Debbie Gallagher (2)

Scourge and purge!

It's been a long time since I last read The Redeemer in the black and white pages of Warhammer Monthly, so I was a little trepidatious about returning to it, but it is all the more utterly ridiculous and ludicrously fun in colour and, mostly, holds up.

What is The Redeemer?
Warhammer 40K has the Inquisition, the paranoid, brutal, bloody Spanish Inquisition turned up to 11. Now imagine the Inquisition was distilled into one maniacal Mad Max boss zealot with a flaming brazier on his head and an eviscerator, a colossal chainsaw sword, the big book of torture, and a merry band of alternatingly bloodthirsty and craven acolytes, who roams the post apocalyptic-esque desert and delves into the dank, mutant and zombie infested underhive caverns, and you're getting closer. He has catchphrases, a theme hymn, and a steampunk cathedral landtrain. Oh, and the brazier on his head can act like a flamethrower!

This is Warhammer at its most ridiculous, calling 200AD cute and tame with their timid Judge Dredd, while the Redeemer scourges, purges, eviscerate, consecrates, and immolates across the wastelands betas and under the hive cities of Necromunda. Sheer ludicrous action, quips, and silly, gory, cheesy fun, and good times.

I am not one who usually goes in for what some call 'Bolter Porn', I like a good action or battle sequence with my Warhammer, but, honestly, I'm usually there for the tragedy and drama, especially with the Horus Heresy. BUT, a comic as utterly nonsensical, maximalist, and violently, righteously fun is absolutely the kind of thing I will thoroughly enjoy once in a blue moon, as a treat.

This is an incredible relic that certainly didn't change the world of comics or make a huge impact, but it is bloody good with sublimely ridiculous scripts from Mills and Gallagher, and truly mind-blowing and frenetic art from Reynolds.

The only criticism I can raise is that the characterisation and affect of the Ratskins feels a little too close to Native American stereotypes to be comfortable.

Otherwise, this is just a really silly good time!… (mehr)

Magical in every sense, this novel explores the ideas of Richard Dadd in a world of poetic vision. This is a fairy story without sentimentality or self-deprecation. It weaves ancient allegories with nineteenth century sensibilities and 21st century experience. Had I first seen this in a shop I would have passed it over because the print finishing is so shoddy. The inconstant margins and the mean typography scream of self-publishing (which is not to decry all such work but I know the odds). That an established publishing house, no matter how small, released a book in this state disappoints me and I hope that future works will be published by someone who cares more for quality.… (mehr)