Cherubs!

Lore & Background

In 'Cantica I: Paradise Lost,' the Cherubs pursue the murdering archangel Abaddon, getting stuck in the mind-numbing mediocrity of Limbo before escaping to New York City. There, looking for signs and portents, they foil a mugging and are befriended by Mary, a sexy 'exotic dancer.' Mary has a problem: her boss is Frankie Dracula, and his vampire minions are out to kill her. In 'Cantica II: Hell On Earth,' Mary and the Cherubs are drawn into a battle with the massed forces of Hell while attempting to foil Abbadon's plans to instigate the apocalypse.

Reader's Guide

Cherubs! represents a collaboration between Bryan Talbot, a noted British comics creator, and artist Mark Stafford. The work is structured in two cantica, a term evoking Dante's Divine Comedy, and blends supernatural elements with comedy and adventure. Its publication history spans two publishers: Desperado Publishing released the first cantica in November 2007, and Dark Horse later collected both cantica into a single hardcover edition in 2015. The story's irreverent tone and fast-paced plot, as described by Talbot, position it within the tradition of humorous fantasy comics. While not as widely known as some of Talbot's other works, Cherubs! demonstrates his versatility in genre and tone. The inclusion of characters like Frankie Dracula and the archangel Abaddon, along with settings such as Limbo and New York City, creates a distinctive mythological mashup. The work's significance lies in its contribution to Talbot's body of work and its example of independent graphic novel publishing in the late 2000s.

Did You Know?

• The first book, or 'cantica', was published by Desperado Publishing in November 2007.
• The first and second books were combined into a hardcover edition published by Dark Horse in 2015.
• Bryan Talbot wrote the script and provided the layouts, with finished art by Mark Stafford.
• The story features the murdering archangel Abaddon and a character named Frankie Dracula.