Reviewer: William Cooling
Title: 2000AD Issue 1363
Editor: Matt Smith
Publisher: Rebellion
Last week, in a twist of fate that can be firmly filed under “sod’s law” the first issue of 2000AD I got to review turned out to be the worst we’ve had in recent memory. This was especially worrying, as the issue was the launch of a new line up, which is when 2000AD is usually strongest. So you can imagine my sense of foreboding when I opened by brand new Prog, hoping that things have got better…
Cover by Clint Langley
Excellent cover of Hannah Chapter of Caballistics Inc. with a striking image of her on one Langley’s usual swirling backgrounds. I have got an embarrassing confession about this cover though; I can’t quite decide if Langely has used a photo and only panted the background or if it’s just very photo-realistic.
Judge Dredd
Title: Inside Job pt 1
Writer: Ian Edington
Art: Steve Pugh
Letterer: Tom Frame
With Dredd’s usual writer John Wagner and his usual fill in Gordon Rennie both busy elsewhere we get a chance to see Edington make his Dredd debut with his Interceptor collaborator Steve Pugh doing the art. In this story we see the aftermath of the suspicious death of one of the Judge’s key informers against The Lynch Mob in a safe house.
Due to the dominance of Dredd’s creator John Wagner over the character, Dredd is a notoriously difficult character to write with the likes of Ennis, Morrison and Millar all failing to write him well (well I quite like early Ennis Dredd but that’s a minority view). Edington plays it safe here by relegating Dredd to the background and instead concentrates on the development of a murder mystery.
There are some wonderful touches here for example the Lynch Mob who despite being the Kingpins of Mega City One are a bunch of Irish stereotypes led by an old, outwardly sweet lady called (wait for it) Granny. Whilst they can be seen as crude, Irish jokes I think there’s more depth to them. In fact I see them almost as analogues for the IRA in the way that having first achieved success as criminals they now achieve more success legitimately and so want to end their criminal past.
As for the art the most striking thing is Steve Pugh’s colours which have a striking and original pastel look to it. It adds a lot to his pencils and makes the art look a lot better than his work on Inceptor earlier this year. His Dredd has a retro feel to it with Joe looking a lot like his younger, leaner self. This is especially true of his chin, which is closer to the smaller one of the McMahon/Bolland era than the massive one that Ezquerra gave him from the mid-eighties onward. Another example of the 2000AD Golden Age influence over the art is the black man’s full lips that he gives Dredd in some panels-a quirk of early McMahon that (legend has it) was borne of the artist mistakenly thinking that Dredd was black.
Pugh also excels in developing the other characters showing a penchant for drawing er those who it could be said are slightly horizontally disproportionate. He also seems to have based Granny Lynch on the late Queen Mother, which despite being completely disrespectful and outrageous is really quite funny.
Overall I liked this story; after a month of comedy one parters it’s nice to get a multi-parter with a slightly more serious bent. Edington’s writing although shone of his usual quirkiness is nicely efficient and his Dredd does nothing out of character (like massacre 40 fellow Judges as Ennis had him do in his last one). The art is excellent especially with the colouring that makes it look like nothing I’ve ever seen. Good stuff.
Dead Men Walking
Title: Untitled pt 2
Writer: James Stevens
Art: Boo Cool
Letters: Annie Parkhouse
Stevens has a real aptitude for devising quite innovative sci-fi ideas as shown by the excellent contact lenses doubling as cameras in the opening part. This is again shown in this part with an interesting explanation as to why the prison/planet is called Lazarus.
What he has less an aptitude for is developing believable characters, natural dialogue and a coherent plot perhaps because these three are all downplayed in favour of his innovative sci-fi ideas. To me these first two parts read as if Stevens has stolen the basic idea of Harry 20 on the Rock as way to introduce his sci-fi ideas.
To be honest he gets away with it more in this part than in the opener, mostly because he ditches having the convict (Jude) do narration, a device that exposed his poor dialogue and his poor grasp of his lead character. Jude comes across as someone suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder, as she cannot settle on a mission for her stay at Lazarus. In the first part she changed it from escape to taking down the Governor (who is not featured at all in this part) and in this part she seems to change it again with her new mission to be the most powerful prisoner. Of course with each change we care even less; I mean why should we get behind her current quest if she will be so easily distracted from it?
What makes these simple mistakes all the more infuriating is that at times you do get the feeling that there is something in this that could be worthwhile. The sci-fi ideas are good and Stevens is getting better at developing the location of the prison it’s just that his methods of introducing us to that prison are flawed. To be honest the use of the prisoner as the device to introduce us to these concepts (which is all she is) is flawed as her reactions of horror are too predictable and uniform. The series would in all probability have been better if the lead character was a new guard being shown the ropes (kinda like Will Smith’s character in MiB).
Caballistics Inc.
Title: Down Time pt 1 ~ Chapter
Writer: Gordon Rennie
Art: Dom Reardon
Letters: Tom Frame
Caballistics Inc. has over the past year quickly established itself as a story of real quality. In a strange mix of X-Statix and Hellboy, it follows a group of occult specialists (or in layman’s terms “Ghostbusters”) which is owned by a millionaire, eccentric pop star.
In a change of pace and a way to build up to a 10page story in Prog 2004 (2000AD has a bumper 100pg Christmas issue) where one the team will be killed we are being giving a chance to see each member whilst at play. Each part will concentrate on one of the team with (I presume) the Israeli investigation into one of their number’s (Ravne) history as a Nazi acting as the common link.
This issue we concentrate on Hannah Chapter a former American Government agent who after a period working freelance with her business partner Verse has now (along with him) joined Caballistics Inc. In this issue we see her drowning her sorrows at being in the team and finding out that one of them is possessed by a demon in a lesbian bar. Rennie uses this situation to recap the events of the past year and in doing so manages to humanise Chapter, a character who some had found difficult to relate to. He shows that despite her brash exterior she is actually very lonely and sad with only a mixture of booze and casual sex keeping her going. He also mixes this introspection with action as in a drunken rage she goes to confront a former associate of hers in a seedy S&M den.
Gordon Rennie is an excellent writer and in this issue he brilliantly portrays a London underworld full of dingy bars and seedy rooms. His dialogue is extremely natural with a nice line of black humour. The raison d’être of this series is a perfect example of the cleverness of his writing. Knowing that he will be killing one of the members off he has set himself the task to make sure that we will all care for the team when it happens. Add that to the fact that he is able to develop the threat of the Israeli investigation, which in all probability will be the one that causes the death whilst using it as a framing device is brilliant.
Rennie’s writing is perfectly complemented by Dom Reardon’s black and white art. Reardon’s linework is wonderfully messy and his use of shadows is fantastic (in parts it reminds me of Jock’s style), with both of these qualities adding to the character of the piece. He also adds plenty of expression to his characters as shown especially by the look of pure fear on the associate’s face when confronted by Chapter. The art is perfect for this story to the point where I couldn’t see anyone else drawing these characters.
Definitely the best story in this Prog.
Synnamon
Title: Facing Mecha pt 2
Writer: Colin Clayton & Chris Dows
Penciller: Laurence Campbell
Inker: Lee Townsend
Lettered: Ellie De Ville
At the end of last issue we saw Agent Synnamon being informed that the External Security Directorate’s (whom she works for) headquarters were under attack. We join this issue as she has been transported there, with the focus of the issue being the conversation that she and her boss Cromwell has to formulate their response. This conversation goes on as he fights and she stands there in a pink towel (and why not?).
This is slightly disappointing. I was hoping on the basis of last issue that Synnamon and the United States of Earth were the bad guys and that we would be getting a comic strip version of Star Wars from the point of view of the Empire. Instead it looks like Synnamon will be a bog standard ” lone hero pilot in space” which is something we’ve seen before. Also the fact that Cromwell does all the fighting for her as she just stands around in a towel does slightly undermined her kick ass sci-fi bitch creditidentals.
That said the writing is still more than readable with the writers further introducing us to Synnamon’s world, for example informing us of some of the rival power blocks to U.S.E and some of the events in Synnamon’s life.
The art is again good and suits the script although again Campbell’s inability to make his women truly sexy is exposed, this time by the writer having Synnamon in a towel for most of the part.
This is a solid story, which although more than readable fails to really excite especially as it seems the writers have decided to develop it in the traditional, predictable way. Although I see myself enjoying this run, I don’t see it returning for a second.
Durham Red
Title: The Empty Suns: Book 1: pt 2
Writer: Dan Abnett
Artist: Mark Harrison
Letterer: Ellie de Ville
After using the opening part to remind us of the back-story and introduce us to the new status quo Abnett uses this issue to develop the new character of Durham Red and the life she has lead since the end of the Vermin Stars. We are shown the feral state that Durham Red has sunk to as we see her naked and wild with only a priest like figure as company/sustenance. He also shows Godolkin and his supporters continuing their search after dealing with the “fake” (nice if a little too tidy explanation that).
Like the opening part the writing isn’t bad per se. Indeed, Abnett is doing a very good job of introducing the new elements into the story and the portrayal of Durham Red totally fits in with what happened at the end of the Vermin Stars. It’s just that shone of the Durham Red that we have previously known; the tough, sexy, take no prisoners, sci-fi bitch that we all love it feels slightly flat.
The art does improve this issue although again it seems to be all painted. I really wish this wasn’t the case, as it just doesn’t grab you as much as Harrison’s former colouring style.
Still, this is a good read although not yet of the level of the previous books.
There is an increase in quality this issue especially as the return of Caballistics Inc has added some proven quality to the line up. Its addition also helps the title feel slightly more varied with its contemporary horror adding welcome contrast to the other futuristic stories. It’s nowhere near the quality of the Winter, Spring and Summer line-ups but it’ll do.
