Stormbreaker, The Graphic Novel

BROOKLAND SCHOOL, WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES LONDON US WHAT WE ARE? WHAT IS IT THAT DEFINES US? IS IT WHERE WE LIVE? IS IT OUR SCHOOLING? OR IS IT ALEX RIDER. OUR FAMILY? FAMILY. OH! UM… YES. HAVE YOU PREPARED SOMETHING FOR US? GO ON. YEAH. COME ON, THEN. OK.

I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW MY PARENTS. THEY DIED WHEN I WAS SMALL. I LIVE WITH MY UNCLE, AND HE’S NOT THERE MUCH EITHER. THERE’S NOT MUCH I HAVE A SORT OF I CAN SAY ABOUT HOUSEKEEPER INSTEAD, MY FAMILY. BECAUSE HE’S ALWAYS AWAY ON BUSINESS. CORNWALL “HE’S A BANK “HE’S GOT A REALLY SUPERVISOR. HE’S IN BORING JOB.” CHARGE OF CUSTOMER CARE.”

HIS WORK MEANS A LOT TO HIM, BUT HE NEVER TALKS ABOUT IT. WELL, THAT WHERE’S YOUR SO THAT’S UNCLE NOW? ABOUT IT. WASN’T QUITE AS INSIGHTFUL THE END. AS I’D HOPED… HE’S AT SOME SORT OF CONFERENCE. OH, YES? AND WHAT’S THAT ABOUT? “NEW APPROACHES TO EUROPEAN BANKING.”

“YOU KNOW…” “…LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE.”



“THE THING ABOUT MY UNCLE IS, HE’S NOT VERY EASY TO PIN DOWN.”

“I WOULDN’T SAY I WAS MUCH LIKE HIM…”

“…AND I DON’T THINK ANYONE MAKES US WHAT WE ARE.” THAT WAS REALLY “I THINK SAD ABOUT HAVING WE JUST ARE.” NO MUM AND DAD, YOU’RE SUCH A LOSER! ALEX. WHY DON’T YOU JUST GET LOST, GARY? BULLIES ARE SO… LAST YEAR.

HEY, OH… sabina. HI, ALEX. I WAS WONDERING… DO YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING THIS WEEKEND? NO. I MEAN, I HAVE RIDING I CAN’T. LESSONS ON SATURDAY, AND OH! SORRY… THEN I’M GOING OUT WITH MY MUM AND DAD. MAYBE NEXT WEEKEND! WHATEVER. IT DOESN’T MATTER.

HEY, ALEX! ARE YOU COMING HOME? YEAH, I’M ON MY WAY NOW. HOW WAS THE CONFERENCE? IT WAS FINE. THERE’S NOTHING TO TELL. LOOK, I’M REALLY YOU KNOW HOW THEY ARE. SORRY ABOUT LAST WEEK. I KNOW I SAID I’D BE THERE, BUT THIS TRIP JUST CAME OUT OF NOWHERE… NO, I DON’T. YOU NEVER TELL ME. SAME AS ALWAYS. YEAH. BUT I’LL BE BACK FOR DINNER, AND THEN WE’VE GOT THE WHOLE WEEKEND.

REALLY? YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER THAT? COME ON! YEAH, WHEN DID I EVER I KNOW. LET YOU DOWN? I’LL SEE YOU SOON, OKAY? I’M GLAD YOU CALLED. ME TOO. ‘BYE! WHAT THE…?







anthony horowitz Adapted by Antony Johnston Illustrated by Kanako Damerum & Yuzuru Takasaki

CHELSEA, WEST LONDON JACK? I’M BACK… JACK?

<DID YOU <SURE…> HAVE A <BUT WHY ARE GOOD DAY AT WE SPEAKING IN SCHOOL?> JAPANESE?> COME ON, LET’S START. <WE’VE GOT A SUSHI. SPECIAL DINNER TONIGHT.> THAT’S SALMON… BEANCURD… AND THIS IS THE SPECIALITY OF THE HOUSE… FUGU FISH. ISN’T THAT IN JAPAN, A CHEF … MEANT TO BE HAS TO WORK THIRTY POISONOUS? YEARS BEFORE THEY LET HIM PREPARE IT. IF YOU DON’T DO IT EXACTLY RIGHT, IT’LL KILL YOU INSTANTLY.

MAYBE YOU I MET THIS AMAZING HE’S NOT COMING, SHOULD TRY GUY DOWN AT THE IS HE. THE TUNA. FISH SHOP TODAY. YOU KNOW THE PROBLEM WITH THIS COUNTRY? EVERY GOOD-LOOKING MAN IS EITHER MARRIED OR GAY… APART FROM YOU, AND YOU’RE TOO YOUNG. OH, COME ON, OF COURSE HE IS. ALEX, HAVE HE’S PROBABLY GOT SOMETHING! CAUGHT UP IN TRAFFIC. NO, HE’D HAVE RUNG. HE’S GONE TO THE OFFICE YEAH. IT MATTERS A LOT… TO PUT IN A REPORT. THE NEXT THING WE’LL KNOW, HE’LL BE AT THE AIRPORT ON HIS WAY TO HONG KONG. YOU KNOW HIS WORK MATTERS TO HIM. WAS THAT A CAR?



HE NEVER LET ME COME IN HERE. I DIDN’T REALLY WHAT AM I GOING KNOW ANYTHING TO DO? ABOUT HIM. HE WAS MY ONLY FAMILY, JACK. IAN RIDER WAS A GOOD MAN. EVERYONE WHO WORKED WITH HIM WILL REMEMBER HIS COURAGE, AND HIS LOYALTY. HE WAS, ABOVE ALL, A TRUE PATRIOT.

PATRIOT? FORASMUCH AS IT HATH PLEASED ALMIGHTY GOD, OF HIS GREAT MERCY… …TO TAKE UNTO HIMSELF THE SOUL OF OUR DEAR BROTHER HERE DEPARTED…

…WE THEREFORE AMEN. COMMIT HIS BODY TO THE GROUND, IN SURE AND CERTAIN HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION TO ETERNAL LIFE. COME ON, LET’S JUST GO HOME. ALEX? MY NAME IS JOHN CRAWFORD. I’M WITH THE ROYAL THIS IS & GENERAL BANK, AND ALAN BLUNT, THE BANK CHAIRMAN. I WANT YOU TO KNOW YOU HAVE ALL OUR HE’D LIKE A WORD. CONDOLENCES. IT’S AN ABSOLUTE TRAGEDY. A CAR ACCIDENT! IF ONLY HE’D BEEN WEARING A SEAT BELT… THANK YOU-

I’M VERY SORRY THIS IS MY DEPUTY, ABOUT YOUR UNCLE, MRS JONES. ALEX. WE’RE GOING TO MISS HIM. HE TALKED A LOT ABOUT YOU. I’LL BE IN CONTACT WITH YOU VERY SOON, ALEX. THAT’S STRANGE… WHY? BECAUSE HE NEVER MENTIONED YOU. ERM, WELL… AFTER WHAT’S HAPPENED. THERE’S THE QUESTION OF WHO WILL LOOK AFTER YOU… I’LL LOOK WE JUST WANT AFTER HIM. TO HELP… I’M SURE WE’LL NOT CAREFUL MEET AGAIN, ALEX. ENOUGH. HOPEFULLY SOMEWHERE A LITTLE LESS… GLOOMY. MY UNCLE ALWAYS WORE HIS SEATBELT, MR BLUNT. HE WAS A VERY CAREFUL MAN.

DID YOU MEAN OF COURSE I DID! WHAT YOU SAID? COME ON, YOU KNOW ABOUT LOOKING I WOULDN’T LEAVE AFTER ME? YOU. ANYWAY, WHO ELSE IS THERE? BUT WILL YOU I’VE BEEN LIVING WITH YOU FOR NINE BE ALLOWED TO? I MEAN, WE’RE NOT YEARS. HOW MUCH MORE RELATED DO EVEN RELATED. YOU WANT TO BE? WAS IT JUST ME, OR WAS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE BANKERS THAT STRUCK YOU AS WEIRD? JACK…! THAT’S ALL IAN’S STUFF! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

ALEX?

SOUTH LONDON YOU SEEN NIGEL? HEY! NAH. WELL, IF YOU SEE HIM, TELL HIM I WANT HIM.

WEIRD. DOESN’T LOOK LIKE IT WAS IN A CRASH AT ALL… THE RIDER CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE TWO DAYS AGO. SO DO IT NOW, ALL RIGHT?

BUT I DIDN’T GET JUST DO IT, THE PAPERWORK… HARRY. I’VE GOT TO GO TO LIVERPOOL STREET. THE STATION? WHERE ELSE, YOU BERK? I’M TAKING THEM THE STUFF… WHAT-? WOW…

OH, NO…

WHAT THE-?

WHAT…? OI, YOU! COME HERE! ALL RIGHT. HOLD IT RIGHT THERE.



HEY- I COULDN’T WHAT WERE THEY- BELIEVE WHAT I WAS DOING. THIS GUY JUST CAME AT ME, AND… Come upstairs and see for yourself… -DOING, JACK? AND WHY WERE THEY HERE? CHELSEA

WHAT THE…? …they took everything. YOU’RE SURE THEY LIVERPOOL STREET STATION SAID THEY WERE COMING HERE? THEY COULD HAVE GONE ANYWHERE BY NOW… NO, THEY DIDN’T BUT WHERE? SAY THEY WERE TAKING A TRAIN. THEY SAID THEY HAD TO BRING STUFF HERE, TO THE STATION. OVER THERE! THAT’S THAT GUY FROM THE FUNERAL, CRAWFORD. WHAT’S HE…

…ALEX? HE’S ON HIS WAY.

I SAY! DO YOU MIND? … ERM… SORRY, I… HMPH! THANK YOU. PLEASE WAIT.

GOOD MORNING, I … WAS … ON ALEX. SHOULDN’T YOU THE PLATFORM AT BE AT SCHOOL? LIVERPOOL STREET… AND NOW I’M HERE… THAT’S RIGHT. SO WHAT IS THIS PLACE? HOGWARTS?

YOU’VE PROBABLY MY NAME IS REALIZED THAT YOUR MRS JONES. UNCLE DIDN’T WORK FOR I RUN THE SPECIAL A BANK. THE ROYAL AND OPERATIONS GENERAL DOESN’T DIVISION OF MI6. EXIST. HE WORKED FOR US. WHO ARE YOU? HE LIED I’M SORRY, TO ME? ALEX. HE GOT HE LIED TO HIMSELF KILLED. EVERYONE. AN OCCUPATIONAL IT WAS PART OF HIS JOB. HAZARD. IAN RIDER WAS ONE OF OUR BEST AGENTS. UNTIL YOU GOT MR BLUNT HIM KILLED. WANTS TO TALK TO NOT IF YOU’RE YOU, ALEX. A BANKER. WE HAVE A PROPOSITION WE’D LIKE TO MAKE.

WE WANT YOU TO WORK FOR US. … YOU’RE NOT SERIOUS. IT’S NOT MY I DON’T WANT TO BE A SPY. IN HABIT TO MAKE JOKES, ALEX. CASE YOU HADN’T NOTICED, I’M STILL AT SCHOOL. I’LL TAKE WHAT A GREAT SHAME. THAT AS A YOUR UNCLE WOULD HAVE “NO”, THEN. BEEN VERY DISAPPOINTED, HE WOULDN’T LETTING HIM DOWN WANT ME TO LIKE THIS. BE HERE! HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT? HE SPENT HIS WHOLE LIFE MAKING SURE I NEVER KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS! THEN HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS?

NOBODY TRAINED ME. YOU’RE A FIRST GRADE DAN, ALEX. A BLACK BELT AT KARATE. WHO PAID FOR THE LESSONS? RISING BLOCK, IT WAS COUNTER WITH REVERSE MY CHOICE! KICK… PERFECTLY EXECUTED. WHO TRAINED YOU? ALL YOUR LIFE, …YOU’VE BEEN IAN RIDER WAS SCUBA DIVING, MOUNTAIN CLIMBING, PREPARING YOU! ABSEILING, WHITE YOU SPEAK FRENCH, WATER RAFTING… GERMAN AND JAPANESE… HE TOOK ME THEY WERE JUST ON HOLIDAY! HOBBIES! YOU’RE …AND RIFLE TRYING TO SPOIL SHOOTING. EVERYTHING! THAT’S NOT HOW IT WAS! I’M NOT NOW, INTERESTED. PUT ME BACK IN THE PHOTO BOOTH AND SHOW ME THE WAY OUT. HE WAS … TRAINING YOU, I DON’T CARE ALEX. WHAT YOU SAY.

I’M HOW IS THAT DIDN’T SHE TELL HOUSEKEEPER OF YOU? HER VISA SURPRISED, YOURS, BY THE WAY? RAN OUT SEVEN REALLY. WHAT’S HER NAME? JACK STARBRIGHT, YEARS AGO. YES. I SUPPOSE SHE’LL HAVE STARTED PACKING BY NOW… i’d HAVE WHY? WHAT DO YOU THOUGHT YOU’D MEAN? WANT TO GET BACK AT THE PEOPLE WHO KILLED YOUR UNCLE. “SHE’LL BE DEPORTED WHAT SORT OF ANY DAY NOW. ACTUALLY, PEOPLE ARE YOU? WE MIGHT PROSECUTE HER FIRST. MAKE AN EXAMPLE…” ONES WHO NORMALLY GET THEIR WAY.

YOU HEARD WHAT THE SERGEANT SAID, DROP THAT LOG YOU’LL WISH YOU’RE DEAD! …AND SO WE’LL DO IT ALL AGAIN! WE DON’T LIKE THIS, WE’RE IN PAIN… BRECON BEACONS, WALES GENTLEMEN, THIS IS OUR ON YOUR FEET! LATEST RECRUIT. WE HAVE NO HE’S HERE FOR NAMES HERE, TWO WEEKS’ TRAINING. NO RANKS. THIS IS K UNIT. DON’T ASK ME ABOUT IT, BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW A THING. I JUST DO WHAT I’M TOLD. YOU’LL BE CUB. FOX. EAGLE. WOLF. BEAR. AND SOMEBODY GET HIM A BED.

WHO THE HELL DO WHAT’S YOUR NAME? YOU THINK YOU ARE? WHO SENT YOU HERE? A SCHOOLBOY! I CAN’T TELL YOU. OH, YOU CAN YOU WITH SPECIAL …I CAN’T TELL ME. TELL YOU! OPERATIONS? THEY’RE THE ONLY ONES DAFT ENOUGH TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS. NO… I … SAID … SOMEONE BEEN TEACHING YOU SELF-DEFENCE, EH? WELL, THAT WON’T HELP YOU HERE. YOU WON’T LAST TWO DAYS.

CHELSEA I DON’T YOU’RE SORRY?! BELIEVE THIS. WHAT ARE YOU SORRY THAT’S WHAT I DON’T BELIEVE ABOUT? TAKING HIM MAKES HIM USEFUL TO US. ANY OF IT. OUT OF SCHOOL? WHERE IS TRYING TO TURN HIM HE NOW? INTO SOMETHING… WE CAN’T ALEX ISN’T A SPY! TELL YOU THAT. HE’S FOURTEEN YEARS OLD! I’M SORRY. I WORKED WITH BUT I’M WARNING IAN RIDER FOR YOU, IF ANYTHING NINE YEARS. HAPPENS TO ALEX… NINE YEARS, AND I NEVER KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. AND WHAT IT WON’T. WE’LL HAPPENS IF HE LOOK AFTER HIM, I GETS HURT? PROMISE YOU. WHAT IF HE’S BY THE WAY, KILLED? HE ASKED ME TO COULD YOU LIVE GIVE YOU THIS. WITH THAT? IT’S YOUR VISA. AND IT’S PERMANENT.

HFF KEEP THAT HFF GUN ABOVE YOUR HEAD… *GBBL RGBR LRGR GLBR GR GL LBRGR!* BRECON BEACONS LET ME GIVE YOU’RE NOT IN YOU A HAND, THE PLAYGROUND CUB. NOW, CUB! MOVE IT! NO, WAI…T!

WELL, WELL, WELL. WHAT HAVE WE GOT HERE?

AU REVOIR, SPECIAL FORCES BOYS! TODAY, CATERING CORPS TOMORROW… WE’RE WHAT YOU FINISHED! LOOKING AT, WE BLEW THE CUB? WHOLE EXERCISE, AND NOW WE’LL GET BINNED. THIS IS YOUR FAULT! YOU HAD THE MAP! …

THERE’S A HOW DID FIREPLACE. YOU KNOW? I SAW THE CHIMNEY ON THE WAY IN. THE KID’S RIGHT.­ YOU CAN’T. IT’S CLEAR. yOU’RE TOO BIG. YEAH, RIGHT. YOU THINK THEY’D JUST LEAVE IT IF THEY THOUGHT WE COULD ALL CLIMB UP?