Ampney Crucis Investigates

Ian Edgington
Simon Davis
2000AD / Rebellion / Hatchette

England, 1928. Lord Ampney Crucis, together with his loyal butler Cromwell, is an investigator into the paranormal. A survivor of the Somme, where he witnessed something otherworldly that tore his sanity in two and left him susceptible to the entities beyond everyday reality, he knows full well that dark creatures lurk in this green and pleasant land... Chilling Lovecraftian capers abound in this complete collection of Ampney’s adventures from writer Ian Edginton (Scarlet Traces) and artist Simon Davis (Sláine, Thistlebone)! 

I've picked up a few of these 2000AD partworks recently so expect some more here in the near future.  This one I'd never heard of but there was no way I was going to resist reading an Edwardian occult detective romp especially one created by two of modern 2000AD's best creators.

Crucis had a difficult war that led him to being hospitalised after seeing one of the elder beings materialise on a battlefield to eat the dead.  This has led to him becoming something of an expert in dealing with the uncanny and now his services are called upon whenever there's an outbreak of anything inconveniently odd.

The first few stories are fabulous, full of upper class, Edwardian daring do, witty banter and dazzlingly improbable occult escapades, but it gets a little lost as Crucis and his trusty aide Cromwell skip dimensions and everything goes a bit timey-whimey and connections to Edgington's 'Scarlet Traces' start to appear but, that said, it's still all good Moorcockian fun and I really hope there's another volume out there somewhere as like Crucis with a pink gin I'm simply gasping for another.

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