Prog 1330 - 5 March 2003
Cover by Fraser Irving

Synopsis and 1st review by Gavin Hanly
2nd opinion by W.R. Logan

GH: Now this is a cover. It must be ages since we last had a wrap around poster cover - and this one is absolutely fantastic. It's the first cover in ages which has really stopped me in my tracks. Frazer Irving even manages to avoid his usual round helmeted Dredd - and the result is the better for it. He also draws a mean alien infestation. Everything else, from the well laid out and clear logos, to the corny but effective speech bubble work wonders.

And while I first questioned the reasoning of sticking all the Aliens on the back cover - it really does make you pick up the comic to make you look at what he's shooting. My only worry is that such a successful cover may be somewhat wasted on newcomers when we're so far into the series. But for regular readers, this is a treat. and it's not even ruined by the poster "instructions" of old - although there's a gesture towards this tradition in the Nerve Centre section. Just bloody brilliant.

WRL: It's been ages since the Galaxy's Greatest Comic was adorned with a wraparound cover and it just reminds you how good they used to look. Frazer Irving goes to town with Dredd facing a horde of Aliens. The image is already on the 2000AD web site's wallpaper section and it can only be a matter of time before it's released as a poster. This cover will probably be in the running for the cover of the year come voting season in December, but after the standard of covers so far this year it's not got a lot of competition. Not to praise this cover so much that Frazer’s head will become to big for Europe, I will point out that I thought Dredd’s badge could have been bigger and the Aliens hadn’t captured the menacing look that Henry has managed to achieve.

Dredd vs Aliens: Incubus - Part 10

Synopsis: The Hall of Justice shakes as an explosion rips a hole in the lower levels, and an infestation of Aliens pours out. The judges try to fight them back - but to no avail. Dredd takes Giant and Sanchez with him to help. Sanchez is starting to feel nervous, but Dredd has no time for this. The Verminators head out too - but one of them, Charlie Shook, has had enough and stays behind. Dredd and his crew join the judges fighting the Aliens. Dredd sends Giant and an assault squad to move round and set up a crossfire, but as he goes, members of his team are being picked off by the spreading infestation.

Back in Med Bay, Surgeons try to remove Brubaker's Alien embryo, as his vitals crash, but it writhes loose and smashes through a surgeon's protective visor...

GH: All hell literally breaks loose, as the carnage starts up again. Hundreds of Aliens spew into the Grand Hall issuing forth scenes of destruction. Judges come to gruesome ends - see image above, as the Aliens pull out all their nastier tricks. And if you hadn't seen enough of the Aliens by now, the page two splash should give you everything you've ever wanted. Henry Flint once again proves himself to be an awesome artist, and after this appears in the States, his success there seems assured.

The story keeps moving fast, although Sanchez and Giant are feeling a tad wasted. But all-in-all this is how to write a successful 6 page strip. An awful lot happens in every page - so much so that the eventual collected edition will seem like an embarrassment of riches when it's read in one setting. It's the best strip the comic's seen in years.

WRL: Hershey & Dredd are still in a meeting with other Judges regarding the Alien menace but by the 5th panel the mayhem that has been building up in the past couple of weeks is released. Page two gives Henry Flint a chance to go Alien mad. This episode sees the Aliens on the rampage in the Grand Hall and we can only guess at what carnage is still to come. Flint on the pencil, Wagner & Diggle hitting the keyboard, any other story printed this years will be hard pressed to match this one for pure week after week thrills.

Eeevil.com - Part 3

Synopsis: Bec & Kawl fight against the Arch Geek who wants to rid the world of the humans that are polluting his Internet with porn. But his cyber-suited software starts to fail, and Norm takes him out. Norm leaves the Arch Geek and the "spider" in the Internet and surrounds them with porn: "I'm going to show them what the Internet's really all about..." Kawl relaxes afterwards in front of the TV while Bec is forced to go on a date with Norm - which doesn't end well...

GH: So that's it - now I can breathe a sigh of relief. I still wonder just who this series was aimed at (clearly not me...). It seems totally out of place in the comic, especially in one that should be trying so hard to win back readers. This simply brings back memories of all the previous failed attempts at wacky humour that we all thought had been left far behind in the new regime.

Leaving aside the idea that a Matrix parody seems woefully out of date, I also found the constant references to the geeks and their habits also to be totally confusing. The series seems to be treating them with disdain, but then plays to them with constant "clever" references after references. As I've mentioned, Spurrier has proved himself to be a decent writer with The Scrap - but he's taken two steps backwards with this series. Please let them stay away this time.

WRL: Is Bec & Kawl the funniest thing ever to appear in 2000? No, but it's not the worst story by far. I've enjoyed this short run and wouldn't mind seeing them return. Not every story within 2000 should be serious, or designed to be part of some multi- book saga. 2000 needs a bit of irreverence, some stupid moments, and for the past few weeks that's what Bec & Kawl have achieved. The thing with 2000 is that readers will always disagree with what they consider to be worthy of inclusion in Tharg's dose of weekly thrills. Many will say that Bec & Kawl aren’t worth the space, and some of those may think that stories such as Sinister Dexter should return. Well they’re wrong on both counts. More Bec & Kawl, or stories like it, brings back the humour.

Bystander - Part 1

Synopsis: The V.C.s join Spence's crew in a dogfight and take on a number of Geeks. They destroy a few, but more disappear into a dense cloud. Spense and the VCs go in looking for them, and spot two clusters of geeks within - with the VCs going for the bigger target. They have trouble pinning it down on the scope, when the Major gets a vision from Hensho, and orders the ship to "Break off and turn!" - just avoiding a huge ship hidden in the cloud...

GH: The V.C.s this series has been heavily based around dogfights and in-space action - with relatively little character development. This is a marked change from the first series, and one I'm not totally happy with. Let's take the summary I've written above. If I'd wanted to, I could have cut down what happened in this week's story to 2 or three lines - simply nothing really important happens. Now I'm not saying that's always a bad thing - but I need this series to get somewhere fast. At least we've finally started a multi-parter, so perhaps some of the tasters laid down, and so far ignored, in Prog 2003 will get taken up.

Anthony Williams art continues to be serviceable - but needs to be a little more hard hitting. His space battles seem to now be overwhelmed with computer graphics, when the time would be better spent in laying out more interesting panel compositions. I'm also still concerned that his Smith seems too young - isn't he supposed to be an old veteran? Yet in this series he looks like he's in his early 40's. Another decent plot idea from the first series that seems to have been dropped...

Pagrok The Infallible - Part 1

Synopsis: Pagrok can find anything using his magical runes. He is asked to find a missing daughter - Pellotia. But Pagrok says his powers have given up and makes his excuses and leaves - later telling his servant, Fenko, that he saw Pellotia surrounded by wealth - and he wants to find her for himself. They discover she's a thief and trace her to Zeranor, where they are arrested as her accomplices. But they escape as the Zeranor king is struck by a meteor - as predicted by Pagrok. They track Pellotia to Klerit, where she is about to be sacrificed to Klarvor and become "the Bride of Lightning".

GH: Quite an enjoyable Telguuth this time around. There's a good deal of humour and unlikely situations in this week's first part, and I'm enjoying it far more than I usually enjoy the Telguuth tales. The art - while still sometimes a little over embellished, as mentioned last week, is also improving and actually compliments the story well. I'd certainly take this spin on fantasy over the dull and past its sell by date Sláine any day...

WRL: Not my most favourite of formats, but this week I not only enjoyed Telguuth but want to see where it goes next week. The one=off Telguuth's with a twist at the end don’t generally appeal to me but if we are to see more then I’d rather see longer stories with room to develop this strange world. Jon Haward’s artwork is up to his usual standard and to see some old Telguuth pages without colour go to Jon’s web site.

Part 2

Synopsis: Voidshaker is still in one piece, but has lost contact with the Binods. It engages the UOs - "1.83 million of them in the local area alone" - as the Binods are panicking, and the Kalen's lose hope. Voidshaker continues to fight, but starts to get overpowered - when it senses a large object approaching. The UOs attacking Voidshaker self destruct, as the large UO craft approaches, and slowly opens up, revealing the Atavar inside - half covered in machinery and linked to the craft...

GH: Not much actually happens this issue, although we do get more of an idea that the Atavar is doing his best to hold back the tide of the wipe. It also seems that reports of Voidshaker's destruction last issue were exaggerated, which is a good thing, as it seems like an good foil for the Atavar. Dan Abnett continues to produce a compelling story, that is currently streets ahead of the V.C.s.

The artwork also continues to shine, with Voidshaker's attack on the UOs and their swarming over it rendered particularly impressively. It's just a shame that I opened the last page first by mistake - giving away the surprise ending...

WRL: From time to time a story appears that I just can't read week to week. Red Seas was the last one and now I find myself in the same boat with Atavar. Nothing against the story or artwork, but for me this one will be piled up next to the bed until the last episode appears and be read in one sitting.