One of the best things about Harry Dresden is that he can go anywhere and still be a funny, irritating trouble-magnet. 
 Exhibit A: "Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin," which takes place between the second and third books of Butcher's urban fantasy series. But it's a solid self-contained Dresden story, which takes him outside Chicago and into a small Missouri town... which brings its own problems, both supernatural and human. Think giant snakes, curses and a feud between two nasties. 
 A small-town deputy hires Harry to investigate a string of mysterious deaths in the town of Boons Mills. According to Bob, the entire Talbot bloodline is cursed -- and as Harry snoops around, he runs afoul of both a ghoul and a goblin. Apparently the two are fighting over the town as their territory, and the Talbots are paying the price. 
 But as Harry tries to untangle the whole supernatural mess, he also finds himself in a quieter battle between the mayor (who has her own supernatural secret) and the narrow-minded sheriff (who, naturally, wants to blame the "out of towner" for all the problems). Can Harry thwart the ghoul and goblin, and save the remaining Talbot children? 
 "Ghoul Goblin" is a pretty standard Dresden Files short story -- explosions, gore, snark and weird supernatural beings that normal people don't even know of (including a shapeshifting naga). It just so happens that this one has lots of pretty pictures. And oh yeah, Harry isn't in Chicago, and he has nobody from the supporting cast except Bob. 
 But Butcher's mixture of dark, gritty fantasy (more Talbots die than are saved) and snarky humor ("Shedding the trappings of man" -- ie, getting naked... outdoors... on a very cold night) is very much present here. He also tangles in some smaller mysteries about the ghoul's true identity and the mayor's peculiar secret, which all tie in to the main plot about the curse. Perhaps the biggest problem is that I never quite got what the connection between the Talbots, the ghoul and the goblin WAS. 
 The art is pretty decent here, fairly realistic and with not too many "cartoony" panels. Joseph Cooper doesn't shy away from the more grotesque parts of the story, like the ghoul's ape-from-hell proportions or the disemboweled Talbot victims. Everything seems to be muted, with lots of blues and greys. 
 And of course, Harry is the big draw here. He's tall, lanky and permastubbled, snarky and sometimes reckless, but is also a big ol' softy who will do anything to save children, orphans and people who are genuinely good at heart (like Pres). He also gets beaten up quite a bit in the course of his duty, but always considers it worthwhile when he's doing the right thing. 
 For those who enjoy Jim Butcher's regular books, "Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin" will be a fun experience -- a solid short story brought to visual life. Give it a read.