Rich Clements (he of Hi Ex, FutureQuake, and Turning Tiger fame) has reviewed The Dark for the Forces of Geek website.

Early on, just as I was settling into the groove, Lynch pulled the rug from under me in a glorious and unexpected way. Which is impressive enough to do once, but he manages to do it another two or three times throughout the book.

The plotting in dense and impressively done. The writing is multi-layered and clever and demands that the reader pays attention (this is a good thing, by the way).

As Rich himself would say … “Thank Grud it’s good”.

Read the complete review at Forces of Geek

Many thanks to Dave at Waiting for the Trade (They like big books and they cannot lie) for featuring The Dark on the latest episode of the WFTT Podcast.

Dave will put a full review up on the website in due course, but for now I am more than happy to hear someone so exercised by the idea of Memetech and getting so engaged with the story. Hopefully Dave will be equally happy when he’s reached the second half and all of the secrets have been revealed.

Don’t take my word for it though, listen to Waiting for the Trade.

Ed Kaye followed up his review of Issue #1 of The Dark by giving us his take on the whole story …

Not only has Chris Lynch created an incredibly interesting concept to use as the basis of this story, but he’s also created an incredibly unique plot … Rick Lundeen’s linework on this story has a very clean and smooth look to it, which is complimented by some really vibrant colouring …

The Dark is a highly original and inventive graphic novel, with an intriguing and involving plot that really keeps readers on their toes. It’s a book that you’re going to want to read at least twice, trust me! Forty-Five was my early pick for graphic novel of the year, but it looks like it’s already got some tough competition in the form of The Dark!

Read the complete review here

The Geek Syndicate team of Barry Nugent and Dave Monteith talk about The Dark in the latest episode of the fantastic “Geek Syndicate” podcast.

Click hear to listen to Geek Syndicate Episode 144

It was great to hear such positivity about the story, the ideas in The Dark, and the twisting plotlines. Barry has only had the first three chapters to read so far, and I’m really looking forward to hearing what he has to say when he reads the final chapter in the trade.

They know me so well! Murky Depths has picked up the SFX “Fanzine of the Month” gong for a 3rd time.

It wasn’t until I met up with Terry from Murky Depths this weekend that I found out that “The Escape Artist” was given a special mention.

The Mighty Barry Nugent has given us his thoughts on “The Dark”

The Dark has echoes of the Matrix about it but rather than having to sit in a chair with a bloody great spike getting rammed into the back of your skull you just need a slick black ‘Darkman style’ overcoat and a smart ass AI construct called Howard Hughes.

Look past the technology on show in the comic and you get a classic origin story involving a guilt ridden scientist trying to right the wrongs of the world while trying to atone for his own personal sins.

The art was solid and combined with snappy dialogue made for some cool fight scenes. I specially liked the loading of different skills sets on the fly to deal with the appropriate situation and be able to fire ‘pure information’ darts at people.

The plot was solid and I loved the idea of ‘liquid information’ and as is the case with so many revolutionary ideas how easily  this technology  can be corrupted.

Overall I thought the Dark  was a great, fast read and I’m looking forward to seeing how the story develops.

Click here to read Barry’s review in full

Zaius of Escape from Tomorrow as reviewed the preview edition of The Dark, Issue 1.

I read the 8 page preview issue that Markosia have released and really enjoyed it. The writing was nicely paced and the dialogue felt real: the fight scenes had a real sense of danger whilst the opening panels, set in a hospital room as the scientist sits alongside his wife’s bed, had a genuine feel of desperation, of regret. Likewise, the artwork was very much to my own personal taste – clean, confident, subtle colouring.

It seems to me Markosia have found an ideal approach here by releasing the single issues digitally and then following up with a printed volume. Based on the strength of this preview issue I would be happy to pay for the digital downloads and then buy the printed collected edition.

Click here to read “Escape From Tomorrow: The Dark Review” in full.

Edward Kaye, otherwise known as Hypergeek, has posted his review of issue one of The Dark …

The Dark #1 is another great comic title that I enjoyed immensely. I give it my highest recommendations and urge readers to buy it as soon as it becomes available. I shall try to keep interested readers informed as to when the first issue is released, so watch this space!

As always, many thanks to Ed.
Click to read the Hypergeek review of The Dark, Issue 1

Down the Tubes have put up their short review of issue 1 of The Dark.

Their opinion?

“we’re pleased to report it’s some of Chris Lynch’s best work to date, complemented by some suitably moody art from Lundeen. The story is complex but well realized, with plenty to get you thinking and wondering just what will happen next.”

Read for yourself here: downthetubes.net news blog: Markosia Dances out The Dark.

The guys over at Sidekick Cast are the first take to take advantage of our reviewer’s preview, and have given The Dark four stars!

When I started the first issue I thought ‘Ok this seems like your standard dark avenger vigilate superhero story with a nice little sci-fi premise for the powers’. I was wrong. The main protagonist reads like the bastard love child of Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne with a hint of the tortured soul of Frank Castle. The idea of information as a weapon is taken to it’s literal conclusion in this story and although it may seem like the stuff of science fiction I suspect Lynch has been flicking through the pages of The New Scientist as liquid information is one of the next big steps in digital information transfer. This is very much on the fringe of science-fact.

By the end of the book everything I thought I knew had been turned on it’s head and I was totally sucked in.

It’s great to see the book already going down well, and hopefully people reading the review will be inspired to pick up that all important first issue.

You can read the complete review here: http://www.sidekickcomicsuk.com/blogs/blog4.php/2009/07/19/the-dark-descends-on-markosia

Thanks to guys at Sidekick Cast!