by Roger Gibson and Vincent Danks

Ariel Press

It’s getting to the stage where I can’t really review Harker properly anymore. I’ve already reviewed the first 5 issues and found so much to enjoy that I’d imagine it’s obvious that, unless Gibson and Danks completely screw it up, issue 6 is going to be equally praised.

But, if you’re new to this, here’s what you’ve missed:

“A horribly mutilated body has been discovered on the steps of st George’s Church in london, just around the corner from the British Museum. Detective Chief Inspector Harker, and his assistant Detective Sergeant Critchley, experts in multiple homicides, are on the case. The body is unidentified and appears to be the result of a horrific ritual killing. Harker is skeptical, but book fibres found underneath the victim’s fingernails have led our detectives on the search for an Occult book: The Key Of Solomon“.

That was from early on, since then DCI Harker has been proven right, the Book Of Solomon and the Satanic cult was really just an excuse for a good old fashioned bit of wife swapping and the murderer turned out to be just another jealous (although somewhat unhinged) spouse. Of course, along the way, we got to revel in the extremely well written and funny interplay between Harker and Critchley and witness a perfectly written police procedural beautifully illustrated by Vince Danks.

(Harker may be in a little trouble here, from Harker 6 by Roger Gibson and Vince Danks.)

And thank god, they’ve delivered a bloody entertaining, very satisfying end to the first storyline. Where the first 4 issues were all about the setup and ongoing investigation and full of cracking dialogue and some really funny lines, the final 2 issues are more concerned with the endgame, the bits where Harker and Critchley crack the case and track down the killer. I said last time with issue 5 that it was slightly disappointing (although understandable) that the cut and thrust of the dialogue between the characters had been sidelined to enable the plot to come to the fore. Similarly with issue 6, the plot is the thing once more. This one’s all about the wrap up, as Harker finds himself trailing the killer through underground tunnels, whilst Critchley, realising what Harker’s already discovered, is racing to the scene.

(……..”Shall we slip away quietly then?”, “Might be a plan. Try not to look guilty” And that’s a perfect end to a perfect series. From Harker issue 6 by Roger Gibson and Vince Danks.)

That he makes it, that Harker and Critchley survive, that the killer is caught, none of these things will be a surprise. That I thought it was a bloody great ending to a thrilling and brilliant series probably isn’t much of a surprise either. Harker issue 6 is a great wrap up to what has been a really cracking storyline.

(More Harker; the forthcoming collection and issue 7, the start of “Murder By The Book”.)

The collection of Harker 1-6 is out in October. It’s called The Book Of Solomon. I imagine I’ll be telling you how good it is all over again nearer that time. Before that comes Harker issue 7, the first issue of the second storyline: Murder By The Book. Like Roger says on the Harker blog – this one’s a funny one, as I’d have expected really – we’re going to be back to setup here and I’m already looking forward to it. Individual issues of Harker are now available from all good comic shops (there’s a list here) and from the Ariel Press shop online here.

Richard Bruton.

Roger Gibson & Vince Danks

Ariel Press

The latest issue of this top quality detective series, and the penultimate issue of the first storyline. I’ve looked at it twice already:

“This is one of those books that I knew I was going to enjoy within the first ten pages. It had that feel of a great genre work, grabbing you and taking you exactly where you wanted it to go. Every page had something on it that pressed the right buttons for the bit of my brain that goes silly over great genre stuff. A little bit Sherlock Holmes, a little bit X-Files, CSI, it’s all these and so much more. But most importantly it gave me that immediacy that is incredibly rare, that feeling within the first few pages that this was going to be something special, and by the end of issue 2, it still felt like that – a hugely entertaining comic.” Issue 1 & 2 review.

“A great detective thriller with intriguing story, wonderful art, cracking dialogue and moments of laugh out loud comedy? Harker really does just get better and better. And I’ve barely even mentioned Vince Danks’ art. His figure work is spot on (and I finally figured out what I was seeing – amazingly there’s a touch of Kevin Maguire in his faces and some Nabiel Kanan in the linework) with a very minimal yet very expressive style that just captures every subtle nuance with very few lines. And if his figure work is strong then the settings and his backgrounds are just magnificent. The detailing is amazing. It’s as good as Gerhard’s work on Cerebus – amazing stuff. And the story really plays to Dank’s strengths. Brilliant stuff.” Issue 3 & 4 review.

So I’ll keep this relatively brief:

Beneath another stunning cover by Vincent Danks, we’re off following DCI Harker and DS Critchley just after the discovery of the latest victim (crucified in his own bookshop). The all important book; The Key of Solomon, is missing and Critchley and Griffin; Harker’s assistants / annoying voices in his head, convince him that he has to arrest Randolph; the antiques dealer and Satanic cult leader at the centre of all the goings on, only to have Harker proven right after all:

“I can confirm the time of … the bookseller’s death. He was murdered while you were questioning Randolph. Randolph isn’t your murderer. You’re his alibi.”
“Well there’s a turn up for the books. Seems I was right after all.”

After the marvelous character driven dialogue in the first 4 issues, getting an issue that is, by necessity, more about driving the story to it’s conclusion next issue actually comes over as a slight disappointment – the page above is the only real out and out verbal gag in the comic. By the end of the issue you’re right there with Harker and Critchley and we all know who the murderer is. But saying it’s slightly less enjoyable still puts it head and shoulders above most of the other comics on the stands right now. Harker really is that good.

I’ve been saying it over and over but Harker is definitely one of the best comics you can buy right now. Roger Gibson and Vince Danks are really creating something marvelous here. And it’s certainly not too late to get on board. All of the previous issues are available from the creators and hopefully at many good comic shops across the country. There’s only one issue to go, the final showdown with the murderer and, hopefully, a chance for DCI Harker to let loose with that acid tongue of his once more.

The great news about Harker is that it doesn’t end with the conclusion of the Key Of Solomon storyline. All 6 issues are due to be collected into Volume 1 in September and there’s also a novel by Roger Gibson, illustrated by Vince Danks due in September. The Murder Club novel follows on directly from issue 6 and leads into the next storyline. An interesting way to do it perhaps, but it seems Gibson has more Harker tales than Danks has time to illustrate. And after that we’re straight into Volume 2, another 6 issues that I really hope prove to be as brilliant as what’s gone on so far.

Harker has proven to be the comic I most look forward to reading each month – an absolute triumph of a comic.

Richard Bruton.

by Roger Gibson & Vince Danks

Ariel Press

Harker issue 1 & 2 were reviewed a few weeks back. The verdict: I thought it was great.

So with issues 3 & 4 I was really hoping it was going to live up to the promise of the first issues. Well, Gibson & Danks have taken that promise and really gone for it. If 1 & 2 established the characters and setting and dastardly plot, then 3 & 4 are where they relax and open out into the story some more. It’s still completely fantastic genre stuff but it just gets better and better and better here.

Detective Sergeant Critchley thinks this latest case, with the mutilated bodies appearing around London looking like ritualistic killings, is all a bit open and shut; all the clues not only point generally to Satanic cults but specifically to the Key Of Solomon book. Detective Chief Inspector Harker is having none of it. The Satanist cult is hogwash, the book’s a waste of time and he’s determined to get to the bottom of the crime without all this occult nonsense. Even when faced with what looks like a full blown Satanic cult in mid chicken slaughter, he’s suitably acerbic:

“You have got to be joking. What the bloody hell is this, Bride Of Dracula?”
“Ceremony? Raising the devil, are you? Worshipping the Dark Lord Beelzebub? My arse.”
“Let me make this clear – you have no idea how irritated I am by all of this. In fact, I’m verging on the apoplectic.”

“Well, I’m still having fun.”
“You would, Critchley. Hammer films have a lot to answer for.”

And that’s why Harker is such enormous fun. The dialogue and characters certainly aren’t real; no-one really speaks like that all of the time. But Harker isn’t about real characters, just perfectly realised idealised versions of characters we’d possibly like to be. The antecedents are everywhere; Holmes & Watson, Regan & Carter, toss in a bit of Life On Mars’ Gene Hunt for Harker perhaps and you have a little idea of what makes Harker so enjoyable.

Later on in issue 3 we have six marvellous pages of full page art that really play on Vince Danks’ magnificent renderings of background details as the two decamp to the pub and Harker lays it all out very simply for Critchley:

(Harker lays it out to Critchley in one of six full page pub interiors that bring out the very best in Vince Danks’ artwork.)

The fun carries on into issue 4, with the best and funniest set piece so far as Harker and Critchley carry out a search on one of the suspect’s houses. Harker’s interrogating in the foreground, determined to debunk all this secret occult stuff as the plod in the background finds the secret lever and the giant door in the bookcase opens… “Er…. Guv?”

What follows as Harker and Critchley walk down the secret stairs had me laughing out loud:

(“I think he could be Batman. Comedy dialogue in the middle of a really great story. That’s Harker.)

A great detective thriller with intriguing story, wonderful art, cracking dialogue and moments of laugh out loud comedy? Harker really does just get better and better. And I’ve barely even mentioned Vince Danks’ art. His figure work is spot on (and I finally figured out what I was seeing – amazingly there’s a touch of Kevin Maguire in his faces and some Nabiel Kanan in the linework) with a very minimal yet very expressive style that just captures every subtle nuance with very few lines. And if his figure work is strong then the settings and his backgrounds are just magnificent. The detailing is amazing. It’s as good as Gerhard’s work on Cerebus – amazing stuff. And the story really plays to Dank’s strengths. Brilliant stuff.

Yet the sad thing about Harker is that despite it being such a great book, despite it being exactly the sort of thing that has a real mainstream appeal, it failed to meet the minimum order levels for Diamond distributors. Something is very, very wrong in comics when something this good fails to get distributed. The upcoming collection of Volume 1 (issues 1-6 of the comic) are going to be in Previews and hopefully Diamond may see the light and carry Volume 2 in comic form as well.

Harker is absolutely fantastic genre work. Perfectly written, fun, funny, dialogue that crackles, characters that intrigue. If your local comic shop doesn’t carry it, you really need to be asking them why not. It’s available direct to any comic shop that wants it – they just need to get in touch with the creators. Alternatively you can order direct from the creators yourselves at their webstore.

Richard Bruton.