by Simon Spurrier and Frazer Irving

Review by Gavin Hanly 

It’s no secret that the Megazine has been having its ups and downs recently.  But amidst the wavering comic's contents there's been one shining light over the past few years - The Simping Detective from Simon Spurrier and Frazer Irving. 

Both writer and artist have had significant success separately.  Spurrier has been instrumental in providing a number of new characters to the 2000AD staple including Harry Kipling, Lobster Random and the more recent Chiaroscuro.  Irving, meanwhile, has already capitalised his 2000AD successes into a burgeoning US comics career with successful titles like Klarion the Witch Boy and Iron Man.

However, despite their individual successes, it’s when they work together that their work really seems to step up a gear.  So certainly, the forthcoming Simping Detective collection will be a must buy – but of more immediate interest is their forthcoming series: Gutsville.

Gutsville is a 6 issue creator-owned series produced for Image and judging by the first issue, Gutsville immediately places you firmly in Spurrier/Irving territory.  As revealed on a single page intro - A group of pioneers sailed away from Portsmouth, but never made it to their destination, being swallowed whole by a creature along the way.  Deep in the inescapable belly of the beast, the stricken seafarers set up a new community – hence the title of the comic.

Starting off the whole shebang, we have a man being subjected to a sentence of being lowered into a "duct of secretion" and hung there till dead for failing to observe the Sabbath. This initial death sentence helps to further develop the community, something which is primarily the first issue's goal.  The community appears to be let by a Puritan-styled cult where utterances of god appear to be replaced with that of “Jonah” this allowing a new religion to develop in the community.

Around this setting, a story is woven.  Gutsville's ratcatcher is brutally killed, and his son, Albert, is brought in to take over the family business.  He’s dragged into a career that he never wanted while the woman he loves is promised to someone else.  But Albert's new career might just lead to a quest to finally escape from Gutsville.  Meanwhile, outside of this main storyline, a group fights against the tyranny of the Jonahkin, there is the introduction of a witch who appears to have some real supernatural powers, and something lurks far within the caverns of Gutsville.

This is very much a scene setting issue, and at first read can be a mite confusing, given the necessity to set up the community, the language, setting and the main storylines.  However, Spurrier takes full advantage of the extra room a 22 page comic gives him and once you grasp the bizarre setting, the promise of the strip become very clear with the varied and compelling story strands enough to keep a casual reader coming back for answers. 

Irving, meanwhile, turns in a masterful job.  He builds on his natural ability to make the best of slightly off-centre period settings previously explored in Necronauts, Fort and the aforementioned Klarion. The whole event simply reeks of atmosphere, as Irving puts and incredible amount of detail into Gutsville.  Everything, from the design of the various protagonists down to the bizarre Boarhounds and the mysterious killer of the old ratcatcher is pure class.  Each of the main characters is uniquely identifiable – something that might come as odd praise, but desperately important in a complex interweaving storyline.  It's easily Irving's best work to date, and if he can keep up this level throughout the 6 issue run, this is sure to be a classic. 

In addition to the main storyline, there are a number of extras backing up the main piece with a description of some of the non human denizens of Gutsville by Ray Fawkes and Fiona Staples, a map of Gutsville by Spurrier and a short text story by Spurrier, illustrated by Simon Gurr. 

All this adds up to a fantastic debut and one that is highly recommended for either fans of the two creators or 2000AD readers in general.  Definitely worth seeking out.

Gutsville issue 1 is released on May 31st. Find out more at the official site.