Razorjack
Encyclopedia
Razorjack is an independent comic book created, written and illustrated by John Higgins
, published first by Higgins' own Jack Publishing and later by Com.X
.
).
Razorjack returned in a two-issue comic book limited series
published by Com.X
in 2001
.
Police officers Ross and Frame investigate the results of Razorjack's killing spree and are drawn into what is potentially the ultimate battle between good and evil.
(ISBN 1607438178) was published in 2009 by Com.X and contains all of the previously published material plus a new four-page short story.
Two limited-edition box-sets of Razorjack were published by Foruli Publications (with Loco Motive Studios and Com.x) in 2009: The Standard Edition (ISBN 1905792042) contains a signed 96-page book in a slipcase (collecting the same material as the trade paperback), accompanied by a signed screenprint. Limited to 45 copies. The Deluxe edition contains the above plus an original painting by John Higgins. Limited to 15 copies
suggested it "comes off as the Cthulhu mythos
mixed with a really nasty episode of Law & Order
" and that "[t]here are echoes here of Clive Barker
and the aforementioned Lovecraft
, but those are just part of a stream of ideas that sail along in a much different way due to the comics format," concluding that "[i]f there’s a downside to the volume, it’s that it’s over in a seemingly short period of time."
John Higgins (comics)
John Higgins is an English comic book artist and writer. He did significant work for 2000 AD, and he has frequently worked with writer Alan Moore, most notably as colourist for Watchmen.-Biography:...
, published first by Higgins' own Jack Publishing and later by Com.X
Com.x
-2000-2002:Com.x wwas founded in 2000 by Eddie Deighton, Russell Uttley and Neil Googe. Deighton later described how the group came together in 1999:...
.
Publication history
Razorjack's first appearance was a fifteen-page strip entitled 'Citadel' that appeared in the first and only issue of Higgins' self-published anthology comic Razorjack (Jack Publishing, 19991999 in comics
-February:* February 3: Pioneering editor Vin Sullivan dies at age 87.* February 26: John L. Goldwater, co-founder of Archie Comics, dies at age 82.-March:* Incredible Hulk is canceled by Marvel with issue #474.-May:...
).
Razorjack returned in a two-issue comic book limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published by Com.X
Com.x
-2000-2002:Com.x wwas founded in 2000 by Eddie Deighton, Russell Uttley and Neil Googe. Deighton later described how the group came together in 1999:...
in 2001
2001 in comics
-Year overall:* Marvel Comics withdraws from the Comics Code Authority and established its own rating system for its publications.- January :* January 23: Fred Ray, Superman's primary cover artist of the 1940s, passes away at age 80.- September :...
.
Plot
Razorjack tells the story of three college students who inadvertently create an opening into an alternate universe - known by its inhabitants as The Twist Dimension - and consequently become a target for the evil Razorjack.Police officers Ross and Frame investigate the results of Razorjack's killing spree and are drawn into what is potentially the ultimate battle between good and evil.
Collected editions
The Razorjack: Collected Edition trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
(ISBN 1607438178) was published in 2009 by Com.X and contains all of the previously published material plus a new four-page short story.
Two limited-edition box-sets of Razorjack were published by Foruli Publications (with Loco Motive Studios and Com.x) in 2009: The Standard Edition (ISBN 1905792042) contains a signed 96-page book in a slipcase (collecting the same material as the trade paperback), accompanied by a signed screenprint. Limited to 45 copies. The Deluxe edition contains the above plus an original painting by John Higgins. Limited to 15 copies
Reception
NewsaramaNewsarama
Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
suggested it "comes off as the Cthulhu mythos
Cthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
mixed with a really nasty episode of Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
" and that "[t]here are echoes here of Clive Barker
Clive Barker
Clive Barker is an English author, film director and visual artist best known for his work in both fantasy and horror fiction. Barker came to prominence in the mid-1980s with a series of short stories which established him as a leading young horror writer...
and the aforementioned Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
, but those are just part of a stream of ideas that sail along in a much different way due to the comics format," concluding that "[i]f there’s a downside to the volume, it’s that it’s over in a seemingly short period of time."
External links
Interviews
- 5 Questions with John Higgins, Twelve Fingers, April 20, 2009
- John Higgins: Interview Part One, Wonderchroma, May 19, 2009
- Good, Trashy Fun: An Interview with John Higgins, Forbidden PlanetForbidden Planet (bookstore)Forbidden Planet is the trading name of two separate science fiction, fantasy and horror bookshop chains across the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States of America, after the feature film of the same name....
blog, June 5, 2009 - John Higgins’ Razorjack: comic-book villainy has never been so fun, The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, July 1, 2009 - On the Razor's Edge Part 1, Broken Frontier, July 20, 2009
Reviews
- Razorjack #1, the X-Axis, April 1, 2001
- Razorjackery, Comixology, April 1, 2009
- Razorjack review, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, April 25, 2009 - Razorjack, Eclipse Magazine, June 24, 2009
- Razorjack – a taste for handmaidens in fetish gear and terrible dentistry, Forbidden Planet blog, July 24, 2009
- Trading Up: Razorjack, Lowdown, Broken Frontier, July 29, 2009