Brink - Book One - Dan Abnett & INJ Culbard

[robert_ellis]

Just read the collected Brink from progs 1978-1992. Maybe I've been spoilt by Casefiles & the MegaCollection but this is a thin volume collecting just the first series, some design sketches & script pages. I'd enjoyed the strip in the weekly prog but found it hard to follow. It reads so much better collected. There's time for long conversations, scene setting & character that can't usually survive 6 page instalments. It's taken me a while to enjoy the paired-down animation style art but the colouring is absolutely stunning. The use of graphic info reminded me of early American Flagg in a good way. I don't think we've had such a sense of world building since Halo Jones' Hooplife. Forbidden Planet in Central London still have signed copies - I can't recommend this highly enough. When's Book Twi out?

[Richard]

Book two only just finished, so it's likely to be late next year.

[The Adventurer]

I like how both Brink 01 and Brink 02 were pretty long running series. I think both were 15 weeks each. Which considering most end up 6 or 10 is pretty cool!

[AlexF]

Yeah, I love the sheer length of this thrill, and its reliability every week. I must confess I was hoping that the release date of the trade meant it would collect both the first two books, but I'll take what I've got! Hopefully it sells well enough to get volume 2 out next year.

[TordelBack]

I must confess I was hoping that the release date of the trade meant it would collect both the first two books...

That, and the fact that the cover is from Book 2.

[robert_ellis]

Isn't the cover from prog 1989 - towards the end of the first series?

[TordelBack]

You're absolutely right. For some reason I thought it was from the more recent run, the bit with the undocumented workers.  My apologies.

[wedgeski]

I ordered this last week and consumed it in short order. The recent(ish) second series was my favourite thrill for quite some time, and book 1 doesn't disappoint either. Can't wait for the collected book 2 (due on 26 July if Amazon is to be believed).

[Blue Cactus]

Love this series, and I'm so glad they let it have that long run of episodes. They could extend the next one to 20 eps or so and I'd be happy.

[broodblik]

Agreed definitely one of the best new strips the last few years

[Jim_Campbell]

Just to add to the general chorus of approval for Brink. One of the best things about it is I can’t decide whether I’ll be happier if it turns out that everyone is just mad or if there really is some blasphemous elder monstrosity lurking in the interdimensional spaces.

[sheridan]

Just to add to the general chorus of approval for Brink. One of the best things about it is I can’t decide whether I’ll be happier if it turns out that everyone is just mad or if there really is some blasphemous elder monstrosity lurking in the interdimensional spaces.

What if the blasphemous elder monstrosity turns out to be the son of one of the main characters, come back from the future to live in all-time? ;-)

[Colin YNWA]

Yep with this and Lawless under this belt at the moment its hard to argue that Dabnett isn't Tharg's greatest writing asset at the moment. Blink is just brilliant.

[Blue Cactus]

I'm so glad Abnett is still writing all this for the Prog on top of the stuff he does for US comics. He's always been dependably great but with Brink, Lawless and Grey Area and the rebooted SinDex he's really outdoing himself. I think what I admire most about his writing is I never need a recap week to week; somehow I always know exactly what's going on in each episode, without any feeling that he's repeating things or going over what went before. He somehow manages to write episodes that read well individually and in collected form. Quite a skill.

[TordelBack]

Just to add to the general chorus of approval for Brink. One of the best things about it is I can’t decide whether I’ll be happier if it turns out that everyone is just mad or if there really is some blasphemous elder monstrosity lurking in the interdimensional spaces.

That's the secret of its appeal for me,  no doubt.  That delicious uncertainty is masterfully handled.