Supernatural Law #27 [2000]

This issue has a reprint of one of those rare instances of Ditko inking someone else's pencils, in this case Batton Lash for a 4-page story featuring Lash's "Wolff & Byrd" characters. It was originally published in colour in SATAN'S SIX #1 [1993] from Topps, reprinted here from Lash's own Exhibit A Press with some tonework added in place of the colour. It's a pretty appropriate pairing, since Lash is among the most directly Ditko inspired cartoonists working in comics today, and among other things "Wolff & Byrd" is often a humourous take on the short fantasy/horror stories Ditko did for Marvel and Charlton.

This particular story starts very much in the vein of a STRANGE TALES yarn from 1960, with a teacher mocked by others learning to summon a demon, and using the powers of the demon to gather riches and take revenge on his enemies. Soon he finds himself party to a lawsuit brought on by Wolff & Byrd, lawyers specializing in the supernatural, and he goes to trial as his own lawyer, and you know what they say about that.

It's a very funny story, and the artwork is a perfect blend of Lash and Ditko's styles (and even includes a joke about those wonderful Ditko "magic gesture" fingers). Well worth picking up in any of its printings (I think it's also in the collection THE VAMPIRE BRAT AND OTHER TALES OF SUPERNATURAL LAW [apparently not, but still a book worth getting]). And of course if you like Ditko you'd be well advised to check out Lash's other work, including his new online strip version of Supernatural Law.