2000AD 1564 - 21 November 07

Cover by Peter Doherty

Adam Crabtree: Nothing to report; atmospherically coloured by Pete Doherty, this is nonetheless a rather curious arrangement of images, almost like panels, with a profusion of chunky text.

Mandroid - Instrument of War Part 10 Script: John Wagner Art: Carl Critchlow Colours: Peter Doherty Letters: Annie Parkhouse

The judges edge closer to the truth...

Synopsis: The robot doctor shows Slaughterhouse into the building, introducing him to a load more veterans that the general has recruited. Kitty - still being controled by the General's grand-daughter - works with the general to try and persuade Slaughterhouse to join in their cause. Meanwhile, Dredd and the SJS investigate the leak, finally discovering a Judge Galvin as the problem. He tells them about the soldiers but doesn't know what they're going to try, although the judges find the remains of a floor plan in the General's apartment. Meanwhile, Dredd follows up a lead on a purchase of the General's grand-daughter's rare meds...

AC: Feeling the skill from John Wagner, with Instrument of War demonstrating the man's powers. A particulalry bracing instalment this week as the backstory of the main anatagonists is revealed (and no prisoners are being taken) and Slaughterhouse is further manipulated into a war on the judges. This is every bit as great a sombre, colourful, thoughtful, thrilling story as the seminal Mandroid was.

The Chaperone - Part 5 Script: Robbie Morrison Art: John Burns Letters: Annie Parkhouse

Arkady shows his true colours...

Synopsis: Dante fights Skar and almost loses until Elena comes to the rescue and beheads Skar, saving him.

Meanwhile, Sonja and Arkady are surrounded by Skar's men when Arkady reveals that he has crest powers after all, in what appears to be a combination of Dante's and Konstantin's powers. He kills the attackers and then turns on Sonja in case she woulod give his secret away. He carries her dead body back to Dante - "the wedding's off!"

AC: Intriguing developments this week. Has Arkady come into his own as a biorganic bastard, or is he channeling his father in more ways than one? The uncompromising twists in this tale elevate what was an otherwise standard Dante tale; it's all very well to have these little "romps", but the strip is barely worth the time when the rich ongoing storylines aren't being furthered

Life is an Open Casket - Ep 5 Script: Dan Abnett Art: Anthony Williams Letters: Simon Bowland

Moses plans a truce...

Synopsis: Dexter has dinner with Tracey, who notices his hand shaking. He's called by Sinister who fills him in on Appellido and The Mover's connection - that they are both Moses Tanenbaum. Meanwhile the Mover - the Tanenbaum from another dimension - decides that he should join forces with his clone counterpart...

AC: The "eating" motif, I'll concede, is a skillful piece of graphic storytelling, but it's a bitter tidbit. Any joy SinDex can offer these days is the equivalent of being given a delicous bag of fish and chips, and told that it's conditional to your granting hearty sexual favours to a musk ox.

This strip just makes me feel weary now

War Stories - Part 3 Script: Ian Edginton Art: Steve Yeowell Letters: Simon Bowland

Dancer's spoils...

Synopsis: Jim reveals that Professor Toten is an ancient villain who now aligns with the Nazis. Toten is after Dancer's journal and treasure chest - and they find both underneath the solicitor's office - whioch is actually the temple of Cadmus (seen in the last Red Seas interlude). However, as they find it, Toten arrives, with a troop of Nazi Mannequins...

AC: All Ian Edington's finest moments seem tied up in the exploits of Jack Dancer and company, and this is mainly because of the strip's feverish creative energy; out of the blue, we've jumped centuries into the future to see where the fallout from the original adventures have led, a daring enterprise to say the least. Fortunately, that same healthy sense of the macabre and the swashing of buckles pervades, and a darkly entertaining story is the reward of the risk. The atmosphere of the visuals is impressive as well; it's hard to reconcile the limitations of the recent Detonator X with the rich visual style displayed by Steve Yeowell here...

The Hitman's Daughter - Part 12 Script: John Wagner Art: Frazer Irving Colours: Fiona Staples Letters: Ellie De Ville

Adele joins forces with Harry...

Synopsis: Harry gets the better of Adele and proceeds to tell her that he turned down the job to kill her father once he learned they were killing an ex-button man. The judge orders him to kill Adele, but Harry realises that he's been set up. He gives Adele back her gun and says that the exits will be covered. True enough, armed men are sent in to attack them. Harry acts as cover and tells Adele to get into the action to save their lives...

AC: The story that has been quietly getting on and serving up top notch characterisation, a build of tension that'd make Guy Ritchie curl into a foetal position and the kind of veiled, quietly cynical commentary that has made the Button Man saga a modern classic; Frazer Irving's art is beautiful without being showy, John Wagner's plotting has been steady and controlled with just enough flavour to keep the reader hooked, and the payoff is just as satisfying as you'd expect.

I want to be the first to sue for a showdown between Harry Exton and Sinister Dexter; that might just be the answer to our prayers... ;)

AC: 1564, you give good prog...

Best Story: Button Man