Bristol International Comic and Small Press Expo - Part 4

In what may be, I suspect, my final look back on last weekends Bristol International Comic and Small Press Expo I'd like to turn the spotlight on a number of the fantastic independent/small press publications that I picked up over the weekend.

Chloe Noonan: Monster Hunter #1 by Marc Ellerby
Chloe Noonan doesn't have any special powers; she can't lift heavy objects, she can't run without getting a stitch and she's kinda not bothered about saving the world. Oh and she hates the band she sometimes plays in. In fact she hates everything. It's tough being a monster hunter, okay? Especially when it involves getting the bus.
Featuring reluctant 'monster hunter' Chloe and her 'horribly fashionable' friend Zoe I loved this book and I'll be ordering issues #2 and #3: really nice art complementing an enjoyable story - although the subject matter is quite different Chloe Noonan: Monster Hunter has a 'Scott Pilgrim' charm about it.
www.marcellerby.com

Harker #7 by Roger Gibson & Vince Danks
This is the first issue of a new 6 part monthly story-arc set in and around the Grand Hotel, Whitby, North East England. The title character is a Conan Doyle-reading Detective Chief Inspector Harker who is ably assisted by his colleague Detective Sergeant Critchley. When the famous crime novelist Agatha Fletcher checks into the same hotel as the holidaying Chief Inspector things aren't going to end well for someone!
An engaging story, told at a good pace; eye catching, detailed artwork - I'll be picking-up the first collected edition.
www.arielpress.com

Septic Isle by Andy Winter and Mick Trimble
Starring a 52-year old former MI5 agent as he seeks a return to active duty. This is a gripping - and gritty - action-packed political thriller that I found difficult to put down: told across more than 40 pages the story races along. The art is fantastically detailed with some imaginative page layouts.
www.moonfacepress.com