2000AD Prog 1581 - 9 April 08

Cover by Patrick Goddard & Chris Blythe

WR Logan: A nice eye catching cover from Patrick Goddard. It's that old style of cover in that it takes a frame from a story inside the prog and transports it to the front page. If I have one niggle, it’s that the new logo and the cover headlines means that the cover does seem slightly taken over by text. 

Stephen Watson: I'm not too fond of this cover. It has a generic feel which means that it doesn't really tell me much or intrigue me to look inside. The 'Savage' strapline is too small and it is only on closer inspection that you realise who is starring this week. The design and execution are competent enough but it's really just a forgettable cover that won't trouble any year end "best of" lists.

...Regrets - Part 5 Script: John Wagner Art: Nick Dyer Colours: Chris Blythe Letters: Annie Parkhouse

Ouch...

Synopsis: Wildy has indeed tracked down the Total War cell and the kidnappers try to escape, throwing the child into traffic as a distraction. Jubal Fargo leaps after the boy, throwing him to safety, but getting himself killed as a result. Dredd kills Barry Zimms and the others are taken into custody. Later, footage of Jubal's sacrifice is seen on TV, and Dredd feels that it might do good for the mutant cause in the city. He offers Wildy Fargo a job, but the Fargos take him back home -"Cursed Earth is a whole lot healthier place for a boy to grow up"

WRL: The latest chapter in the family Dredd series comes to an end and a great 5 weeks it’s been - at times Dredd has taken a back seat to everything else that has been going on. In 5 weeks Wagner has packed loads of familiar faces in to the story and in this part we even see the Fargo gene in Dredd’s mutant family surface when one of them makes the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of justice.

My only complaint over the last 5 weeks has been the choice of artist. I know others will step up to the dock and vehemently defend the artwork but for me it fails on many levels. The style doesn’t seem to suit the story especially with the ongoing threads of Dredd’s family and the mutant storyline but also because I don’t think the artist is good enough to do any Dredd story. The citizens look as weird as the mutants, take away the colours and there’s a distinct lack of anything. If it’s not directly at the front of the frame there seems very little effort in any of the artwork and I’m afraid for me I won’t be looking forward to seeing the artwork appearing on any Dredd story in the near future. 

SW: John Wagner delivers another writing master class in this five episode Dredd arc. He deftly juggles various plot threads in a similar fashion to Dredd who has his own set of concerns to deal with. To be fair, the mutant vote fallout has only been touched on, but the kidnap investigation getting entwined with the Fargos' visit was deftly done.

Wildy out-sniffing the Justice Department's best technology is a bit far fetched but, what the hey, they're mutants and they can do anything the writer wants. The death of Jubal Fargo was well handled although the effect on the City's mutant attitude may be overstated on a population with a zero second attention span.

Nick Dyer's art has caused no end of controversy with many stating that a Future Shock is the correct placing of an artist just promoted from the fanzines. My position is that if they're good enough, then they're experienced enough and for me Nick is. I wouldn't say I was a fan just yet but he produces a unique and consistent style that is similar to McMahon and Cam Kennedy. In my opinion, there have been plenty less talented artists assigned to Dredd in the past and although this is a pivotal tale I think Nick comes through in great style.

The Guv'nor - Part 5 Script: Pat Mills Art: Patrick Goddard Letters: Ellie De Ville

Savage leads the charge...

Synopsis: Savage's crew attack, but are driven back by the Speznatz - later Savage is still missing...

WRL: As well as his appearance on this week's cover, I’m really enjoying the return of Patrick Goddard inside the cover of the Galaxy's Greatest Comic. Whilst Savage will never be a particularly favourite thrill of mine it has got me reading it because of Patrick’s artwork. 

SW: After a promising start this series of Savage fizzled out somewhat and that's strange given that there is action in almost every panel. I felt the strip lost momentum somewhat as the Volgs and the resistance looked too similar - as a result I had to reread the strip before understanding who was doing what to whom. I know one lot have balaclavas and the others visors but given the murky black and white art it wasn't always clear.

The narrative itself seemed to go up a cul-de-sac and then back itself out without too much happening in the interim.
Although the reboot of Savage has been an unqualified success I do miss the days of a five page battle with plenty of shooting, a few wisecracks and a payoff that left Silk bewildered. The framing of the tales with a rubbish stand up comedian do a good job in setting the scene and in showing how the average citizens are accepting the occupation to some extent, while men like Savage still fight the good fight.

The lack of an identifiable villain is also a problem and I wonder if Pat Mills regrets killing Svetlana in such a throwaway manner. I try my best to like the strip but recently it has stopped blowing me away and started to fire blanks.

Part 5 Script: John Smith Art: Lee Carter Letters: Simon Bowland

Danny takes his new powers in his stride ...

Synopsis: Nightingale is rushed to hospital, so the government call in an Iraq veteran, Sgt Kellett to shadow Danny Redman and track down an underground civilisation called Agartha. Danny has become a Seer and should be able to find a way into Agartha. Meanwhile Danny and Geoff meet up with Geoff's friend Mike and wonder if the drugs have opened his mind and enabled him to see what the ufos are up to. They also think that the government is looking for a new kind of energy and Danny might be able to find it for them. Danny looks at a postcard and sees the symbol he witnessed in his vision and realises they need to get to Castlerigg Stone Circle...

WRL: John Smith may, at times, be an acquired taste when it comes to his thrills but I’m enjoying Dead Eyes. I may not be completely sure what’s going on one week to the next but it has me wanting to know more. Like many of John’s thrills, I look forward to reading it in one go to see whether I enjoy it more as a whole.

As for Lee Carter’s artwork, it does appear very muddy at times but when it eventually appears as a graphic novel I hope the reproduction does it more justice. A thrill that doesn’t fully charge my thrill receptors but may just hit the spot when read in one hit. 

SW: I've surprised myself somewhat by enjoying this John Smith scripted tale. I usually try my best but quickly lose interest. With 'Leatherjack' I baled out after three weeks so he's bettered that already! His scripts do have an 'out there' quality, something which I've never enjoyed but at least this time his excesses have been reigned in somewhat.

The story treads a familiar path with the illuminati being behind a global conspiracy, with that and other factors reminding me strongly of 'Finn'. I've yet to fully engage with the characters but the sequence this week with the 'conspiracy nut' went some way to resolving that.

The art isn't immediately eye-catching with its murkiness and lack of a sharp edge. However, on closer inspection the detail is amazing and it suits the tale where nothing is as it seems. I'm not sure how long this one has to run but as long as it isn't a 'Leatherjack' challenging 26 weeks I'll stay for the run.

Make Believe - Part 4 Script: Robbie Morrison Art: Shaun Thomas Letters: Ellie De Ville

Kane gets weepy...

Synopsis: Malloy and Harris seek shelter with Kane while the gods outside take revenge on the populace for Lense's death. Kane tells them that he wants to know how they killed the Gods themselves - although Malloy later sees Kane weeping over a picture of what appears to be a blacked out photo his wife and son.

Meanwhile, the vampire cult has arrived in Pennsylvania...

WRL: To tell you the truth, I only spotted this week that the artist had changed which goes to show how much I’ve been paying attention to this Thrill. I gave up after part two and decided to horde the Progs next to my sleep machine so that I can read it all in one go when it finishes.

SW: I enjoyed the first series of this strip but this outing has yet to catch fire for me. The idea of mortals taking on super powered gods is a good one but who'd have guessed that such a confrontation would be this dull? This episode was in mitigation chock full of backstory. I wasn't so sure of Andrew Eldridge out of the Sisters of Mercy showing up though!

The story is falling a bit short of the epic set up it was given but I still have high hopes. It was a shame that the art chores had to be moved but I felt that Shaun Thomas filled in ably. Like 'Dead Eyes' the story has a muted colour pallette and while this is appropriate to the tale being told, I'd prefer a few more bright and jolly strips in my prog. The air of doom and gloom seen here is prevalent across all the strips. Although dystopia is more fun than utopia I hope a few lighter stories are in the works.

Not Robo-Hunter, though!

Part 1 Script: Al Ewing Art: PJ Holden Colours: Eva De La Cruz Letters: Annie Parkhouse

Getting in the viewers with classy dialogue...

Synopsis: Marc Kolnikov is a televised bounty hunter, taking in crooks for money and for the entertainment of the masses. He's spent rather a bit too much money on his equipment, though, and needs to keep the money coming in to pay for it. He just gets paid for his latest assignment and transfers the money with five minutes to spare. But for some reason - he's not in time - they've sent the Debtcopter to kill him...

WRL: Al Ewing, the craziest droid ever created and the Irish Droid whose head was put in a vice by Mek Quake to gave it that unmistakable square look - working together on a strip. Tharg must have been on some very bad plastic cups when that was commissioned.

Although you may never be sure till the last panel of the last part exactly what Al is going to come up, with I thoroughly enjoyed this opening episode and that little Irish fella just keeps getting better.

SW: This was always a hard one to pull off - a tech heavy future bounty hunter - not had too many of them, have we?! Given its familiar path, 'Dead Signal' did offer a few hints that it isn't a reworking od Sin/Dex or Strontium Dog. I liked the idea that our man is on credit and every job could be his last, although his motivation for getting into this line of work was less clear. I was a bit dismissive of all the tech heavy descriptions. However, I wonder if Al Ewing is throwing us a curve ball and hoping for that reaction before dismantling it all in a anti-consumerist message. Throw that in with a few cheap shots against reality TV and you truly have a strip for the late 2000's!

I didn't like the character design with the hero looking like something out of Kajagoogoo. Again i'll with hold judgement but if that haircut becomes iconic 2000AD I'll eat my Joe Pineapples mug! The finale where his direct debit fails to go through is a stinging swipe at the banking system although I'm sure I'm reading too much into this.

Al Ewing is a competent writer who is making more of a name for himself with each strip. I really liked 'Go-Machine' but was less keen on 'Tempest' which is way too derivative for my jaded tastes. His dialogue isn't too strong but I think that comes from experience and for now I'm enjoying, if not quite loving his work. I hope this strip provides a few wrong foots as the setup for now is just a few familiar elements cobbled together.

The art by PJ Holden is some of his best work and to be honest I didn't twig it was him on the first flick through. The grubby city is well realised and the final page with the ridiculously named 'Debtcopter' is excellent.

WRL: In a prog weighed down with stories that for me will be read once they have reached their conclusion and a Dredd story that, while thrilling to read, was painful to look at the best story in this prog by a mile was...

Best Story: Dead Signal

SW: I enjoyed my Prog and even more so on the reread that this review prompted. As previously stated, there is a miserable line running through all of the strips giving the reader a bit of a downer overall. But there really isn't a weak link in the chain and the solid start to the year has been maintained.

Best Story: Judge Dredd