Harker #10
Posted: Monday, February 1, 2010
By: David Wallce
Roger Gibson, Vincent Danks
Vincent Danks
Ariel Press
It’s interesting to see that, as in the book’s first arc, the book’s two detectives have very different ideas about who might have committed the murders that they’ve been called upon to investigate here, leading to the pair splitting up in order to pursue separate investigations that help to give the issue a sense of variety. As with that first story arc, I’m hoping that the eventual solution to this mystery is revealed to be neither one of their ideas, but a mixture of elements that draws upon all of their investigation up to this point.
For the moment, though, we simply get to see the two policemen go about their business and it’s up to the reader to attempt to work out where their clues might be leading. There are some pressing questions from Harker and an interesting discovery is made by Critchley. At the same time we see yet another murder committed by our mystery criminal, adding extra tension to proceedings and giving a sense that events are building to a head.
However, for me, the best moments of the book are the ones that aren’t concerned with the main plot, but instead the quieter scenes that allow us to learn more about the relationships between the book’s main players. There’s a real sense of there being an easy back-and-forth between Harker and Critchley, who in many ways fill the gap that’s left by the lack of a substantial romantic pairing in the book. We see them enjoy a hotel breakfast together, we see them bicker and argue (without ever feeling as though there’s anything less than mutual respect between them), and in one hugely enjoyable scene, we see them inadvertently crash a Goth fancy-dress party as they go for a drink together, with Harker employing a characteristically subtle and understated method of getting served at the bar. Secondary characters are well realised too, with Griffin’s brief appearance bringing amusement as she insists that the hotel’s pile of leftover cakes be taken away as evidence.
Yet as well written as these characters are, it’s Vincent Danks’s artwork that really brings them to life. Their facial expressions and movements feel authentic and natural without ever feeling traced; their clothing hangs and folds in a realistic manner; and there’s plenty of texture and detail in the backgrounds that helps to create the impression that the characters inhabit the real world.
There are also occasional sequences in which the artwork takes center stage, helping to set the tone for the book with such sequences as the opening tracking shot of a seagull flying around the hotel grounds (followed up later by a splashpage that shows birds being disturbed outside the building), or the first person perspective sequence that shows our murderer disposing of the body of his or her victim. It’s well known that black and white books like Harker don’t sell as well as full color titles, but anyone who picks up comics on the strength of their artwork alone could do a lot worse than to check out Danks’s good work here.
After ten issues, Harker continues to be a compelling whodunit book that’s as enjoyable for its strong characterization and witty dialogue as it is for its central mysteries. It’s a relatively unique crime comic in that it doesn’t take itself too seriously and isn’t dependent on the American archetypes of “noir” fiction to fill its pages, preferring instead to draw inspiration from TV-detective murder mysteries and British cop shows. I’d recommend it to anyone who feels like a change of pace from their regular comics diet and who would be happy to read a book that doesn’t patronize its readership or rely on a constant stream of action and spectacle in order to create its entertainment.
For more information on Harker, check out ArielPress.com.
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