Cover by John Burns

MN: Simon Fraser's November return to Dante has, I'm afraid, ruined John Burns' take on the character for me.  It's terribly unfair on Burns, but I'm afraid that seeing his Dante just reminds me how much I prefer Fraser's work.  Trying to be reasonably objective about things, the cover itself is fine (as fine as a non-Fraser Dante cover can be…) and would certainly seem to do what a cover should - peak the interest of casual/non-readers. 

I wonder if there will be an upturn in the Nuts-reading teenage boy demographic this week? 

The Streets of Dan Francisco Script: John Wagner Art: Rufus Dayglo Letters: Annie Parkhouse

Francisco charges in...

Synopsis: An Origins Interlude. The Streets of Dan Francisco was one of the most popular shows in Mega City One, where Judge Dan Francisco was followed round by a TV crew that reported on his crime busting antics 24 hours a day. Francisco is trying to break up the Citi Def unit of Bob Crumb block when he is mowed down by gunfire as he tries to negotiate. Dredd, realising early that negotiation wasn't going to work, is forced to go in guns blazing to pull Francisco's fat out of the fire. The Citi Def unit is subdued and peace, of a sort, is brought back to the block. Francisco is carted off to the Med Unit, looking forward to a few days out of the limelight, but with the TV crew about to report on every element of his recovery - that doesn't look likely.

MN: I hate it. 

Actually, that's not true; there's a lot to like in this strip. Rufus' old-school colours and artwork are a joy to behold, and Wagner gives us a new Judge character with some depth, something that's always a pleasant change from the blank name badge types, and the possibility of further stories in the future.  But it's not Origins and, for that, I resent it.  It really is a shame because this is far superior fare to some of the pre-Origins filler. I will make a point of re-reading this after Origins concludes, when I will probably thoroughly enjoy it, but for now I'm not happy. 

And I'm not going to be happy about next week's, either. 

Mother London - Part 4 Script: Ian Edginton Art: D'israeli Letters: Ellie De Ville

Yes, what indeed...

Synopsis: Stickleback releases Bey but doesn't expect him to believe everything - at least not yet...

Bey returns home to his wife Mariah who tells him that he's been gone for 2 days. Sergeant Chipps is already there waiting for him to return. He tells them that he was abducted by Stickleback and the story about the city fathers, showing Chipps the documents. He tells Mariah to hide the documents in the house until he has time to read them - even though Chipps says they should show them to Lime. Bey goes to visit Lime who believes Bey's tale of been kidnapped by Stickleback but tells him that Professor Thynne (captured in episode 10) has died in custody. Before he can talk about the papers given to him, Chipps comes in and tells him that Bey's house has burned down.

Elsewhere, something stirs deep in the Earth...

MN: Now that my irrational little paddy - brought about solely because real, live human beings, who only have 24-hours in the day, occasionally need more time to finish things - is out of the way, we'll move on to Stickleback, shall we?  Yes, let's. 

Well, for starters it's by the Leviathan creative team, which is a good thing in any sane person's book.  It's even a good thing in my book *boom tish*.  Of course, being a soft-touch for Ian Edginton stories, a soft-touch for D'Israeli's art, and a soft-touch for Victoriana, I was always going to like this strip, but it really is very good indeed.  D'Israeli's art seems to evolve, for the better, with each new story he creates, and Edginton's London, full of freaks and wierdos, hums with life.  I will whisper it, lest I be burned as a heretic but, from an admittedly very small sample, this may (may) have the possibility (possibility, mind you) of being up there with the League of You Know Who. 

Now, if you will excuse me, I have angry fan-boys to hide from.

The Volgan War - Vol 1, Part 4 Script: Pat Mills Art: Clint Langley Letters: Simon Bowland

Mongrol's bad habit...

Synopsis: The ABCs continue to talk about their experiences of the Volgan War as the spotlight moves over to Mongrol. He tells of the time that he and his troops (again all built from the same model, as with the Hammersteins) were being dropped into Volgow. With them is a Zippo sent from Special Forces, the same one sent to help Hammerstein. As they reach the target, they are intercepted and a hugh firefight ensues. They dive out of their craft, but Mongrol's chute failes and he plummeted to earth...

MN:This current arc is a bit of a challenge to my expectations. Firstly, I thoroughly enjoyed the Shadow Warriors' plotline.  While some thought it was just too OTT and hammy, I thought it was inspired lunacy.  Pat Mills seems to have reigned things in bit here and, as yet, there have been no robotic snakes, living inside other robots' robotic bodies waiting to eat a 3rd party robot's robotic brain.  Which, as far as I'm concerned, is a crying shame.  What we have instead, at least so far, is a fairly standard war story.  It's chocked with the kind of "war is hell, but we'll fight for each other" type cliches and dodgy dialogue that are on every other page of the Commando collection that is my current "Number-2s Book", but seems to lack some that title's boyish charm.  It's not bad at all, it's just several steps back from Shadow Warriors, in my opinion. 

Langley's art, on the other hand, is a different kettle of fish altogether.  I'm afraid, and I seem to be in heretic-BBQing territory again, that I've never been a huge fan of his work.  Langley's run on Slaine was very pretty, but too static for my liking.  However, I've really been enjoying his work on this strip so far.  Maybe it's just my imagination, but some of his robots, somewhat ironically, look more fluid (the splash of Mongrol leaping out of the drop ship is really quite lovely) than his previous, humanoid work.  And while there is still a hint of stiffness about some of his figures, this fits so much better in a largely mechanised world. 

Part 4 Script: Dan Abnett Art: Richard Elson Letters: Ellie De Ville Colours: Steve Roberts

The pack splits up ...

Synopsis: As daylight falls, Gene leads the pack to the light that he saw the previous night. Tod decides that enough is enough and that he's not going to go chasing after Gene's light. Instead he and Maryan decide to head home - although Gary and Jack decide to stay with Gene. As they press onwards to find the light, they see the bodies of another pack which appears to have died of starvation. Before they can ponder this, more creatures appear flying towards them. They try to run, but Jack is too slow and Gene decides to stop and help him before he is killed...

MN:Well, Richard Elson's art is up to his usual high standards, and there's nothing about Dan Abnett's script or plot I really object to, but I seem to have stopped caring about this one.  They fight, some die, they fight again, some more die, they fight again - well, I'm sure you get the picture.  It may well be that the revelation at the end of this arc is as stunning a piece of story-telling as has ever been seen in the history of 2000AD, but it's week four and I'm already skim reading.  If it goes to six progs I probably won't appreciate Abnett's genius for what it is, if it goes to eight progs I'll just be looking at the pretty pictures, and if it goes any longer than that I'll be skipping past the whole thing.  Stick a fork in this now, please. 

Deadlier than the Male - Part 2 Script: Robbie Morrison Art: John Burns Letters: Annie Parkhouse

Dante falls for another woman...

Synopsis: Dante fights the huge Amazon woman while everything is filmed for the enjoyment of the Tsar. After much carry-on style antics, Dante gets the crest to pilot his Strikehawk to him. One electromagnetic harpoon in the arse later and the Amazon is felled. Dante demands that elections are held - but the outcome keeps the Amazons in charge as the men clearly like being subjugated. Dante decides to make the best of a bad thing by bedding the queen...

MN: Okay, putting aside my complaints about John Burns not being Simon Fraser, I've quite enjoyed this short Dante run.  It's been a bit of light to Sword of the Tsar's and (particularly) The Road of Bones' shade.  And I've enjoyed Burns' Wonder Woman-esque riff on the Amazon queen.  But, that said, let's get back to the political machinations sharpish, right?  

MN:Thumbs down overall, I'm afraid.  Dredd, despite being a decent story, was a disappointment as the Origins run is so damned hot at the moment.  ABC Warriors isn't as enjoyable for me as the previous arc, Dante was fun,but ultimately disposable filler, and Kingdom has just disappointing.  Only Stickleback is warming my cockles at present, but that, a good Droid Life and four other 'okay' strips do not a classic prog make. And no letters page! Bah!  Once we return to Origins, tie-up and get rid of Kingdom, and put Dante back in the Tsars court, all will be right with the world, but this prog is best brushed over.

Best Story: Stickleback