Take a butcher's at Slaughterman's Creed

We reviewed (and loved) Slaughterman's Creed in episode 28 of SPBM but if you have any stray questions about the book this press release should answer them for you - take it away, Russ...

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Take a Butcher’s at Slaughterman’s Creed in May 2011

Markosia Enterprises are proud to present their new graphic novel, Slaughterman’s Creed - a surreal London gangland thriller which combines the vicious intensity of British crime fiction with the structure and spirit of a Samurai revenge drama in a nightmarishly compelling urban fantasy.

The book re-unites writer Cy Dethan with artist Stephen Downey, the creators of the 2009 indie hit, Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth. Set in a world where an ethical knife-edge is all that separates hero from villain, the story combines a strong British crime aesthetic with mythological overtones and a distinctive noir edge.

Slaughterman’s Creed Can be ordered through the March edition of Diamond Previews in the usual way using order code MAR11 0811.

Laurence “The Punisher” Campbell recently wrote in his foreword to the trade paperback: “What you will find is a nasty, dark tale which cuts into the underbelly of gangland London. Think The Long Good Friday meets No Country For Old Men.”

This man drew The Punisher! He knows “nasty and dark” when he sees it. He goes on to say, “Cy Dethan pushes the boundaries. No, not pushes them - casually disregards them and walks right over them.” 

So, it’s not a book for the squeamish.

Read a free 12-page preview of Slaughterman's Creed. 

“Thine is the task of blood.

Discharge thy task with mercy.

Let thy victim feel no pain.

Let sudden blow bring death;

Such death as thou thyself would ask for.”

The Slaughterman’s Creed

“Sidney is a professional killer working for Big Lenny Addison, a London ganglord specialising in human trafficking. He is almost completely uneducated except in his family’s trade at which he is an unparalleled expert. 

“When he is called upon to breach his code and bring a pregnant woman to slaughter, Sidney's world is changed forever. Betrayed by those he has served his whole life, the Slaughterman embarks on a bloody vendetta - determined to put Addison's entire monstrous empire to the blade.“

Carving A Name

Slaughterman’s Creed, described by writer Cy Dethan as “a story of the fall and rise of monsters” is already carving a name a name for itself on the independent comic scene. 

"My plan was to take my time and read Slaughterman’s Creed over a few days, but pretty much by page five I was in for the long haul and ended up reading the whole thing in a single sitting. Cy has a way of leading the reader by the hand and letting them think they know exactly where the plot is going, and then the next thing you know he’s kicked you down the stairs, leaving you battered, bruised and with no idea where the tale will lead you next.

"Slaughterman’s Creed is a bloody gourmet, serving the reader a mixed platter of gangland politics, murder, betrayal and revenge with a large side order of body parts. It’s a tale that is dripping with great writing and art. Digest it today," said Barry Nugent ofThe Geek Syndicate.

The book gave Wayne Hall of Sci-Fi Pulse a case of the night terrors - although, strangely, he seems to have enjoyed them. He said: "If Mr. Dethan keeps delivering this kind of novel perspective on the world, I’ll have trouble sleeping at night. Yikes! But I was gripped from the first page, so please keep it up!"

“This is old school – dark story telling. This is the London gangster scene without the rose-tinted glasses. Brutal and grim,”said Michael J Nimmo on the digital comics review site 3 Million Years.

“One of the things I liked about this book was that there are no good guys in it at all. Everyone in this book could be the sole bad guy in another story,” said Richard McAuliffe of Everything Comes Back to 2000AD. “Cy Dethan’s writing is very tight and the book has a real British cinema feel to it... this is a book screaming to be made into a hard 18 certificate movie. If you like gritty underworld stories with a seriously dark edge you’ll really enjoy this book. I did.”

To wrap up the whole bloody package, here’s a final word of persuasion from Rich Clements of the Hi Ex Blog:

"So, all in all, I’d say this book is a bit of a triumph for all involved. With a strong narrative, well realised and rounded characters, strong visuals and a wonderful seam of oh-so-black humour, this deserves to be a hit for all involved. And not turning it into a movie would be nothing short of a travesty."

Notes for Retailers

Markosia would like to help retailers in any way possible please contact Harry Markos, publisher, at harry@markosia.com for posters, flyers, shelf hangers or to discuss the possibility of an event at your store.

For further retailer information, offers and support, contact Markosia through the Retailers section of their website.

Notes for Editors:

Writer: Cy Dethan
Pencils & colours chapters 1-2: Stephen Downey
Inks: Andy Brown
Colours: Vicky Stonebridge
Letters: Nic Wilkinson
Cover: Ryan Brown
Foreword: Laurence Campbell

Cover, logo, character sketches and more can be found at www.slaughtermanscreed.com. These images may be used in reviews.

Slaughtermans Creed is published by Markosia Enterprises and will launch on May 14th at the Bristol Comic and Small Press Expo, as part of the Markosia Madness event, which will include signing, sketching and facepainting. A limited signed edition, costing £10 (RRP Price £12.99), is available to pre-order, which also includes entry into a draw to win a piece of original art by Stephen Downey and Vicky Stonebridge.

Pre-order details can be found at Cy Dethan’s blog

Slaughterman’s Creed is also available digitally on the Sony Playstation Network with audio commentary by Cy Dethan, and will be available on Comixology and Graphic.ly, with other formats to follow.