Many of us robots here at BSR! love the PBS Masterpiece series Downton Abbey. Why? Because we’re a bunch of classy bots. And geeks everywhere seem to embrace it, dominating Twitter when new episodes air. It also inspired several Dungeons and Dragons alignment chart memes, (my personal favorite below) as so many of the characters feat neatly into those archetypes.
Also, in case you missed it, you REALLY need to check out this awesome Downton Abbey / Breaking Bad mashup from Colbert a few weeks ago featuring actors from the Downton cast. For your consideration: Breaking Abbey. Bottom line? Geeks LOVE Downton Abbey.
So it should come as no surprise that someone would come along and create a graphic novel jumping on its popularity.
Presenting Agent Gates and The Secret Adventures of Devonton Abbey, a 128 page black and white trade paperback/graphic novel spoofing the popular characters of Downton Abbey… err… “Devonton Abbey” in this case. Also available on Kindle, the graphic novel shifts the time of Downton from World War I to World War II and re-imagines the valet Bates as an SIS agent using his job at Devonton Abbey as cover. Barnes and Noble offers the first dozen or so pages for preview, which Huffington Post has conveniently turned into a slideshow you can look at here.
From what I was able to read, this is a lot of fun. You might need to be in on some of the jokes (and therefore have some familiarity with the characters of Downton Abbey) to make sense of it, but for the Downton fan who likes pulpy spy adventure, this is your ticket. One especially great panel shows that Gates’ signature limp comes not from a war wound, but from a sweet, almost bionic/steampunk looking titanium leg:
From the publisher, their description:
The hit series Downton Abbey, upon which this parody graphic novel is based, has been nominated for 16 Emmy Awards in 2012, including an acting nomination for Brendan Coyle, who places valet John Bates (a.k.a. Agent Gates). Our book will release in January 2013, in time for the premiere of season 3 in the U.S.
While the Granville family dutifully entertain their guests at Devonton Abbey, an ace team of Secret Service agents camp out as unsuspecting household staff, protecting the Royal Crown and her citizens from impending world war.
Who is aware of the international intrigue concealed below stairs? Will Agent Gates save Britain from her enemies while ensuring Devonton Abbey’s reputation is upheld? Will Lady Margaret secure a proposal from Martin Crawhill, the heir to the estate? Will Thompson and O’Malley ever get lung cancer?
“Preposterous.”
–The Dowager Countess“Wicked and daring. An uproarious adventure suited for anyone who must bear the tedium of reality.”
–Lady Margaret“The pictures are awfully nice.”
–Lady Flora“Slanderous…Utter rot.”
–Lord Granville“A graphic expose that triumphs in its ability to question elitist society and esoteric class systems.”
–Lady Cynthia“Can I be on the cover?”
–Lady Ethel
I called my local comics store and they did not carry it. But actual bookstores seem to be a good bet, available from Amazon on Kindle and in paperback, or you can pick it up in store at Barnes and Noble after ordering online. No Nook version yet, unfortunately. Anyway, coming in at under $10, this is a perfect way to get your fix between Downton airings and leading up to the Season 3 premiere this Sunday on PBS.