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Gravel (collected editions) #4
Strange Killings: Body Orchard
Before his disgrace and removal to solo deniable duties, combat magician Sergeant Major William Gravel was part of SAS team Alpha One Four. He hasn't seen his teammates since his fall. He knows only that they're still in the job, doing the things he used to do. Which doesn't remotely explain why, while he's moonlighting in New York, the Alpha One Four team should be seen blowing away a newly elected mayor ― a military man himself ― and then vanishing into thin air... This series digs deep into William Gravel's magic past and begs an answer to one of the greatest combat magician secrets, what is the Body Orchard?
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 21, 2003
46 people want to read
About the author
Warren Ellis
1,971 books5,763 followersWarren Ellis is the award-winning writer of graphic novels like TRANSMETROPOLITAN, FELL, MINISTRY OF SPACE and PLANETARY, and the author of the NYT-bestselling GUN MACHINE and the “underground classic” novel CROOKED LITTLE VEIN, as well as the digital short-story single DEAD PIG COLLECTOR. His newest book is the novella NORMAL, from FSG Originals, listed as one of Amazon’s Best 100 Books Of 2016.
The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.
He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.
Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.
A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.
Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.
Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.
The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.
He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.
Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.
A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.
Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.
Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 3, 2012
Solid story, not much new in terms of character or his magic. Only plot advance is that his government (or at least the group that employs him) is out to kill him. Seems a little nasty for a guy who follows orders, innit?
Tense, but a little respective on the killing and gore.
Tense, but a little respective on the killing and gore.
August 1, 2017
So Gravel's old SAS team shows up and assassinates a mayor in the USA, and that's just the beginning. They have a list of Americans, mostly politicians, who they are trying to murder. Gravel ends up implicated in the deal and ends up battling his old team. There's also the intro of what I guess is "the body orchard." It's a magical jungle where weapons grow on trees, literally. There's more to it as well but it's still a very mysterious place. Also, while I had seen some of this in earlier volumes, in this one it really appears Gravel doesn't care if he kills innocent people as he slaughters many police officers who seem to just be doing their job.
Still a cool series, but seems just a step behind "really good."
Still a cool series, but seems just a step behind "really good."
June 9, 2017
I don't get it, but I like it.
June 23, 2020
Somebody say the Matrix...
January 5, 2014
This series of Warren Ellis’s combat magician sees our hero in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Again. Seems Gravel just cannot keep out of trouble no matter where he goes. Good thing he has a skill set he can fall back on at times where things do not always go as planned, especially when he just wants to mind his own business. After completing a job and receiving a large amount of money for it, Gravel decides to go for a walk. As he is passing by a gathering for a mayoral election he stops to listen for a bit. Not soon after a set of mysterious trees grow right up behind the man and some masked, and armed, men assassinate the mayor-to-be. The men notice Gravel and open fire which is their first mistake and a firefight ensues and once over, Gravel now stands to blame for the murder. Of course, he is not going to stand for the frame-up and seeks revenge against the men who just happen to be his old SAS team.
Like the previous series, the pacing of the book is quick and relentless which makes for a light and easy read. There is a lot of killing and Gravel uses quite a bit of magic, although it is nothing we have not already seen in the previous volumes. The best thing about the book was the Orchard where a chunk of the book takes place. The fact that it can be used in numerous ways, such as staging incursions to wherever you wish to go upon the earth, as well as growing all manner of weapons is quite the novel idea. If something like that truly existed it would be a formidable instrument in anyone’s hands. Gravel of course knows how to use it to its full advantage and proves to be more than a match for the former members of his team, learning them a thing or two in the process. As the book progresses, the violence and the pace escalate until the eventual end, in which of course, Gravel comes out on top.
Mike Wolfer does a great job on the art again, with his pages much more dynamic than the previous volumes in the series. Some of the facial expressions are a little stiff, but other than that, Wolfer keeps improving issue after issue. At times, the art is almost more exciting than the story. Ellis does a good job as always, but at times, especially during this series, it sometimes seems as if he is writing more for a film than for a comic as the action and the scenes are fit more for the big screen. The tale is light on the dialogue and relies more on Wolfer to tell the story with his pictures than anything else. Not a bad thing either as they make a perfect team on the book Still a comic to recommend and the best in the series so far up to this point.
http://thetelltalemind.com/2013/12/15...
Like the previous series, the pacing of the book is quick and relentless which makes for a light and easy read. There is a lot of killing and Gravel uses quite a bit of magic, although it is nothing we have not already seen in the previous volumes. The best thing about the book was the Orchard where a chunk of the book takes place. The fact that it can be used in numerous ways, such as staging incursions to wherever you wish to go upon the earth, as well as growing all manner of weapons is quite the novel idea. If something like that truly existed it would be a formidable instrument in anyone’s hands. Gravel of course knows how to use it to its full advantage and proves to be more than a match for the former members of his team, learning them a thing or two in the process. As the book progresses, the violence and the pace escalate until the eventual end, in which of course, Gravel comes out on top.
Mike Wolfer does a great job on the art again, with his pages much more dynamic than the previous volumes in the series. Some of the facial expressions are a little stiff, but other than that, Wolfer keeps improving issue after issue. At times, the art is almost more exciting than the story. Ellis does a good job as always, but at times, especially during this series, it sometimes seems as if he is writing more for a film than for a comic as the action and the scenes are fit more for the big screen. The tale is light on the dialogue and relies more on Wolfer to tell the story with his pictures than anything else. Not a bad thing either as they make a perfect team on the book Still a comic to recommend and the best in the series so far up to this point.
http://thetelltalemind.com/2013/12/15...
October 5, 2016
Gravel can walk on water! And on walls! While shooting dual guns with infinite ammo! What else do you need to pick up this comic? The two escapes from the cops are especially bloody given Gravel's abilities and their effect on normal people.
Gravel is sought by everyone and they are willing to shoot first and ask questions later. He meets his old SAS team when they assassinate the mayor of New York City and the authorities blame him for it. A manhunt ensues inside city hall where Gavel has to use some very impressive superhuman powers to escape. His SAS teammates gained access to the body orchard that seems to be a place where only magicians can go and they gained some of Gravel's abilities. They plan to kill some important people and only Gravel can stop them.
Gravel is sought by everyone and they are willing to shoot first and ask questions later. He meets his old SAS team when they assassinate the mayor of New York City and the authorities blame him for it. A manhunt ensues inside city hall where Gavel has to use some very impressive superhuman powers to escape. His SAS teammates gained access to the body orchard that seems to be a place where only magicians can go and they gained some of Gravel's abilities. They plan to kill some important people and only Gravel can stop them.
March 21, 2008
If you were ever wondering what would happen if H.R. Gieger produced Bad Boys II, here it is. It seems like a lot of these Avatar books Warren Ellis writes are "directing" projects for him - just a chance to try out som enew ideas w/certain artists and see how they come out on the page. It's definitely never his best stuff, but they're uniformly entertaining, and always absurdly violent (especially the Bill Gravel/"Strange" series, of which this is the 4th volume). NOTE: these can totally be read out of order.
April 28, 2009
Pretty fun for a fast-paced action comic.
July 9, 2013
Six dull issues of outrageous violence and killings, with the good quality art being about the only redeeming quality.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews