Kinetic, atmospheric, and ghostly fun. Ostlie delivers a fun story with dynamic art in this outstanding book. Beautifully packaged and one of the best reads this year!
My first exposure to artist and creator Walter Ostilie was as the artist for Writer, Greg Anderson-Elysee’s Is’Nana The Were-Spider. Immediately I was impressed with Walter’s line work and character design. Later on I would check out Walter Ostilie’s own creation Shiver Bureau Vo.1 and see that there’s quite much more to Mr. Walter’s work and imagination. Not just a pretty face/artist but in fact a world builder! Shiver Bureau without endless backstory or heavy dense text immediately throws you head over heels into it’s world of Spectre’s, ghouls, ghosts, and London. The art is fantastic and if you’re an old school fan of Old school Humberto Ramos, (during the Crimson peak), and kinetic art like Jim Mahfood’s or Chris Bacchalo then you’ll drool over Walter’s shapes and panel work. The story is also solid and the characters each unique with their own voices and favorable chemistry.
I look forward to more of Shiver Bureau and Mr. Ostile’s work. He is definitely a creator to watch!
This novel is so awesome my 4th grader picked it up to read without us hounding him to do his reading!!!
Ostlie's work is the type of escape which takes you into a new reality; a quality we always hope for in entertainment, Shiver Bureau never fails in its grip upon the reader.
Totally awesome book. Story and art mesh well. If you like mystery and ghosts this is a book for anyone.
I would rather buy this book than pants and i need pants for doing things. That's how good this book is.
I purchased this comic book at Megacon back in May out of curiosity, and I'm glad I did! From the story telling to the character designs, this comic book is purely entertaining. I would definitely recommend this book, and to check out Ostlie's other works of art.
Shiver Bureau was an awesome read. The artist did a great job bringing the story to life and depicting London how he did. From the time you can tell was spent on the cover to the great story I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys comics or wants to start getting into them. Walter Ostlie is someone people should be putting on their radar! Can't wait for his next work.
A super fun book with artwork to match, I highly recommend adding this one to your collection!
Walter Ostlie's Shiver Bureau is a fantastic comic book blending steam punk, comedy, and supernatural elements. It follows a cocky but charming lead in an alternate time line (or universe) of London by the name of Pickle, an Inspectre, a type of detective/exorcist of sorts. With his panache for getting into trouble, he leads his growing team into funny hi-jinks and some scary moments of ghouls and monsters.
Comics like these constantly remind me of how much fun you can have reading and losing track of time. It's a fun joy ride following these characters but also being guided by Ostle's amazing art. Ostle's art is filled with dynamic energy flowing through each page. Each page, or panel even, is filled with so much character that at times you're stuck looking at the page a little while longer before moving on. The colors help create a great atmosphere adding to the sharp lines and gritty feel.
Ostle doesn't waste too much time getting you up to speed. Once you're in the story, you're in. Sometimes we don't need some crazy back story or things explained. Personally, I feel with the way this story is going and the way the pacing is handled, things of that sort may be a slight bit of a disservice for how Ostle wants to tell the story. So in the mean time, I'll keep sippin' that kool-aid (disclaimer, I don't actually drink kool-aid, but yeah...).
Highly recommended. Also, the design and hardcover is amazing and will look beautiful on your shelf after you're done reading it.
A humorous fast-paced action packed tale, set in an otherworldly London. The colors and art have made me a huge fan of Ostlie's work, Can't wait to see more work from this guy!
A great first impression.
Been looking forward to this book since it popped up on kickstarter, months later, the finished product is a marvel, from the books texture, the content within it. Looking forward to te next one.
I met Walter Ostlie a couple of years ago at MegaCon - he was sitting in Artist Alley, and when I took a look at his art, I immediately fell in love with it. Ostlie has a distinct style that lends itself to certain types of stories. I immediately asked him to create a faux cover in my Nancy Drew sketchbook, and he did an unbelievably superb job of re-imagining a cover for The Clue of the Tapping Heels. Creepy and mysterious, but with the right amount of Nancy Drew-feel to it.
So when I ran into him again at the first Acme Comic Con a few months back, it was a cinch that he would be perfect to do a sketch in my new Ms. Tree sketchbook. It was also a given that I would buy the first of his graphic novel series, Shiver Bureau. On vacation here in New Orleans, I finally had the chance to sit down and read it. Let me say, this is some top-notch storytelling with some art that, under normal circumstances might not exactly fit my fancy (this ain't Wonder Woman or She-Hulk style, that's for sure), but most definitely fits this story and the characters in it.
Welcome to London introduces readers to Pickle - not Inspectre Pickle - just Pickle. He is a green-haired inspectre for the Shiver Bureau, an organization that is supposed to be there to protect the innocent and stop the ghouls and goblins of the ghost world from doing harm to the people in this world. Only, there are greater powers at play, and Pickle no longer knows who he can trust and who he can't. Picking up some unique partners along the way (such as the tough-as-nails Trish McTavish, the shy-but-super-tech-savvy Mister Todd, and the genius-but-hip youngster Oliver - call him "Oli"), Pickle's first mission finds him and his new pals hunting down the reason for the missing children at the orphanage where Oli is from, all the while doing his best to avoid Minister Greev (who he hates) and Detective Ellis (with whom he flirts). The investigation leads to a warehouse on the docks and, ultimately, back to the orphanage, where Pickle faces one-on-one with Monsignor Jacob, who has an insidious plan to take over the world utilizing the pure form of spectral that he is able to gather from ... well, let's just say, it's not a pretty source. There is plenty of ghost-busting, lots of fantastic fight scenes, and some great bring-a-smile-to-your-face banter that make this book the thoroughly enjoyable read that it is.
Ostlie does something a lot of comic writers are not able to do - without any exposition or any details of these characters' past, through their dialogue and actions, you get to the point where you feel like you really know their characters, their motivations, and their personalities - you immediately fall in love with Pickle, his sarcasm and quick wit; you root for Trish and can't wait to see her take out the bad guys; and you feel rather bad for Mister Todd and wish you could see more of him and find out the full capabilities of his talent. Although you see little of Minister Greev, you'll take an immediate dislike for him and without a doubt, you'll enjoy Pickle and Greev's interactions - they are a hoot!
Ostlie's art can tell a story. His panels transition nicely from one to the next with a smooth storytelling technique, and although he uses a number of full-page panels (of which I'm not a big fan - I prefer pages with four or more panels, which give me more story for the buck, usually), most of them are purposeful and make an impact on the reader when you see them. So I can forgive the use of them in this instance. The coloring is effective as well, switching from purples to greens to blues and grays, keeping the mood for the tale and definitely drawing attention to each and every page.
All in all, Ostlie has a great piece of work on his hands here. I truly enjoyed reading the book and look forward to the next one! For more information on Ostlie, check out his website using the link to the right of this post; for more information about Shiver Bureau, check out the Facebook page at...
Super awesome comic. Great style and character development. The quality of this book is pretty amazing as well. A great add to any comic collection.
As a long time fan, I was very excited to get my hands on this book. From the beauty of the art, to the wry sense if humor from the characters, I love every part of the book.
I love this book! If you've never read a Walter Ostlie book, you're missing out!
Shiver Bureau is funny, intelligent, and exciting. It has ghosts, detectives, and likeable protagonists. What else could you ask for?
Great comic book. Waiting for his new book to come soon. Amazing artwork and plot. A great present for friends!
A great book full of amazing art and strong characterizations, Walter Ostlie's Shiver Bureau is just down right good comics. Highly recommend for anyone looking for something new and exciting!!
I was stoked when I received this book in the mail last year. I supported the Kickstarter because I believed in this project. I followed it as a webcomic and still do. The sheer skill level of story telling and the mastery of comic book art is immense and all I have to say is "This boxor roxor my soxor." XD Seriously Walt you really put out a great book. I look forward to adding the next volume of Shiver Bureau to my collection of comics. Well played good sir. Well played.
I've been following Shiver Bureau since it first debuted as a webcomic. With the muted colors and the fluid linework, Walter Ostlie has created a dense, highly-enjoyable read. The hardcover collection is significantly awesome. The whole package from top-to-ghostly finish makes this a must buy.
Okay El Moochadores, today is the glorious day of the birth of Brethren Moo Chud and Trog (me), but we celebrated last night and at the ripe old age of 41 (32 to any women reading this…) hangovers pack a bit more of a punch than they use to. Yea, I went an “Irish Car-bomb” too far and I’m paying for it. However, prior to last nights drunk’n debauchery, I had the chance to read two really fantastic comics that we received from last weeks San Diego Comic Con.
Created by Walter Ostlie, Cubicles and Shiver Bureau are two wonderfully illustrated, and very funny, graphic novels. Shiver Bureau is like an English Ghostbusters where a pair of skilled detectives fight to defend London from all sorts of evils spirits and Monsters. In the comic I got, the Inspectors are tracking down a bunch of missing orphans and the creepy monsters that are preying on them. Then in Cubicles… well, think Office Space but with space pirates and giant squids. Yeah, I think that was my favorite of the two, but the main story features two office “slackers” who trip over an evil plot to take over the company and also get to save the boss’s beautiful daughter in an epic battle. Well, I use epic loosely, but it’s still very cool.
I thought both graphic novels were very entertaining and Ostlie has an incredible illustrative style that blends humor and intense action in an amazing way. I’ve posted a couple of sample pages below, but if you get a chance visit Ostlie’s online store to get copies for your self. Also, you can actually read Shiver Bureau vol. 2 here for free. We love free! Also, If you really want to support Ostlie and his work, check out his Patreon, and kick him a few bucks every month. Okay. I gotta go lay down now and get ready for my next big puke. Happy Birf-Day to me mudder fuggers!!!
Cheers.
Bit of Constantine, bit of Gene from Life on Mars, bit of 10th Doctor‘s hair n suit, bit of Full Metal Alchemist style transmutation and loads of paranormal demons.
This was a really refreshing, mad, fun book with stylized sleek artwork and funny comic dialogues; though I might complain about the inking now and then. Shiver Bureau is a paranormal detective mystery set in an alternative Victorian steampunk -ish London and ticks a lot of muddled crazy stuff. Loved the depiction of London through words as well as sketches, very neat and widely panned.
This Welcome to London story arc reminded me of that Christmas Doctor Who episode, the one with Snowmen, thanks to the grand invasion plan. So about the plot,
A young Inspector arrives at London on his new appointment with Shiver Bureau, gets stuck with unconventional colleagues and fights monsters in a widely connected missing children case all over London. It is more fun than it sounds, there were situations that made me laugh; if only I could screenshot the premise for you. Story might seem to be going in familiar terrains with detective work, action, monsters and mystery, still it’s surprising at times. I really hope they don’t go Blue Exorcist on Pickle.
And it was awesome to find the first drafts included at the back side of story, showing the transition in story line as well as artwork. Gave me a really good perspective from the writer’s and artist’s side. I must say Pickle and Todd were more John and Dave from John dies at the end than Sherlock and Watson.
Looking forward to further installments and a re-inked future edition, because colours :)
I wanted to love this. I really did. But I just can't. The premise sounded so promising: a world in which ghosts were stuck in our realm, focusing on a small team in London who's determined to take them down. I noticed small spelling and grammatical errors from the beginning, and the more I went on, the more I found. This may not bother a lot of people, but I'm an editor, so it bothered me a lot and was distracting. That being said, this was an ebook copy, so I'm not sure if a final print version has these mistakes corrected or not.
The beginning few chapters didn't really set up the world or current situation very well, as I was constantly feeling like I missed something or like information just hadn't been addressed. If this was done to create suspense, it would make sense, but there was no explanation as to why spirits were trapped, how they can take them down with guns, or what an inspectre or spectral even was in this world. Throughout the story, it felt like it jumped around a lot, as if panels had been cut but nothing was done to stitch together the panels still there.
I didn't really care for the characters, either. I just couldn't become emotionally invested in them. Pickles seemed like such a jerk, and Trish was a stereotypical "tough girl" and Todd was the "gentle giant." In the dialogue, there were just too many cliches and lines that we've all heard before. I did really like how the monsters and ghosts were illustrated, and that was probably my favorite thing in the whole book. There were art style changes in later chapters, which weren't bad but I wasn't expecting them.
The climax and ending of the plot came up really quick, and once it started the ending, the rest was a bit predictable. Once it was finished, I just didn't really feel anything, which is usually how I judge a book I've just read. There were just a lot of places where there could have been more. This might be better for younger audiences (even though it's suggested for "mature audiences") because they haven't had as much exposure to all of the cliches and tropes used throughout this book, so they may enjoy it more than I did.
Love the paranormal aspect mixed with humor. Shiver Bureau features a great cast of characters. Pickle is snarky and fun, but he's got the skills to back it up. Trish is a bad ass, smart, and wears cool clothes. (OK everyone is well dressed- I see cosplay in the future.) Mr. Todd is a great big endearing type of guy. Oliver is super cute and always in the way, for good reason.
Ostlie's art style is very unique and definitely his own. It's not something I've seen in other comics or graphic novels. His colors are amazing as well.
The panels are easy to follow. Sometimes when I read graphic novels, I'm not sure what word balloon to read first, but I didn't ever feel confused with this book.
The story itself is very different and interesting. I'm not one for superhero type stories, so the paranormal story is more appealing to me. While this is Volume 1, I feel satisfied with the way this one ended, not on a cliffhanger, but it's obvious there will be more coming of the story. Can't wait for the rest of the series!
'Shiver Bureau' is a classic detective romp in the style of the old Lucas Arts games like 'Grim Fandango'. It has the wisecracks coming from the main character "Inspectre Pickes" (whose simple 'wordplay title' made me smile like a content child throughout!) and there's the strong female lead in the form of gun-toting Trish McTavish.
The real victory, however, lies in the art of 'Shiver Bureau'. The scratchy, angular work of Ostlie is magnificent and managed to keep this ghost story from meandering into the overly serious. A mix of Kevin O'Neil and Quentin Blake with just enough colour to make it seem like you're viewing this (vaguely Steampunk, with the blimps n'all?) Victorian London through the eyes of the spectral characters themselves.
All in all, it's an enjoyable read and even more enjoyable to look at!
I really, really liked the art. It's rather original and the coloring helps set moods and locations wonderfully.
The plot is a bit rushed (particularly the ending), but I found it original enough to let the little details pass.
My one complaint is that the world is so original that it would have been good to get some kind of explanation. I'm not saying it had to be spelled out, but some backstory or explanation would have been appreciated.
London has long been a popular haunt in comics for hauntings and supernatural escapades, from Dylan Dog to Hellblazer to The New Deadwardians. Shiver Bureau: Welcome to London is the latest addition to this canon, though Walter Ostlie’s creation, recently Kickstarted into print, skews younger and spunkier than those aforementioned titles.
Set in an alternate version of London pervaded by ghosts, the book centres on Inspectre Pickle, a dandy-ish ghostbuster extraordinaire. Pickle has come to the city in the thick of a particularly heavy period of spectral activity to take the reins of the Shiver Bureau, the organisation with a monopoly on ghost investigation and elimination. Joining forces with the cynical but incorruptible Trish and gentle giant (not literally, just a big sweet guy) Todd, Pickle and co must get to the bottom of “a shift in the cosmic status quo”, fighting supernatural critters, finding missing orphans, and battling corruption within the Bureau.
Shiver Bureau: Welcome to London is an eight-years-in-the-works labour of love and clocks in at 150+ pages, but never feels indulgent or outstays its welcome. It’s an engaging and relatively breezy read, and Pickle makes for a charming central protagonist: imagine if Doctor Who-era David Tennant played John Constantine and that should give you some idea of the character. Ostlie’s art style is an interesting mix, merging a very traditional Harry Potter-ish British milieu – old brick manors, cobblestone streets, industrial districts, Dickensian orphans – with hints of manga, Frank Miller’s Ronin, and even Eastman and Laird’s early Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles work in its DIY dynamism and spunk. While his palette errs towards more muted tones, the colouring is vibrant throughout – particularly his use of mustard, purple, and spectral green – helping the images to pop. There are some minor errors in lettering, but in a self-published work such errors are negligible.
This first volume of Shiver Bureau comes brimming with extras that will appeal to those interested in the creative process and delving behind the scenes. On top of the comic itself, there’s nearly 40 pages worth of bonus content including character designs, concept art and drafts, pinups, and the earliest appearances in comic book form of Pickle and Todd, showing the development and refinement of the characters and concept over several endeavours. There’s also the complete comic reprinted in its original pencil form, colour and text-free.
This collected hard back comes with a whopping 350 pages of ghosts and ghouls known as ‘the shivers’ tormenting London. This comic is full of East End London language and amusing in jokes, not to mention the largest nose I have ever seen in print.
Shiver Bureau: Welcome to London
Creator and Writer: Walter Ostlie
Artist: Walter Ostlie
Published by: Independent
Cover price: $29.99 USD
Previously In Shiver Bureau: Shiver Bureau is a wonderful online comic created by Walter Ostlie which has been running since early 2012. This takes us back to the very beginning, introducing our key protagonists Inspectre John Pickle and his initially unwilling assistant Trish as they battle against the Shivers, the spectral incarnations of those unable to pass over to the other-side.
350 Pages – Sounds Tremendous Value for Money?
Well no, not really. This is my only real issue with this book, so I will get it out of the way quickly. The comic itself is only the first 150 pages and that is followed by some really fun shorts written by the creator years before the webcomic was started showing the development of his style. However the final 150 pages is the entire comic repeated in dialogue free black and white. This is something you see Dynamite comics doing a lot in their digital offerings, but only a few pages of the comic are repeated, not the entire book.
While I consider myself an ‘art first’ sort of comic book appreciator, this is too much even for me and it seems like such a waste of space. In a digital format as my review copy was, it makes more sense because a few extra digital bytes doesn’t matter, but in the printed format it feels excessive.
Who you Gonna’ Call?
While the publisher’s preamble lead me to expect a comic version of Ghostbusters, it could not be further from the truth. This has a very mystical aspect as we find out that Inspectre’s not only have Spectral powered guns, but their bodies are overflowing with this energy to destroy or inhibit ghosts.
What surprised me even more was the lack of ‘shivers’ actually in these 150 pages. There are a couple of chase sequences throughout with the stylised ghostly creatures, across air ships and retro cars, but the real villains of the book are shape-changing reptilian monsters and a creepy orphanage owner who makes the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang look like a philanthropist. It was only afterwards that I realised I wasn’t looking at this in the right way. This is much less of a graphic novel and far more a collected edition; these comic pages are years apart and if you read through carefully you can see the artists style changing throughout.
More than the Sum of its Parts
I have done a terrible job of promoting this comic so far, most people reading to this point will have assumed that I thought this was overpriced, mis-leading and not worth reading; nothing could be further from the truth. In fact what annoyed me most about the repeated 150 pages was that just as I felt I was getting into the story, it finished. I was looking for part two, to find out what their next adventure was; which part of London they were going to blow up next. For me that is a sign of a fantastic book, one which leaves you wanting more despite all it has given.
The art style is perfect for the story being told and it is really interesting looking at the back up strips to see how the creators style changed and developed over time as the was refining the idea and condensing the characters (and watching Pickles nose grow ever larger). I am a terrible snob for art in comic books; if I don’t like the style, I will hate the book, no matter how good the story is. Conversely I will suffer through some pretty dull issues if the art is good enough to make me turn the pages. The art here in different circumstances would put me off; it is very stylised and rough in places, but what makes it work is both its consistency and the colouring.
Ostlie has chosen the perfect palette full of greys and greens which make you feel the dirt and decay of this world. He then knows exactly when to drop in a touch of red; be it Trish’s red Mohawk, the sign of the seedy bar or the perfect pinpoint car lights in the wide shots. Despite his refining of his art style throughout the book the colouring gives this such a unified and encompassing look and really pulls you into the world he created.
This book epitomises why I love ‘blind’ reviewing comics. If I only reviewed the comics I read each month, then I would be talking about the same 20 series over and over again. There is no way I would have ever come across this book in the usual shops I go to and even if by chance I had seen it, I doubt I would have ever been interested enough to pick it up and read it. I have read a lot of terrible comics by ‘blind reviewing, but I would happily force my way though ten terrible books to find one gem like this.
