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Brett Ewins' The Dark Gate

By LJ Douresseau
December 22, 2004 - 14:20

On the road to recovery from a major illness, cartoonist (2000 A.D.’s Bad Company) and former Deadline publisher, Brett Ewins began in 1995 drawing a series of short stories written by friends and comics writers. Cyberosia Publishing, a specialist in original and reprint science fiction graphic novels, has gathered these six stories in THE DARK GATE.



The stories range from the comical and EC-like, “The Hunger Artists” to conspiratorial and social intrigue like “Machine,” which Ewins wrote and drew. There is literally something for everyone, or at least everyone who likes history, political conspiracy, or “The X-Files.” It’s hard to pick a favorite; I like all for either the art or story or for both, but I’m really feeling “I Reached Beyond Democracy for the Glory of the Stars.”

In the end, The Dark Gate’s most appealing element is Brett Ewins’ art. He drew each story in a different style befitting it’s tone, subject, or setting. “The Hunger Artists” delightfully recalls Wally Wood, and “Gamma 15” is a shifting comics-scape that embraces religious elements, action comics, straight drama, and soap opera. And Ewins does all of this in pencil without the inks.



The Dark Gate is likely to pass many readers and reviewers unnoticed. While no means a great work, it is certainly the work of a capable cartoonist on his way back, and as Ewins is one of the exceptional sci-fi comic book artists, that is good news. B

Last Updated: November 29, 2025 - 16:51