Cover: Clint Langley	2000AD Prog 1466 - 23 November 2005
	Judge Dredd (Wagner / Ranson) The Red Seas (Edginton / Yeowell) Leatherjack (Smith / Marshall) Sinister Dexter (Abnett / Davis) Leviathan (Edginton / D'israeli) Synopsis by Gavin Hanly 1st opinion by Richard Pearce 2nd opinion by Mike Nye Summaries and reviews contain spoilers for this issue.

RP: I've never been a great fan of Clint Langley's work, either painted or computer-enhanced and this, his second cover for Leatherjack, doesn't really change my mind.

All of the usual elements are there - rich textures, OTT lighting effects and apparent photo-manipulation (amusingly, it seems that the model used in Langley's work on Slaine is moonlighting as intergalactic assassin, Leatherjack...) - but the finished piece is far less than the sum of its parts.

MN: I got a strange feeling of deja vu when I got home from the shop and looked this cover. So much so that I was, in fact, convinced that the newsagent had sold me a copy of 2000AD that was a few weeks old. "Bugger" I thought, "and I'm supposed to be doing a review, too". Then I realised that I haven't actually seen this cover before, it's just that it reminds me of all the Slaine covers the Langley droid has done (but with more gasmask-codpieces).

I've said before that Langley's art, although technically brilliant, is lacking a certain something, to my eyes. Very pretty, I'm sure, but not my cup of tea. Still, as a visually arresting image it works well, with the flashes of light keeping the cover from looking too dark, and the logo clearly visible.

Change of Loyalties

One of these days they're actually going to listen to him...

Synopsis: Anatoli Kazan and his aide (last seen in Blood Trails), Yuri, visit the Mega City 1 consulate office in Oz requesting an audience with the Chief Judge and political asylum. Hershey calls a meeting of the council of Five to discuss the issue as Kazan is transported to Mega City 1. Judge Votten feels Kazan could be an asset to them with in-depth knowledge, but Dredd is dead-set against the idea. Hershey orders Dredd to meet with Kazan before he makes up his mind - she says she'll vote along with whatever Dredd suggests.

Visiting Kazan, Dredd is told that he has passed every lie detector test and a cadre of telepaths also believe him. Dredd still thinks that being a genetically modified genius, he could fool them. Kazan tells Dredd that his two defeats against Dredd have led him to being condemned by his own people and he has had to resort to crawling to Mega City 1 for aid. His only request, if he is to remain prisoner, is to have a room with a view. Dredd's report back to Hershey is brief: "Once a creep, always a creep". But the council still votes to accept Kazan's help, setting him up in a suite under guard at the Grand Hall. He enjoys the view as he begins his stay in the city...

RP: Gordon Rennie & Henry Flint on Dredd - how could you go wrong? Well, you could start with a story that's tied into Rennie's ongoing "Clone Kazan" arc...

Although many readers have enjoyed "Blood Trails" and "Gulag" I feel that this saga has been rather lacklustre, especially when compared to some of Gordon Rennie's superb shorter stories.

"Change of Loyalties" is, therefore, a pleasant surprise. It turns the story so far on its head, and while the chances of Kazan working for the good of the Big Meg are slim, it does at least make the future a little more uncertain.

The real star turn here is Henry Flint's art - or more specifically, his colours. In the past Chris Blythe's colouring has given Flint's work a very polished, conventional look. While the results were always attractive I've felt that some of the exciting rough edges and eccentricities present in Flint's earlier colour work for 2000AD had been lost.

It's a pleasure then to see him breaking loose on this strip with some remarkable, striking colour choices & an experimental approach to digital colouring that is light years beyond the flat, lifeless work that has characterised some artists' first forays into computer colouring.

MN: Well, that was a turn up for the books. So Kazan has been granted asylum in the Big Meg, eh? Well, of course he's up to something, but it should be interesting to see what it is. Can we assume that Anatoli is going to be very useful for some time, waiting until Dredd's dislike of him looks unreasonable before he makes his move? Can we also assume that the voting scene is supposed to plant the impression that Hershey went against Dredd's recommendations?

Whatever, this is a fine one-off Dredd - nice art from Flint, and classic Dredd-being-Dredd scripting from Rennie. I'm sure this gives Wagner and Rennie plenty to play with in the coming months and years.

Underworld - Part 7

Dissolving beasties..

Synopsis: Isaac Newton demonstrates the effect of the vials on the head on one of the monsters - causing it to instantly dissolve. Jack believes his father sent the monsters, while Newton thinks they might be from a more advanced society and Erebus certainly thinks magic is involved.

They decide to go on the offensive and head out to the mine where Jack's father was last seen. Newton has given Alex and Julius items from the Brotherhood's archives that should help them and they head into the mines - with Alex tagging along. As they descend, it grows hotter and luminous mould starts to light up the caverns. They hear a noise and investigate - discovering a pair of flying ships tethered to the walls...

RP: It's quite a surprise to note that this latest outing for Dancer & co. has already reached its seventh episode. It's been an enjoyable ride so far, if slightly slower and more interested in developing character than the last major story, "Twilight of the Idols". While I'm missing the sheer spectacle of that series - and where else but a comic would you get a Kraken battling a Colossus? - "Underworld" has perhaps done more to secure the future of the strip by fleshing out the crew and their world.

Edginton's script is ably interpreted by Steve Yeowell, who is equally at home with both the grand & unusual and the talking head scenes. It's a tribute to his work on "The Red Seas" that I now can't imagine another artist working on this series.

MN: I mentioned in my last review that I'm a fan of this strip and I'm enjoying the current arc. While nothings really kicked off yet, we've learned quite a lot about our cast of lovable rouges - particularly Jack - which invariably leads to we, as readers, caring more about any potential dangers to the characters. Something of a bridging episode, this one, getting Dancer's crew underground where everything seems sure to happen, but it's still full of lovely touches, such as the return of Newton's pocketwatch.

Chapter 16

The Spinsters' last stand...

Synopsis: Leatherjack's signal has caused the Arkhive to materialise on earth. He warns Whipcord that Qwish has arrived and to shield his ship. Qwish and his army materialises and confronts Leatherjack while the Spinsters watch from orbit. The Spinsters detect that the hive has arrived and that part of the library has survived. A surge of energy comes from the planet and destroys the Spinster fleet.

Down on the planet, Leatherjack is fighting Qwish's army while Whipcord taunts Qwish from behind the safety of his shileded ship. but Qwish easily disrupt the shield and destroys Whipcord and Hartley. As Leatherjack continues his slaughter, the Shibboleth swarm from the hive to join the battle.

RP: While I'm delighted to see Tharg taking a risk with a longer series, I can't really say that "Leatherjack" has been a success.

Perhaps it's because I feel that Paul Marshall's art is so unsuited to the story at hand, or perhaps because the story is veering too far into camp ("I'm going to read you to death"? "All hail the hive mind"?) but at 17 episodes it's long outstayed its welcome.

A welcome, but ultimately unsuccessful, experiment.

MN: When I reviewed prog 1460 I mentioned that, despite really wanting to like this strip, I just couldn't get into it. Well, 1462 rolled around and all was forgiven. That prog, and the next one, had real, genuinely dramatic impact and where brilliantly written and drawn. Just a week later, I feared that Smith was back to flirting with pretentiousness again but the important difference this time was that he'd given me a reason to invest in the Leatherjack character. I was in a more forgiving mood when I read all the Temple of Borobudor stuff and Smith seems to have rewarded readers who stuck with him by seemingly pulling all the threads together. This prog whistles along, with the ends of the Dowager Khan and Whipcord, and I find myself thoroughly looking forward to the final showdown.

And Death shall have no dumb minions... (Part 8)

Sinister makes a decision...

Synopsis: Sinister tries to talk Billi down from killing Appellido while he ignores his phone - on which Dexter desperately trying to get through to him.

Dex is on the run from the Police and doesn't know how to resolve the situation - while Weld is telling all the officers that no one is to arrest him but her.

Sinister, meanwhile, finally talks Billi into giving him her gun, telling her that killing Appellido is the last thing that her sister would have wanted. Appellido orders Sinister to kill her, but he knocks Applellido out instead. They head to the stairs and get ready for a big firefight...

RP: With the anticlimactic "Last Train to Kal Cutter" and now this, the writing seems to be on the wall for the gunsharks. I certainly hope so, as if this is the best Dan Abnett has to offer for the series, dragging it out any further is going to be a painful experience, and a waste of Simon Davis' talents.

Echoes of the far superior "Eurocrash" do nothing to help the story, and Dexter's anguish at accidentally shooting a police officer is thoroughly unconvincing. Reintroducing Billi Octavo - perhaps the most irritating supporting character ever to appear in 2000AD - and making her a central figure is simply the icing on a particularly rotten cake.

Inspired by "Dredd" and "Leatherjack", here's another experiment I'd like to see Tharg try: Take this strip out behind the Nerve Centre and put it out of its misery. Dan Abnett is capable of much better, and Simon Davis certainly doesn't deserve to be shackled to this rubbish.

MN: There's something about this latest story arc. Yes, it's been reasonably ho hum and by-the-numbers up to this point (shooting of the cop aside). Yes, they appear to have killed off a potentially interesting foil in Charon far too quickly. But Dan Abnett has somehow managed to instill in me this feeling that there's something afoot here. I'm going to go on record as predicting that something big is about to happen. And let me tell you: I'm never, ever wrong about these types of things. Ever. Well, ok sometimes I am, but then I just deny all knowledge of the prediction (Argyle to be challenging for the playoffs this season? I really have no idea what you're talking about, old boy).

Honestly, something big had better happen, and soon, because all this current arc has done is remind me exactly how long these characters have been treading water for.

Beyond the Blue Horizon

Ashbless waits in the wings...

Synopsis: A lone pilot, coming from the Leviathan, is lost at sea with no way of finding her way back to the ship, as her homing beacon has been switched off.

A few days earlier, the pilot, a Miss Petra Connaught, met with the captain, Copper and Ashbless to discuss her plan of using the Mail Plane, with major refits to find a way home. Ashbless identifies her as a "celebrated aviatrix" who flew around the world and the captain agrees to her plan.

Before she leaves, she and the captain meet up where they both admit that something is wrong with the ship. The next day, she flies off to great acclaim from the ships passengers, but four days later she has run out of petrol and crashes into the sea. Hastur picks up her body and adds her soul to his collection on the Leviathan. "Even death is no release."..

RP: An enjoyable short piece, and a welcome change from the usual Future Shock/Past Imperfect/Terror Tale that would usually be slotted in to fill a gap. That said, it is perhaps going to be a touch confusing for new readers, or anyone who missed "Leviathan", as there are no concessions to the uninitiated, and the details that make the strip satisfying for fans of the original will pass anyone else by.

MN: The return of the Leviathian to the pages of the galaxy's greatest comic is very welcome indeed. Last weeks strip was excellent, and this one is no different. There's still plenty for Ian Edginton to play with in this world of fear and fog, and D'Israeli's art is wonderful; I'd love to see him on in the comic on a more regular basis.