Brink: Book Two

Brink

by Dan Abnett, I.N.J. Culbard (Illustrator)

MERCURY HAS DISAPPEARED. NO ONE KNOWS WHY.

Her past as an Investigator seemingly behind her, Bridget Kurtis is sent to the under-construction Galina Habitat as a security consultant. With a skeleton crew of engineers, architects and security personnel, construction is running behind schedule and Mariam Junot herself (the acting-CEO of Junot Corp) has arrived to find out why.

Amid rumours of haunting and disappearances, Kurtis uncovers a conspiracy that may be more insidious and far-reaching than she ever imagined. Either the claustrophobic life in the space Habitats is driving humanity insane, or there are influences at play beyond any human understanding…

Genres: Comics, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels, Horror, Mystery, Fiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published July 24, 2018

Reviews

[Alex Habgood]

The sci-fi mystery continues. Had a great twist, which has got me hooked and ready for the next one!

[47Time]

The Junot Corporation is building the Galina Habitat, but there are serious delays on the project, apparently because of ghosts. Mariam is the daughter of the Junot Corp owner. Since her father is incommunicado on Mercury, Mariam has become the de facto CEO. She must try to save the company before it's too late. Bridget is investigating the case.

Mariam makes an unannounced visit to Galina to look into the station records. Given her suspicion of the crew being plants from her competition, Bridget is the most trustworthy. She gives Bridget full access to the station.

After meeting the strung-out architect Peter Linton, Bridget notices some cult symbols she has seen before, so the cult is the main suspect so far.

Bridget takes Galina investigator Gita Gibrani into the bowels on the incomplete structure where they find a group of people claiming they were brought in each month for work. Illegal work, so Bridget decides to keep the discovery a secret until she finds the organizers.

Mariam's codes were used, but she wouldn't leave such obvious traces back to her. It was her right-hand man Byron Asher, ordered by the Junot board who want to get rid of her. The board's men Styles and Otis try to kill Mariam, but she gets away until she meets Bridget and Gita who are still loyal to her. Later, Bridget kills Styles for resisting arrest, while Otis shoots himself.

Otis survives to be interrogated. That is, until Bridget triggers a violent response from him. He is part of the cult Bridget met already. Otis claws at his neck wound with his own hands and bleeds to death.

Bridget's next step is to get Mariam to cooperate with HSD and infiltrate Junot Corp to investigate the cult activities. Galina may be saved, but the core of the cult is still active.

[Alex Sarll]

Abnett and Culbard's story of apocalyptic cults among the remnants of a humanity forced off a fucked Earth into inadequate orbital colonies continues. It's lost some of its momentum, but remains one of the better new 2000AD strips in recent years, not least for the way it captures the simultaneous claustrophobia and agoraphobia of its nightmare scenario.

[Therese]

Great visual style as always and the environment of this volume is particularly stunning. Great mystery as well, but it feels like there were a lot of questions that arose without conclusion. Presumably the answers will come in later volumes, but it left this one with a slightly less satisfying ending.

[Paul Spence]

When we last saw Bridget Kurtis she was a police investigator who’d chanced on an investigation with potentially terrifying consequences. Book One reveals the full details, but beyond Bridget herself those events have little connection to Book Two. Bridget is now a freelance security consultant, shipped out to a space station under construction, except construction has fallen so far behind schedule that it’s threatening to bring down the company, whose directors aren’t happy. The reason for the slowdown is four unexplained deaths among the crew, with rumours circulating that the place is haunted. It’s a rumour station officials are almost aggressively keen to downplay, and there’s territorial resentment at Bridget’s presence.

Dan Abnett created Brink as a deliberately slow paced feature to contrast the slam bang rush of the strips it sat alongside when serialised in 2000AD, yet the leisurely unwinding works equally well as a separate story. The theme is again procedural investigation, but Abnett’s given the local authority repair markings found around any British town a wonderfully sinister overlay, and then takes comparisons with British working conditions a whole lot further.

Artistically there’s no change from what worked very nicely in Book One. I. N. J. Culbard creates an atmosphere from colour overlaid onto simple, clean layouts. The clarity is quite something, with the simplicity extended to all his designs, creating craft and space stations from very little, yet these are elegantly convincing. His characters are equally plainly designed, but completely distinguishable from one another.

There’s a single exception regarding not needing to know anything about Book One, and it’s unfortunate that it’s during the climactic scenes, when Abnett’s policy of not including explanatory captions suddenly becomes detrimental. Other aspects tie into a bigger picture, but they’re less intrusive, although they hint that what we might have assumed to be straight science fiction is due to take a step into Lovecraftian horror. Or maybe not. Best just go with the ride because Book One was so good.

[Stuart McMillan]

Culbard and Abnett take Bridget Kurtis on a roller-coaster ride into an unfinished habitat. It looks like some kind of corporate cock-up has delayed the construction of one of humanities new homes in the emptiness of space.

That's what it looks like anyway.

Per book one, we are never quite sure tho. Loyalties are questionable. Why the delay? Why is everything just a little bit off-kilter? As a troubleshooter, no longer attached to HSD, Kurtis has her work cut-out. A whole habitat, largely empty. Where to start.

Straight away, we see the politics. Junot corp's CEO is missing, the interim CEO is green and manipulable by all - inside the organisation and out. She is out of her depth and it shows. Kurtis, however is swimming in waters that are becoming increasingly familiar, though Abnett manages to throw some cracking plot elements in here that kept me on the edge of my seat 'till the resolution that sets up the next chapter.

I don't give 5* reviews often, this is an exception to my own miserliness in this respect. Go and read it and find out why.

[Nigel]

Ok, I have binged, this, my new favourite series, an intricate, epic, slow-burn thriller with an over-arching plot that may be Lovecraftian or may be Lovecraftian affect, I expect either outcome will be fantastic, it's just a question of which. In this instalment, Kurtis gets a job working private security at a habitat under construction where spooky stuff is happeneing leading to deaths amongst the construction crew. Kurtis explores the habitat and unravels the plot with the trademark steady build of the series.

[Mirko]

Volume 2 is as good as volume 1. Police procedural investigating Lovecraftian space gods in a system of space orbitals where everyone is desperately addicted to anti-depressant medication. This volume also provides a rare non-cliched study of corporate politics in all its squalid and petty glory. This actually feels like an adult work. Culbard's grasp of shading always impresses me and when you look at this series closely you can see it actually has a manga-like style to its panel sequences. I belive Culbard worked in animation and it shows in the filmic smoothness of his storytelling.

[Roberto Diaz]

El segundo libro de Abnett y Culbard sobre una civilización confinada a vivir en enclaustrantes estaciones espaciales, empieza de manera reservada, como el policíaco que Abnett ha establecido en el tomo anterior, pero el misterio es lo suficientemente interesante para llevarte hasta el final.

El arte sigue dejando que desear a mi gusto en cuanto a expresiones de los personajes, pero en cuanto a la sensación de confinamiento que provocan los espacios y colores, Culbart cumple muy bien.

[Nikola Š]

Still going strong, though with the familiar rhythm of "Something spooky is happening on the space station", "Oh it's actually just regular crime", "But what if something spooky is causing that crime?" from the first book. But it's a brisk page turner, and I don't even mind the sometimes wonky art or the annoying info bubbles that for some reason constantly indicate who is who. I only wish it was a little braver with its storytelling.

[Aron]

4.25 Stars, very good.
I hadn't even heard of this series until a few months ago. Dan Abnett, the same guy that wrote a lot of great Marvel Cosmic stuff several years back like Guardians Of The Galaxy, Nova, War of Kings and of course Annihilation, writes a great science fiction mystery/thriller here in this Brink series. The writing and the story are really strong paired with some good artwork as well. As of now this is a 4 book series and I'm really looking forward to books 3 and 4.

[Gary Varga]

At first I thought that this volume would be a good development story. And it was. But not only that. This was both a great section in the overarching story but also a great tale in and of itself.

There is a real depth to the characters and the story goes as deep as a Carrollian rabbit hole goes.

I am so looking forward to the next one.

[Kevin]

Even better than volume 1. At first I assumed it was building directly off volume 1, then I thought it wasn’t. Then I knew it was. But in a story that’s fun and twisting in a way I appreciate outside the ongoing plot.
I love this series already!
Already own volume 3.

[Simon]

Recent Reads: Brink Vol 2. Dan Abnett and INJ Culbard's SF noir continues. Bridget Kurtis is investigating strange events in an under-construction cylinder. Why is it taking so long and what is really being built? The lights continue to go out and the elder gods are waiting...

[Timo]

Yet again Abnett delivers a story that is interesting and full of surprises. Brilliant stuff.

[Elmari Kruger]

Bridget is giving me serious Freda Carlo vibes. Loving it.

The story is also giving Major HP Lovecraft / HG wells war of he worlds vibes.

Super curious as to the outcome.

[Red Claire]

Superlatively sharp, nasty, well-written and chillingly believable.

[Christopher Wise]

Brink, baby

Bridget Kurtis at her most professional. Ice-cold, gets shit done, no fucking around. Brink is the best —long live Brink.

[Olly Colluphid]

Building tension nicely. A good investigation.

[Sam]

Decent.

[Constantine]

I am so pleasantly suprised how well this detective thriller is paced. Really looking forward to the next juicy sci-fi ideas!

[Cloak88]

Vol. 2 of a realy goos series

Review to follow

[str00dle]

slow burn but enjoying where it's going

[John]

The mystery deepens and the intriguing story starts to properly unfold.