You Only Die Twice

Spies meet spectres in Cavan Scott and Corin M Howell’s new comic series Shadow Service

GROWING UP, CAVAN Scott was equally obsessed with spies like James Bond and George Smiley and the gruesome monsters found in Doctor Who and Hammer and Universal horror movies. Now he’s brought both childhood interests together in Shadow Service, his first creator-owned comic, which is illustrated by Corin M Howell.

“The thought of combining my two loves stayed with me ever since then,” he tells Red Alert. “In fact, many of the characters in this series have been running around my head for decades.”

The 10-issue mini-series centres around Gina Meyers, a young witch who is recruited by Section 26, aka MI666, a secretive section of British intelligence, which combats supernatural threats. “In recent years, Gina has used her powers to operate as a private detective, casting spells to find missing people, which is her way of atoning for some of the things she’s done,” explains Scott.

“She’s a loner, as her only friend is a London rat called Edwin – although no one should suggest that he’s her familiar, unless they want their face scratched off!”

Gina comes to the attention of Section 26 after she is hired by a gangster called Gideon Quill. “MI666 employs individuals that many would cast as monsters, a team of lost souls with uncanny powers of their own led by a mysterious spy-master known only as Hex,” continues Scott. “And now they’ve set their sights on Gina…” With the London Stone at its heart, Shadow Service also explores the city’s mythic past. “According to legend, the London Stone has stood in London since prehistoric times, as it was a druid sacrificial altar or a means of identifying the true King of England,” says Scott. “There’s also a belief that it protects the capital, and that if it’s removed, London will fall…” SJ

Shadow Service #1 is out 19 August.