Absalom: Ghosts of London

Absalom #1

by Gordon Rennie

CLEANIN’ UP THE MANOR ONE BLEEDIN’ DEMON AT A TIME!

Modern-day London. Veteran copper, Detective Inspector Harry Absalom, heads a special squad that enforces The Accord – a diplomatic treaty made in the sixteenth century between the throne of England and Hell. If any demonic entities step out of line Harry and his team will track the infernal offenders down and sort them out for good. A miserable old bastard with a knack for finding trouble, Harry is the perfect man for the job!

Written by Gordon Rennie (Necronauts) with stunning artwork from new talent Tiernen Trevallion, Absalom is a thrill-packed mixture of cops and horrors!

Genres: Comics, Horror, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Crime, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Freelance writer for over 20 years – When he’s not being ungainfully employed as a BAFTA-nominated video games scriptwriter, he keeps himself busy writing comics, novels, screenplays and Doctor Who audio plays. Comics work includes Predator, Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, Missionary Man, Necronauts, Caballistics Inc and Absalom, and Dept. of Monsterology for Renegade.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since reading the 2000AD story Cabalistic I have been intrigued by the story of Absalom, a character only briefly mentioned but who would up having his own mini series of books.

What you have is a policeman (of sort) charged with keeping the peace and enforcing a centuries old pack between England and the denizens of hell.

So in this first book you have 3 stories which introduce the character and his team - some of which are not what they seem and the world in which he resides. its a violent and unsafe world filled with shifting allegiances and agendas while making sure that the citizens of London are safe in their lives.

Yes I guess this is not a unique story with countless other versions out there -however its the characters that for me bring it alive - their dialogue and yes the artwork which give a level of depth some stories over look in favour of action and violence.

This is the first of 3 books - the question is where will it all go since one thing is certain the peace is a fragile thing with far too many people eager to shatter it.

[Zare · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when AD2000 decides to release a supernatural thriller in vein of Hellboy and BPRD with some elements of Constantine mixed in? You get beautiful book about old (to be precise ancient :)) detective Harry Absalom and his team of UK police tasked with .... wait .... policing the old contract between Hell and UK throne by which Hell can send demons to merge with the fancy aristocrats as long as they do not try creating actual Hell on Earth.

We follow Harry and his team as they solve cases in the criminal fantasy/horror milieu. Being ancient and dying from incurable disease Harry is tasked by a mysterious Star Chamber to solve sensitive cases involving demons, ghosts and clock-work like robot contraptions involved with gruesome murders. Needless to say Harry says what is on his mind, no matter the consequences. And he is full of so many references about 50's and 60's that will sure bring out a chuckle or two from older readers.

Art is beautiful - just by looking at Harry you can take days figuring all the wrinkles and his huge alcohol-nose :) Wiry and tough man he is not above bloodying his squad from time and time. So when he gets a new recruit it wont be long until she will find herself flabbergasted by parade of weird creatures team regularly comes across.

I also liked monochromatic bluish approach to the drawings. They look just smashing.

Recommended to fans of paranormal and X-files (spiced with that good ol' British humor).

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever tactic to start a series near the end of the main character's life - it leaves space for prequals! Detective Inspector Harry Absalom is a re-spin of a minor character in Rennie's Caballistics, Inc. Absalom has been around the block a few times, and doesn't suffer fools or demons gladly. His department's job is to enforce the human side of The Accord between the throne of England and Hell, a diplomatic treaty made in the sixteenth century.

Absalom might not use politically correct language but he knows when to give people their due, and how to expose abuse of power. When comparing theoretical "golden ages" with the main villain, Absalom says "I'm thinking pigeon fancying and whippet racing, but you're thinking fox hunting and peasant baiting. I want a world where I can sit in the pub and watch the racing without some nutter sounding off. You want one where the important thing is the oiks remembering how to bow low enough to you and your posh mates".

Tiernen Trevallion, a regular of 2000A.D., brings it all to grisly life.

At the time of writing there are two more collections in the series.

[Dogfood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Das hier Geschriebene gilt für alle drei Trade Paperbacks der Absalom-Serie: Die von Gordon Rennie geschaffene Szenerie, London, knapp 500 Jahre nach dem England einen Pakt mit Dämonen einging, ist ein super-interessanter Startpunkt.

Doch davon profitiert nur Zeichner Tiernen Trevallion, der sich in dieser Steampunk-Lovecraft-kaputtes-London-Landschaft austobt und dabei Kreaturen schafft, die einen noch im Schlaf verfolgen. Kein Wunder, dass Mike „Hellboy“ Mignola ihn sich für eigene Spin-Offs gekrallt hat.

Der Plot geht aber unter all dem Feuerwerk flöten. Sehr schnell gibt es zu viel aufs Maul und werden Intrigen in ein, zwei Sprechblasen abgefackelt, statt sie aufzubauen. Sehr schnell wird der Plot beliebig und man ergötzt sich nur noch an den Sequenzen, die Trevallion da zeichnet.

Trevallion ist kein Meister. Sobald es an relativ normal aussehenden Menschen geht, wirken diese sehr austauschbar. Wenn er sich aber in seiner Komfortzone befindet, also alles was irgendwie häßlich, ekelhaft oder krank ist… Trevallion ist der Grund warum „Absalom“ von mir noch auf 3 von 5 Sternen kommt.

[Max Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harry Absalom is a cranky old git but he is, indeed, perfect for the job. I've read the second volume first by mistake but I didn't miss all that much, thankfully. It's all occult investigations with little bits of very slowly revealed overarching plot dealing with Absalom's grandchildren held hostage. A work like that would probably feel better if you read all the three volumes back to back since the author already stated that volume three is the end for the character. So far I haven't read anything particularly good in the series that would make me up the rating. My only criticism is that probably due to original format constraints it doesn't feel like the main characters are ever that close to danger. All the scenes that should feel dangerous are very quickly resolved with badassness from all of them. Which I feel is wrong for the genre, it dilutes the horror component, blending into the urban fantasy. For example, in this one, the only thing Harry loses is a part of his trench coat. But it was "a good piece of haberdashery", sure.

[Sarah Graven Weir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen here you coffin dodgers! This story is about a wise-cracking, no-bullshit Detective Inspector Harry Absalom, and a team of no pulling the wool over their eyes, coppers. Do you get me? We begin at the end of Harry’s life, with many skeletons in his wardrobe that are soon to fall out the bottom. Right from the get-go, it is obvious with his scruff bag wrinkled appearance, and slang chit-chat that this bloke has been around the block countless times. The old git’s job is to enforce The Accord between the throne of England and Hell, a diplomatic treaty made in the sixteenth century. What makes this even more entertaining is the bloody villains, they are possessed! Not your average Joe or Bobs your uncle regular criminals.

I instantly took to the main character’s use of dialog as I am sure anyone reading this can gather. This series is right up my street, with classic British humour, plenty of X-file vibes, and paranormal activity. Not forgetting to mention the captivating beauty of the gloomy dark artwork. I love Harry’s character and cannot wait to read the next chapter.

[Rob McMonigal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sarcastic leader of an oddball squad gets cases relating to the deal between the Crown and the demons of hell. He's got some screws put to him in terms of personal demons, but he's also got a plan...

This is an enjoyable horror story, but as far as urban fantasy goes, I didn't think it did enough to stand out and go into 4-star territory. The characters feel too much like others I've read, as does the plot. There's some good moments and character bits, don't get me wrong. I enjoyed it (and its sequels), but not something I'd recommend or re-read.

[Daniel Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

LEITURA CURIOSA E intrigante
o mundo obscuro do ocultismo encontra em Harry Absalom um protagonista cínico, cansado e irritado ao extremo, ainda assim disposto a manter de pé o acordo entre a coroa britânica e entidades demoníacas forjado séculos atrás
isso é tudo que você precisa saber sobre essa série da 2000ad que recorre a uma narrativa noir, um tanto detetivesca mas que na verdade parece saida das páginas de Hellboy ou Hellblazer, NÃO FALTA originalidade

[ids · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing! If DC took John Constantine, aged him, mixed in some of Ryan Reynolds' character from the RIPD movie and added a sprinkle of politics for good measure this is basically what would be the end result. Kudos to everyone involved - the artwork is amazing; the storyline is incredibly well thought out and this is probably one of the best comics I've ever read.

[J.R. Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read. Had no idea was part of the 2000 ad print, feels like Constantine due to the obvious reasons but it stands on its own merit, fun read with good art.

[Timo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite sweet fun with all the monsters and dark stuff from England's history. Not prefect but sweet fun with great dialoque.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apples and pears, dog and bone, bloody demons all over the shop. Pukka.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite entertaining, would make a good TV series

[Colin Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent set up and interesting characters.

[Alessandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply spectacular. Great story, great script, great and innovative b&w art. This Harry “Bloody” Absalom is a hell of a character, and his stories are the same. Goddam good book.

[Alexander Ballantyne · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF'd at 30 pages.
Not enough here to maintain interest given the characters' racism and ableism.

[Cristian Tomescu · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is not my cup of tea

[Gav451 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most of my Graphic novels and comics this was read digitally. Sales and retrospectives are a delight to me. Reading them digitally is so easy and fills up those moments where I do not have the time or are not minded to read a book. I wouldn't have thought it but the digital medium has opened the world of comics to me again because they are just so portable and accessible.

The book then. This hails from the pages of 2000ad and was very good. I liked the black and white aesthetic, I likes to grimness of the character and thought the stories within were very strong. There is an intriguing back story that is only hinted at from the start but which appears to be on its way as a slow reveal.

It's very unique. 2000ad is really good for these types of stories. This was a good read. Lots of fun and action and enough weight to the tale to keep me interested. I will read the rest in due course.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gordon Rennie's Detective Inspector Harry Absalom very much resembles Warren Ellis' William Gravel or Garth Ennis and Ellis' take on John Constantine. A bit of a lower class Londoner who gets the job done. In addition Absaloom's speech pattern resembles Gravel's and Constantine's to my ear. In Absalom's case he and his special squad enforce the Accord, the agreement between the Crown and the demons of Hell. Absalom's ancestor was around in the 16th century when it was signed.

This TPB feels a little like a introduction for more stories. This volume is enjoyable enough. But, there are some hanging plot threads. Such as who does new squad new member Jemima Hopkins really report to? And, what is Mr. Critch's game. Plus it would have been nice if the Accord's details had been explained, at least in part.

Oh, and nothing like seeing neo-Nazis get their comeuppance.

[AJW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry Absalom, by Gordon Rennie, is one of the best new characters to come out of 2000AD in the last decade. He's like a cross between DCI Gene Hunt & John Constantine. But it's not just a one-man show, the supporting cast including some of the weirdest people I've seen, adds to a compelling world I want to know more about. The setting is very British and the dark humour is too. Then there is the stylistic monochrome artwork by Tiernen Trevallion which fits the mood of the story perfectly. It's so much fun to read, and it's so distinctive and different that I have to give it 5 stars.

[Sanjeev Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was good so many reasons but two in particular. Firstly, the wonderful artwork. It is fresh, moody and packs a punch that matches the delightful story telling.

Secondly, it has a great set of characters with endless story arcs. As the opening story, this is more Virgina Woolf's Orlando meets Get Carter in all his cockney glory.

A great read. I've already ordered the other two published volumes and can't wait to pick them up.

Enjoy!

[Theo Kokonas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one-liners. Oh the one-liners. I loved this graphic novel, I really did. If you like dry English humour this is a must-have. The story is so over the top, but delivered in a gripping, you're-not-getting-out-of-your-seat-until-you've-finished-it way. I picked it up from the library but I'm actually thinking of buying it.

[Charlie Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Occasionally you come across a graphic novel that is exceptional and this is that type of Graphic Novel , dark and funny and with a very unique and in parts darkly distributing but never less than exceptional.
This has elements of Constantine which is not surprising as it's created also started off at 2000ad, but it is very much it's own unique experience,

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great. Sort of a Hellblazer meets BPRD. The art is beautiful black and white, and reminded me of Duncan Fergredo. The bits of the story are each good on their own and as a whole. I definitely would want to read more of this.