Meet John Dark

by Darryl Cunningham, Simon Gane (Artist)

When a casino manager disappears with fifty grand, the ex-secret service man on his trail soon finds himself entangled in a child kidnapping case. A bullet-ridden tale then unfolds of danger, sudden death, treachery, guns, gangsters and big explosions.In the middle of the carnage, a stony-cold figure stands...

Gritty, violent and pacey crime fiction from Cunningham and powerful noir artwork from Gane combine like a bizarre hybrid between Jaques Tardi and a Hong Kong action flick!

Also includes 'Underworld', the gritty story of a gangster's final revenge.

Genres: Graphic Novels

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

British Artist Darryl Cunningham is the creator of the web-comics, 'Super-Sam and John-of-the-Night' and 'The Streets of San Diablo'. Darryl's work can also be found at his blog and flickr page. His book Psychiatric Tales has been published by Blank Slate in the UK and by Bloomsbury in the US.

Reviews

[Keiron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but not as good Gane's early DIY fanzine days and his more present-day highly detailed art style. Gane I think here was trying to break into more serious comic book style, but was still drawing in his fanzine style here which sometimes can look a little scrappy at times. Although not many are really fleshed out in this graphic novel the main character John Dark is ex-secret serviceman turned soldier of fortune, who kills anyone who gets in his way. If given perhaps a few more stories the character could of really developed, as the story is pretty much all over the place and most of the other characters are quite throwaway as they often die as soon as they are introduced. The story spans for 3 short chapters in which a missing money caper comes a rescue mission to save a child, and then abruptly ends. no sequel. no further stories, no nothing. The other story "Underworld" that follows isn't very interesting either. Still, been a fan of Simon Gane it was to find another book to add my collection as his early 90s comic book strip is highly entertaining and very funny, and mostly released at punk gigs i would of been too young to attend(!) still if you desperate to explore him befoe his later work with DC/Dark Horse, I do suggest picking up his other graphic novel "Punk Strips" which includes comical swipes at punk culture and more interesting short stories.