World Famous Comics: Imperial Gothic: The Collected Warhammer 40000 comics of Dan Abnett
Imperial Gothic: The Collected Warhammer 40000 comics of Dan Abnett
By: Dan Abnett Publisher: Games Workshop Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Games Workshop Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 208 Publication Date: March 28, 2006
Great Stories, Poor Binding and Construction This is a collection of two Dan Abnett comic stories set in the WH40K universe. "Lone Wolves" tells the story of an Imperial Guard unit's survival on a planet infested with Tyranids, with a lot of help from the Space Wolves. "Inquisitor Ascendant" reminds people that instincts aren't always the safest or most reliable gauge of a person. Abnett's writing is crisp, to the point, and power packed. I found myself eagerly turning the pages just to see what happens next.
Unfortunately, turning those pages to get to that story and dialog is a real problem. Most graphic novels are much larger than this one, with the comic panels set far off of the binding gutter so that the artwork and the dialog can be easily seen and read, respectively. This one is smaller than most graphic novels, and the comic panels bleed into the binding gutter. I found myself struggling with the binding to read all the story for a particular scene. When the comic panels didn't bleed into the gutter, they were so small that it became somewhat laborious to track the transitions between panels. Furthermore, the binding was very tight on my copy, and it has split a bit after two readings. A larger format like a traditional graphic novel and better page layout would have made more sense and would have made for a better reading experience.
Abnett's writing rocks, and he "gets" the WH40K universe, weaving it's odd mashing of English and Latin-esque terminology easily into his stories. His writing pulls you in, if only because his characters actually use the science fiction technology rather than delving into long-winded narratives about it. Too bad the physical construction of the book made for difficult reading at times.
Fast paced and exciting (Typical Abnett) By combining the bold and intense writing style of Dan Abnett with the detailed drawings of the Warhammer artists, a remarkable product is created. In this book, two separate stories are presented, each with very Abnettesque characters and settings. The first is about an Imperial Guardsman unit that calls to mind Gaunt's Ghosts, with desperate fighting and overwhelming odds on a cold and desolate planet. The second set tells of a rising Inquisitor and his investigation and extermination of Chaotic forces and has many obvious similarities to the Eisenhorn novels. Personally I liked both sets of stories, but the Space Wolves set has the better and more detailed art work, while the Inquisitor Ascendent set has the more in depth and captivating story line. Both sets of short comics (that came out in Warhammer monthly magazine and are progressive series) are fun and engrossing. The progressivness is obvious mostly in the gradual increase in detail of the drawings from the older to the more recent of the episodes.
The only complaint I can make about this edition is that not enough space was left for margins between the pages, forcing a choice between creasing and ruining the book binding or not quite being able to read some of the writing or see all of some pictures. Overall this didn't really create too much of a problem, but it is somewhat annoying.
ACTION FROM THE MASTER, DAN ABNETT! Imperial Gothic collects several of Dan Abnett's Warhammer 40,000 comic strips from the pages of Warhammer Monthly and packs them into this eagerly anticipated, 208 page digest-sized graphic novel with tales of the near mythical Space Wolves as well as the Inquisitor Ascendant. In the grueling opening story, a group of Imperial Guards stationed on the desolate, frozen world of Shadrac face a desperate battle against overwhelming hordes of alien Tyranid. Just as it seems they are about to be overrun they are miraculously saved by the legendary Space Wolves. After being saved by the elite force on several occasions the guardsmen see the Wolves in trouble. As they prepare to flee, their commander turns them about and they return the favor by rescuing the Wolves and are made Bloodgeld, blood brothers essentially as they learn the ways of these unique soldiers and prepare for one final standoff against the Tyranid...to the death!
In the Inquisitor Ascendant, the Lord Inquisitor Defay has detected the taint of chaos on the world of Nicodemus. Along with his pupil Gravier, DeFay investigates the cause of this outbreak on the ancient world and confronts Cardinal Sarthos who constantly hinders his investigation. The cardinal is outraged when DeFay seeks to search the keep of one of the most prominent families but his outrage turns to terror when it's discovered that they are sheltering and hiding the servants of chaos and soon unleash a powerful chaos demon on DeFay and his apprentice.
Imperial Gothic reads as good as any of Abnett's Warhammer novels with bigger than life heroes and the vilest hosts of chaos to be found anywhere. The first story had the feel of Starship Troopers although it was decidedly more grim and desperate. The Space Wolves are truly one of the most unique and interesting forces in the empire. Abnett's work is complemented by the fantastic art of Karl Richardson and Simon Coleby. One of the very best Warhammer 40,000 graphic novels yet!
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