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Home ¦ Features ¦ 2005AD Review part 3

31st December 05

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Andrew Howe - Reviewer

A few weeks ago I started thinking about what I was going to say regarding 2000 AD in 2005 and my general impression was that it’d been a very good year indeed. I haven’t changed my tune, but a glance at the credits reveals the positive vibes were primarily the result of a strong run in the second half of the year. Anchored by the one-two punch of Blood Trails and Mandroid, the weekly sailed home on the back of Atavar III, Leatherjack, The Red Seas and the first Sinister Dexter tale I’ve enjoyed in as long as I can remember. This allowed me to forget that 2005 was the same year I endured Second City Blues, failed to gain any amusement from the ostensibly comedic Robo-Hunter, and nearly threw the prog across the room when confronted by four episodes of Bec & Kawl.

Unfortunately things weren’t quite as rosy over in the Meg. It seems to run in cycles – a couple of years ago the Meg trounced the weekly every time it hit the shelves, but in 2005 it become the dumping ground for forgettable Dredd one-off’s, supporting characters rising above their station (Bato Loco, Johnny Woo and our old friend Middenface) and an overdose of The Simping Detective (Point’s a great character, but Spurrier might want to consider what happened to Sinister Dexter when the gunsharks refused to take a break). Anderson single-handedly justified the cost of my subscription, but the editorial team might want to consider how they’re going to play to the Meg’s strengths before we get too far into 2006.

There’s one interesting statistic from the year just passed – the weekly featured only five stories out of thirty eight (Second City Blues, Tiger Sun Dragon Moon, American Gothic, Leatherjack and Breathing Space) that weren’t part of a continuing series or further instalments of multi-part strips that will eventually conclude with the words “The End” and really mean it. Whether this is a good thing is open to debate – since the groundwork has already been laid stories that feature returning characters tend to make the most of their page count, but the absence of the new makes me wonder where the next Bad Company or Killing Time is coming from.

But enough with the introduction. It’s time to hand out the awards for 2005, and what better place to start than:

Best non-Dredd series: Leatherjack

By rights this should have gone to Caballistics, but an entire year has passed by without any major developments (memo to Rennie – I ain’t getting any younger). American Gothic was gone before it had the chance to deliver on its early promise, Abnett needed more than seven episodes to conclude the hugely enjoyable Atavar, and Shakara introduced a vibrant supporting cast for the sole purpose of killing them off (I vowed I would never read another episode if Valentine bought the farm, and I meant it).

I suppose it’s a moot point in any event, since giving John Smith and Paul Marshall eighteen episodes to play with placed Leatherjack in a class all its own. Overflowing with unsettling images, electric prose and broad-spectrum insanity, it proved there’s still room in the weekly for the kind of original one-off’s that featured prominently in every acknowledged golden age from 1977 to date.

The runner-up award goes to Anderson, with particular emphasis on City of Dead – we’ve certainly seen its like before, but there’s still nobody who brings the violence down to a personal level quite like Arthur Ranson (the double-page depiction of a riot in Meg 235 is one of the year’s most memorable panels). I’m concerned that this strip might run out of steam down the track (does anyone really want another Phobia and Nausea story?), but Grant could still bring it home if he continues to raise the stakes in 2006.

That’s the top two sorted, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how close Low Life came to being a contender. Rock and a Hard Place was an enjoyable slice of lunacy, and the somewhat heavier He’s Making a List …in Prog 2006 was potentially the best thing in a fantastic issue. Williams has kept the strip fresh by doling it out in small doses, and he’s proved adept at managing the difficult task of mixing drama and comedy without allowing one to reduce the impact of the other. He’s also created one of the greatest characters to emerge from the last couple of years into the bargain – Dirty Frank’s hugely amusing deadpan riff might wear thin if overused, but for the time being he’s always welcome in my house, and unexpected displays of basic humanity (see the last page of He’s Making a List ...) point the way to potentially intriguing developments down the track.

Signs of life? The conclusion of “… and No Dumb Minions” leads me to believe that in 2006 Sinister Dexter will either atone for years of inertia or go down for the final time, and Odacon is the only instalment of Slaine from the last decade I’d revisit without the threat of bodily harm. I’m hearing whispers from the winds of change, but I won’t be raising the banner until I know which way they’re blowing.

I’ve got a soft spot for The Searchers, but there’s no way I’m going to rate anything above Mandroid. Unremittingly grim, occasionally disturbing and often moving, it’s an emotionally draining saga where everyone loses and nobody gets away clean. It stands to prove that you don’t need a complicated narrative when you’ve set the controls for the darkness at the core of the human condition, and Walker’s contribution is a case study in matching the artist to the subject matter (his depiction of Nate’s long dark night of the soul in Prog 1457 borders on brilliance).

Blood Trails comes home in third place – best remembered for being a case study in not matching the artist to the subject matter (cute depiction of Vienna, though) and Rennie’s inexplicable failure to honour his promise to deliver a major character to the Reaper, it was still a well-written yarn that made a significant contribution to Dredd continuity. Ultimately crushed by the weight of expectation, I suspect history will judge it kindly once the unfulfilled promises of the marketing department have faded to black.

Best non-Dredd one-off: No award

This is supposed to be for single episode one-off’s, but I think I’ll hold the award for a year in which there are more than three nominees. This is actually a good thing - a collection of every Terror Tale, Future Shock, Past Imperfect etc ever published would consist of seventy-five percent filler, and the absence of these tales has made me realise how little I miss them (though I appreciate it’s a breeding ground for new talent, so I’m giving a hearty stamp of approval to the decision to shift the one-off’s to the Winter Special).

Best Artist: Arthur Ranson/Kev Walker

Arthur Ranson, whose work on Anderson is as fresh today as it was when we were enjoying Shamballa in 1990 (though his refusal to draw Cass with long hair is just as annoying as it was in 1990 – she might be old enough to be someone’s mother, but she’s responsible for an entire generation talking to their therapists about an unnatural desire for a comic-book character).

However, I can’t condone Kev Walker missing out for Mandroid, so we’ll split the trophy down the middle and call it a photo finish.

Best Writer: Gordon Rennie

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. Gordon Rennie. Wagner and Rennie duked it out in Dredd and came out about even, though I still haven’t forgiven Wagner for carrying the mean-spirited PJ Maybe storyline years past its use-by date. We therefore need to look beyond MC1 to find a winner, and Wagner’s only contribution all year was the bizarre Bogie Man. Rennie, on the other hand, gave us Caballistics (which is a major effort even when it’s in a holding pattern) and an enjoyable dose of Cursed Earth Koburn, and that’s enough to edge him into the top spot.

The honourable mention goes to John Smith, whose unique visions always provide a welcome shot of originality when things start to feel a little reheated. All Hell was hampered by occasional slow patches - boredom isn’t an emotion I expect to experience during a Devlin Waugh tale, but on the other hand the leisurely pace lent it a weight the frenetic Red Tide lacked (and what was the last story you read that featured deicide as a plot device?). I’m not going to say anything more about Leatherjack, but when you combine the two it’s evident that Smith indulged in a serious work ethic in 2005 and reaped the rewards as a result.

Best Newcomer: No Award

We don’t like strangers ‘round these parts, as an examination of the credits for 2005 reveals almost nobody who hasn’t worked for the weekly or the Meg in prior years. I thought about giving the award to the person who really came into their own this year, but everyone seems to be as good (or not) as they ever were. This is a testament to the sheer number of writers and artists the editorial team can call on these days, best evidenced by the fact that Dan Abnett only managed to fit in six strips in the entire year (at certain times in the past it seemed like he was writing the entire prog). Not so good for those trying to break in, but in terms of variety we’ve never had it better.

Best cover

The top covers, from five to one:

Prog 1447

Prog 1429 – Jim Murray conspires to make Dante appear dashing and heroic, which is more than can be said for his behaviour inside the prog.

Prog 1436 – Boo Cook continues to impress with a fearsome image of a possessed Dredd from Descent.

Prog 1460 – Jack Dancer wears a noose for a necklace courtesy of Steve Yeowell.

Prog 1455 – Charlie Adlard and Chris Blythe turn the only character more psychotic than Savage himself into a disturbingly desirable pin-up girl, providing a new generation with something to talk to their therapists about.

Prog 1447 – The Caballistics team line up for a photo to grace their Christmas card mail-out courtesy of Dom Readon.

The Meg covers didn’t move me this year, so by default I’m going for Ezquerra’s depiction of Koburn for Meg 239. There wasn’t much to it, but the ubiquitous hard liquor and stogie add the requisite dash of Cursed Earth cool.

Most underrated: Atavar

Step forward, Atavar. It may have been over too quickly, but while it lasted it was the equivalent of a 1960’s galaxy-spanning science fiction novel brought to technicolour life (complete with an ending that featured our heroes about to embark on a struggle against overwhelming odds, leaving our imagination to bring the saga to a close.)

“Worldbreaker. Champion-Construct. My friend.” Grown men have cried over less.

Most overrated: Young Middenface

Normally I’d take it out on a returning “favourite” like Robo-Hunter or Rogue Trooper, but nobody else seemed to rate them either. Instead I’m going for Middenface McNulty in the Meg – I have zero interest in reading about the early days of a character that was, to be honest, little more than a comic foil to the perennially pensive Johnny Alpha, leaving us with a story that has nowhere to go and takes its sweet time getting there. I don’t know how old Middenface was in his SD days, but I can only hope there aren’t too many years between now and then.

What would I like to see in 2000 A.D. and the Megazine next year?

The absence of Rogue Trooper. I’ve had little time for this strip from the day I read the debut episode in 1981, and a quarter century of rehashed storylines and zero personal growth has frayed my patience to breaking point (not the least because Rennie has better things to do with his time). The impending release of a Rogue video game means the character is unlikely to be shelved for the foreseeable future, so I guess I’ll just grit my teeth and wait for better days.

Worst thing about 2000 A.D. this year

I try to be positive, really I do, but sometimes you’ve just gotta call it as you see it. These are the things that drove me crazy this year:

• Second City Blues slipping past quality control. Many readers found it in their hearts to forgive this strip by the end of its run, but given the quality of the competition I’m not inclined to cut it any slack. It’s worth noting that the editor chose to name-check it in the introduction to Prog 2006 as an example of “graphic excellence”, which might have been true if those kind words had appeared in the final issue for 1993.
• Simon Spurrier taking time off from worthier pursuits to inflict another round of Bec & Kawl on the long-suffering readership. Comedy is a personal preference, but I’ll take the wit of Low Life over this brand of ganja-addled juvenilia any day.
• The slow train to anywhere important in Nikolai Dante and Caballistics. At the current average of 13 episodes a year, I’ll be residing in the local cemetery before we get to the heart of the matter.

Best thing about 2000 A.D. this year

Things I loved in 2005:

• Dredd continuing to evolve from a strip that I’d read out of duty to one of the best things in the weekly. The renaissance has been building for several years, and with Wagner and Rennie driving each other to new heights the sky’s the limit in 2006 (just watch those stopgap one-off’s, since it’s a great way to curb the enthusiasm).
• Sinister Dexter living up to its potential in the final story of the year. Abnett’s probably got the message by now – if someone’s not marked for death, the lynch mob cometh.
• Alan Grant proving that his affinity for Anderson is so highly developed that he’s practically incapable of turning in a below-par effort. Cass has been responsible for some of the greatest stories of the last fifteen years (heck, I even liked Crusade), and 2005 proved there’s still life in everyone’s favourite telepath (unfortunately everyone’s second-favourite telepath took a turn for the worse this year, but I can’t believe they’ll let Karyn rot in a cell forever).
• The realisation that the current line-up of writers and artists is the greatest collection of talent the weekly has had at its disposal in any era, bar none. You know who I’m talking about - Rennie, Wagner, Grant, Mills, Ezquerra, Ranson, Flint and Burns. Then again, perhaps I’m thinking of Abnett, Smith, Spurrier, Williams, Gibson, Davis, Kennedy and Irving. Or could I be referring to Edginton, Morrison, Critchlow, Yeowell, Reardon, Marshall, D’Israeli, Elson and Langley? You get the idea – that’s 25 class acts right there, working for a publication that only has space for around seventy stories every year. And if you ever needed a reason to renew your subscription for 2006, you’ve just found it.

So that’s it for another year. I realise I’m not always the easiest taskmaster when I settle down to write a review, so I’ll conclude by offering a vote of thanks to all the folks who worked hard for my entertainment during the last twelve months. It’s rarely been so easy to keep the faith, and I look forward to the big-ticket events and unexpected treasures of 2006 with an easy heart. The weekly’s firing on all cylinders again, and the cost of admission is a small price to pay for this kind of ride.

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