Dark Blue

by Warren Ellis, Jacen Burrows

Violent, disturbed cop Frank Christchurch has too many problems. He has a partner who’s convinced he’s mentally ill, a commanding officer on smack, and a killer whom no-one else seems to want to catch. The pressure of his savage life is triggering murderous outbursts and hallucinations. Frank Christchurch is on the way down. And he might take everyone with him. Nothing is as it seems. This collected edition features an all-new afterwards by Warren Ellis. This saga marks the first collaboration between Warren Ellis and Jacen Burrows, the critically-acclaimed team behind Bad World and Scars.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Crime, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

72 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 1997

About the author

Warren 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.

Reviews

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warren Ellis does a great job of blending Sci Fi and Noir in this one. I think he almost feels a compulsion to always put something gross and disgusting in his books, but at least he always has a good story to go with it. This story deals with serial killers and shamanistic drugs. I would have went five stars but the pace was a little uneven and Jacen Burrows art was primitive at this stage even though he's fantastic now.

Overall a good read especially if you're looking for something a little different with Sci Fi and Crime mixed in a cool way.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cop on the trail of a dangerous serial killer nearly beats to death a suspect - and that's the least of his departments' worries. The guards rape prisoners and the captain has a heroin addiction. But the cop begins to realise all is not as it seems. Is he losing his mind or is all of this a nightmare? And what's with the frequent repetition of the code "LD50"?

Warren Ellis tells a strong horror mystery story with overtones of noir with a frequent collaborator, the excellent artist Jacen Burrows. The book is quite brief but the story is fascinating and keeps the reader guessing throughout. It's based upon shared drug experiences with the same shamanic drug. Is there a communal place where people who use this drug gather? And what would happen if your body died while your mind was in this place?

It's a great read and a brilliant addition to Ellis' inspiring Apparat imprint. At times horrific, others very trippy, it's a fun comic book from the always interesting Warren Ellis.

[Alex Sarll]

This sets out its stall on the opening page, with the gruesome but more than that impractical threat to "stamp your dick off and buttfuck you with the smashed remains". Sinking ever further into self-parodically grim bad cop tropes, it soon becomes apparent that even early noughties Ellis and Burrow must have something else at work here, and so it proves. But ultimately that extra layer feels just as dated and thin as the surface horrors.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few pages into the comic you get the feeling that something is really wrong in this world. Then you get hit like a truck by the most graphic scene I have seen in some time. Eviscerated, disemboweled and limbless bodies, some nailed to the wall. You have been warned. Later on you get a too focused view on the birth of a stillborn baby. This comic reinvents gruesome.

Frank Christchurch has serious mental issues after witnessing the crime scene I mentioned before. He has psychotic episodes that threaten to destroy him. He is convinced that a man named Trent Wayman is responsible, but nobody believes him. Is this reality or is it just in the mind of a very sick man?

Mid-way through the story it's revealed that it was indeed in his head. It's the result of a drug designed to fabricate shared experiences with 300 other people in what is called the Narcospace. Unfortunately for the others, Frank's multiple breakdowns have caused the Narcospace to become unstable. Trent Wayman is another patient who died while using the drug. His consciousness left a lasting impression on the Narcospace that Frank is determined to stamp out. Frank now understands what the Narcospace is and uses Trent's own weapons against him. Or is Frank in reality Trent himself?

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm an admitted Warren Ellis fan, and this was better than I expected. Instead of the cop losing his mind tale, what we get is a government experiment with the use of drugs. And, the world of the broken people find themselves in is real to them. Not quite as mind bending as it might sound, but well executed and possibly could have benefited from being a little longer.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another story based on the idea of not knowing what is reality. This one is drug-induced.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great premise (eventually), great art, a little too gruesome for my tastes.

[Crmaju · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is good but it depends on the criteria of other readers too

[MARCIO JARDSON CAMPOS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Azul profundo se inicia com a policial Debbie interrompendo o policial Frank que espanca um criminoso durante um interrogatório. Dessa forma nos é apresentada uma cidade violenta e uma policia corrupta e no meio disso tudo Frank faz o que for necessário para capturar Trent Wayman, um Serial Killer que desmembra suas vítimas. Mas uma droga chamada LD50 guarda um mistério que pode modificar essa caçada.

Durante uma perseguição a Trent, Frank sofre uma crise nervosa e acorda em um hospital, onde descobre que o mundo em que vive não passa de uma alucinação coletiva causada por uma droga cujos usuários vão parar nessa mesma cidade e que Trent foi morto pela dose letal dessa droga LD50(dose letal em 50% dos casos) e mesmo assim continua vivo nesse mundo. Assim ele arrisca a propria vida com LD50 para capturar esse assassino.
Dessa forma ele volta ao narcoespaço e com a dose da droga mais o conhecimento de que esse mundo é falso, consegue manipular o mundo para atingir o seu objetivo.

Anunciada como uma mistura de Matrix e Sin City, a revista possui um plot muito bom, e começa muito bem, mas após a revelação da LD50 corre para chegar ao fim e acaba sem aproveitar esse plot.

[Jukka Kuva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Blue is a one-shot comic by Warren Ellis that's based on a single idea that's loosely based on reality. I can't tell you what it is though, since it would ruin the tension of the first half totally along with the events that happen halfway through. Let's just say that Ellis didn't let me down, like he never has. Also the more I read Ellis' comics that are illustrated by Burrows, the more convinced I am of his talent. He seems to be able to perfectly capture the mood that Ellis is after and the collaborations of the two have always been extremely enjoyable reading.

If Ellis was always a quarantee that a comic is worth your time, now I'm starting to believe that the names of both Ellis and Burrows is a quarantee for greatness.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another of Warren Ellis's many pet projects for Avatar. He's done about a dozen that are all clearly based on conversations he's had, things he's read, etc. But as is the case with Dark Blue, you don't find out what the root of the story is til the afterward. It's like a noir version of the Matrix, and it's extraordinarily over the top, but certainly worth reading if you come across it. Though it's the afterward that really ties it together.

[Liza · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea for this story is really cool, and I had such high hopes for it... However, it all feels too short, too quick, too hastily done. I would have liked to have seen this story twice the length. There is some killer artwork of the picture being worth a thousand words variety.

[Roman Colombo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet...maybe a little too short. The story is really good, and the fast pacing of it is great, but I wanted more at the end. It wrapped up too quickly. This would actually make a really good series too. And the art was fantastic.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm being generous.

[Mihai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man, DMT (Dimethyl trytomine) is scary. This is a short story crafted around the idea that there are are hallucinogenic drugs out there (just like DMT) that take people on the same place!

[René · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soy Policía.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warren Ellis at his psychedelic best. Would have enjoyed a longer trip through this strange dark blue world.

[Ma'Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sometimes surreal, hallucinogen-related story that makes me even more curious about DMT.