Harker: The Book of Solomon is a graphic novel by Roger Gibson with art by Vince Danks (available August 28, 2012).
When a series of gruesome cult killings take place near the British Museum, DCI Harker and his assistant DS Critchley are called to London to solve the case.
Middle class satanists, dusty old bookshops, a labyrinth under the museum, a frantic car chase, and wry, cutting humor all combine in this love letter to classic British detective television series.
What I really miss about my childhood, besides the lack of any serious responsibility and bills of course, is the fact that any time there was a major crime involving a Goth, it was always evidence of a satanic cult’s grand design in action. We even had our own spooky county road through the woods that was supposed to go by one of their sacrificial tables. Sure it may have been a slab of concrete, but the Satanists were real, I tells ya. It’s this kind of unambiguous, knee-jerk reaction to crime that I loved about Harker: Book of Solomon.
You got that image in your head? Good. Hold on to that. Now the stage is properly set for DCI Harker, his partner DS Critchley, and Jenny, the plucky cutter of the dead, as they try to figure out what ritual style killings have to do with a satanic cult and an ancient occult text, reportedly bound by bits of human skin.
The book opens with a murder (don’t they all?); the second in a week. Harker and his partner are called to London-town to assist, you know, being experts on serial murders and such. Things get spooky fast and what remains constant is Harker’s unflinching skepticism. He is cynical, squeamish around dead bodies, and believes in good, solid police work.
Aside from characters, where this book really shines is in its construction and art. Drawn by Vince Danks, the art is detailed, nuanced, and really sells the Gothic atmosphere. Lacking any third person narration, each panel is wonderfully organized and drawn so you can see everything happening clearly. There is a particularly wonderful scene set in a pub, which includes an exchange between Harker and Critchley. The two inspectors hardly move at all and instead banter back and forth about the case. What stands out about this scene is all the action going on in the panels. It’s as if there is a whole other story going on around them, but they are wrapped up in the case. It shows more about the characters’ relationship as friends and co-workers than almost the whole rest of the novel. It’s a great scene and wonderfully done.
Originally a British comic, Harker: The Book of Solomon is an example of what I wish American comics were able to do more. It is a serious, well-developed story that blends art and words to make a fantastic comic. Unless someone is willing to put in the legwork and dig up the gems that are being put out by the indies out there, you’ll be hard pressed to find a book like this put out by the major publishers. It’s a solid story with great art, and if you are a fan of crime comics, I highly recommend it. Hopefully they will manage to bring over the next Harker story, Harker: The Woman in Black, for more 1990s Goth goodness.
Have you checked out anything like Harker? Know of anyone putting out great crime comics? Comment to enter for a chance to win!
Sorry, this sweepstakes has ended.
Stay tuned on our Sweepstakes page for more offers!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A purchase does not improve your chances of winning. Sweepstakes open to legal residents of fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia, who are 18 or older. To enter, fill out entry at https://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2012/08/fresh-meat-harker-the-book-of-solomon-by-roger-gibson-and-vince-danks-longon-detective-comic-graphic-novel beginning at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) August 21, 2012. Sweepstakes ends at 11:59 a.m. ET on August 28, 2012 (the “Promotion Period”). Void outside of the 50 US and DC and where prohibited by law. Please see full details and official rules at https://www.criminalelement.com/page/official-rules-the-weird-crime-comment-sweepstakes. Sponsor: Macmillan, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010
TIP: Since only comments from registered users will be tabulated, if your user name appears in red above your comment—STOP—go log in, then try commenting again. If your user name appears in black above your comment, You’re In!
Check out all of our new releases coverage in our Fresh Meat series.
Christopher Morgan works for CriminalElement.com and HeroesandHeartbreakers.com. He lives in New York City, and prefers Grayson to Todd any day of the week.
Read all posts by Christopher Morgan for Criminal Element.
Can’t wait to read it!
Sounds amazing, and of course the format if done right would be awesome!
It looks like fun. I look forward to reading it.
[color=#000000][b]Looks like a great book![/b][/color]
I’d love to win these books to add to my collection of graphic art. My comic books collection itself goes all the way back to the 1950’s.
Fantastic!
Such a great sweepstakes! I love the detective noir genre and this graphic novel sounds right up my alley!
very cool books
You guys are hitting it out of the ball park with this giveaway. These books really sound great & I’d love to win them.
What a great collection
I like that graphic novels have progressed beyond the superhero genre that I remember from their infancy (Maus excluded, of course). And I’m really looking forward to reading this – I like things that don’t lock themselves into a particular genre, but blend the edges (rather than simply try to shatter the concept and come up with something so avant-garde that it reads like cr-p.)
Nice books.
Looks like this “harkens” back to some of the more creative things that Vertigo was doing back in the 90’s (the likes of Grant Morrison and Garth Ennis, especially)….looking forward to checking it out!
I’ve not read him before but it sounds interesting!
I love a mystery and I love Sherlock so bring it on
“Middle class satanists” sounds intriguing and thought provoking! No matter, I want to read this!
Dusty old bookshops, a labyrinth under the museum! Very cool…count me in.
Sounds interesting! Thanks for the great giveaway!
Thank you for the giveaway.
Something a bit different for me..
Looking forward to reading it!
I would be thrilled and honored to win these books…
Many thanks!
Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com
Love the Houdini series. Only have the 1st one though.
Love noir, love graphic, love the Brits… What could be better?
would love to get the Houdini and Holmes books!
Can’t wait to read these books – weird is good!
Sounds cool.
love wry humour if it is done right
Looks great. I’d love the chance to read the books.
Another good series is the twins of Dr. Watson (Richard and Emma) by J. Brooks Van Dyke. The first two books No Ordinary Terror and The Corot Deception are true to othe area and true to the time. The third book is being edited now.
So much pleasure to give to someone! Hours of reading & it would be a joy to have these in hand.
As a rule, I like to keep my genres separate, but this looks like it could work without being totally absurd.
Harker sounds interesting.
I’ll have to look out for that book.
If I don’t win it.
Any inside jokes about Dracula?
Graphic novels usually have too much going on in the panels, but this one looks interesting! Hope it comes out in e-book format so I can enlarge some of the panels.
Oooo- Sherlock Holmes !!!
Book me!!!!!!!!!!!
J. harker, graphic novel & solving a crime!! To good to pass up.
What a great cross section of authors and mystery genres! Criminal Element you have outdone yourselves!
Vince Danks’ art is perfect for this genre. He really captures the feel of this story. Nice review, Mr. Morgan.
Why is it that the Brits excel in the detective fiction genre? No matter the answer, bring me more!
I want these books! This is a author I have not read yet.
Sounds like a great read! I can hardly wait! Thanks
Harker sounds like a great graphic novel! I definitely will be adding that to my to-read list.
If you haven’t read anything in the Barker and Llewelyn series, I recommend you do so.
http://www.willthomasauthor.com/books.php
I have yet to experience a graphic novel and am not sure what the format brings to the genre of the mystery.
love graphic novels!
… Middle class satanists, dusty old bookshops, a labyrinth under the museum, a frantic car chase, and wry, cutting humor …
What more could a person ask for really?
would love a good mystery, thanks for the chance.
would love a good mystery, thanks for the chance.
I love British Mysteries.
I love a good crime graphic novel, and there aren’t enough of them. Can’t wait to try this one.
Can’t decide which I love more: detective comics or genre-bending historicals. I suppose I shall need to read more books like these (or, perhaps, these books, should I be so lucky) to determine a preference.
Hope I win, this prize is awesome
I can’t wait to get my hands on these. Adding them to Goodreads right now! Thanks for the information.
Great post, makes me want to read!
Amazing! I gotta win…gotta win…gotta win.
Any chance this will become a televison show? The British do mysteries better than anyone –in my opinion.
WEE!
This book sounds deliciosly subversive! who would have thought that the “pencil-men” would be like the good guys this time and the vamps the bad! If Tom Clany’s iridescent prose doesn’t more, thenI’ll proably go out for dinner at 8 o’clock, right when Broadway WEstis becoming a local venue, destite all the presures.
1
Harker sounds like marvelous fun and the other books put this giveaway over the top. I just hope I win.
Please enter me to win!
Looks great!
[color=rgb(64, 224, 208)]Huge graphic novel fan and would love to read a new to me series! ‘0)[/color]
I haven’t read any graphic novels – this sounds like one I would definitely enjoy!
It sounds intresting. I never heard of harker before. i’ll check it out
look good: would make a great gift for my son!!!
Nice post. The characters sound interesting.
Sounds like an awsome graphic novel, and a hell of a give away to sweeten the pot.
This is an awesome sweepstakes. I’ve got to check Harker out
Looks exciting, right up my alley.
This looks awesome!! 🙂
These types of graphic novels are really neat. We have a bunch in out library collection and teens are amazed at how cool they are after a steady diet of the Japanese stuff.
These graphic novels look great! I absolutely live Sherlock Holmes!
These novels sound spectacular. Sherlock Holmes rocks!
Looks awesome!
Sounds interesting! Haven’t read any graphic novels before
Sounds like a great giveaway!
I’m up for something different.
Sounds great!
OMG! British dicks and middle class satanists?!
HARKER appeals to me immensely. Och! All the books appeal. I want to win very badly!! TA!
Sounds like a fun read, can’t wait!
Graphics, Houdini, and Holmes! How can you beat this?
I love to read!
Would like to give these a shot!
Awesome choices- thanks for the chance!
“Harker” sounds great. I don’t have the Houdinis either. Will Have to look for them if I don’t win.
Awesome! I am a huge comic book fan (I review them for a living actually!), and I am always on the lookout for something fresh. The indie market is exploding right now, so regradless I will be picking this up to read. Thanks for the info!
Count me in, please!
What a wide range of criminals up to no good and Houdini thrown in to boot.
This looks like something my brother would enjoy.
Fantastic books to read.
great love to read these!
Asked my local library to acquire this graphic novel. It looks like a twisty mystery graphic novel – an excellent evening’s entertainment.
i just recently started reading graphic novels and now i’m hooked. I love em!
These look graphically appealing!
Pick me, pick me!
These look great.
I’d love to win! Thank you for the giveaway!
Great contest!
Can’t wait to read these stories! Keep up the great work!
Looks great! I love mysteries. I’ve been listening to some crime/mystery audio books in the car and am hooked.
These all look good-hope I win so I will be set for fall reading
These all look like good books with interesting plots.
looks like some fun reads, thanks for the giveaway
Not familiar with Harker. Another new one to try! Thanks.
Love to read, need to win
Love to read, need to win
would love to read this
Very cool!
Who doesn’t like big bold comic book artwork. Really neato!
great, thanks !
I heart these graphic novels!
Cant wait to read this.
Would enjoy reading these.
Pick me! I am dying to read this!
I read every day; am reading a lot of mysteries.
Thank you for the great giveaway please count me in 🙂
kathypease(at)gmail(dot)com
Please register me, [b]Harker: The Book of Solomon [/b]sounds amazing.
[b] [/b]
Sounds Great, I’d enjoy reading these
s2s2 at comcast dot net
Sounds interesting.
I’d really love to read these.
This would be great
Please enter me to Win 🙂
great giveaway, thanks so much
This sounds like a great read! Thank you for this giveaway!
I would love to win this!
this sounds like a great read!
Cool giveaway! Thanks!
Count me in!
Can’t wait to read it! Sounds great!
Such a wonderful contest. They sound like wonderful reads!
scary sounding
I’m definitely going to look into this.