2000AD Prog 1647 - 5 August 2009

Cover by Nick Percival

Robert Cornell: A really nice, simple image. Love the inverted smile; it gave me a Saturday morning chuckle.

Rehab - Part 4 Script: Al Ewing Art: Karl Richardson Letters: Annie Parkhouse

Rage Hard takes out his frustrations...

Synopsis: Trebeck fights the alternate dimension Dredd but is taken down with minimum force. However, the real Dredd has no problems with force and rides through the dimension gate on his bike, pinning the nicer Dredd to the wall. Meanwhile, Rage Hard and the escaped inmates are trying to get the citizens riled up, but they seem incapable of it. Dredd arrives on the scene to give Rage Hard a proper fight...

RC: What’s the matter, Ewing? One universe not good enough for you? I usually don’t like this alterative reality stuff. Without rules, a story lacks dignity. (See: Sinister Dexter.) Fortunately, characters like Rage Hard make it possible to get away with these things. You just have to quote one of his wonderfully over the top threats: “We will molest your pets in front of your eyes before we tear those eyes out!” It’s not deep but it is a very entertaining romp.

One quibble is Dredd’s treatment of his nice-universe counterpart. I mean, he hadn’t actually committed a crime, had he? It just grated a little bit.

Also excellent is Richardson’s artwork. It would be easy to make an every day event like someone having their head kicked off look silly.

The Chimes of Midnight - Part 3 Script: Ian Edginton Art: Steve Yeowell Letters: Simon Bowland

The Baron's masterplan...

Synopsis: Isaac Newton and Augustus escape from the Baron's cages using a lockpick hidden in Newton's boot. He tells Augustus that he drank all his youth elixirs in one go - so he's fitter, but now mortal like Augustus. They discover that the Baron is creating an army of clockwork robots and that he's working with Toten, who wants Newton's soul to power one of his machines...

RC: A former favourite that just doesn’t do it for me any more.

Captain Jack has been displaced from his own strip. Newton’s a good substitute but The Red Seas has lost that zip that made the early adventures fun and seems to have become bogged down in an extended prologue.

Yeowell’s artwork is the same as it’s ever been. I like it for its simplicity. Others hate it for the same reason. I think we can all agree that it’s a style all of his own.

Wish You Were Here - Part 6 Script: Dan Abnett Art: Anthony Williams Letters: Ellie De Ville

Back on the streets...

Synopsis: Dexter's nerves have been fixed and he now has cybernetic feeds into his headcase. They bust into one of the Mover's buildings and take back Isobel...

RC: So, with Demi’s resurrection and Dexter’s operation, Abnett has erased every single plot development of since the end of Eurocrash.

Every. Single. One.

A couple of good lines and a lame Star Wars reference just doesn’t cut it.

Good artwork can elevate a dull strip. Here the two complement each other’s dullness.

Script: Bob Byrne

Ouch...

Synopsis: A tiny civilisation seeks to defend itself from a rock climbing explorer...

RC: The fun in Twisted Tales is often working out what’s going on, some are not so much murky as opaque. Unless I missed something, this was a pretty straightforward one and a bit “so what?” as a result.

It looked great, though.

Queen Of the Zombies - Part 8 Script: Pat Mills Art: Leigh Gallagher Letters: Annie Parkhouse

Defoe meets the clockpunks...

Synopsis: Defoe defeats Baroque with a power sabre, but La Voisin escapes. As she does, she sets all of Hooke's clockpunks against the partygoers and Defoe. Defoe fights through to try and reach La Voisin.

Elsewhere, Defoe's men learn that Bodie was once the leader of a press gang. Before they can do anything about it, they're called to fight the Spiriter and the escaping Zombies...

RC: It’s been a good week for villainous dialogue: “now cut him open that I may lay my eggs in him!” Ouch, now that’s what I call a threat.

Defoe has displaced the ABC Warriors is Mills’ repertoire as the actiony one. Defoe has a gang, much like Hammerstein’s. Defoe meets zombies. Defoe kills zombies. There’s no agenda beyond that and, as a result, Defoe is a joyous gore-soaked romp through seventeenth century England.

However, Mills’ best work combined (past tense) politics with action, that’s why Defoe will never be a classic. Mills is content with his creation’s limitations.

Gallagher continues his superb work, artist and strip perfectly matched.

RC: Good-OK-boring-OK-good.

With two historicals, the weekly’s mix is a little unbalanced. In theory Red Seas and Sin Dex are big hitters but for me they’re past their best, giving the impression of a post-Cradlegrave lull, waiting for the next instalment of the Dan Francisco saga.

Best Story: Judge Dredd