DICK TURPIN AND THE CRIMSON PLAGUE
Time Bomb Comics
Steve Tanner (W) Graema Howard (A) Nikki Foxrobot (L)
US Size (B4)
56 pp
black & white
Perfect bound
£6.99 UK $11.99 US
TBC: see blog roll (http://timebombcomics.com/index.html)
The blurb:From the hanging tree at Tyburn to the pleasure houses of Pall Mall, there’s only one thing standing between notorious highwayman Dick Turpin leaving 18th Century London to return to the open road – a nest of vampire prostitutes eager to spread their Crimson Plague!
THE LONG AWAITED SEQUEL TO THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ONE-SHOT DICK TURPIN AND THE RESTLESS DEAD FROM TIME BOMB COMICS
Now I ought to point out that “Restless Dead” is still available. I need to also point out that, other than myself a few years back, no one had bothered with Dick Turpin as a comic book character in the last 20+ years -other than Steve Tanner. Now with the favourable write-ups about TBCs Dick Turpin comics, I have heard from three different people about how they are going to use Dick Turpin in their new books and the promises of twists and use of the character outside of his regular “legendary persona”.
Really. I call it jumping on the band-waggon.
You can see my review of “Restless Dead” (which was picked up and carried by many international comic blogs) here:
http://www.comicbitsonline.com/2010/05/27/stand-and-deliver-dick-turpin-and-the-restless-dead/
How do you describe this “Crimson Plague”? Well,it begins with the hanging of Dick Turpin. No kidding. Dick Turpin hangs (check the art below). We then follow Dick and Tom as they prepare to take in the sights and attractions of less-than-fragrant London.
First come the Cloyers (that is 1700s slang for robbers but you knew that -right?) who are swiftly and violently dealt with. Turpin and Tom (Barnfield?) are portrayed as not being averse to over the top violence. You need to remember that this was a very nasty period in time in which even children were hung for stealing an apple. Life was very cheap so it was, as John Lennon once said: “Do unto others before they do you!”
So, what next? A night of merry quoffing and whoring. Nothing changes does it?
It is now that things take a turn for the weird and deadly. Their quoffing partner Justice Hopkins decides to “pleasure himself” with a young lady -and ends up dead. But later they find the Justice who seems alive..well…dead and alive. The two highwaymen soon find out that they are not just in any old house of ill-repute but one infested with vampires!
Can Dick and Tom escape? Is this all a flash-back as Turpin hangs???
Buy the book and find out!
It might just be my mindset because of current work but I read this as though it were a one-off TV horror drama. It would work. That aside the story is good and I can see Tanner developing Turpin into a Time Bomb Comics main character. Howards art works very well with the story and lots of cross-hatching and solid black use that never looks out of place.
Add to this the good lettering of Foxrobot, the glossy paper used AND the Rogues Gallery of pin up pages and this is one for the collector/comic fan. Miss out and don’t buy a copy and you’ve only yourself to blame!
10/10
Diamond Preview order codes are:
DEC112169 – DICK TURPIN AND THE CRIMSON PLAGUE GN
DEC112170 – LONDON CALLING GN
Also, Forbidden Planet International are offering both books at 31% discount if they are pre-ordered through their website that’s a 31% discount!!!
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