Dan Abnett

Dan Abnett (born October 12, 1965) is a British writer of comic books and gaming fiction. Abnett has worked primarily for 2000 AD and Marvel Comics (including their UK imprint) since the early 1990s, although he has also contributed to DC Comics titles.

His Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 novels and graphic novels for Games Workshop's Black Library now run to several dozen titles and he is one of the most prolific and beloved of all Warhammer 40,000 writers.

Biography[]

As one of the more prolific 2000AD writers, Abnett was responsible for the creation of one of the comic's better known, and longest-running, strips, Sinister Dexter. Other original stories include Black Light, Badlands, Avatar, Downlode Tales, Sancho Panzer, Roadkill and Wardog, based on the game of the same name. Abnett has also contributed to some of the comic's major ongoing series, including Judge Dredd, Durham Red and Rogue Trooper.

His work for Marvel includes runs on Death's Head 2, Battletide, Knights of Pendragon (all of which he co-created), The Punisher, War Machine, Annihilation: Nova and various X-Men titles. At DC he is probably best-known for his 2000 relaunch of Legion of Super-Heroes. His work for DC is usually co-written with Andy Lanning and they are often referred to as DnA. For Dark Horse Comics he co-wrote Planet of the Apes: Blood Lines with Ian Edginton, as well as penning Lords of Misrule and HyperSonic.

He has written novels set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. They include the Gaunt's Ghosts series, the Eisenhorn trilogy and Ravenor spin-off and more recently, the first book of the Horus Heresy series, the SF bestseller Horus Rising. He has also written three Warhammer Fantasy novels. He also wrote a novel for the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood called Border Princes in 2007.

In 1994, he wrote a promotional comic to promote the opening of the Nemesis roller coaster at Alton Towers. ^[1]

More recently he has finished the final book of The V.C.s and started Black Atlantic in the Judge Dredd Megazine, which was be drawn by Steve Roberts (seen working on Bec and Kawl) in black and white.

Most recently it has been announced that he will be writing The Authority with co-author Andy Lanning, as part of the World's End relaunch of the core Wildstorm titles.^[2]

In addition DnA have done a lot of work on Marvel's "cosmic" characters. They expanded on their work in Annihilation: Nova^[3] and Nova,^{[4] [5]} and piloted the next big event Annihilation: Conquest. They said "we were approached by Andy Schmidt, who edited the first 'Annihilation' event, and asked to pilot the next event, which Bill Rosemann is editing." They ended up writing the Prologue, the Nova series crossover and the main Annihilation: Conquest limited series.^[6] The characters then became the core of a new Guardians of the Galaxy.^[7]

It was announced at Wizard World Chicago in June 2008, that Abnett and Lanning had signed an exclusive deal with Marvel, which they hope will give them time to work on the "cosmic" characters they have been dealing with, as well as more earth-based ones. The contract allows them to finish existing commitments, so they will be able to finish their fifteen issue run on The Authority.^[8] In addition Marvel has allowed the contract to include "a couple of exceptions that are not direct competition, for example, Dan's 2000AD work in the UK and his GamesWorkshop novels."^[9] The first major work to emerge after this deal will be War of Kings, a crossover storyline, emerging from Secret Invasion, that will pitch Black Bolt (and the Inhumans) against Gabriel Summers (and the Shi'aar Empire) but will also draw in other teams and characters, including Nova, the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Starjammers.^[10]

Bibliography[]

Warhammer 40,000 Comics[]

• Titan: God-Machine (Black Library, 256 pages, 2004, ISBN 1-84416-123-4) collects:
  • Titan I (with Andy Lanning, Anthony Williams, and Marc Gascoigne, 64 pages, 1999, ISBN 1-84154-109-5)
  • Titan II: Vivaporius (with Andy Lanning, Anthony Williams, and Marc Gascoigne, 96 pages, 2001, ISBN 1-84154-144-3)
  • Titan III (with Anthony Williams, 2003, ISBN 1-84154-242-3)
• Darkblade: Reign of Blood (with Kevin Hopgood, Black Library, 256 pages, 2005, ISBN 1-84416-206-0) includes:
  • Darkblade, Book One: Born of Blood (64 pages, 2000, ISBN 1-84154-124-9)
  • Darkblade, Book Two: World of Blood (96 pages, 2001, ISBN 1-84154-147-8)
  • Darkblade, Book Three: Throne of Blood (96 pages, 2003, ISBN 1-84154-241-5)
• Imperial Gothic (Black Library, 208 pages, 2006, ISBN 1-84416-330-X) collects:
  • Inquisitor Ascendant (with Simon Coleby, 84 pages, 2001, ISBN 1-84154-143-5)
  • Inquisitor Ascendant II (with Simon Coleby, 80 pages, 2002, ISBN 1-84154-238-5)
  • Lone Wolves (with Karl Richardson, 96 pages, hardcover, 2003, ISBN 1-84416-056-4, paperback, 2004, ISBN 1-84416-101-3)
• Warhammer 40,000 (with co-author Ian Edginton):
  • Damnation Crusade (with art by Lui Antonio and JM Ringuet, 6-issue mini-series, Boom! Studios, December 2006-2007, trade paperback, 144 pages, July 2007, ISBN 142760679X)^[11]
  • Blood and Thunder (with art by Daniel Lapham, 4-issue mini-series, Boom! Studios, December 2007, tpb, 128 pages, April 2008, ISBN 1934506311)^[12]
• Warhammer (with co-author Ian Edginton):
  • Forge of War (with art by Tommy Castillo, 6-issue mini-series, Boom! Studios, 2007-2008, tpb, 128 pages, April 2008, ISBN 1934506362)^[13]
  • Condemned by Fire (with art by Rahsan Ekedal, 5-issue mini-series, Boom! Studios, forthcoming)^[14]

Warhammer 40,000 Novels[]

Adepta Sororitas[]

• The Invitation (Short Story) (Collected in Tales From the Dark Millennium (Anthology))

The Beast Arises[]

• I Am Slaughter (2015, ISBN 1-78496-067-5)

Gaunt's Ghosts[]

• The Founding (Omnibus) (2003, ISBN 1-84416-066-1, 2006, ISBN 1-84416-369-5] collects the following:
  • First And Only (1999, ISBN 1-84416-164-1)
  • Ghostmaker (2000, ISBN 0-671-78410-2)
  • Necropolis (2000, ISBN 0-7434-1159-5)
  • In Remembrance (Short Story)
  • Of Their Lives in the Ruins of Their Cities (Short Story) (2010, collected in Sabbat Worlds (Anthology) and The Hammer and the Eagle: Icons of Warhammer (Anthology))
  • A Ghost Return (Short Story) (Also collected in Sabbat Crusade (Anthology))
• The Saint (Omnibus) (Hardcover, 2004, ISBN 1-84416-125-0, paperback, 2007, ISBN 1-84416-479-9) collects the following:
  • Honour Guard (2001, ISBN 1-84154-151-6)
  • The Guns of Tanith (2002, ISBN 1-84154-232-6)
  • Straight Silver (2002, ISBN 1-84154-262-8)
  • Sabbat Martyr (2003, ISBN 0-7434-4360-8)
• The Lost (Omnibus) (2010, ISBN 1784966746) collects the following:
  • Traitor General (2004, ISBN 1-84416-113-7)
  • His Last Command (2005, ISBN 1-84416-238-9)
  • The Armour of Contempt (2006, ISBN 1-84416-400-4)
  • Only In Death (2007)
• The Victory (Omnibus) (2018, ISBN 1-78496-815-3) collects the following:
  • Blood Pact (2009, ISBN 1-84416-693-7)
  • Salvation's Reach (2011, ISBN 1-84416-821-2)
  • Family (Short Story) (Also collected in Sabbat Crusade (Anthology))
  • You Never Know (Short Story) (Also collected in Sabbat Crusade (Anthology))
  • Ghosts and Bad Shadows (Short Story) (Also collected in Sabbat Crusade (Anthology))
  • Killbox (Short Story)
• Double Eagle (Gaunt's Ghosts spinoff, hardcover, 2004, ISBN 1-84416-089-0, paperback, 2005, ISBN 1-84416-090-4)
• Titanicus (2008, ISBN 1-84416-586-8)
• The Anarch (2019, ISBN 1-78496-851-X)
• The Vincula Insurgency (2021, ISBN 1-80026-135-7)
• Sabbat Worlds (Anthology) (As editor, 2010, ISBN 1-84970-009-5)
• The Iron Star (Short Story) (Collected in Sabbat Worlds (Anthology))
• Sabbat Crusade (Anthology) (As editor, 2014, ISBN 1-84970-955-6)
• Sabbat War (Anthology) (As editor, 2021, ISBN 1-80026-028-8)
• This is What Victory Feels Like (Forever the Same) (Short Story) (Collected in Sabbat War (Anthology))
• From There to Here (Short Story) (Collected in Sabbat War (Anthology))
• The Sabbat Worlds Crusade (Gaunt's Ghosts background book, 96 pages, 2005, ISBN 1-84416-249-4)

The Horus Heresy[]

• Horus Rising (2006, ISBN 1-84416-294-X)
• Horus Heresy Chapbook (Anthology) (with Graham McNeill, 2007)
• The Lightning Tower (Short Story) (Collected in Horus Heresy Chapbook (Anthology), Shadows of Treachery (Anthology), and Crusade + Other Stories (Anthology))
• Legion (2008, ISBN 1-84416-536-1)
• Blood Games (Short Story) (Collected in Tales of Heresy (Anthology))
• Prospero Burns (2010, ISBN 1-84416-776-3)
• Know No Fear (2012, ISBN 1-84970-134-2)
• The Unremembered Empire (2014, ISBN 1-84970-573-9)
• Little Horus (Short Story) (Collected in Age of Darkness (Anthology))
• Unmarked (Short Story) (Collected in Mark of Calth (Anthology))
• Meduson (Short Story) (Collected in Meduson (Anthology))
• Saturnine (2020, ISBN 1-78999-134-X)
• The End and the Death
  • Volume I (2023, ISBN 1-80407-337-7)
  • Volume II (2023, ISBN 1-80026-878-5)
  • Volume III (TBD)

Imperial Guard[]

• The Fall of Malvolion (Short Story) (Collected in Let the Galaxy Burn (Anthology))

The Inquisitor[]

• Eisenhorn Trilogy (Omnibus) (2004, ISBN 1-84416-156-0), collects the following:
  • Xenos (2001, ISBN 1-84154-146-X)
  • Malleus (2001, ISBN 0-74341-176-5)
  • Hereticus (2002, ISBN 1-84154-236-9)
  • Missing in Action (Short Story) (2002, also collected in Words of Blood (Anthology))
  • Backcloth For A Crown Additional (Short Story) (Also collected in Crucible of War (Anthology))
• Ravenor: The Omnibus (Eisenhorn trilogy spinoff Omnibus) (2019, ISBN 978-1-78496-993-6) , collects the following:
  • Ravenor (hardcover, 2004, ISBN 1-84416-072-6, paperback, 2005, ISBN 1-84416-073-4)
  • Thorn Wishes Talon (Short Story) (2004, also collected in What Price Victory (Anthology) and The Hammer and the Eagle: Icons of Warhammer (Anthology))
  • Ravenor Returned (hardcover, 2005, ISBN 1-84416-184-6, paperback, 2006, ISBN 1-84416-185-4)
  • Playing Patience (Short Story) (2006, also collected in Let the Galaxy Burn (Anthology))
  • Ravenor Rogue (2007, ISBN 1-84416-460-8)
  • Perihelion (Short Story) (2018)
• Bequin Trilogy
  • Pariah (2012, ISBN 1-84970-201-2)
  • Penitent (2021, ISBN 1-78999-851-4)
  • The Magos (Short story collection) (2018, ISBN 1-78496-702-5)

Iron Snakes[]

• Brothers of the Snake (2007, ISBN 1-84416-475-6)

Others[]

• Master Imus's Transgression (Short Story) (Collected in There is Only War (Anthology))
• Pestilence (Short Story) (1999, collected in Deathwing (Anthology), Let the Galaxy Burn (Anthology), and There is Only War (Anthology))
• Playing Patience (Short Story) (Collected in There is Only War (Anthology))
• Ork Hunter (Short Story) (2002, collected in Words of Blood (Anthology) and Let the Galaxy Burn (Anthology))
• The Curiosity (Short Story) (Collected in Crucible of War (Anthology))
• Gardens of Tycho (Short Story) (Collected in Fear the Alien (Anthology))
• Tactica Imperialis: A History of the Later Imperial Crusades (Warhammer 40,000 background book, with Andy Hoare, 2007, ISBN 1-84416-423-3)
• Lord of the Dark Millennium: The Dan Abnett Collection (Anthology) (2020, ISBN 1-78999-138-2)

Warhammer Novels[]

Tales of Malus Darkblade (all with Mike Lee)[]

• The Daemon's Curse (2005, ISBN 1-84416-191-9)
• Bloodstorm (2005, ISBN 1-84416-192-7)
• Reaper of Souls (2006, ISBN 1-84416-193-5)
• Warpsword (2007, ISBN 1-84416-194-3)
• Lord of Ruin (2007, ISBN 1-84416-195-1)

Others[]

• Gilead's Blood (with Nik Vincent, 2000)
• Hammers of Ulric (with Nik Vincent and James Wallis, 2001)
• Riders of the Dead (2003)
• Fell Cargo (2006)

Notes[]

Interviews[]

• New DnA, Sequential Tart, December 2001
• 2004 interview with 2000ADReview
• Interview: Dan Abnett on The Real Ghostbusters, Proton Charging, December 17, 2005
• Dan Abnett talks Boom’s “Warhammer 40K” Comic, Comic Book Resources, September 11, 2006
• Bringing The Warhammer Down: Dan Abnett on Warhammer 40K: The Damnation Crusade, Newsarama, December 22, 2006

Sources[]

• Dan Abnett's blog
• Loose Cannons, a 4 part mini-series (drawn by Mark Harrison) for Marvel which was never published but has been put online.
• Dan Abnett's Personal Page