It's interesting to me that while Supernatural Law is the ongoing series and Mavis is the occasional special, it's in Mavis where a lot of the big events of the series happen. There are several big developments in the relationships this issue and a lot of characters and continuity from the main story, so that the book is not the most accessible of the usually new reader friendly series but it's a real treat for those who follow the book. In particular, there are some really fun gags, and we get to see the delightful mix of moxie and confusion that makes up Mavis's personality in action.
As Lash has sometimes done, this is a series of different stories that build upon one another, rather than one long story. The short stories don't always come to the most natural conclusions, with the first one in particular feeling unfinished, but they do work as one big story with breaks between them. The development of the stories of Ken Paine and Corey's crush, the robotic rampage at a tech show and the monsters seeking an injunction against Halloween costume companies work both as little stories on their own and complications for the main story, which is all about Mavis's romantic troubles. Mavis's complicated romantic history provides a good backdrop for the mundane drama of a wedding invitation that could cause trouble, a nice regular event in the life of someone who deals with ghouls and goblins every day.
Lash's story actually gets fairly complex, with a number of characters and subplots and baggage from past relationships affecting things. Introducing the drama of Corey, Bonnie, Richie, Ken and the various players in the robot story makes for a lot of characters to keep track of in such a small space, and I found myself grasping the overall story but perhaps missing some of the intricacies as a result.
There's some nice drama in this story, including a heart-warming reaction from Taylor to Mavis's dilemma that provides a nice ending for the overall piece. However, as always, the book is notable for its ideas and its humor. The gag with the shrunken headed plaintiff against a voodoo doctor is a great visual gag, and though it's a somewhat dated reference, the South Park "Kenny" joke made me laugh out loud as well. Lash is a master of structure, with a lot of setup early on paying off by the end of the issue.
As always, Supernatural Law is a professional and entertaining comic, with a style reminiscent of Archie and EC and a concept that is easy to get and unlimited in its room to explore. These occasional Mavis specials might not be the ideal place for a new reader to try out the book, but they're almost always some of the most entertaining issues of the book, with plenty of plot and character development, and this one is no exception.
