2000AD Prog 1609 - 22 October 08

Cover by Steve Yeowell & Chris Blythe

Steven Denton:  Steve Yeowell has the uncanny knack of making all his images look as it they are of cheep plastic toys. There is a strange ridged shine to every surface no matter what it’s meant to be made out of and a level of detail that doesn’t seem to increase with the size of the object.

Not even the liberal use of computer fireworks can breathe life into this lacklustre cover and distract my attention away from the big question that needs asking… why does Captain Dancer Have antenna? 

Darren Stephens: A superb dramatic shot of Red Seas Jack, by Steve Yeowell, enhanced with some delicious colours from Chris Blythe. I like the way his bow breaks the logo, too.  

Steamers Script: Pat Mills Art: Smudge Colours: Chris Blythe Letters: Annie Parkhouse

Getting out the sledgehammer...

Synopsis: A group of "Steamers" are upset with Mega City One's green initiatives as led by the Razzo corporation which has condemned their home. They burst into Razzo's headquarters and annoy Razzo to the extent that he kills their leader. The others escape and vow revenge on the judges while Dredd arrests Razzo for murder.

SD: Here we go. Mega City 1 exists in a world ravaged by a nuclear apocalypse, and where the oceans are so polluted the Atlantic is little more then sludge. It's a city that has been rocked by atomic attacks twice in the last 25 years leaving huge areas within the walls an irradiated wasteland, where Sovs, zombies, robots and un-killable alien super fiends attack at regular intervals causing widespread homelessness and overcrowding. It's a world where fossil fuel is no longer used as a power source… power cells, mini reactors, magma power stations and all manner of future energy generators taking it’s place...

In this world, for some bizarre reason, the judges have given the L.S.E.I. the power to condemn blocks and turf the citizens out onto the street for the size of their fossil footprint. If all of that makes sense to you, then you are probably Pat Mills. I really don’t understand where Mills is coming from with this story. Pat is particularly fond of battering us about the head with his sound bite political hat and there is no shortage of that here even if there is no underlying message.  

Apparently there is soul in coal and the eco fascists at the Lifestyle Environment Inspectors Institute (Big Foots) are happy to make people homeless, if it means reducing a family's domestic pollution and stopping them from over-filling their bin. The head of the institute is the rabid and sadistic eco zealot Razzo who clearly isn’t a family man. Not like the Steam powered anti-heroes known as The Family, headed by Pa. He's your ordinary Joe War Hero, just doing his job and trying to provide for his family. A salt of the earth flat-cap wearing working class guy trodden on by The Man. 

So far so Pat Mills, right? Right, but here is the surprise, it’s quite fun in a late 70’s Dredd kind of way.

It doesn’t matter that it makes no sense in the world of Wagner Dredd. It doesn’t matter that the ham-fisted contemporary references are confused and clunker then 2 medieval knights making love in a room full of gongs because that’s how Mills used to write Dredd any way. The grotesque Family, the one dimensional villain and the bizarre dialogue all gel together to make something I would be happy to read more of. 

Smudge does a good job on the art too. It’s got the flavour of Cam Kennedy but feels more like a descendent then a clone.  

DS: Strange one, this. Pat Mills writing Dredd? Why? The story itself is a bit of throw away filler regarding some environmental claptrap, carbon footprints blah blah blah. Its ok, but hardly in keeping with Dredd's world.

The art duties are taken by Smudge, an artist I'm not overly familiar with who turns in some great work, saving the strip from the jaws of mediocrity. His judges are a bit cuddly, but elsewhere there are some top character designs - I love the look of the villainous Waco family.

Having said that, the story seems to suggest they might return at some point. Please, Tharg. No. 

The Forget Me Knot - Part 9 Script: Simon Spurrier Art: Carl Critchlow Letters: Annie Parkhouse

Random makes his deal...

Synopsis: Random discovers that only the creature's own, destroyed DNA could have freed it. However, it made Cadmium Redd create his army of soldiers using its own DNA strand. When the soldiers were all killed, the remaining one - Random - could not resist the call. Random now tells the demon that he will offer it a vessel in return for getting his memory and claws back, as well as releasing those he still has a hold on in the Vort. He offers it Meridien Bless...

SD: I admire Lobster Random but I don’t enjoy it. I find a lot of the word play in the future slang distracting, there isn’t much in this episode consequently it reads a lot better then normal.

I did like the Vort but I’m not really that involved by The Forget-me-knot, even though it makes sense of all the unanswered questions. The writing is fine and Carl Critchlow’s art is inventive, vibrant and interesting even if whole pages are pink and leaving no panel borders in flashbacks makes them a jumbled mess.

Simon Spurrier is a good writer and a master of high concept. There is no real arguing with his technical skill but I still couldn’t care less about any of his characters. The problem with tricksy plots is that sooner or later the reader starts feeling like they're just being messed with for the sake of it...

DS: So, we finally start to unravel "the forget-me-knot".  It's revealed that Lob is the offspring of some Cthulhu-esque god being, in DNA at least, drawn to the Vort to release the beast from his binds. The cliffhanger this week has me eagerly awaiting next week. Surely Spurrier isn't about to kill off Meridien Bless? After all we've been through with her?

This has been a great series. One of the highlights of the year, progwise.

Carl Critchlow, I love you. But not in that way.

Part 10 Script: Tony Lee Art: Jon Davis-Hunt Letters: Ellie De Ville

Raider knows kung-fu...

Synopsis: The escapees grab a ship from the Snakes, and flee the planet - although the doctor is killed in the escape. They are chased, but are saved by a Terran cruiser, Lionheart. On board, Holland tells Commander Farrow that they have to return to the planet to save the rest.

SD: Poor script matched with poor artwork. After the initial shock of just how bad the first part is wore off, I settled into reading it much like I read Mark Millar's contribution to the 2000AD cannon.

Stalag 666 main problem is that it makes the mistake of taking itself seriously and hammering it’s World War 2 reverences home.  It’s like shouting at every opportunity: "look at my clever World War 2 reference, did you see what I did there? I drew a parallel to World War 2 in my script!"

I can only assume that the escape tunnel was intended to be as ironic as calling the Nazi snakes human allies Mussolini’s, you know, like Hitler’s ally Mussolini. Maybe the prison camps are in fact intended as some kind of ironic retort by the evil lizards. Perhaps the whole war is just one big ironic gag and war movie reference spiralling out of control.  

Admittedly much of this "irony" has given way to over- the-top violence and gore in the later parts, a lot like Mark Millar used to do.

Jon Davis-Hunt has done better and I doubt Tony Lee could do much worse. On the grand scale of things, it’s not as bad as Michel Fleisher but not by nearly good enough either.  

DS: Currently 2000ADs most controversial strip, as those of you who have heard about the "poogate" scandal will know. Lets not dwell on the disgustingly low actions of one unstable reader, though.

We are on part ten, now. In my view, this story hasn't really worked as the creators intended. I can see that the basic idea sounds cool, and in many ways, it's a tried and tested formula. I can see why Tharg took the bait when it was pitched, but it just hasn't lived up to its potential.

The story and dialogue are both ok, but lack polish. Same for the artwork. When I saw that preview shot of that snake guard in the nerve centre, I was really impressed and was looking forward to reading this but, after ten weeks, those browns and greens make me feel slightly queezy. I know that Jon Davis-Hunt can do awesome artwork when required. God knows what happened here? 

So, five more weeks to go of this. Strangely, I'm looking forward to reading more from Tony Lee. I get the feeling he has a lot of talent and that this strip is just a misfire.  

Old Gods - Part 10 Script: Ian Edginton Art: Steve Yeowell Letters: Ellie De Ville

Jack's archery lessons paid off...

Synopsis: Jack encounters the Jotun and seems to dispatch it with ease, using his lightening bow. However, Professor Toten arrived and possesses the body of the fallen Jotun. Finally, they manage to fell the creature once more although they fear that it's not the last they've seen of Toten. Jack and the ethers now feel it's time to head home, and vow to go back to New Providence Island...

SD: I’m not sure why The Red Seas doesn’t work for me. This story has been fairly strong and aside some pacing issues it’s some of Edginton’s best work recently.

Perhaps the script would be better served with another artist? Yeowell’s art is, to me, extremely boring as is his Jotun which should be the dramatic centre piece. Sparse white frames, poor design and very dodgy feathering and hatching rob what could have been an exciting fantasy adventure of all its energy.

The Red Seas may be a bit hit and miss with the quality of scripts as Edginton has never really shown any consistency in the same way Yeowell has over the last decade. Unfortunately I just find Yeowell consistently disappointing. I do want to see the Red Seas back, preferably with a new artist, as would I love to see Steve Yeowell hit a patch of good form, but I can’t see it happening.  

DS: The final, double length episode sees Jack and his crew facing up against the jotun. This, for me, is ten pages of top thrillpower. If I was to be very critical, i would say that the dispatching of the giant was a bit too easy and that the final panel was perhaps a little cheesy, but who cares?

Edginton and Yeowell have really impressed with this rollicking ten part adventure. I've loved every panel. More please. Soon! 

SD: Patchy. Only Stalag 666 has nothing going for it. Dredd is good for some nostalgic fun and Steve Yeowell should be put on a sabbatical until he can get his game back. Time to commission work from the on-form talent not just the old boys.  

Best Story: Judge Dredd

DS: Not a bad prog by any means. Not the best either. 

Best Story: Red Seas