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The Coffin

The Coffin 

By Phil Hester and Mike Huddleston (Oni Press)
ISBN: 1-9299-9816-3

Dr Ashad Ahmad is a scientist researching into after-life phenomena and the secrets of immortality. To this end he develops a technology that can contain, or perhaps imprison the life force after the body dies. Unfortunately, his financial backers don’t share his scientific or spiritual sense of adventure and he finds himself murdered, trapped in his own device (a mechanical humanoid suit nicknamed “the Coffin”), and being blackmailed for his secrets with his daughter’s life as the bargaining chip.

There’s a compelling metaphysical edge to this classic plot of technology challenging the divine that favourably compares with the best that literature and especially horror films can offer. Comics all-rounder Phil Hester provides edgy dialogue, rounded characters that step up from their archetypal roots and a punchy, satisfying conclusion that is a tribute to the traditions of its creative forebears. Mike Huddleston’s monochrome and wash illustrations are compelling and subversive, seducing you into a tale that actually improves by being collected from its original incarnation as a miniseries into a read-in-one-sitting treat.

© 2001 Phil Hester & Mike Huddleston.

8 Replies to “The Coffin”

  3. I agree with Bruce, this looks really interesting. So much so that I started to track it down… 🙂

    Amazon.com didn’t have any copies themselves, but 4 retailers had used copies ranging from $39 to $85 (ehrm, not interested).

    Started searching on eBay and found someone that sold a new copy for RRP and ordered from them 😀

    //bRiaN

  4. ****
    I didn’t find it on Ebay,
    not interested in the amazon.com copies either.
    As Rorschach would say: Hurrmmmm 😉

    Bruce

  7. Thanks a lot, Brian.
    Unfortunately your previous comment with the ebay link didn’t show up until this morning…now the auction is ended. :((
    I guess I will keep this one in my “wish list” . 😉

    Bruce

  8. Hello folks,

    I’m sorry – yet strangely gratified – to have been the innocent cause of so much flurry.

    Still it is a wonderful book, so maybe somebody should contact Oni or start a petition so that someone, somewhere gets this thing back into print.

    Win.

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