The Portable Nine
GENRE
THRILLER
Core Theme
THIS THRILLER TELLS THE STORY OF DAVENPORT, A SKILLED HITMAN WHO BECOMES A TARGET OF RETALIATION SCHEMES FROM THE FEARED BLACK PHANTOM AND CONTACTS HIS GROUP OF CRIMINALS IN ORDER TO SURVIVE AND SEEK REVENGE.
TIME PERIOD
Contemporary
COMPARABLE TITLES
OCEAN’S ELEVEN; SUICIDE SQUAD
CHARACTER LIST
DAVENPORT. 40’S. HITMAN. SMART, CHARMING, SKILLFUL.
BLACK PHANTOM. ANTAGONIST. 40’S. GREEDY, EVIL, REVENGEFUL.
ABEL HAZARD. ONE OF THE PORTABLE NINE. FEELS NO FEAR.
LOVINIA DULCET. ONE OF THE PORTABLE NINE. PARALYZES WITH NEEDLES.
MR BONNET. ONE OF THE PORTABLE NINE. BLIND WITH SUPERPOWERS.
Logline
When a criminal mastermind known as the Black Phantom has Davenport’s aunt killed as payback for a hit that never took place in Italy, the globe-trotting hit man reunites with a storied band of skilled mercenaries to seek revenge.
Target Audiences
Age: 18-34,35-54,55+
Target Gender: Universal,Female Leaning,Male Leaning
Setting
The Pacific Northwest; Tuscany; the Australian Outback; the Isle of Man; the concrete jungle of New York City; the actual jungles of South America; the streets of Chicago; the Midwest anonymity of Wichita, Kansas; the modern perils of Los Angeles; the Sahara desert; and the Caribbean.
Based on a True Story
No
Publishing Details
Status: Yes: self-published
Publisher: Other Kingdoms Publishing (self-published)
Year Published: 2021
Starting Description
Davenport’s revolver fails to fire and kill one Max Brindle, and he wonders if maybe it's time to take up another profession—until he learns that the Black Phantom has destroyed his aunt’s home, and her along with it. Davenport and the rest of the Portable Nine soon embark on a quest for vengeance.
Ending Description
Davenport tracks the Black Phantom to the island of Guadeloupe and locks him in the same cell his father occupied years before. Max Brindle surprises Davenport, however, and the hit man accidentally pushes Brindle backward onto a length of rebar, finishing the job he'd failed to pull off in Italy.
Group Specific
Information not completed
Hard Copy Available
Yes
ISBN
978-0-578-73256-5 (paperback only)
Mature Audience Themes
Extreme Violence,Nudity, Language/Profanity
Plot - Other Elements
Philosophical Questions,Twist
Plot - Premise
Overcoming Monster/Villain,Internal Journey/Rebirth,Quest,Rebellion Against 'The One'
Main Character Details
Name: Davenport
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Adventurous,Charming,Complex,Confident,Decisive,Heroic,Leader,Honorable,Lone Wolf,Strong Moral Code,Sophisticated,Outspoken,Skillful,Visionary,Secretive
Additional Character Details
Name: Pierre LeGrand (the Black Phantom)
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Role: Antagonist
Key Traits: Aggressive,Badass,Criminal,Desperate,Greedy,Lone Wolf,Unapologetic,Manipulative,Seductive,Skillful,Visionary,Power Hungry,Blunt,Narcisstic,Villainous,Masculine
Additional Character Details
Name: The Rest of the Portable Nine
Age: 40
Gender: Other
Role: sidekick
Key Traits: Adventurous,Badass,Aggressive,Charming,Complex,Confident,Crazy,Criminal,Heroic,Underdog,Narcisstic,Sexy,Skillful,Funny,Sarcastic,Secretive,Sophisticated,Strong Moral Code,Unapologetic
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Genre
ACTION, SUSPENSE, THRILLER, MATURE AUDIENCE, FANTASY
Brief
This is the story of Davenport, a skilled hitman who is successful until he fails a mission and becomes a target of retaliation schemes from the feared Black Phantom. This is when he contacts his group of 9 criminals in order to survive and seek revenge.
Overall Rating
EXCELLENT
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: EXCELLENT
Characterization: EXCELLENT
Commerciality: GOOD
Franchise Potential: EXCELLENT
Pace: GOOD
Premise: EXCELLENT
Structure: EXCELLENT
Theme: EXCELLENT
Accuracy of Book Profile
It is accurate.
Draw of Story
I was drawn to this story mainly due to the author’s writing style and the admirable construction of the characters that are part of the Portable Nine – all of them charming, dubious with a hint of insanity.
Possible Drawbacks
Nothing made me want to put the book down.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY RELIES A LITTLE BIT ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
I would watch this movie and also its sequels because of the richness of characters and the enticing dynamics between them during the narrative.
Fanbase Potential
This story has a high potential for a large fanbase because each character is interesting in their own way and this type of narrative structure tends to enable identification with a broader audience.
Awards Potential
It could have awards potential if adapted especially regarding actors, effects and screenplay.
Envisioned Budget
LARGE BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
SUICIDE SQUAD; OCEAN’S ELEVEN.
What’s New About the Story
The most original thing about this story is that we can consider The Portable Nine as this big character comprised by nine individuals that wouldn’t be interesting enough if separated as we’re talking about criminals with crooked morals - but they somehow are charismatic as a group and due to that narrative becomes even more addictive.
Lead Characters
The duality of the main character, Davenport, is shadowed by the insanity surrounding his colleagues from the Portable Nine and the Black Phantom – and, by comparison, the reader slowly accepts the contradictory idea that the protagonist, the hero, is a hit man with strong morals.
Uniqueness of Story
It is a rare gem.
Possible Formats
Film: Studio, Indie, Streaming TV Series: Network, Cable, Limited Run / Mini-Series, Streaming
Analyst Recommendation
RECOMMEND
Justification
Because narrative is well written and characters are solid, it would certainly be a remarkable adaptation.
Brief
Davenport is a skilled hitman who is used to getting things his way – but this is about to change as he is out to hunt Brindle. Even not being successful in his task, Davenport’s aunt is killed by the revengeful Black Phantom – and that’s when Davenport summons the Portable Nine to help him get his justice and finish the job he started.
What We Liked
What we liked the most about this story is that we can consider The Portable Nine as this big character comprised by nine individuals that wouldn’t be interesting enough if separated as we’re talking about criminals with crooked morals - but they somehow are charismatic as a group and due to that narrative becomes even more addictive
Film: It would be a great film adaptation because storyline of this particular book is well constructed and, beyond that, a franchise would be expected – as the Portable Nine members are individually interesting and spin offs would easily become a hit.
TV: It would be a great adaptation for TV because of the unique richness of the Portable Nine characters, each one bringing along a universe of individualities and visuals enough to enable surprising and varied episodes, keeping the audience hooked.
Key points: Well-constructed and dubious characters; Dynamic Plot; Solid storyline; Well-written character-arcs; Open ending.
Synopsis
We are transported to Florence, Italy, where Davenport, a charming and deadly hit man is on a mission: ending up Max Brindle’s life. Surprisingly to him, he fails on his mission, but apparently the feared Black Phantom is not aware that Brindle is still alive and gets hungry for revenge.
When Black Phantom destroys Davenport’s aunt house and kills her, Davenport decides to gather the Portable Nine, a group of criminals that haven’t worked together for a long time. He tracks each one of them, all unique, deadly and somehow ethical around the world to help him in this battle.
The Portable Nine reunite in a plot of revenge and nothing will stop them until they get justice in their own terms.
Davenport finally tracks the Black Phantom and locks him in the same place the story began: the cell in which his father spent time years before, and finishes killing Max Brindle.