Prog 1351 - 23 July 2003
Cover by Clint Langley
Synopsis and review by Gavin Hanly
2nd Opinion by Leigh Shepherd

Summaries and reviews contain spoilers for this issue.

GH: When I first saw this cover, it was on the 2000AD site, and my initial impressions were that it was just OK. However, upon finally getting the issue, and discovering it was actually a wraparound cover, my appreciation has increased dramatically. This is an amazing cover, and has given me a new appreciation of Langley's art. It works best as the double page spread, to be honest, but it is damned good and certainly Langley's best artwork to date.

LS: A wraparound cover - my favourite! Langley's art is effective and eyecatching, though it would have been nice to mention it's a Sláine story illustrated this on the cover for more casual browsers. Without wishing to steal Gavin's pet peeve, this is a time where I feel the logo would have been better placed above the image rather than obscured by a few inconsequential tendrils.

The Satanist - Part 2

Synopsis: Dredd goes up to Vienna's apartment and finds a dress on the bed and a cooked meal on the table. He calls out to Vienna, but then hears the shower running. He calls out again, still getting no response, and pulls his gun and asks whoever it is to come out. Opening the shower door, he sees Mrs Pasternak who tells him he's "too damned late" before decaying and dissolving into nothing. Dredd calls down a debugging unit to the apartment, but they find nothing. He thinks someone's trying to send him on a guilt trip, but doesn't know why.

At the investigator's advise, he takes some time in a sleep machine, but only gets nightmares about Vienna being abducted. He wakes, still feeling guilt ridden when he gets a call from Judge Logan in MC1, who's working on the serial killer cannibal case. The killer, Stackpole, had 2 dinner guests from Brit Cit and one of them, Escott Heath, belongs to a secret satanic society, the SSS. Dredd decides to check him out.

GH: The mystery deepens, and this story continues to be intriguing. It seems the interrogation at the beginning of last week's episode could have greater influence on Dredd's current predicament than was initially thought - time will tell. The focus on Dredd's thoughts is still a nice change from previous tales, resulting in a clearer insight into the man himself, and his growing realisation that he really should get to know his niece - if it isn't already too late. Even the sight of him shouting, "Vienna, it's Uncle Joe" at the beginning of the episode is quite touching, as it shows a softening of Dredd's character with regards to his "family". A few years ago, Dredd's seeking a reconciliation with his niece might have seemed like a betrayal of old stoney face's ethics, but when handled this well, it seems like a natural progression for the character.

Charlie Adlard's art is still a perfect match for the style of the story, and he handles the "reveal" in the shower scene with style and tension. Elsewhere, the shadow filled scenes seek to reflect Dredd's mood, as his guilt grows.

All in all - a good team effort, and if they can build on this, we could have a classic tale here.

LS: Double Zero rated for PSI ability, yet being haunted with the best of them, Uncle Joe seems to be in at the deep end here. He's in unfamiliar territory in terms of geography, emotional attachments and the threat he faces. A slow burner here, and with at least 4 more parts let's hope we get to see just enough under the surface of Dredd without overdoing it. Last weeks "lousy uncle" comments were a bit too much for me, and some of Dredd's souls searching this week, while welcome in small doses, could soon get a little tiresome. Beyond that minor point, there's some great atmospherics, with Dredd’s encounter with the slumberfast being eerie and amusing at the same time.

Adlard's art is functional, but his Dredd seems a little too much like the DC version. It’s all a bit sparse for my tastes, though I did like the McMahonesque touches on the main Dredd image on page 4.

Pest Control - Part 1

Synopsis: Pierre Romanov is the greatest Pest Control Expert that ever lived, who faced his greatest challenge in a village called Little Wickering - where Bec, Kawl and their friend, the vacant Aliss, have just arrived. As they enter a pub, full of women only, everything goes quiet. They are given some nasty looking food, which Kawl eats, only to rush to the toilet to puke it all up. As he's there, hundreds of slugs follow him. Back out in the pub, the women appear to be obsessed with the Women's Institute way of life, but also seem to be hiding something. In the toilet, Kawl is being dragged through a demonic portal by the slugs...

GH: Ah - Bec & Kawl. Well, many of you may well know my opinion of this piece by now. However, since Simon Spurrier came across as such a pleasant person in the recent interview, and as Lobster Random was so good, I've tried to make an attempt to re-assess this. But unfortunately, I still just can't warm to it. While, in retrospect, it isn't a bad as something like the Spacegirls (still held up by many as the nadir of 2000AD) there's something about the two main characters that irritates me so much, that I can't warm to the rest of the piece. There are some potentially nice touches, with eh Stepford Women's Institute members, but the characters at the centre of the story spoil this for me. Still, so far, it doesn't seem any where near as bad as the last story - which is a blessing.

There must be 2000AD readers out there that like this, otherwise why would it keep coming back, but so far I'm just not one of them

LS: I'm convinced I'm missing something here - Spurrier's work on Lobster Random and The Scrap were some of the best things the comic has seen in recent years - in particular, Lobster showed a fairly deft comic touch. So why do I find Bec and Kawl so uninvolving? I could put it down to my dislike of comedy for comedy's sake, I suppose. I much prefer my humour to arise out of the action rather than being presented with "jokes". Perhaps I'm reminded of similar outright comedy tales from 2000AD's dark days like Time Flies and Time House - not pleasant memories!

The problem I have with these outright humour stories is when the humour fails, there's nothing else to keep your interest. If the jokes are on your wavelength, then you're OK, but if not, the strip is likely to fall more than a little flat. For me, the village of the damned local pub is pretty stock parody territory, as could be argued are Bec and Kawl themselves. Steve Robert's art is perfect for this kind of strip, and Richard Elson's colouring is always a pleasure, but it’s not a strip with my name on I’m afraid.

Part 1

Synopsis: In 1921, the cruise ship Leviathan, capable of taking 20,000 people on board is launched, bound for New York. 20 Years later, the ship is still at sea and a passenger ruminates about another suicide on the boat. There has been no sign of land for 20 years, and neither sun not stars can be seen in the sky, while the sea is stagnant. The passengers don't know what has happened, and some believe that they may have already died. The anniversary of the ship's launch is arriving, which means that it's "suicide season again".

A woman goes to see "Jerry" to tell him of the suicide and says they should ask for the dead couple's rations. But as she reaches Jerry, she finds him dead, with half of his face torn off.

GH: It's a little too early to know what to make of this one. I had to read it a couple of times just to work out what was going on - especially while producing the above synopsis, but now I think I've got it, the premise does sound intriguing - and certainly unique. Edginton's had a good track record in the comic so far, so this will certainly bear watching.

Of course, the art is a major bonus for this story. There's something about D'israeli's art which really appeals to me, and seems perfectly at home in the comic and an ideal match for this period setting. As for the Leviathan itself - the first reveal of it had to look very impressive, and he pulled it off. It does indeed look huge, with the Crystal palace like structure and the mini ship tacked onto the front great touches. I look forward to further examinations of the ship in future episodes.

LS: Now this is an impressive opening episode. The idea of a ship lost for decades is nothing new (there’s a book with the same premise whose title escapes me, and in the comic world, there was a strip in Doctor Who weekly with a cruise spaceship in the same predicament), but the potential is there for something stunning. The quality of design is first class (no pun intended), with Disraeli's use of "negative inking" creating some bold and stark visuals. It's always nice to have a "Good Life" reference in the middle of your gloomy atmospheric horror tale as well!

Golamh - Part 2

Synopsis: The battle is over, and the invaders have won. The high king Sethor has arrived to discuss peace terms, but Gael wants their surrender. At Lord Odacon's request he dives under the water to wet his scales.

When he emerges, he goes to see his wife, but it is Odacon who speaks. One of the other symbiotes, Musaris, needs a host, as its current one can take no more, so the princess is the one chosen. Gael pleads against this, but to no good, as Odacon forces him to accept, torturing his mouth into a rictus smile of approval. Musarus prepares to take the princess when Sláine appears, throwing his axe and killing Musaris. Odacon taunts Sláine, and although the princess tries to stop him, telling him they want to share the land, Sláine prepares for a fight.

GH: After my disappointment with last week's episode, I'm being forced to eat my words somewhat. Reduced to a smaller dosage, this week's Sláine has proved to be much more enjoyable. The idea of the symbiotic beings is fleshed out and gives the whole premise more potential. There's also less of Mills' habit of repeating stock phrases, at least until Sláine arrives and starts quoting his dead wife. So a much more promising episode, but it is still too early to say if the series will continue this improvement, as we may be in for another big fight scene next week.

As for the art, this has also improved, and the design of the symbiotic being looks very impressive, especially as Gael/Odacon dives into the water. There's also a move towards more comic-styled storytelling, especially in that scene and the scene illustrated above, as Sláine kills Musaris, making everything much easier to follow. Langley's rendition of a very pissed off Sláine in the last image is pretty good too, with a decent "stomping towards the camera in a bad mood" look to it.

LS: I find myself agreeing with both sides of the argument over the return of Sláine. Part of me wants to see a return to form for Pat, and stories like Black Siddha and the recent ABC Warriors suggest that's not impossible. On the other hand, Sláine seems to have jumped more sharks than Roy Scheider. His time travel exploits were strung out too far (Scottish and French "adventures" in particular), while the Secret Commonwealth did more damage than could have been done by giving the character to Millar or Fleischer!

The art on this tale is atmospheric, though murky. The story can also be similarly atmospheric, but the dialogue can be extremely clunky, especially without Ukko there to explain the plot to the readers. I'm still to be convinced that Sláine as all conquering Sun Hero and Defeater of Armies is an interesting character when compared to Sláine the wanderer, getting into scraps and looking out for himself (and his image). Golamh might be a step in the right direction, but is it too little too late?

The Tax Dodge (Part 1)

Synopsis: The Unrighteous Brothers visit a pet shop, interested in a rare Sarcassian Rude Bird, a creature which insults everybody. The shopkeeper says he's not for sale, but they are not here to buy, intending to simply take the bird. They warn the keeper not to do anything stupid, as they only kill if necessary.

Alpha and Sternhammer are tracking the brothers, but only see four of them. The fifth comes up behind them shooting, and they dive for cover. The remaining 4 brothers open fire too - and are armed with blast deflectors. Alpha and Sternhammer run for cover in an empty building, but the brothers bring down the building on top of them. Later, they manage to dig their way out and interview the shopkeeper, who tells them the bird is worth 20,000, but he'll pay 10 just to get it back. But a 20,000 cred bird seems like a small take for the brothers - they must need the bird for something else...

GH: Another great SD episode, and it's particularly good to see the main story developing with the Unrighteous Brothers. I was worried that the taxman premise had the potiential to become wearisome, but a long as there's a stronger plotline at the heart of the story, that shouldn't become a problem. The Brothers are a good creation, and it would be good to see some more of their MO in later issues, but they've already shown themselves to be a worthy match for Alpha and Sternhammer. Wagner is skillfully mixing the comedy with the action in this storyline, and the mystery element of what the Brothers are actually up to is a welcome plot point.

As for the art, very little can be said that hasn't been said before. Ezquerra is a comics genius, especially when he colours his own work. Another classy job.

LS: Any review I do of a Strontium Dog story has got to be qualified by me confessing my absolute love for the character. If it wasn’t for Alpha, I doubt I’d have started collecting 2000AD (as opposed to just reading it), and I would have more than likely given up on the progs long ago.

Trying to be as objective as I can, I still can find little to criticise about the new story. The blend of humour and action is as strong as ever, and Ezquerra puts in a sterling show after the disappointment of his recent ABC Warriors work. While there are well worn Stront clichés on show here (a gang of Brotherly criminals, hick sheriffs), it’s great to see opponents for Alpha who are using the same technology as the Dogs - a real threat for Johnny and Wulf to contend with, exemplified by them literally bringing the house down on the duo. The bird subplot is intriguing, and when added with the lurking menace of the taxman, you have enough elements in place to suggest Wagner and Ezquerra are onto a winner.