—some panels, in particular, are quite powerful.
All in all, I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys graphic comics.
'William of Newbury' by Michael Avon Oeming is a graphic comic book series set in medieval England. The whole country is haunted by ghosts and spirits that refuse to remain dead. We follow William, a monk, on his adventures across the country as he fights these demons. The dark framing of many pages and the somber colors add to the eerie atmosphere.
However, don’t think for a moment that this is a gloomy tale—nothing could be further from the truth. The humans inhabiting this world are actually anthropomorphized animals—bipeds with opposable thumbs who behave like humans but look like animals. If you’ve seen Bojack Horseman, you’ll know what I mean. However, unlike Bojack, which featured both humans and animals, this world is solely populated by animals—except for an angel, who has a very human visage.
The presence of ghosts, angels, and a monk as the protagonist might suggest religious overtones, but they didn’t bother me.
The story is frequently humorous. William, for example, is brave when facing demons but fearful of things in the material world—including, for some unknown reason, owls. In the first part, he is often seen talking to himself. This stops when Winnie enters the story, and her presence only amplifies the humor.
Winnie is a young girl (one minor drawback of the animalistic character designs is that it can sometimes be difficult to determine the ages and genders of characters) who was a robber before she somehow befriended William.
Given her pragmatic values and faith in her axe, she provides a compelling contrast to William, and their interactions are often very funny. Here’s an example:
“So you own this horse?”
“Own-ish.”
“Yesterday you said you borrowed it, Winnie.”
“I borrow a lot of things. It’s hard to keep track.”
“Did you steal it from your gang?”
“Thank you.”
“That’s not a compliment.”
“It is to a thief.”
Perhaps my favorite line is when Winnie later tells members of her gang, “I stole that horse fair and square.”
There is one scene where William is talking to a spirit that is invisible to Winnie, and her reactions—clearly not believing him—reminded me of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza’s friendship.
By the fourth comic, we also get to know more about William’s brother, another monk. We learn a little about William’s past, but nothing about Winnie’s. I hope that changes in future volumes, though I suspect there are deeper reasons why she wants to avoid God’s attention.
I cannot praise enough the overall visual aesthetic created by the artwork—some panels, in particular, are quite powerful.
All in all, I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys graphic comics.
February 17, 2025
Set during The Anarchy in mid-12th century England, the traveling monk William of Newbury seeks root out evil plaguing a country beset by civil war, plague and roving bands of demons. A little neurotic and a little naive to the world, William is forced to seek help from the cunning thief Winnie in order to accomplish his various missions. A somewhat of an episodic adventure, each issue of the series introduces a new challenge for Father William and Winnie to deal with, though an overarching plot involving his brother's church emerges across all four issues.
It's a charming series that captures the quaint episodic quality of Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo series (comparable with the concept of a wandering character) and the light horror undertones similar to that of Mignola's Hellboy series. Indeed, Michael Avon Oeming channels some of Mignola's aesthetic here with the use of sharp lines and bold, flat color contrasts, with heavy emphasis on the blacks. Though the story could have had a bit more meat to it, the concept is strong enough that I'd be interested in seeing more William of Newbury stories down the line.
It's a charming series that captures the quaint episodic quality of Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo series (comparable with the concept of a wandering character) and the light horror undertones similar to that of Mignola's Hellboy series. Indeed, Michael Avon Oeming channels some of Mignola's aesthetic here with the use of sharp lines and bold, flat color contrasts, with heavy emphasis on the blacks. Though the story could have had a bit more meat to it, the concept is strong enough that I'd be interested in seeing more William of Newbury stories down the line.
February 2, 2025
It's clever because it's inspired by the real-life events of the 12th century England, and it's cute because it's anthropomorphic.
The main cast is played by animals (exclusively for cuteness or for all-age appeal), with the eponymous protagonist being the neurotic monk who fears many things of this realm but is perfectly comfortable dealing with the denizens of the supernatural one. Throw is a reluctant sidekick and not-particularly supportive brethren of the cloak, and you have all the makings of the classic adventure story -- or stories as the case may be here where each chapter is an individual consecutive adventure.
Not exactly my thing and the black eyes are a detractor, but overall, a fun, well-drawn read.
The main cast is played by animals (exclusively for cuteness or for all-age appeal), with the eponymous protagonist being the neurotic monk who fears many things of this realm but is perfectly comfortable dealing with the denizens of the supernatural one. Throw is a reluctant sidekick and not-particularly supportive brethren of the cloak, and you have all the makings of the classic adventure story -- or stories as the case may be here where each chapter is an individual consecutive adventure.
Not exactly my thing and the black eyes are a detractor, but overall, a fun, well-drawn read.
April 20, 2025
3.5 stars
Oeming’s art looks great, sort of a cross between the anthropomorphic pastoral England of Wild’s End and the wyrd supernatural of Mignola’s Hellboy. The stories are apparently adapted from an actual William of Newburgh’s written account, documenting strange occurrences in 12th Century England as he understood them through his particular religious POV of the era. I’d definitely read a second volume of these stories.
“For a man who has God in his side, you always look scared.”
“God is on the side of my soul, Winnie, but my body has to look out for itself!”
“A lost soul often looks for another lost soul, Winnie. And when I look around this world, that’s all I see.”
“I stole that horse fair and square!”
“They have spoons! R-run!”
Oeming’s art looks great, sort of a cross between the anthropomorphic pastoral England of Wild’s End and the wyrd supernatural of Mignola’s Hellboy. The stories are apparently adapted from an actual William of Newburgh’s written account, documenting strange occurrences in 12th Century England as he understood them through his particular religious POV of the era. I’d definitely read a second volume of these stories.
“For a man who has God in his side, you always look scared.”
“God is on the side of my soul, Winnie, but my body has to look out for itself!”
“A lost soul often looks for another lost soul, Winnie. And when I look around this world, that’s all I see.”
“I stole that horse fair and square!”
“They have spoons! R-run!”
May 3, 2025
The pretty goofy tale of a monk in the Middle Ages meandering around England, dealing with demonic possessions, all the while feeling very out of sorts about his work. William picks up a kid thief tagalong early on, and she provides a pleasant comedic counterpoint. William's brother (also the head monk) keeps chasing after him, trying to get him to stop with the demon stuff (turns out, the two sold their souls as kids and they're dealing with that fact very differently).
Shades of Hellboy, but lighter and maybe more kid friendly? I had a decent time, but I wouldn't race to find future adventures.
Shades of Hellboy, but lighter and maybe more kid friendly? I had a decent time, but I wouldn't race to find future adventures.
November 4, 2025
William of Newbury, Michael Oeming.
Lots of fun, unexpectedly smart and humorous anthropomorphic retelling of a 12-century monk's historical tales. I hope more volumes are produced.
#1 - A Serious Nuisance in Buckinghamshire - "Oh wait, you're just a demon!
#2 - The Rich Rogue of Berwick - "Did you steal it from your gang?" "Thank you." "That's not a compliment!" "It is to a thief."
#3 - The Undead Chaplain of Melrose - "This prayer is barely legible."
#4 - The Green Children of Woolpit - "This ain't holy water monk!" "I did say prayers over it so.."
Lots of fun, unexpectedly smart and humorous anthropomorphic retelling of a 12-century monk's historical tales. I hope more volumes are produced.
#1 - A Serious Nuisance in Buckinghamshire - "Oh wait, you're just a demon!
#2 - The Rich Rogue of Berwick - "Did you steal it from your gang?" "Thank you." "That's not a compliment!" "It is to a thief."
#3 - The Undead Chaplain of Melrose - "This prayer is barely legible."
#4 - The Green Children of Woolpit - "This ain't holy water monk!" "I did say prayers over it so.."
May 10, 2025
As stated in the back of the book, this is very much "Redwall meets Hellboy," and it is wonderful. Not sure if anything else needs to be said, bur if little animal guys fighting supernatural demons and plagues sounds like it's up your alley, this is a safe bet!
February 9, 2025
3.5 stars
February 9, 2025
Wonderfully rich.
June 4, 2025
I really love this! It’s a reimagining of William of Newburgh, a Medieval monk. The story of the green children is included here. Supernatural horror, but also quite cute and not too intense.
June 12, 2025
I want a friend like Winnie .
November 8, 2025
Had a lot of promise. Beautiful artwork, but the story was slow going. Was better by the end, and I could see a sequel being better.
August 11, 2025
I very much enjoyed this latest entry into the world of Mice Templar. And it was surprisingly accurate to the mythologies of the Medieval period in Europe.
December 29, 2025
God bless furries
I really liked the colors in this! The writing didn't always flow smoothly but it's a great concept
I really liked the colors in this! The writing didn't always flow smoothly but it's a great concept
October 4, 2025
I couldn’t get “William of Newbury” when it was coming out in single issues, so I requested a pull of the TPB. It is a fun story, set in a 12th-century England but with anthropomorphic animals and very real supernatural hauntings.
Although I liked the characters and episodic adventures, I don’t plan to pick up the series. The religious bent was a bit much for my tastes, though it is by no means heavy handed.
Although I liked the characters and episodic adventures, I don’t plan to pick up the series. The religious bent was a bit much for my tastes, though it is by no means heavy handed.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews