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Thirteen
by Mike
Carey, Any Clarke and Chris Blythe
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What to Expect:
Low lifes, psychics, and a conspiracy that reaches to the centre of the Earth.
Oh, and a little bit of swearing and nudity as well.
Review by Alex
Frith
19th May 06
‘Thirteen’
is that rare story - a distilled essence of what 2000 AD is all about. It’s
distinctly British in its writing, dialogue, art, characters and setting. It’s
gritty and urban – yet at the same time is sprawling in scope. It’s
intentionally funny, in a pleasingly off-hand way. It also combines a number of
classic sci-fi ideas: psychic powers, alien creatures, obscure ideas about the
origins of life on Earth, all that sort of thing. All of this is almost everything
you’d expect to find in a random Prog, just not usually all in one story.
The series hangs
around Joe Bulmer, a petty thief and general low-life who has mild telekinetic
abilities. Enough to help him cheat at cards, but not enough to stop himself getting
beaten up. We get a brief flavour of his life in present-day London, before things
start going off the rails. In very short order, Joe encounters all manner of shape
shifting alien creatures, ghostly warrior goddess Aden, fellow human psychic Daksha,
and craggy anti-villain Durant (which isn’t to say he’s a good guy).
This leads into an extended chase sequence that lasts virtually to the end, with
plenty of action and well-paced exposition thrown in, as we, Joe and Daksha learn
what exactly is going on.
Whilst Joe Bulmer
is not so very different from a host of 2000 AD anti-heroes, Daksha and Durant
in particular are fresh. Stoic and witty without being too high minded or full
of themselves, they hold the story together, by equal turns mocking and bringing
to life the rather outlandish plot that unfolds. Or perhaps it’s just the
way Andy Clarke draws Durant that gives him appeal – a massive beast of
a man, with curious scars all over his skin and hands so huge they make a chain-saw
look like a toothpick. Indeed, Thirteen remains for me the high point of Clarke’s
artistic career to date. Good use of expressions and relevant hand gestures (body
language is so often ignored by other artists, I feel), and of course some fantastic
character and set designs, too. All perfectly complimented by the ever-reliable
Chris Blythe.
The overall concept
behind Thirteen is perhaps nothing new, but I loved it. I also enjoyed the breakneck
feel of Joe’s journey. When I first read the series as weekly instalments,
I remember being very impressed with the rapidity of new ideas and madness on
display each episode, without worrying too much about how it all fit together.
I’m pleased to report that it’s still a great read in one go, but
the plot does start to suffer. Certain characters might have behaved differently,
I feel, given revelations that occur by the end. I also found the dialogue annoying
in places. Yes, it reads naturalistically for the most part, but sometimes it
feels forced. Too much referencing, a little too much use of slang, both in individual
words and in phrasing. Still, it adds nicely to the cynical tone of the whole
strip, and keeps its setting in place, even as the action moves off the streets.
In the end, Thirteen
is a well-formed short series, and well worth reading if you haven’t already.
A one-off that ranks alongside earlier 2000 AD hits ‘Fiends of the Eastern
Front’ and ‘Killing Time’, and like them it has earned its right
to have a collected edition. Rarely for a DC/Rebellion volume, it even has a few
extras at the back. 2 covers, 4 pin-up pages (which may or may not have appeared
as Star Scans), and best of all, a page of Andy Clarke’s character designs
with notes. Although sadly there’s no explanation of what exactly that weird
loop thing is that hangs off Joe Bulmer’s jeans…
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