Cinebook The 9th Art: Damocles 1- Bodyguards

Damocles - Bodyguards

Authors: Callède & Henriet
Age: 12 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm

Paperback
Number of pages: 48 colour pages

ISBN: 9781849182324

Price: £6.99 inc. VAT

Publication: May 2015 

London, the near future. Ever-increasing social inequalities have seen the birth of a flourishing kidnapping industry. To counter such a constant, overhanging threat, private security companies employing highly trained bodyguards have sprung into existence. Ellie Braxton works for the Damocles agency, the most renowned of those companies. Tasked with protecting the son of an important British industry magnate, she and her team find themselves faced with terribly efficient and remarkably motivated opponents…

Anyone remember the ITV series Bodyguards from the 1990s? John Shrapnel played the boss with Sean Pertwee and Louise Lombard as "the bodyguards"?  Just me then.  But this cover reminds me of that series....and Louise Lombard.

Ahem.

Anyway, I like the blend of action, domestic life and how it all gets put into one slick package of art that looks great.  The use of extreme close-ups I like:  American artists tend to over use this and it gives no real effect to the dialogue.  However, European artists tend to use it with good effect.  The colour work by Usagi is excellent and adds more atmosphere to scenes.

The story and dialogue around the main character, Ellie, are crisp and interesting.  Everything kicks off with what appears to be a hostage stand-off but like that is going to fluster the Damocles bodyguards! Everything flows smoothly and that last panel and those whispered three words -no, that would be a spoiler!- gave me a smirk.

Cinebook has the entire UK market to itself when it comes to great action-crime-thriller comic albums and Damocles is another fine addition to its line-up.