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Caballistics, Inc.

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Caballistics, Inc is a horror/fantasy comic strip, set in the present day, that has been running in the weekly British anthology comic 2000AD since December 2002. The strip was created by writer Gordon Rennie and artist Dom Reardon (the latter of whom has been the sole artist on the strip since its inception). 





Contents





Plot


The initial plot of Caballistics, Inc. has "Department Q", a Ministry of Defence department dealing with the supernatural, being privatised by the British government. The Department, which by now consists only of the crusty paranormal historian Dr Jonathan Brand and his assistant Jennifer Simmons, is bought up by Ethan Kostabi, a reclusive multi-millionaire pop star of the 1970's, clearly modelled to a certain extent on David Bowie. Kostabi announces that he has contracted their services as part of a new private ghost-busting outfit, to be known as Caballistics, Inc., and introduces them to their teammates Hannah Chapter and Lawrence Verse. Even before the official press release for the new company can be sent out, the team is called to deal with a major paranormal infestation on the London Underground, where they meet the fifth member of the team, the powerful and seemingly evil Solomon Ravne.


Caballistics, Inc. has an extremely dark tone. Several recurring characters have been unexpectedly killed off, and there is a degree of brutality unusual for the 2000AD comic. Early in the series, Jennifer Simmons was possessed by a powerful demon, a state that continues to this day. More recently, Jonathan Brand, usually identified by fans as the "good" member of the team, was pushed under a Tube train by another member, Mikey Ness.


Many references hint that the world of Caballistics is the same as that of Doctor Who (and also Quatermass, reflecting a fan theory that the two series share a universe). The strip also contains many eclectic references to other cult television, film and literary mythologies alongside various religious traditions. Among the many mentions are Gnosticism, Kabbalah, the Rosicrucians, the Tetragrammaton, Opus Dei, Zoroastrianism, the Illuminati, paranormal warfare in World War II, the Thule Society, Aleister Crowley, Faust, Grant Morrison's Zenith, The Omen, The Exorcist and references to the works of Clive Barker, Robert W. Chambers, Roger Corman, William Hope Hodgson, Shaun Hutson, H.P. Lovecraft, Palo Mayombe, Kim Newman, Edgar Allan Poe and Hammer studios.



Major characters


Ethan Kostabi

Aka: Citizen Strange, David Smith [real name], possibly aka Nyarlathotep.


Mr. Howard Slater



Solomon Ravne

Aka: Der Teufel [The Devil], Master Raven, Dominus


Doctor Jonathan Brand

Aka Professor Brand, Brainiac


Miss Jennifer Simmons

Aka Jen/Jenny, Demon Jenny, Edwina Scissorhands, Baarish-Shammon, She Who Stalks By Night, Fear, Despair


Mr Lawrence Verse

Aka Father Lawrence


Miss Hannah Chapter



Mr. Mikey Ness

Aka The Nessy Monster, Bravo Two Zero


Bibliography


All installments have been written by Gordon Rennie and drawn by Dom Reardon:





Trivia

Being a British company, the Caballistics business should not be named "Caballistics, Inc.", as "Inc(orporated)" is not a recognised British business term. The strip should therefore technically have been called "Caballistics, Limited".



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