by Roger Gibson and Vince Danks

Ariel Press

Here we go again….. by now you know how much I enjoy Harker (see the review of Volume 1: The Book Of Solomon for a reminder), so when I got the latest issue I was almost tempted just to write a quick piece announcing it’s release and linking to past reviews.

But….. the problem is that Harker’s struggling along, with no US distributor and is relying on UK sales to keep it going. And I for one, definitely want it to keep going and going and going. It’s the monthly (near enough) comic that I really look forward to getting, a guaranteed slice of regular enjoyment. So to quickly recap, my reviews of the previous three issues in this story are here; issue 7, issue 8, issue 9 and here’s the blurb from the inside cover:

Detective Chief Inspector Harker and his assistant, Detective Sergeant Critchley, specialise in cases of multiple homicide. Harker’s seaside holiday in Whitby is ruined by the brutal stabbing of mystery author Agatha Fletcher, who was at the hotel with her assistant Jasmine Burns to host a Murder Mystery evening. Although initially reluctant to investigate, when a second corpse is washed up on the morning tide, identified as the hotel chef, Harker gets on the case…….

And now you’re right up to speed. Issue 10 starts with a mysterious memory and then barrels straight into Harker and Critchley getting on with the job of finding the killer. As usual, we have two coppers with vastly diverging ideas on how best to approach the case and a fine line in verbal sparring as they try their best to bludgeon the other into taking their viewpoint.

The story moves along with pace and gusto, packed with the beautiful visuals that I’ve come to expect from Vince Danks by now. But to stop myself taking his art for granted, it’s always nice to reread the issue a couple of times and at least once let the words fall away and just luxuriate in a bloody brilliant artist doing some fine, fine work.

One of the key attractions of Harker is the interplay between the main characters and the comedy that results, cutting, sarcastic stuff. And, seeing as we’re in Whitby with one of the grumpiest coppers in the world, how better to milk a moment for a few great gags than to bring out the Goths? (Whitby, if you didn’t know, is famous for it’s bi-annual Goth weekends, where the town is inundated with revellers revisiting the sites made famous in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.) You can just hear the exasperation in Harker’s voice as he heads to the bar for a quiet pint and walks into this…..

But Harker has a cunning plan…….to get to the bar…

Great, great scenes and more evidence, as if you needed it, that Harker is still going strong, mixing the humour with the criminal investigation and making this a very, very enjoyable crime thriller with a wickedly funny streak. It’s still the best British monthly comic out there right now.

All of the Harker issues are available from the Ariel Press website and there’s a list of the comic shops stocking it here. If your comic shop doesn’t have it on it’s shelves – ask them why not.

Richard Bruton.

Here’s the first few tweets – read from the bottom up:

Follow DCI Harker on twitter here.

Plot, story, script – Roger Gibson. Plot, art – Vincent Danks

Ariel Press.

And here we are again, another issue of Harker, another review (for the others try here). By now you can probably write these for yourself. But for those who haven’t been paying attention this is my standard description of Harker:

“Harker’s a great detective thriller with intriguing story, wonderful art, cracking dialogue and moments of laugh out loud comedy … an absolute triumph of a comic”

This issue is the third part of the second volume. You don’t need to read the first volume to enjoy this (although I’d obviously recommend it), likewise you don’t really need to read issues 7 & 8 before this one – but why deny yourself that pleasure? All you really need to know is on the inside front cover:

“Detective Chief Inspector Harker and his assistant, Detective Sergeant Critchley, specialise in cases of multiple homicide. Harker’s seaside holiday in Whitby is ruined by the brutal stabbing of mystery author Agatha Fletcher, who was at the hotel with her assistant Jasmine Burns to host a murder mystery evening.

Reluctant to deal with the murder case on his vacation, Harker calls in Critchley and Griffin, leaving them to deal with the investigation whilst he spends much of the day on the dodgems. Finally discovered by Critchley, Harker suggests that the case should be left to the local police – as it isn’t a multiple homicide, he feels it’s not a case they should be handling. Critchley agrees and decides to hand the investigation over to the local constabulary in the morning. But as our detectives stroll back to the hotel, a second corpse washes up by the bridge….“

The only other thing you really need to know is that Griffin is Harker’s favourite pathologist, although she has a healthy cynical and sarcastic attitude towards “Starsky and Hutch” as she’s taken to calling them.

This issue is another dialogue heavy issue – and we all know that that means lots of good opportunities for some great sarcastic, funny stuff from the cast:

(From Harker issue 9 by Gibson and Danks. Harker’s pathologist Griffin gets off on the wrong foot with the local DI. Not to worry, Harker will be along to put him in his place any moment.
Oh, hold on – here he is now……….)

(Master of the sharp put-down, but also a man very protective of his own team is our DCI Harker. From Harker issue 9 by Gibson and Danks.)

It’s a hugely enjoyable issue, although so far we’re halfway through the volume and we’ve had just two murders and very little actual policing. But I have a feeling that Harker, Critchley and Griffin will come through in the end. They’re busy this issue making connections and identifying suspects – in between the sarcastic one-liners of course.

But the thing we have discovered this time around, especially with Harker’s desperate dash away from the murder last issue and his unwillingness to let the nastiness of his work intrude upon his Whitby retreat, is a little more of the characters of our leads. Harker’s character is becoming far more than a hard-nosed, gruff John Thaw mix of Regan and Morse. And the relationship between Harker and Critchley is slowly coming through as well. Take Harker’s protective attitude to his sergeant in the page above, or Critchley’s reciprocal determination to protect and support his boss in this scene:

(“So, yes, he’s off to have a think”. Critchley looks out for his boss, who’s off to decipher the clues to the double murder. From Harker issue 9 by Gibson and Danks.)

The art by Danks is, in all honesty, getting better and better. He’s refining his line as he goes along with Harker, stripping it all down to minimal lines and it works beautifully yet again. He’s also become rather sparing with his wonderful backgrounds – content sometimes to allow his figures to operate against a completely white backdrop when it’s necessary and then, when the story calls for it, back into lush, detailed, wonderfully busy backgrounds once again. Harker’s definitely not just a great story – it’s artistically great as well.

So, no surprise, I’m still going to be shouting, as loud  as I can, for you all to be buying and reading Harker. Nine issues in and it’s still one of the books I enjoy most each month. Harker is available from the FPI store, selected comic shops (the good ones) and from Gibson and Danks directly. Support them, enjoy the book. I know I am.

Richard Bruton.

Plot, story, script – Roger Gibson. Plot, art – Vincent Danks

Ariel Press.

Anyone reading the blog over the past 9 months or so will have surely picked up on my great love of Harker. I’ve championed it since issue 1 and every month have delivered positive review after positive review. So with this first collection I’m hardly likely to have completely changed my mind now am I?

Quite simply – no, of course not. Harker’s a fantastic tale, featuring a great set of characters, mixing all of the best elements of classic genre crime fiction and borrowing extensively from so many classic TV series to create something immediately recognisable and immensely enjoyable. Lots of police procedural stuff, the legwork, the investigations, the hunting down of the clues, the gathering of suspects and so much more. It’s all here in Harker.

So here’s what’s going on in Harker, The Book Of Solomon:

“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“.

Add to this the delightful dialogue, with Harker and Critchley playing off each other as a perfect comedy double act – Harker as the mysterious world-weary straight man to Critchley’s rapid fire, slightly unhinged funny man. 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 much fun.

(“Er… Guv?” Still cracks me up. Harker’s about to walk into a little Satanist bat-cave. There’s more art in the review here, but if I were you, I’d just buy the book.)

And in all this praise of Harker’s story and characterisation, it would be remiss of me not to mention Vince Danks’ art that simply and effectively adds so much to the book with simple lines, intricate figure work that seamlessly choreographs the comic as his figures flow naturally across  the page against backgrounds that are worthy of Gerhard’s finest work on Cerebus.

(Part of the centre-piece of the first volume, Harker and Critchley sit in a pub and Harker tells Critchley how to do this police lark properly; no Satanist nonsense, no pissing about with occult books, just good, old-fashioned police work. And a perfect panel to show off Vince Danks’ stunning artwork on the series.)

Like some bloke says on the back of the book: Harker’s a great detective thriller with intriguing story, wonderful art, cracking dialogue and moments of laugh out loud comedy … an absolute triumph of a comic. This first book really does have everything you could ever want in great genre writing. I’ve recommended it since the start. I’m certainly not stopping now.

Richard Bruton.

By Roger Gibson and Vince Danks

Ariel Press

Oh, I may as well give up on this review right here. By now you know I really enjoy this right? You’ve maybe seen the reviews here, here, here, here and here? Or maybe read the blurb on the back of Harker Volume 1 by me:

“A great detective thriller with intriguing story, wonderful art, cracking dialogue and moments of laugh out loud comedy…. an absolute triumph of a comic.”

So am I getting completely tedious in my affection and enjoyment for and of Harker? I shall keep this one brief as reviewing a series month by month eventually means that one begins to run out of new and original ways to praise it. It’s still beautifully written crime comedy stuff from Gibson with some really lovely art from Danks. The only downside to this storyline is that Danks doesn’t really get to amaze us with those wonderfully drawn bits of architecture that featured in the first London-centric storyline. But there’s still an awful lot to admire in Danks’ artwork which, with every passing issue, is becoming more refined, more stylised. He’s utilising a slightly simpler line here and whether it’s a necessary by-product of the monthly schedule or a deliberate decision it really doesn’t matter, it’s lovely to look at and perfectly suited to both the delightful character study of the three principals and the ongoing murder case(s).

Each storyline is very much a self contained thing so there’s no need to read Volume 1; The Book Of Solomon to enjoy Volume 2; Murder By The Book. It’s set up so all you need is a knowledge of who and what Harker and Critchley are to really enjoy each volume as a completely standalone thing. But if you do pick up Harker from this issue I fully expect you to be so intrigued and entertained that you’ll then go back and get everything that has gone before.

(What’s that floating in the water behind you DCI Harker? Oh dear, I think your peaceful seaside holiday may be coming to an end. From Harker #8 by Gibson & Danks.)

If you didn’t already know what this Harker storyline’s about here’s the blurb from the inside cover of this issue:

“Detective Chief Inspector Harker and his assistant, Detective Sergeant Critchley, specialise in cases of multiple homicide. Harker is enjoying a few days off in one of his favourite places in the world: Whitby. … His seaside idyll is disturbed by the arrival of mystery author Agatha Fletcher … staying at the hotel to host a Murder mystery weekend. When the evening begins with the death of Agatha, stabbed brutally while the lights were out, Harker finds himself with no choice but to call in Critchley and Griffin to help with the case. But where has Harker disappeared to?”

And that’s where we start here in issue 8, with Harker AWOL and acting very much like a man determined not to be dragged back into his normal life and Critchley stepping on the toes of the local plod to investigate the  murder. But he’s not exactly sure why he’s here, since he’s a multiple homicide specialist. And this isn’t a multiple homicide. Well, not yet.

This is another nice setup issue, reuniting the principal players, with Harker, Critchley and forensic specialist Griffin getting drawn into the case, as Critchley starts interviewing the suspects, Griffin gets dragged down on Harker’s request as well and Harker desperately tries to keep out of it all, grabbing onto the rapidly fading hope of a nice seaside holiday.

(Griffin our wise-cracking pathologist is dragged into this one as well, making our threesome complete.)

As usual with these early setup issues we’re here for the interplay between the leads more than anything else and there are some really lovely sequences that should raise a smile or two:

“Everybody likes kippers, Critchley. It’s the law. Nip back to the hotel with me and I’ll fish them out for you.”
“Fish them out, get it?” “I made a joke there. You’re supposed to laugh, I’m your boss.”
“Yes Guv. I’m laughing on the inside, honest.”

“Wouldn’t it be ironic though?”
“Wouldn’t what be ironic?”
“Well, y’know, if a second corpse did show up after all.”

And with that, you just know how this is all going to develop don’t you? I’ll be eagerly awaiting issue 9. Hopefully you’ll be doing the same. Harker is still the comic I look forward to most each month. It’s become a guarantee of an enjoyable read, month in, month out. Join me.

Richard Bruton.

I like Harker, the crime comic by Roger Gibson and Vince Danks. To see how much you merely have to trawl the FPI archive – start here. Well, this weekend at the British International Comics Show Vince Danks and Roger Gibson will be selling their hearts out, with (hopefully) issue 8 of Harker and copies of the first collection – The Book Of Solomon for purchase.

But whilst I mention them, did you also know that Gibson has now written up annotations for ever issue so far and they’re all up on the Harker&Critchley blog?

Or what about the completely free download of issue zero of Harker?

Harker – quite brilliant stuff. Give them your money.

by Roger Gibson and Vince Danks

Ariel Press

At this point, after four glowing reviews of the first Harker storyline I should just be writing a quick recap, a quick mention of the new issue and assuring you that the first issue of this second storyline is just as strong, just as good, just as enjoyable as the first storyline was.

But I’d feel I was somehow letting it down. If this were some Marvel, DC, Fantagraphics or Dark Horse series I’d be doing just that. But it’s not – it’s a comic produced by Gibson and  Danks that’s only available online and from those comic shops in the UK smart enough to look around for new, interesting comics that appeal to a wider audience. Sadly Diamond Distributors have taken the view (shortsighted and just plain wrong) that this series doesn’t have the potential sales to justify it’s inclusion in Previews and hence isn’t available to the majority of UK & US Comic Shops. Rant over. Back to the comic.

To quickly recap: Harker is Detective Chief Inspector Harker who; along with his assistant, Detective Sergeant Critchley, specialise in serial murder cases. Harker’s the classic hard boiled copper in his late fifties, very much in the mould of classic detectives; moody, anti-social, almost incapable of functioning in the modern police force and quite, quite brilliant at getting to the heart of any investigation. Critchley is the Watson to Harker’s Holmes, the Lewis to his Morse, the Carter to his Regan (you get the idea); full of the arrogance of youth, always there with a witty quip for his boss and a chat up line for the ladies. In the first storyline (issues 1-6 – The Book Of Solomon) they tackled what looked like a series ritualistic Satanic murders and managed to provide some of the best entertainment in comics all this year.

(DCI Harker in a good mood? Don’t worry, it doesn’t last for long. From the ever-wonderful Harker by Gibson and Danks)

With the start of this second storyline: Murder By The Book,  Detective Chief Inspector Harker, the grumpiest policeman in the world, is off on his holidays in Whitby. But, as we find out on the very first page, Harker’s choice of holiday destination is no accident – and a visit to one particular grave suddenly opens the entire series up and throws up a host of questions about Harker’s origins. Unless Gibson’s just chucking this into the mix as a nice bit of coincidental background of course. I’ve learnt not to try to second guess Harker – just sit back and enjoy.

If you’ve read any Harker, and if not, why not? you’ll be aware of the huge amount of authentic detail that goes into both script and art to get the locations just right – and it’s the same in this new series – anyone familiar with Whitby will have fun playing spot the local landmarks; the 199 steps to the Abbey, the harbour, the youth hostel buildings that double as Harker’s hotel – all as beautifully rendered by Danks as his detailed architecture of London in the first storyline.

So; Harker’s on holiday, all is well, he’s actually having a good, relaxing time – which means we all know it’s not going to last. And when Agatha Fletcher, world famous crime novelist and stroppy diva pitches up in Harker’s hotel to take part in a Murder Mystery Weekend the story goes the only way it can. Do you think Gibson and Danks are having a pop at Murder She Wrote? Oh yes.

(Crime novelist and all round annoying diva Agatha Fletcher gets the murder mystery weekend underway. I’m sure I’m not going to be giving much away if I tell you that shortly after this things get a little murderous for real. This is Harker after all.)

Again, just like the first series, this early issue setup really has that feeling of being a classic detective thriller, pure Agatha Christie or Conan Doyle in the wonderful way Gibson and Danks take us around the characters that will feature in this series. Without realising it’s being done, we’re introduced to the cast and are given a lot of important details – and not once does it feel forced, not once does it affect the flow of the piece.

And the flow in Harker is one of it’s best points – the story really does flow quite cinematically at times, with Danks’ visual style a perfect fit for Gibson’s fast paced, comedic setups. Because even though Harker may be a brilliant crime series one of it’s most endearing features and the main reason I keep banging on about how much I’m enjoying it is the humour; with this issue I was grinning from ear to ear from the dialogue between Harker and the diva authoress:

(“Poxy crime writers” “Now kindly sod off” – just the sort of thing I love from Harker. After the peace and quiet of the first few pages with a strangely content DCI Harker it’s nice to have the grumpiest copper in the world back.)

Next issue we deal with the fallout from the murder. Oh, did I not mention there’s a murder? It is a crime book after all – and seeing as Gibson set it up from the very moment Harker realised he was trapped in the middle of a murder mystery weekend we all knew they’d be bloody murder at some point. We also get the return of DS Critchley and the lovely (and crucially – very sarcastic) pathologist Griffin in the next issue.

Harker’s still my favourite comic of the year and with this second volume Gibson and Danks are pushing on, not really doing anything particularly differently, but when it’s done this well, that really doesn’t matter.

All of the Harker issues are available from the Ariel Press website and there’s a list of the comic shops stocking it here. If your comic shop doesn’t have it on it’s shelves – ask them why not. And the collection of the first 6 issues is out very soon – pre-order it here.

Richard Bruton.

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.