THE DARK WATERS OF

GLENROWAN

A black and white illustration of a sword with a wave-like pattern across the middle.

An Australian legend.
A hunted man.
An iron mask.
A final stand.

This is the Ned Kelly story as it’s never been told.

A person wading in a dark river at night, surrounded by dense trees, with a starry sky overhead, a visible comet, and the Milky Way galaxy.

AUSTRALIA 1880

Three days before the siege of Glenrowan, the great comet burns like a warning.

Under its light, four hunted men move towards their bloody place in history. While something ancient stirs beneath the water.

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PART ONE: A STRANGE APPARITION

Dark water surface with swirling patterns and shimmering reflections of light.

From the Deep

The old rhythm is breaking. Something in the water marks the change.

CHAPTER ONE

THREE CHAPTERS · ONE GATHERING STORM

A man sitting against a large tree trunk at night, dressed in camouflage, reading a book, illuminated by a campfire burning nearby.

CHAPTER TWO

The Kindly Darkness

Whisky, songs and uneasy laughter. For one night, the darkness gives them shelter.

Fictional scene of a muscular blacksmith working with a heated, glowing metal at an anvil inside a dark workshop, with sparks flying as he hammers.

CHAPTER THREE

The Forge

Plate by plate, plough iron becomes armour. With every hammer strike, the man begins to disappear.

Three people sitting around a campfire at night in a forest under a starry sky with the Milky Way galaxy visible.

WORDS · IMAGES · HISTORY · MYTH

An illustrated Australian epic

Crafted as a literary graphic novel, The Dark Waters of Glenrowan combines painterly narrative realism with visible pencil, ink, charcoal and wash.

LOOK INTO THE HALF-LIGHT

A story told across cinematic spreads

Open book with a dark, starry underwater scene and a quote that reads 'Those who lose Dreaming are lost.' - Old bush wisdom, with chapter and page information.
A comic-style illustration of a bearded man gazing at the starry night sky, with a close-up of an eye reflecting a shooting star. The scene includes a galaxy and trees, with captions: "Born of the ancient heart," "Thrown through the void," and "A rider of the burning spear."
Image of a comic book or graphic novel open to a two-page spread depicting a cosmic scene with a large asteroid or meteor surrounded by blue and orange lightning, with text boxes that read "When the hour comes," and "I will call it fire." The title on the bottom says "The Dark Waters of Glenrowan."
An open book showing a detailed illustration of a dark, wooded river scene at sunset, with some text describing the scene and mood.

“One for the billabong, two for the mud,
Three for the moonshine, red as blood.
Four little rabbits go hopping all about,
She’ll gobble you up and spit you out.”

An open book showing a dark, nighttime outdoor scene with three men sitting around a campfire and playing guitars under a bright full moon with trees in the background.
Two men, dressed in rugged clothing and wide-brimmed hats, sitting by a fire in a dark outdoor setting. One man has a beard and is holding a knife with sparks flying as he strikes a match, while the other is holding a sword in his hand. The scene appears intense and gritty, with one man making a threatening gesture with a knife and the other speaking, saying, "That was settled at Stringybark Creek."
Open book with images and text depicting men sitting around a campfire at night in a forest. The men appear rugged and dirty, some smoking, one reading a book, and another sharpening a blade. The scene is dark with a warm glow from the fire.
Open book showing chapter three titled "The Forge" with dark, forest scene on the left page and a fire-lit wooden smithy on the right, with a quote about a horse's hooves and fire from A. B. "Banjo" Paterson.
A comic book style illustration of a blacksmith forging metal. The sequence shows the blacksmith tapping hot metal on an anvil, sparks flying, and the hammer striking resulting in a ringing sound. The right side features a scene of a blacksmith working inside a fiery workshop, with sparks flying and flames, creating an intense, fiery atmosphere.

“Was I always this bent out of shape,
or did they hammer me into it?”

Open book with chapter three titled "The Forge," featuring a dark, eerie illustration of a dense forest at night with a small, glowing forge cabin emitting orange light and smoke.
A muscular man with curly hair and a beard, holding a black, textured helmet or shield, standing in front of a fiery forge with flames and sparks, and a chain hanging from the ceiling.
Open book with sketches of a suit of armor, a muscular man in armor, a collection of tools, and a close-up of a man's eye, with captions about a king wearing a crown and the armor.
Starry night sky with the Milky Way galaxy seen through the opening of a canyon or crevice with twisted tree branches framing the view.

THE DARK WATERS OF GLENROWAN

History remembers how
the Kelly Gang met its end.

This is the story that history forgot.

A collection of book spines with a book titled "The Dark Waters of Glenrowan" by Timothy Pardoe in the center. The book cover features a dark forest scene with fiery red and orange hues.

A STORY IN NINE PARTS.

A young country.
An ancient continent.
Something older still beneath the water.

The story unfolds across multiple illustrated volumes.
Part One: A Strange Apparition printed release rises from the dark water soon.

THE DARK WATERS OF GLENROWAN

Black and white graphic of a dagger piercing three wavy lines.

BROOK & BLADE STUDIO

STORIES FROM THE HALF-LIFE