2000AD Prog 1435 - 20 April 2005
	Judge Dredd (Rennie / Cook) Sinister Dexter (Abnett/ Yeowell/ O Grady) American Gothic (Edginton / Collins) The VCs (Abnett / Williams) Nikolai Dante (Morrison/ Burns) Synopsis by Gavin Hanly Reviews by Ed Berridge and Andrew Howe Summaries and reviews contain spoilers for this issue.

EB: I find I’m kind of disappointed in this cover: I’m normally a fan of Steve Yeowell, but this image just seems a bit bog-standard to me. It’s just not the most outstanding or attention grabbing of images that you look for on the best 2000AD covers – nothing intrinsically wrong with it, just perhaps a little dull.

AH: A Steve Yeowell cover reminds me of the days when I could pick up the latest prog and find Zenith looking back at me, and provided I don’t think about how many years have passed since then it’s a fine memory indeed. He’s never been the most detailed artist, but when you’ve got style to burn an action-packed image with a reasonably inventive tagline will do just fine. One question though – why are the gunsharks firing to the left and right, instead of at the immediate threats (like the guy who’s about to brain them with a club)?

Descent - Part 4

Dredd goes for the big target...

Synopsis: Dredd and his team burst into St Patrick's Cathedral, shooting through the Shadow King's hordes of "children" on the way. After clearing the way, they see the King about to eat a child, but Dredd can't get a clear shot. He rams the king with his bike instead, sending the child flying, to be caught by Karyn. Dredd and the Shadow King fight, as Dredd sinks his silver boot knife into it. It sends Dredd flying into the pews, shattering them, but the remaining judges fire incendiaries on the monster. It burns, but not before taking Judge Birko with it. Dredd finishes it off with a hi ex, and Karyn warns his to stand back, as it's not dead yet. But it's too late, the Shadow King's essence flows into Dredd, changing him into a hulking monster...

EB: This has been quite a fun follow-on story from last years Total War in which Gordon Rennie continues to prove his mastery of writing Dredd. The only problem I had with his writing was that I felt I wouldn’t have minded a bit more information on the previous story of which Descent is a continuation. I’m not quite sure what the motivation of the returning villain is, or indeed what he is (some sort of werewolf/vampire thing?).

However Boo Cook is the real star of this story. Many people had been waiting for a new Cook Dredd strip, and by god they weren’t disappointed. The leaps and bounds he’s made artistically over the last couple of years have been truly staggering, his McCarthy/Higgins-ish samurai Dredd is a refreshing change and his grasp of colour is genuinely excellent. I just hope that next time he gets a shot at Dredd he gets a chance to depict a bit more of Mega-City One.

AH: Descent sees Rennie taking time off from revitalising Dredd to script a traditional action-based tale - it’s not a lazy affair by any means, but there’s only so much monster mashing you can handle before the eyes begin to glaze over (seen one flesh-eating monstrosity bite the dust, seen ‘em all). However, he still finds time to add a couple of nice touches - the “Always it ends this way for its kind” riff almost had me feeling sorry for a creature that devours babies for breakfast, and Dredd’s opening statement of intent (“This abomination ends now! Drive these freaks back into the shadows!”) rings so loud and true that it was bouncing around in my head for days afterwards.

And let’s not forget the final panel, which is definitely one of the more fearsome images the strip has produced. That’s reason enough to add my voice to the wave of adulation that’s greeted Boo Cook’s efforts, proving once again that matching the artist to the story is an important milestone on the road to success. A decent effort, and with the first-rate cliffhanger the door’s still open for a strong run home.

Life's a Beach - Part 3

Dexter floors it...

Synopsis: News reports are talking about the discovery of The Beach, as police were alerted to its whereabouts earlier that day.

Four hours earlier, Sinister and Dexter retrieve their Edsel, which Barnes has patched up. They promise to make a call to help them the minute they are safe away from The Beach. They head into Snacker territory, as dozens of the mutants charge at them. They shoot their way through, eventually making it to the ramp, flying off and making it back into traffic. They're pulled over for a broken tail light, as they call for a rescue party for Barnes and the others...

EB: I’m not totally sure why I don’t really like this story. I’m normally a fan of Steve Yeowell, and have enjoyed his work on the strip in the past. But his work here just doesn’t grab me as it usually does. Perhaps it’s because the story is somewhat on the slim side: Sinister and Dexter fall off the motorway, find a whole tribe of people stranded, cannibals, they escape. In fact the ease of their escape makes me wonder why no-one had ever managed it before (as well as wondering why no-one had ever noticed all these missing people camped out under the motorway).

I’m also not totally convinced by Len O’Grady’s colours – although he worked extremely well with Yeowell in the past on Tyranny Rex, I’m just not convinced by their partnership on the strip here.

AH: This is the first time I’ve tackled a Sin/Dex review, so I trust you’ll understand if I take the opportunity to get a few things off my chest. I’d gladly mount a campaign to send Abnett’s opus on permanent vacation, and the most depressing thing is that it didn’t have to be this way. The city of Downlode abounds in opportunity for gritty tales of moral decay and midnight redemption, but Abnett has consistently exhibited the following errors of judgement:

• Paid assassins are not inherently likeable individuals, especially when they occasionally perforate people who don’t deserve it (it doesn’t happen often, but even once is one time too many). If they showed the slightest remorse we could be looking at an intriguing psychological drama (witness the angst suffered by Johnny Alpha over the years), but since their usual reaction is to have a good old chortle amidst the carnage it’s not surprising that I invariably find myself rooting for their intended victims.
• Long-running stories need a well-developed supporting cast. You won’t need more than one hand to count the number of characters who’ve met that definition over the years and, after showing initial promise, the Kal storyline appears to be going nowhere fast.
• Sin/Dex features the most indestructible protagonists this side of Kelly’s Eye – they’re simply too good at what they do, and as a result the tension usually aroused by fights to the finish is rarely on display (at least Dredd has the good grace to be beaten to a pulp, blinded, tortured, disfigured or otherwise put in a world of hurt before he saves the day).

That’s three strikes right there, and it’s to Abnett’s credit that he still manages to craft the occasional memorable installment. He’s also done the right thing by introducing Kal, who’s everything the title characters aren’t (I still don’t believe Kal completed the hit in prog 1382). It’s not a terminal case, but if Abnett thinks he’s going to crank these scripts out for another ten years then it’s about time he asked himself what he’s hoping to achieve.

Life’s a Beach is a case in point. Abnett’s homage to J.G. Ballard’s Concrete Island started with a promising concept, ripe with possibilities for examining the kind of society that might develop in the shadow of one of mankind’s monuments to the gods of progress, but once again he sets his sights on the route of least resistance. In this episode our heroes put the pedal to the metal, rain equal quantities of lead and one-liners upon the cannibal scum, and cap it off with an abrupt and unsatisfying (though mildly amusing) conclusion. It’s not the kind of plotting that’ll have you pre-ordering the graphic novel, and while Yeowell is always welcome in my house his presence merely invites speculation about better uses for his time.

There’s no doubt I’m biased against the strip, and to be honest this episode is no better or worse than the acceptable filler that makes up a quarter of every year’s output. But mediocrity should never be encouraged, and since Durham Red showed us what Abnett is capable of he should consider leaving Downlode for greener pastures.

Chapter 4

LaChance shows off his marksmanship.

Synopsis: La Chance leads the wagon train through the wilderness as a flying bat winged girl, one of Yagga's orphans circles him. She introduces herself as Lorelli and warns him that many of the others don't trust him yet. She had never spoken to a human and felt she should come and thank him for helping them.

Suddenly, she sniffs the air and says there's trouble. She flies high and sees a cottage in the next valley on fire and under attack. La Chance gallops there and tells her to get help from the others. LaChance gallops down and shoots one of the robbers who have killed everyone in the shack, apart from one girl they are threatening. He kills another two of the attackers but eventually, the leader shoots his horse and gets ready to kill him. But before he can Lorelli, who has transformed into a demon flies down and beheads him, scaring the remaining attackers off. LaChance is appalled at the violence...

EB: I have to admit that I was really looking forward to this series: the mixture of the Western and Horror genres was one that really appealed to me. Ian Edginton has certainly performed consistently in this type of field with work like Scarlet Traces and Leviathan to his credit, and he does not disappoint on this occasion. The concept of various mythological and legendary characters from Old Europe as part of the great migration to America’s Old West is a simply wonderful idea. The character of Will LaChance is one that the reader can immediately empathise with, and the slow drip-feeding of the story is certainly keeping me hooked.

Mike Collins certainly matches this inventiveness, somehow managing a combination of the style of EC Western and Horror comics, whilst still retaining his own unique style. But his art really has been something of a revelation: though I had always enjoyed his artwork, the changes he has made to his style have really opened my eyes and I can’t wait to see more of his work on the strip.

AH: Even if this story was a total washout I’d have to give Edginton credit for trying something a little different. It’s not a true original (if I was pitching it to the studios I’d describe it as a cross between Nightbreed and a Leone western), but at a time when far too many writers are leafing through back issues for inspiration it’s refreshing to find a scribe with the confidence to strike out on his own.

My jury of one is still out on the finished product since, if Edginton is going to devote entire episodes to extended gunfights, I think the concept needs at least twenty installments to do the job properly (see Leviathan for a further case study in the art of cutting off a script in its prime). However, even if it rides off into the sunset without fleshing out the back story or exploring the psyche of its intriguing characters it’ll still be a partial success on the strength of the oppressive atmosphere (the word “gothic” ain’t in the title for nothing).

Top marks also to artist Mike Collins, who obviously thought long and hard about what the script required and set out to make it so, even if he does exhibit an unnatural delight in directing every bullet towards the head (though for all I know that could be in the script, since anyone experienced at taking a man down in the West would know that a head shot leaves little doubt of the outcome). A potential sleeper, and it’s a testament to Edginton’s skill that of all the writers working for 2000 AD at the moment the news of his next project is sure to provoke the most interest.

Part 4 - Bodyswap

Ryx takes one for the team

Synopsis: Ryx enters the infirmary with a nasty gash in his eye, caused by a bayonet in basic training. He's taken into the hospital for treatment. Kali reports back to Smith that he's in place and Sheldon tells him that the tracer they have buried in his thigh is still active. Ryx is the ideal candidate going by the other soldiers turned into facsimiles and true enough, he's soon knocked out and kidnapped. Sheldon reports that Ryx's signal left the base and has headed towards an unregistered merchantship. Sheldon says they can't spring Ryx yet - they have to wait to see where the ship heads - and is Ryx is dead, it doesn't matter as he's expendable.

EB: I’m still not totally sure about this strip: the change of pace and storyline is more than welcome, although it’s hard to tell where exactly the story's going yet. It’s nice that Abnett apparently seems to be involving the sub-plot of the Polity, which he has been dropping hints about throughout the past two series.

Williams’ art has improved immeasurably, and he seems to have a nice grip on the characters now. The only problem I have with his art, as with the story itself is that it works best for me when the V.C.s are in their space suits vaping Geeks. In a way this highlights my biggest problem with this series – it’s so different from the original (and with only one member of the original crew) that it almost makes me wonder why it wasn’t simply made a separate series in its own right.

AH: In which Abnett heeds my words and takes some time out to develop his characters. I was surprised to find that I actually cared about Ryx’s fate in this episode (a direct result of allocating a few panels to exploring his reaction to the death of Lin Fu) and Abnett’s return to the “facsimile” thread after a considerable delay suggests he’s plotting well in advance of publication (a talent he’s exhibited on practically everything he’s turned his hand to except for Sin/Dex, providing further evidence for the prosecution). Previous crimes against reader involvement prevent me from raising the banner for this strip just yet, but signs of life are definitely seeping through the cracks.

I’ve never enjoyed Anthony Williams’s art, not the least because he appears incapable of rendering a believable facial expression. That’s hardly an appropriate accompaniment to a strip that makes misery and heartbreak its daily bread, and it often renders Abnett’s efforts to evoke an emotional reaction inert. It appears Williams is on for the long haul now, so that simply means Abnett is going to have to work twice as hard to keep us along for the ride.

Primal Screams - Part 3

Kong comes to a grisly end...

Synopsis: An armoured gorilla from the house of Kong attacks. Dante goads it before stabbing it with his sword crest and Lauren kills the other using the monofilament wire hidden inside her feather boa. The gorilla after Dante is still coming but Dante finally strikes it down.

The crest tells Dante they are on the Hwange hunting grounds. It used to be a national park, but is now a gauntlet for customers who welch on their bets, facing up against the mutated first and failed experiments of animal intelligence, while the casino takes bets on how long the victims will last. The animals start attacking, but it seems someone is shooting at them, keeping them back. Dante and Lauren swing over the river to safety, but are then caught by Skaro.

EB: I’ve been enjoying the current run on Dante recently, but it does seem to suffer slightly from the curse of Robbie Morrison: weaker short stories in between excellent longer tales. It’s not that there’s anything significantly wrong with the current story, but just that it seems to be something of a diversion from the main plot of the ongoing series. However Morrison and Burns seem to be really enjoying themselves on the two latest stories, crafting fun little romps in a kind of sixties style.

It’s always a pleasure to see John Burns in the pages of 2000AD, and he seems to be enjoying himself, either with the humanoid animals or on the barely dressed Lauren (touches of George and Lynn here), though I have to say that I’m looking forward to seeing his work on the upcoming new series of the Bendatti Vendetta.

Though this may not be the peak of Dante tales, it’s enjoyably throwaway entertainment.

AH: Nikolai, Nikolai – where to from here? That’s the question that’s been weighing on the minds of the readership for nigh on two years now, and since I felt the need to lecture Abnett on his creations I suppose I’d better cut Robbie Morrison in on the action. There’s no doubt Morrison is a fine writer, but he’s allowed himself to forget one simple fact – without a cause, Nikolai Dante is nothing.

Taking a lesson from real life, it’s a sad fact that lecherous, self-centred individuals might be amusing for a while, but over time their shallow motivations make for less than compelling company. Morrison avoided this pitfall by pitching Dante into momentous events over which he had little control, proving that beneath the wisecracking exterior there was a man who was prepared to fight the good fight in the name of friendship and justice. That, however, was a long time ago, and every time Morrison scripts another innocuous runaround we drift further from the things that made the strip a classic.

He’s at it again in Primal Screams – yeah, I laughed when the gorilla goon provided a commentary on his own demise, and watching Burns use every trick in the book to obscure Lauren’s assets is not without its charms, but even tasty filler is filler nonetheless (and that’s something that – all together now – should never be encouraged). John Burns single-handedly raises the strip above the everyday, though his best work is usually reserved for subject matter from the dark end of the street. When emotions above the level of the belt buckle are called for he’s the man for the job, so if Morrison can give him something serious to get his teeth into it’ll be a sight to see.

Which leaves me with nothing to do but make a final heartfelt plea to Robbie Morrison – please don’t ignore our request to get things moving again. I know you’ll make it there eventually, but I don’t want to be reading my progs in the retirement home before it happens.