Sinister Dexter

Sinister Dexter is a long-running strip created by Dan Abnett and David Millgate for the sci-fi anthology title 2000 AD. Set in the fictional city of Downlode (which occupies most of what was once Central Europe) at some point in the near future, it revolves around the adventures of two 'gunsharks' (hit-men), hard-drinking Irishman Finnigan Sinister and Spanish ladies' man, pop culture junkie and fashion icon Ray Dexter. They are a surprisingly likeable — if ruthless — pair of killers who adhere to a strict moral code which prohibits them from harming anyone not known to be guilty of criminal acts.

Much of the series also centres on the continual infighting in the city's underworld between characters such as Ray and Finny's former boss, the late Demi Octavo, her equally late husband, mob boss 'Holy Moses' Tannenbaum, 'The Mover' (an otherdimensional version of Holy Moses), Apellido (a clone of Holy Moses), and even the Downlode Police, many of whom appear to be corrupt, or at best morally questionable. Other prominent characters to have appeared include Demi's precocious little sister Billi Octavo, the now deceased informant Nervous Rex Monday, and former cop (and friend of the gunsharks) Rocky Rhodes, owner of the 'Bar None'.

The strip is frequently very violent but often extremely humorous, managing to keep a fine balance between comedy and drama. It began in 2000 AD in 1995, and spawned the deliberately short lived spin-off series Malone.