Father Gaetano's Puppet Catechism by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden

Well, behold another collaboration between Mignola and Golden in the form of a novella that takes place during World War Two Sicily at a makeshift orphanage. Although not an outright horror at the beginning, the reader follows a young Sebastiano and his friend, the clown puppet Pagliaccio, as the war rages on. Father Gaetano arrives at the parish and looks for a way to teach catechism that won't bore this kids to death and take their minds off being left behind by the ruins of war. He spots little Pagliaccio and from there gets the idea to use the puppets in the basement as a way to teach them about the Bible. However, these puppets are not your ordinary puppets....they come alive! They are what you make them, as is most evident by the Lucifer puppet who brings war to the orphanage and attempts to kill both the priest and Sebastiano only to parish in flames...or so we think? It is a good quick read that picks up quickly as Golden uses ultimate good to battle ultimate evil as we question choices and look at people for who they really are....just people. Mignola's art that lines this novella is stunning of course as he allows our imagination to be littered with his images that we couldn't possibly have done ourselves. Faith is but a fragile thing and how much can one have in the face of adversity? Things are questioned, as the magic comes alive as they ask themselves, and we ask ourselves, how much has to happen before we can accept that sometimes, kids are telling the truth and know better? Give it a read, you'll find this enjoyable.