2000AD Prog 1587 - 21 May 08

Cover by Cliff Robinson

Martin Charlton: People seem to like this. I don’t. Cliff Robinson, 2000AD’s resident ‘covers only’ artist creates another stock piece of weirdness that is okay if you get the references, but if it’s your first prog you aren’t buying it for the cover. Still, it’s better than Dredd pointing his gun at me and saying ‘Drokk, dangerous levels of thrill power inside’ or some such. 

Gavin Hanly: A stock cover, sure - but at least it's handled with considerable panache - although I can't work out why Robinson decided to use McMahon art on the arm...

Ownership - Part 1 Script: Rob Williams Art: Richard Elson Letters: Annie Parkhouse

Dredd warms up the iso cubes...

Synopsis: Columbus Chilton retrieves and ancient piece of paper from Area 51 (now over-run with mutants). Once he reads the contents, he and his crew head straight for Mega City One, until they are shot down by the wall defenses. MC1 read what's on the piece of paper and realise that there's "not much time". Dredd reads Columbus the riot act until his attention is drawn to a huge spaceship - the size of Mega City 1 - hovering overhead...

MC: Decent enough stuff from Rob Williams (who contributes 60% of this prog), and it’s always to see the ‘mysterious guy covered in bandages’ stock character come out of retirement. Elson as always presents us with a visual feast, and it’s just a shame this won’t matter at all in the wider Dredd tapestry, making it feel like filler of sorts. 

GH: A Good set-up to an Independence Day moment at the end - although I do wonder why the judges always seem to be surprised every time an alien turns up on their doorstep. In all - a decent Dredd filler given a lift by Williams's ear for humour and Elson's as-ever amazing work.

Part 11 Script: John Smith Art: Lee Carter Letters: Simon Bowland

Geoff goes off on one...

Synopsis: Unther's Drovers spread through the town, removing dangerous thoughts. They only started doing this after the first atomic bomb, and have been mistaken for aliens ever since. Unther tells them that it's been getting harder to keep the humans under control. meanwhile, the government unleashes its strike on Castlerigg. The squaddies in the city - Kellet included - start to wake up...

MC: Okay, admission. I know how this ends as I write the review of the penultimate part. No spoilers, but this is a let down for me. People will make a lot of noise about the conclusion, but if we’ve used 70+ pages just to get to the last page, it seems somewhat decadent and money grabbing on the part of John Smith, given that this could’ve been done in about 5 parts.  

GH: Alas, even knowing next week's ending doesn't really improve this for me. There just seems to be too... much... talking. Now I know that could make me sound like an ill-educated buffoon - but I just can't get to grips with this series. Perhaps someone can explain it to me when it's done. On a more positive note - the art's been much easier to peruse this week. I'm not sure if it's better printing or not, but it's certainly lost some of its previous murkiness.

Make Believe - Part 10 Script: Robbie Morrison Art: Shaun Thomas Letters: Ellie De Ville

Malloy comes clean...

Synopsis: Root tries to kill the cult leader, but he's already made him too powerful and he kills Root instead, and discovers where the object he seeks is hidden. He travels to the field in Missouri where Harris and Kane are flying into - and pauses to take out their aircraft. Harris is saved by Jen and Kane ejects while taking out the enemy. Harris meets up with Jen and Malloy - who tells him that he gave Jen to the scientist in return for the co-ordinates in Missouri. He finds a hidden panel and presses a button...

MC: As stated in my recent Megazine review, Rob Williams is one of my favourite comic writers. Low Life, Family, Asylum, Cla$$war, even Breathing Space were all hits on my radar. Perhaps it’s the abstract narrative, perhaps it’s the long gap, perhaps it’s the three artists, but I really didn’t get this at all. When it’s finished I’ll sit down and read this and its forerunner in one sitting, but in a weekly dose it's been absolute torture. It’s the closest 2000AD’s come to an HBO series in a while, and it reminds me why 2000AD is a COMIC.

GH: Alas, the Ten Seconders has considerably waned in its second outing and even the stabilising of the creative team seems unable to save it now. While there's some good art, decent action and dialogue - something's just not there to create a cohesive whole. It's disappointing to be waiting for something for so long and for it to turn out to be a bit of a dud, but I feel that the Ten Seconders will need a considerable rethink if it's to return after this.

Part 6 Script: Al Ewing Art: PJ Holden Colours: Eva De La Cruz Letters: Annie Parkhouse

Kolnikov gets mad...

Synopsis: We discover that a man called Oden has been collaborating with Dr Abendsen to turn his perceptions against him - but at the last moment, Abendsen has double-crossed Oden and fed all the details of the plan through to Kolnikov. The doctor also says that this could still be a dream after all - and turns out to be an android - the real Abendsen is far away from the building that Kolnikov is about to infiltrate. Kolnikov tells them that he knows they can hear him - and he's coming for all of them.

MC: Al Ewing seems to be making friends with the readership so I’ll go easy on this, only to say that it’s felt a bit ‘by the numbers’ compared to much of Ewing’s other 2000AD work, and perhaps Holden wasn’t the right artist for this strip. But public opinion is that this was a success, so I’ll go with that, really.  

GH: Al Ewing did always seem to love a good twist in the work he's done before - and he's really amped it up here. There's clearly plenty of room for experimentation in the "is it or isn't it a dream" genre - and this tremendously entertaining nonsense is a very good start. But that's all it is, as it's clearly over WAY too soon. Still, best to leave us all wanting more - so Tharg had better give us some soon...

MC: I find it hard to come up with anything sterling to say about this prog. Every story is (pretty much) readable, but there’s nothing I’m tearing open the envelope to pour over. Surely the new run with the return of Dante & Sin/Dex will bring some interest my way.

Best Story: Judge Dredd

GH: Not a classic prog by any means I'm afraid, and only rescued by a relatively good Dredd filler and an excellent turn by Ewing and Holden. The new guard can't come soon enough...

Best Story: Dead Signal