Razorjack: The Collected Edition

Razorjack

by John Higgins, Eddie Deighton (Editor), Benjamin Shahrabani (Editor)

A sequence of bizarre events create an unstable nexus that enables the death-bitch, Razorjack, and her twisted handmaidens the opportunity to finally break through into our world the most important dimension of them all The Core Dimension. Three college kids inadvertently create the opening from the alternate universe of The Twist Dimension and become a focus for the evil that is Razorjack. Maverick cops, Frame and Ross, are assigned a disturbingly horrific multiple-murder case which draws them into what is potentially the final battle between good and evil. For the first time, Com.x collects John Higgins original self- published story and Com.x issues #1 and #2 into one, complete graphic novel. Also includes new story and art by John created exclusively for this book.

Genres: Comics, Horror, Fiction, Graphic Novels

100 pages, Perfect Paperback

First published April 15, 2009

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finishing reading Beyond Watchmen and Judge Dredd I wanted to see what Razorjack was all about (you will read about the story behind it in Beyond Watchmen so I wont spoil anything here) and I have to say that it was a surprisingly fun read

IF you have read Beyond Watchmen you will know its status so again I will leave it there - but I will say I would love to see more. The art and colouring is amazing and for me it has some really interesting possibilities (like all good stories you want to write more in your head - at least I do).

So yes a great read and I wish there was more but for a random side read off the back of something else I thoroughly enjoyed it

[Sam Quixote · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful - a comic book that doesn't know what it wants to be. A crime drama? A horror story? A fantasy adventure? All three at once doesn't work either. An absolute mess that's also boring to boot! Read the full review here!

[Chris Browning · Rating 1 out of 5]

Staggeringly bad, like sitting next to a drunk and stoned teenager who’s just seen a Clive Barker film for the first time and is trying to explain the plot to you. A complete artistic and scripted mess. It feels like every half arsed bit of childish juvenilia some super hero artists have to get out of their system. That Mark Millar gives it a breathlessly positive review surprises me not one bit

[Matt Innes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing.

[Konstantinos Boras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most readers that follow comics and general fiction these days need a narrative that leaves liitle in their imagination. That can be easily explained since most of the sci-fi and horror stories are little more than disposable cheap means to pass the time. This book is an exception to the aforementioned trade. The writer/artist here breaks down several storylines at the same time and concludes them simultaneously giving you a run for your money. So the reader clearly needs to focus on the book and make his own conclusions about the character's evolution. So if somebody is looking for a cheap thrill will be dissapointed. But those who can fill in the gaps between the storylines will be absolutely pleased on the way the story runs forward to it's conclusion. Plus the art is really great and manages to balance every aspect of the story quite nicely. The two extra stories in the volume give it more depth even though they are only a few pages long, especially the samurai story which is used to explain a minor detail of the book is very potent. Finally I don't think the story should be expanded in a more detailed format like an ongoing mini-series because for me the charm was getting everything in a quick and broad strike. So if you like your monthly comics this is a failure but give it a try if you want to see familiar tropes and stories with a new angle.

Normal comic book reader: 2/5
Readers with a broader sense of the medium: Highly recommended

[Peter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some of the intentions are clear in this book. Higgins wants to write a multi-dimensional story that blends Hellraiser style horror with a real-world crime drama. But regardless of the intentions the story is carried off with such an unnaturally jerky and over-rushed pace it's hard to appreciate them. So many characters are introduced without explanation, motivation or backstory it's difficult to care about them or even differentiate between them sometimes. It heavily reminded me of comics like Witchblade and Spawn, and perhaps allowed to grow slowly over a large number of serialised issues like them this story would be easier to follow and enjoy. But this book feels like it suffered under a harsh editorialising process that cut out all of the plot except the action sequences which are left unsupported and confusing. I could also criticise the array of stereotypes filling this book, including every cop stereotype you've ever seen in a movie or Tv show and the mute, bondage-themed warrior women who Higgins unwisely named Twisted Bitches. This is a book that would have found a healthy reader-base in the late 80s and early 90s. It might even still appeal to 11yr old boys attracted to gore, guns and questionable female representation in fiction. For everyone else reading comics these days there's not much to get excited about.

[Raine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear. Where to begin.

While the art is undeniably fantastic -- the artist being responsible for Judge Dredd and other classics -- this mercifully-brief story is an absolute clusterfuck of nonsense with the thinnest thread of almost-coherence running through its multiple dimensions and time periods. It's not only confusing but also quite uncomfortable in parts to read, and comes to no particular conclusion nor any sense of what the story is even supposed to be about.

Stick to the art, John; writing is not your strong suit.