Bad City Blue - Rebellion [Part Two]

BAD CITY BLUE, August 2021

Debatably turning the character of Blue completely upon his head, by having the rogue button man finally remember his past as the notorious gang leader of the Skulls and resultantly revert back to his disagreeably repugnant “devil killer” persona, Alan Grant’s script for the second half of “Bad City Blue” definitely portrays this graphic novel’s lead protagonist as a much less sympathetic ‘hero’ than the Scottish author did during its opening chapters. Indeed, the Inkpot Award-winner actually appears to go that extra step in presenting the “slumscum” as something of a brainless barbarian, who needs to be repeatedly taught just how to manipulate the engine alignment controls so as to blast the asteroid-based municipal free of a nearby Black Hole.

Happily however, liking the brutal "Grexnix" isn’t a precondition to thoroughly enjoying this comic strip’s insanely violent zarjaz action, and actually makes perfect sense once it becomes clear just how much street-fighting savvy Blue is going to need to remember if he’s ever going to make it to the central computer buried deep within the Power Dome alive. In the past, whilst being wracked by mind-controlling headaches, the befuddled assassin was understandably somewhat vulnerable, and quite quickly fell prey to a pair of his government-sponsored peers when he encountered them at the entrance to the city’s jungle habitat.

Now that “Dirty Blue” is involved in an exhilarating ‘race against the clock’ though, the aspiring “Big-Chief Boss” needs to be at his very best if he is to outfight an entire posse of experienced button men - all of whom have been dispatched to kill the “real bad scummer” before the man can complete his life-or-death mission. These deadly skirmishes, stunningly pencilled by “Scrotnig” artist Robin Smith, really help ensure that the audience are constantly kept guessing as to whether or not the foul hooligan will be effective in his endeavours, and definitely help reiterate the notion that the brutal hitman is bereft of any pity or compassion; ““Horgan an’ Shrap eat ‘crete. R.I.P., bruds!” 

Ultimately though, this “digital first” publication’s most memorable moment has to be its sense-shattering conclusion, which doubtless traumatised many a Squaxx dek Thargo when it was first revealed within the pages of “2000 A.D.” way back in July 1986. Having somehow managed to overcome the last button man, Teco, despite suffering a “shoulder shatter”, a semi-distraught Blue realises that he’s going to need to hurry if he wants to be known as the “top scummer, citywide”, and is last seen powering through the space-floating metropolis on his skimmer, plotting his presumably short-lived ascension.

Writer: Alan Grant (a.k.a Craig Lipp), Artist: Robin Smith, and Letters: Steve Potter

Bad City Blue - Rebellion [Part One]

BAD CITY BLUE, August 2021

Described by “Rebellion” as “a bleak highlight from the mid-Eighties, full of class warfare, gritty sci-fi, and big concepts”, this opening half of the next title in the Oxford-based publisher’s “series of digital-only 2000 A.D. collections” certainly delivers an enthralling vision as to just what Humanity can expect from life in the distant future, should some brave souls decide to emigrate to a self-isolated dome partially buried into the side of an asteroid. However, rather than spend any time at all leading its audience by the hand through the opulent residences of such a civilization’s Class A citizens, and then contrasting this with the much more decadent existence of the less wealthy population, Alan Grant’s narrative rather shockingly simply throws the reader head-first straight down to the very dark depths of Bader City’s depravity.

This riveting insight into the ultra-violent world of Blue and the button man’s brutal battle with a gang of cold-hearted murderers, proves an excellent way of immersing any perusing bibliophile straight into “Bad City Blue”, whilst simultaneously setting an incredibly fast pace for its plot. Indeed, within just a few turns of the page, the Scottish author has comprehensively established that this graphic novel’s lead protagonist represents the best interests of the decaying metropolis’ “decent folk”, and is perfectly disposed to follow their orders when it comes to gunning down any criminals who have become so big that they now threaten the floating space station’s natural order; “There may not be much of this city still fit for decent people – But what there is, it’s my job to keep that way!”

Cleverly though, the Bristol-born writer also soon establishes through the death of Gonza, that Blue’s beliefs might not actually be all that sound, and subsequently takes the hired gun on an exhilarating journey up to the very summit of the self-contained conurbation in order for him to discover first-hand just why nothing seems to be being done with all the breakages and leaks occurring throughout downside’s lower levels. This moment of realisation that the “real bad scummer” has been utterly abandoned by the same authoritarian figures he has been risking his life for provides an engrossing hook for this publication’s second half, especially when the robots who have been covertly ensuring that the Slumlands are blissfully ignorant of their masters’ mass-evacuation, decide to dispatch three more button men to specifically eliminate him.

Nevertheless, perhaps this comic’s biggest thrill-powered draw are co-creator Robin Smith’s incredibly dynamic layouts, which do a tremendous job of depicting the squalor within which Blue works. The British artist’s pencilling of the shotgun-loving hitman fending off a pack of giant, flying sharks is debatably this book’s highlight, albeit the illustrator’s attention to detail when sketching a smack of multi-limbed mechanical Jellyfish makes them equally as impressive a feast for the eyes.

Writer: Alan Grant (a.k.a Craig Lipp), Artist: Robin Smith, and Letters: Steve Potter

Slaughter Bowl - Rebellion [Part Two]

SLAUGHTER BOWL, June 2021

Wading waste deep in dinosaur carcasses, scattered human limbs and an entire arsenal of “tactical nuclear artillery”, John Smith’s script for the second half of “Slaughter Bowl” must easily have made the majority of this comic’s audience carry a massive grin across their faces throughout the entire length of the race. For whilst the utterly insane sport’s coverage does contain the odd commercial break, so as to allow the film crew to focus upon Chief Plastic Surgeon Cliff Hammond’s financially-fuelled efforts to save Stanley Modest’s sick wife, the vast majority of this graphic novel’s sense-shatteringly paced final four instalments predominantly focus upon the bespectacled serial killer’s homicidal efforts to get his Parasaurus called Myrtle across the finishing line in one piece; “Stan! You gotta snap out of it! This is it, Stan! Your big chance!”

Happily however, so simple a plot such as first past the winner’s post doesn’t mean that what follows is in any way sedentary or dull, thanks to the British author penning a number of high-octane set-pieces involving heavily-toothed carnivores mercilessly tearing chunks out of the numerous competitors in the most grisly way imaginable. Indeed, this so-called sport’s kill count is phenomenal with the tournament’s initial death actually taking place just outside the starting stalls when Salvator Ligotti’s bright green Triceratops catches “a trip wire with his very first step” and decapitates participant Number Thirty-Four.

Smith is also somewhat innovative in just how his exhilarating story is told by using the Word Television News Service coverage to ‘skip’ any boring bits and repeatedly whisk the reader straight into the very heart of the action wherever on the 120 mile endurance course it is taking place. This technique means that despite a few scenes depicting the rider’s purchasing either armaments or life-saving medical aid during a well-timed pit stop, Paul Peart’s marvellous illustrations are never really more than a handful of panels away from depicting some ghastly moment of unqualified carnage on the racing track - even if “the co-creator of Tracer” includes a disconcerting viewpoint straight down into a Megalosaurus’ digestive tract when DJ Jackmaster Chill and his accompanying Harry Camera are shockingly swallowed by the ferocious giant lizard.

Ultimately though, this entire publication lives or dies by the quality of its conclusion, when Stanley’s soft demeanour is finally put to the test against the homicidal barbarism of Mister Throat. Excitingly, Smith’s penmanship doesn’t disappoint, and even manages to throw the book’s bibliophiles a few curve balls within the final pages as the literally legless defending three-time champion goes tooth to tooth with his closest rival just mere inches from the race’s end.

Writer: John Smith, Artist: Paul Peart, and Letterer: Ellie De Ville

Slaughter Bowl - Rebellion [Part One]

SLAUGHTER BOWL, June 2021

Featuring an insane amount of disconcertingly graphic gratuitous violence, ranging from the merciless mutilation of hapless Pandas in a protected species preservation area through to an enraged Tyrannosaurus Rex devouring a fleeing felon whole, John Smith’s narrative for the opening half of this digital-only collection must have somewhat surprised many of its readers with the enormous amount of sympathy it somehow also generates for the lack-lustre central character Stanley Modest. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine life getting much worse for the greeting card company employee than that depicted within the first four instalments to “Slaughter Bowl”, as his twenty three year career is suddenly terminated, the doctor looking after his “dangerously ill wife” threatens to pull the plug on her, and the police shockingly arrest him for apparently being a mass murderer.

Fortunately, being dealt such a bad hand in the card game of life does mean that the swiftly convicted killer can now join the likes of Multiple Bob, Cannibal Deacon Makuth and Kasimir Rodchenko as a contestant in the “deadly battle royale where criminals riding dinosaurs attempt to annihilate each other for cash and prizes!” Such a surprising change of direction for the spectacled protagonist on Death Row gives the Lancashire-born writer an excellent opportunity to slowly fill in the details behind the gruesome sport to this graphic novel’s audience, whilst simultaneously providing the tale’s supporting cast, such as World Champion Mister Throat, with plenty of personality too.

In fact, this book’s build-up toward the start of the world-wide media event is arguably palpable, courtesy of Smith literally taking each bibliophile by the hand and walking them through the competitors’ lengthy preparations as they negotiate sponsorship deals, undergo an RNA-Infosquirt straight into the Hippocampus area of the brain, select their particular Prehistoric mount, and then finally equip the creature with all manner of lasers, automatic weaponry and missiles; “We need something light and manoeuvrable, but something that packs a punch too…”

Furthermore, the decision to present much of this information by way of a supposed broadcast by the Word Television News service allows the hype surrounding the Slaughter Bowl to become incredibly infectious, and ensures artist Paul Peart is given plenty of opportunity to pencil some excellent-looking camera shots of the various dinosaurs to be ridden in the race. These theatrical, often fast-paced news items also act as a great contrast to some of the more muted, rather introspective personal thoughts of Modest, and help highlight the quiet, inner turmoil taking place within Stanley’s mind amidst the utter hubbub of the frenzied, lucrative show surrounding him.

Writer: John Smith, Artist: Paul Peart, and Letterer: Ellie De Ville

The Mean Arena Volume One: All To Slay For - Rebellion [Part Five]

THE MEAN ARENA VOLUME ONE: ALL TO SLAY FOR, March 2021

Whilst Tom Tully’s final storyline for this weighty tome somewhat strangely doesn’t depict Slater’s Slayers competing in an actual match, “The Jensens” does still maintain the British writer’s modus operandi for “scrotnig” shenanigans involving plenty of death and destruction. In fact, despite almost the entire narrative being set inside the club’s training complex, it is this six-part adventure which notches up Matt Tallon’s most kills since "the finest street footballer in the world" first started upon his merciless quest for revenge upon the people responsible for his younger brother’s death; “You defended yourself so well, Mister. You wiped out the whole family! Five dead and it’ll be a long time before the Jensen girls get out of hospital.”

Such a heavy death-toll really does show how violent a world the Shadow of the Slayers lives in, and ably demonstrates just why the ‘Big-Shot’ isn’t all that popular with his team-mates despite having elevated them into the national spotlight through his lucrative sponsorship deal with Kosi-Flex Sportswear. In addition, Tully takes the opportunity to use this homage to High Noon as a vehicle for introducing Sheena Lloyd and Ryk Rogan to the comic strip’s audience, as well as providing some much-needed ‘pen pictures’ of Mike Slater’s other players, such as Hangman, Sourpuss, Screaming Sid, Dirty Nigel and Crazy Lil.

Of course the highlight of Tallon’s confrontation against the Malevolent Seven is his no holds barred battle within the Slayer’s drill ground, and how Matt manages to utilise his street smarts so as to outwit his truly vicious opponents. Whether it be simply attaching a ten-second timed limpet mine to a game ball, or simply spooking Hazell into making a rash move by booing at her through a garage window, the author shows this book’s central protagonist exploiting every trick the man has ever learnt during his highly successful sport’s career in order to survive his seemingly deadly ordeal.

Perhaps this tale’s greatest asset however, lies with Steve Dillon’s impressive layouts, and the way in which his pencilling adds enormously to both the sheer sense of Jarl Jensen’s physical menace, as well as the entire criminal crew’s evident notoriety. The Bedfordshire-born artist’s depiction of the aggressive gang gunning down hapless store keepers and chopping up practice droids quickly denotes just how noxious they can be, and arguably makes the way they are subsequently whittled down one-by-one by an equally mercenary Matt all the more impressive.

Script Robot: Tom Tully, Art Robot: Steve Dillon, and Lettering Robot: Pete Knight

The Mean Arena Volume One: All To Slay For - Rebellion [Part Four]

THE MEAN ARENA VOLUME ONE: ALL TO SLAY FOR, March 2021

Following on from a fascinating two-part interim tale based upon incidents taken from left-flank blocker J.T. Venner’s biographical book “With A Mate Like This, Who Needs Enemies?”, Tom Tully’s sense-shattering conclusion to the Slater Slayers’ heavily-sponsored challenge match against the Southampton Sharks is certainly well worth the wait. For whilst the game’s disappointingly short-lived night-session isn’t covered anywhere near as long as the first-half, its narrative debatably gets as dark as Street Football can probably get following Matt Tallon’s truck with a savage gang of armed Fan-actics; “Mindless vermin who use sport as a tribal war! Any other time I wouldn’t even spit on them! But now..! Maybe they can help me to rid his game of the biggest street-rat of all..!”

Interestingly however, despite this pulse-raising romp towards the old Saints Soccer Stadium arguably portraying the Slayer as actually being even more of a cold-hearted killer than the players and officials he has vowed to hunt down, “the longest-running writer of the popular football-themed strip Roy of the Rovers” still somehow manages to make the central character somewhat sympathetic to the reader. This quite disconcerting feeling is probably in part due to the sheer sense of poetic justice the storyline’s road takes as the audience discovers just how Jaws Jensen got rid of Port Vale Pirates’ Paul Simpson by messaging a bunch of crazed Southampton followers to mercilessly ambush the player when he was isolated and without help.

The fact that Tallon manages to almost engineer a similar fate for the Sharks’ captain somehow allows the anti-hero to seemingly get away with badly breaking both the game rules and the actual law. Indeed, by the time an absolutely terrified Jensen is ruthlessly dispatched by a “gun-happy old codger” who simply refused to leave his shop unattended during the match, many bibliophiles were probably elated at Matt’s nefarious actions, even though the star Striker had clearly conspired with a bunch of brainless thugs to commit premeditated murder.

Sadly however, this cataclysmic conclusion does contain something of a sole disappointment following John Richardson’s replacement as Art Robot by Johnny Johnson for the very last part. What with Steve Dillon pencilling the aforementioned interlude spotlighting Venner, this substitution means that no less than three different artists end up sketching four successive instalments, and despite Johnson’s similarity in style to his predecessor, definitely jars the mind away from Tully’s storytelling.

Script Robot: Tom Tully, and Art Robots: Steve Dillon, John Richardson & Johnny Johnson

The Mean Arena Volume One: All To Slay For - Rebellion [Part Three]

THE MEAN ARENA VOLUME ONE: ALL TO SLAY FOR, March 2021

Quite possibly the most memorable match from this early Eighties “Rollerball-meets Roy Of The Rovers” comic strip series, Tom Tully’s thoroughly absorbing depiction of the events surrounding the Slater Slayers’ challenge game against the Southampton Sharks justifiably forms the back bone of this “digital-only” release from “Rebellion”, and arguably doesn’t let up until smart-mouthed commentator Kevin O’Connor provides a player profile piece on J.T. Venner during half-time. Up until this point, whether the spotlight be on either the housing estate-sized pitch or just Matt Tallon’s revenge-fuelled machinations, the British author is almost relentless in his depiction as to just how brutal and deadly a sport Street Football can be.

For starters it seems even the wealthy world of Kosi-Flex owner Rollo Hartie can be highly dangerous, as the hover-chair bound magnate agrees a lucrative sponsorship deal with the Slayer just seconds after one of his hirelings has had his head turned to gory pulp testing out the tycoon’s experimental ram-suit. This "grotesque product of Twenty-First Century medical science" imbues everything disdainful about the sport as he contemptuously arranges for another minion to replace poor aforementioned Wilson without batting an eyelid. But the corpulent cyborg also demonstrates just how low Tallon will evidently go so as to ensure he can have his payback against the people who apparently caused his younger brother to die.

Equally as mercilessly mercenary is Matt’s behaviour in Southampton as he repeatedly goads his opponent’s squad-leader Jaws Jensen into mistake-after-mistake. Whether it be at a staged press conference where the star Striker slaps an abusive banner on his target’s forehead right in front of an audience packed-out with the press, or later when his scoring talent drives the Sharks’ player to sacrifice one of this own team-mates between the deadly steel teeth of the Slayers’ gaping-mouth goal, Tully’s penmanship makes it abundantly clear that the former Louis Leopard is willing to wade in blood as deep as those unfortunates he is targeting; “You’re not interested in crowds! All you care about is nailing the people who helped put your kid brother Paul in his grave..!”

John Richardson’s layouts also help enormously with this storyline’s excellent pacing, whether he’s illustrating a truly fascinating flashback sequence as to the history of Street Football, or pencilling the impressive new Slayer uniforms. Indeed, one of the match’s opening highlights is the way the artist sketches the physical ease with which “The Shadow” silkily evades the opposition’s best efforts to unsuccessfully bring him down, and having “left three Sharks for dead” subsequently puts Mike Slater’s club into a well-deserved lead.

Script Robot: Tom Tully, Art Robot: John Richardson, and Lettering Robot: Pete Knight

The Mean Arena Volume One: All To Slay For - Rebellion [Part Two]

THE MEAN ARENA VOLUME ONE: ALL TO SLAY FOR, March 2021

Firmly focused upon Matt Tallon’s account “of the last, terrifying game he played for St. Louis Leopards against Florida Fiends”, Tom Tully’s second storyline inside “The Mean Arena Volume One: All To Slay For” certainly provides its readers with a thoroughly compelling comprehension as to the flawed character of the legendary American Street Football Star. Indeed, considering just how arrogantly reckless the Slayer comes across from this publication’s printed pages, it probably isn’t all that surprising that some within this tale’s opposing team decide to set aside any notion of winning the actual ball-game in order to murder the “King of the Road” with a masonry-drill looted from a local builders’ yard.

Fortunately for this graphic novels’ sports fans however, this plot to rid Archie Sugrue of his main rival is enthrallingly intermixed with plenty of thrilling football action too, with the “noted British comic writer” even going so far as to pointing out all the regulation differences between the English game and those from across the Pond; “That was another reason why I’d decided to quit Street Football – The Fliers. The latest rule change allowed two of them per squad…” These insights into just how the deadly game is played “American-style” really add an authentic air to some of the narrative’s more science-fiction based elements, and arguably consistently ensnare the audience into believing that they’re listening to a commentator broadcasting a play-by-play account of the Superleague title contest.

Perhaps this tale’s biggest draw though is the Arch-fiend’s ultimately unwise decision to play the Death-Card at the start of the match in an effort to win a million dollars by scoring. The fact Sugrue could be shot dead by the Leopards’ rifle-armed Longstop packs every appearance made by Archie with some extra tension, especially when the “Grexnix” manages to extract himself from the teeth of a shopping mall’s pedi-ramp and appears on the verge of outwitting Tallon with a stunning goal. Artist John Richardson’s ability to imbue this zarjaz sequence’s panels with plenty of pace will genuinely cause bibliophiles everywhere to momentarily hold their breath as a head-strong Matt ignores the sage advice of his manager and attempts to stop the badly crippled striker on his own at the very last second.

Script Robot: Tom Tully, Art Robot: John Richardson, and Lettering Robot: Pete Knight

The Mean Arena Volume One: All To Slay For - Rebellion [Part One]

THE MEAN ARENA VOLUME ONE: ALL TO SLAY FOR, March 2021

The latest title by “Rebellion” in their “brand new series of digital-only 2000 A.D. collections for 2021”, this bumper one hundred page periodical opens with a sense-shattering insight into the final twenty minutes of Slater’s Slayers’ Third Division Street Football match against the increasingly dominant Wakeford Warriors, and arguably doesn’t let up with its high-octane antics until the full-time flare is fired. In fact, apart from a momentary pause to witness Matt Tallon losing his temper at the sudden death of the Slayers’ latest signing, Paul Simpson, whilst watching the match at a local bar, this comic strip initially simply sticks to depicting all the action which takes place on the streets.

Enjoyably, Tom Tully’s successful technique of plunging this book’s audience straight into the thick of things really works well as an inescapable hook, and alongside all the rule clarifications and sporting lingo, creates an enthralling atmosphere which appears as authentic as the ball game is clearly fatally violent. Admittedly, there is the odd occasion when the writing debatably seems to waiver into the utterly fantastic, such as when the Slayer suddenly starts seeing one of his opponents shockingly transform into a bizarre-looking slavering monster and cowers in the corner like a quivering coward. But in the main the exciting passes, bombs, Droid gun blasts and wall-vaulting acrobatics are as realistically grounded as any perusing Squaxx dek Thargo could demand.

Rather delightfully, the Glasgow-born author also immediately demonstrates that Tallon has plenty of faults of his own rather than lazily being depicted as some sort of super-human star player who’ll effortlessly score with every opportunity. The gifted striker’s forgetfulness not to wear an “approved suppressor” over his bionic thumb almost gets the man shot on suspicion of being a droid. Whilst Matt’s poorly-played decoy run late in the match results in him getting dangerously struck in the neck by the ball and later suffers the aforementioned hallucination that he was about to be torn to shreds by some giant horned beast; ““No! N-No..! You… You can’t take me now! Not now! I paid for what I did!”

Additionally adding plenty of grittiness to the street football shenanigans of this sport are John Richardson’s somewhat scratchily-sketched layouts. The artist’s pencilling provides all of the characters with lots of dynamism and athletic ability; albeit it’s probably the way he sympathetically draws the sad facial features on Wakeford’s Joe when the player disconcertingly realises his best friend, Harry Carpenter, was nothing more than a robot, which is this storyline’s most memorable scene.

Script Robot: Tom Tully, Art Robot: John Richardson, and Lettering Robot: Pete Knight

Hot Brass, Pharaoh's Gold #1 - Unlikely Heroes Studios

HOT BRASS, PHARAOH'S GOLD No. 1, January 2021

Initially conceived as a story “written for kids”, John Pence’s script for “Hot Brass, Pharaoh’s Gold” arguably contains plenty of action-packed adventure with which to capture both an adolescent’s imagination and adult’s mind. For whilst the concept of American ranchers fighting Ancient Egyptian mummies might sound like some ill-conceived sequel to Jon Favreau’s financially disappointing 2011 American science fiction film “Cowboys & Aliens”, the thirty-two page periodical’s plot consistently conjures up all manner of disconcertingly diabolical situations and exciting threats to the wellbeing of all Mankind; “His final curses, written as he realised he had been poisoned by his priests, were that when men had the foolhardy courage to say out loud that they no longer feared him, he would return and enslave all humanity!”

In addition, the actual rationale behind just how such an intriguing war in the Wild West occurs is genuinely well-thought out, courtesy of a pair of greedy entrepreneurs turned grave robbers bringing the “evil Pharaoh and his army” over to the United States so as make a mint “auctioning off the lot to private collectors.” Such a mammoth amount of glittering treasure on public display was bound to attract the attention of the San Francisco criminal fraternity, and unsurprisingly results in Mekhenaten’s mummified remains being subsequently waylaid en route to Albuquerque by a band of bona fide “train-robbin' scallywags” lead by the bandit Blaze Dell.

Similarly as convincing is the resultant explanation as to just why the Dell Boys Gang would inadvertently trigger the long dead corpse’s curse, without the need for Pence to resort to penning the usual trope of the Stetson-wearing thieves either sacrilegiously stealing from the undead Sovereign’s tomb or supposedly reminding the ruler of a long-deceased sweetheart. Mekhenaten’s awakening by Jolly’s arrogant boast that “King Dusty-Britches” doesn’t scare him seems like the kind of thing a foolishly egotistical raider would say to a coffin-bound cadaver, and exactly the sort of cowardly irreverence to rile the former leader of a mighty empire into attempting a nation-wide coup.

Also helping this comic’s storytelling bound along with plenty of ‘tongue-in-cheek’ gusto is Joe Koziarski’s artwork, which does a proficient job of depicting both life in the Wild West and the machinations of the mad Egyptian king. The former illustrator for “Speed Racer” appears particularly good at pencilling the gun-fights between the panicky cowboys and their bandage-encased opponents, as well as adding some nice extra details to some of his panels, such as the Pharaoh’s pet cat leaping around its master when the Sheriff’s posse desperately tries to rid the megalomaniac of his magical power gems.

Writer: John Pence, and Artist: Joe Koziarski

Spacewarp #1 [Part Two] - Millsverse Comics

SPACEWARP #1, July 2020

Providing this anthology comic with both an utterly disconcerting and superbly solid midway point story is Pat Mill’s marvellous tale of a technologically-advanced Earth being infiltrated by repugnant-looking extra-terrestrials entitled “Xecutioners”. Crammed full of gun-play, a veritable host of zinging bullets and mind manipulation, this seven-pager’s greatest asset is arguably not actually its enjoyable violence, but rather the developing relationship between Chaval and his new partner Zola as they attempt their first mission together to reveal the true Machiavellian intentions of Saturn One CEO, Mister Mezeros.

Just as unnerving with its opening ‘Harry Potter at Hogwarts’ vibe is “Fu-Tants”, which initially focuses upon three would-be protectors of the planet whilst undergoing the final stage of their training, and then leaps a decade into the future to the Church of the Apocalypse in Spain where super-powered Koda discovers an alien race trying to steal some valuable dinosaur-related artwork. Featuring Mike Donaldson’s stunningly pencilled bout of fisticuffs between “Drogeda’s top agent” and the Warp Lord’s “top gun”, there’s nothing not to like about such an action-packed yarn; especially when it promises future adventures to come, not least of which might be another fascinating insight into the utterly enthralling Warpstone Academy.

Perhaps penned for those within this book’s audience who enjoy planet wide battlescapes such as those depicted in Robert A. Heinlein's “Starship Troopers” or Gerry Finley-Day’s Nu-Earth, “Special Forces One” definitely doesn’t beat around the bush in setting up its heroes’ seemingly suicidal mission to behead the Junkarrs’ leader Zahar. Populated with all manner of weird-looking giant microbes and mutated single cell bacteria, Mills does a grand job of combining some serious slaughter with as much insight as he can manage into the motivations of the elite combat unit’s colourful members.

Finally bringing this publication full circle, and pleasantly incorporating some of the fluff established in this tome’s preceding narratives, is the brilliantly brutal “Slayer”. Once again featuring Schlock, “the Cosmic Lawman”, this concluding chronicle rounds off the comic with a fascinating supposition that if an “offender escapes justice through death or senility” then a suitable descendent can be punished in their place, even up to seven generations depending upon the crime.

Stories: Pat Mills, and Art: Gareth Sleightholme, Mike Donaldson, Ade Hughes & James Newell 

Spacewarp #1 [Part One] - Millsverse Comics

SPACEWARP #1, July 2020

Produced by the legendary Pat Mills, this “one-shot, anthology sci-fi comic for readers of all ages” must surely have landed well with its audience in July 2020 considering the digital periodical contains plenty of action, memorable characters and the mind-bending machinations of various extra-terrestrials. Indeed, the weighty tome will immediately transport those familiar with “IPC Magazines” titles during the late Seventies and early Eighties back to their childhood, whilst undoubtedly hooking the current generation of bibliophiles with its straight forward story-telling, excellent advice for avoiding any skulking Tyrannosaurus Rex which happens to be in the audience’s neighbourhood, and the delightful editorials of Doc Zot.

Leading this veritable shoal of science fiction goodness is the British writer’s marvellous “Sfeer & Loathing”, which genuinely helps set up the entire publication’s premise of multiple Earths being manipulated by a super-powered host of tentacle-covered alien deities. This four-page parable introduces the fascinating “sheriff of the Galaxy”, Schlock, in a short-lived bloody engagement with a pack of slavering warp hounds, and literally pulses with energy thanks to some superb pencilling by artist Gareth Sleightholme.

Similarly as action-packed is Mills’ second tale “Jurassic Punk”. Quickly establishing 1977 as the year when dinosaurs returned to conquer Birkenhead in Merseyside, as well as crammed full of titanic close-quarter skirmishes between local archaeologist-turned-lizard-killer Joe Megiddo and a fascinating array of prehistoric monstrosities, this tantalising insight into the crazy professor’s determined effort to be reunited with his lost family genuinely pulls at the heart strings; especially when having finally got the solution to his estrangement in his sights, the Jurassic Man is forced to join the resistance for the greater good of humanity.

Perhaps somewhat less frantically-paced, at least once two prisoners have successfully escaped from the demonic hosts of Dis - capital city of Hell, is the enthralling “Hellbreaker”. Firmly focused upon the pair of escapees and their disconcerting habit of executing Cosmic Law transgressors by literally melting them alive in either boiling pitch or “blood and fire”, this sophisticated-looking yarn has the additional hook of “cosmic assassin” De La Rue being romantically reminded by his nemesis of the beloved he tragically lost whilst absconding the horrors of the Ninth Circle.

Stories: Pat Mills, and Art: Gareth Sleightholme, Bruno Stahl & Ian Ashcroft 

Future Schlock: Branded #1 - Millsverse Comics

FUTURE SCHLOCK: BRANDED No. 1, July 2020

Published digitally as a free story for subscribers to the “Spacewarp” newsletter, and masterfully evocating all the atmosphere of “Tharg’s Future Shocks” from the British weekly “2000 A.D.”, Pat Mills’ marvellous script for this six-page periodical undoubtedly must have seemed like manna from heaven for any reader fortunate enough to receive the download. Indeed, just as soon as the alien narrator Schlock politely introduces himself to the audience with the promise of a short tale about Earth 3563, where “their planet is in big trouble”, those bibliophiles who remember the godfather of British comics’ early days creating IPC Magazines’ renowned sci-fi anthology title will immediately be transported back to the late Seventies when a certain alien from the planet Quaxxann was the comic’s extra-terrestrial editor.

Homages aside however, “Future Schlock: Branded” easily stands upon its own merits as a distinctly disturbing vision of the future, where the modern-day obsession of companies to utilise every opportunity possible to market their wares has been taken to the nth degree so that even a pioneering space exploration mission has been funded simply so the manned expedition can be exploited as a huge advertising campaign; ““Mars… Jupiter… Saturn… I’m just watching the worlds go by… Drinking Kalma Kola… Without a care in the Solar System. Wanna stay cool. Too? Drink Kalma Kola.”

This all-too believable concept really makes for an enthralling tale, as the seemingly endless necessity for the spaceship’s sole astronaut Steve to act in front of the computer-controlled camera ‘six times a day’, soon begins to wear a little thin upon the “serious” scientist’s nerves. Mills does a very good job of quickly putting across the frustrated cosmonaut’s inherent desire to genuinely contribute to the enterprise rather than just make television adverts, and like all good authors actually manages to fool the audience into thinking the spaceman has convinced Stella of his need to physically participate in some ship repairs before pulling the rug from beneath the audience’s feet at the shocking conclusion to this yarn.

Ably assisting Pat in this publication’s storytelling is the prodigious artwork of Cliff Cumber, whose detailed pencilling looks very good in just black and white. In fact, a lot of this comic’s emotion, such as Steve’s frenzied rant about eating one too many genetically modified apples and subsequent horror at the computer’s solution to him becoming “the ultimate product placement”, stems from the Englishman’s ability to imbue the increasingly disgruntled rocketeer with some wonderfully dynamic facial expressions.

Story: Pat Mills, Art: Cliff Cumber, and Lettering: Ken Reynolds

The Black Ghost #1 - New Wave Comics

THE BLACK GHOST No. 1, September 2019

Published as “part of the Comixology Originals line of exclusive digital content”, as well as enthusiastically described by Mark Waid, the “best-selling author of Kingdom Come, Daredevil, Archie and more”, as being “seriously compelling, with a lead you can’t help but root for”, this opening instalment to Monica Gallagher and Alex Segura’s “Hard Revolution” storyline certainly contains a fair few elements with which to entice its audience back for a second reading. Indeed, the twenty-two page periodical’s mix of dogged newspaper journalism, naively-brave vigilantism and a mysteriously masked, well-dressed gentlemen righting the wrongs of a criminal organisation, will probably alone have drawn in a substantial audience eager to relive the Golden Age of Comics, or return to the more innocent days of Peter Parker at the Daily Bugle and Clark Kent at the Daily Planet.

Moreover, this five-part mini-series’ writing partnership even manages to somewhat replicate the palpable sense of personal injustice once generated by the heroes of yesterday, by quickly cramming in a condensed back story as to Lara’s “mad crusade to unmask the Ghost” being motivated by the murder of her beloved brother, after he took a stand against the corruption of Creighton city. Reminiscent of both an adolescent Bruce Wayne clutching the corpses of his slain parents and then Matt Murdock developing an ability to out-punch a knife-wielding thug, Dominguez’s ‘road to condoning summary justice’ resultantly is as entertaining as her fortuitous cyber-connection, LONE, is disconcertingly well-informed.

Sadly however, any such sense of nostalgia is quickly dispelled courtesy of this comic’s creative team deciding to populate some of its early character’s speech bubbles with all manner of colourful metaphors and expletives. Admittedly, this jarring jaunt with profanities does seem to dwindle as the book’s narrative progresses and moves away from our heroine’s brush with some low level enforcers in a seedy alleyway, but it still raises its unnecessary head from time to time, most noticeably when the “burnt out cops reporter” is confronted by her agitated editor over an imminent article deadline; “Mags… I’m onto something real here, I promise you. Big things are happening, okay?”

George Kambadais’ layouts for Issue One of “The Black Ghost” also possibly prove something of a disappointment, despite the former freelance colourist’s ability to populate the publication with plenty of prodigiously pencilled panels, such as Lara’s aforementioned flashback sequence. There should be little doubt that the Greek artist’s attractively clean line-work makes reading this comic’s script a joy, yet there is a distinctly wooden, two-dimensional flatness to his figures, especially the cape-wearing titular lead when he finally flies into action, which genuinely detracts from any sense of pulse-pounding pugilism.

Written by: Monica Gallagher & Alex Segura, and Art by: George Kambadais

1000 Nightmares #2 - Creator Studios

1000 NIGHTMARES No. 2, September 2018

Digitally released in September 2018, Bil Richardson’s “savage second issue” of “1000 Nightmares” undoubtedly demonstrates its creator’s desire for his publication not to be “your typical horror anthology” with its disconcerting look at religious fanaticism, a hapless human’s intimate relationship with an extra-terrestrial, and a savagely brutal case of animal cruelty. In fact, a number of this comic’s stories are so disturbingly thought-provoking and deeply troubling that, having finished digesting its concerning contents, many readers were probably very grateful to know that “all proceeds from the sale of this book” were due to “go to the mental rehabilitation of the truly sick individuals who created it.”

Opening this collection of ‘shorts’ is the filmmaker’s take on just what appalling lengths of behaviour people will go to supposedly “in the name of God”. Focusing upon the adolescent Ali, and the far older Aslam’s belief that the boy must “die now” so he can “go to heaven a hero of Allah” before the youngster acts upon his “sinful lusts”, this visually striking eight-page tale momentarily appears to be about to provide its audience with a genuinely happy ending. However, as the author’s point behind this narrative is that “it’s a good thing God is not as cruel to us as we are to each other”, the fact the child’s bearded guardian suddenly reveals he is carrying a remote controlled detonator for the suicide vest the lad is forced to wear, soon makes it abundantly evident that the unwilling pawn in the grown-up’s game is destined to face an explosive fate.

Perhaps far less provocative, albeit similarly as stimulating, is “STD”, which portrays Mister Jones’ admission to hospital following the man’s seemingly innocuous intimacy with a woman who “had a tattoo of a playboy bunny over her breast.” Infected with a truly horrendous-looking alien virus, Meg’s clearly suffering victim finally manages to locate the lady’s address “way out in the sticks” only to come face to face with a very hungry visitor from outer space; “When the thing exited Meg, her body exploded.” Wonderfully pencilled in black and white by Andy Dimitt, it is clear just why Richardson decided “colouring would only detract from it.”   

Arguably in some ways though, this book leaves its best anecdote until last, courtesy of its writer’s “adaption of a short story I wrote a long time ago.” Inspired “by people who treat animals better than humans” this narrative is definitely not for dog-lovers as an apparently quietly-spoken, well-meaning rancher decides to treat a cruel pet-owner with a lesson the beer-swilling “King of the Trailer Park” will never be allowed to forget…

First published on the "Dawn of Comics" website.'

Written by: Bil Richardson, and Art by: Bil Richardson & Gustave Dore

1000 Nightmares #1 - Creator Studios

1000 NIGHTMARES No. 1, September 2018

Straight from the ‘get-go’ and the comic’s stunning Simon Bisley cover illustration, it must have been clear to this digital book’s readers that Bil Richardson was determined to make his “ferocious” first issue of “1000 Nightmares” better than “the old conventions of short horror”. Indeed, the creator’s droll disclaimer that he “cannot be held legally liable for any scares caused by the reading” of this twenty-five page periodical is disconcertingly well-founded as the filmmaker “delves into the darkest depth of war, religion, desperation and the meaning of life” with a series of ‘shorts’ which are as horrific as they are, at times, disturbingly amusing.

Foremost of this anthology’s tales, and arguably the most visually impressive, is “The Oracle”, whose opening splash page depicting the malformed ‘head’ of a sinisterly creepy all-powerful religion is not only truly terrifying, but actually helped the author “spark the idea for the story.” Dialogue driven, as Jon unwisely publically undermines all the new church’s fateful predictions as “baloney”, it doesn’t come as much surprise when the non-believer is soon spirited away during the night by hooded zealots and comes face to face with the very “deformed guy who spouts gibberish” he’s been maligning. What follows next however, proves a real shock, and any pity the sympathetic prisoner feels for the multi-mouthed “poor wretched soul” is soon replaced by mortal terror; “Dinner is served.”

Equally as entertaining is the desolate black & white tale, “Hard Times”, which focuses upon the perturbing hardships forced upon a farming family during a particularly harsh winter. Desperate to keep their solitary cow alive, so as to ensure their baby is supplied with a continuous stream of milk, things soon look bleak for anyone’s survival after Old Blue, the hunting dog, croaks and the “old heifer” is found frozen to death in the barn. Uncomfortably, cannibalism soon becomes the next step for those who remain, yet this comic’s writer still manages to throw in a few shocks to misstep his audience’s expectations before the situation reaches its “gruesome conclusion”.

This publication’s final story, “The Meaning Of Life”, is also noteworthy, due to its all-too brief narrative containing plenty of gallows humour concerning the philosophical outlooks of two vultures as they’re about to feast upon a mass human burial site. In fact, the two raptors depicted within this fiction, whilst clearly unexpectedly intellectual for a pair of scavenging birds of prey, are precisely the sort of carrion feeders children wouldn’t have wanted to encounter whilst enjoying the classic 1967 “Walt Disney” animated film “Jungle Book”…

First published on the "Dawn of Comics" website.'

Written & Art by: Bil Richardson, and Pencils: Yevgeniy Frantsev & Renan Shody

Stroper #4 - Stroper Store

STROPER No. 4, August 2018

Significantly expanding his Galactic Union’s universal canvas to one whose size is arguably comparable to that of another galaxy “far, far away”, Edward Porter’s narrative to Issue Four of “Stroper” must have delighted its “Kickstarter” based backers with both its grand vista of planetary visitations, and the forty-six page periodical’s plethora of new characters and extra-terrestrial creatures. Yet whilst contemporary fans of George Lucas’ “American epic space opera franchise” seemingly have found the most recent ‘Silver Screen’ instalments to their beloved science-fiction saga unnecessarily complicated and chock-full of dead-ended plot threads, Pak Booker’s unravelling lifestyle as an illegal hunter probably provided the majority of this digital comic’s readers with a genuinely entertaining experience, and even the occasional skipped heartbeat when the action momentarily looks set to deprive “the space drifter” of his family or friends.

Interestingly however, it is not the story-line’s central Stroper who perhaps provides this giant-sized, lavish-looking publication with its best pulse-pounding moment, but rather one of the mysteriously sinister Dim Tong’s other operatives known as Karl Wex. The visor-wearing, “violent” killer’s battle against three fish-faced Pri-Bots on the Red Moon of Banktar is potentially the highlight of Porter’s “ten-issue indie comic series” so far, with its wonderful depiction of the grim-faced ‘Black-marketeer’ initially botching his attempt to assassinate “these abominations” due to their “L.D.R. detection” and subsequently having to get in close and finish the slavers off in personal combat. Superbly drawn by this book’s creator, the oft-times blurry speed of this fight is tremendously well illustrated, especially when one of the primitive brained humanoids is literally scythed in two by a well-placed laser grenade or another later caught up in an all-encompassing explosion of webbing; “I should thank you. If you hadn’t have fallen out of your crashing ship and shattered your false body. I would never have been able to track you.”

Similarly as successful though is the visual effects artist’s introduction of this post golden age of space exploration's other ‘new’ inhabitants, such as the truly menacing, softly-spoken Mister Tong, and a somewhat disagreeably lead salvage team who inadvertently stumble upon the imprisoned Tribals Wex left to die after he slew the pot-bellied people’s Pri-Bot captors. In addition, Edward’s script also provides some much-needed motivation behind just why Pak does such a dirty job in the first-place, by momentarily giving his audience an all-too brief sentimental glimpse of the wife and two young kids the mullet-haired citizen of the Galactic Union is trying to protect.

First published on the "Dawn of Comics" website.'

Writer & Illustrator: Eddie Porter

Timmy Lala's Ice Scream #1 - Ka-Blam Printing

TIMMY LALA'S ICE SCREAM No. 1, October 2018

Proudly publicised by creator Bradley Golden as “a one shot horror comic about delicious, sweet murder” during its successful “Kickstarter” in July 2018, this twenty page periodical undoubtedly lives up to its pre-print promise with its plot’s disturbing premise of the local ice-cream man being a deranged serial killer who murders innocent men, women and children so as to use “their body parts as new and delicious ice-cream toppings.” Indeed, it’s hard to imagine a more disturbing narrative than that offered by this title’s writer as well-intentioned Miami-based mothers help shepherd their all-too innocent off-spring towards Thomas Wright’s truck and pay for their little darlings tasty treats, never suspecting for a moment that one of the ingredients of his delicious carbohydrate-filled frozen dessert may well be the bodily remains of his latest hapless fatality; “You know I make all my ice cream with love and care.”

Fortunately however, this book’s storyline isn’t simply just a straightforward tale about a homicidal maniac chopping up random inhabitants of Florida just for the fun of it, with the vendor’s motivation proving to be a far more complicated affair than that once he returns home and continues to torture his two-timing wife, Lucy, in his home’s dark basement. Bound to a chair and gagged, it soon becomes evident that “Thomas’ latest victim” will be missing more than her regular local yoga class unless her new sweetheart, Aaron, can mount a timely rescue and save her from the impressive array of sharpened knives with which the petrified woman’s mentally disturbed husband plans to slaughter her with.

Encouragingly, just such a liberation appears about to occur too when Lucy’s “secret lover” attempts to gain entry to Wright’s eerie house by posing as a representative of the “Heavenly Palace of Jehovah’s Witness.” But those bibliophiles anticipating a happy ending will be completely wrong-footed by what Golden pens next, as the Ice Cream man proves more than a murderous match for “the black guy at the door” and subsequently slits the throat of his shocked spouse whilst she’s still reeling from the disbelief of him killing her new partner on their very doorstep.

Similarly as successful as this comic’s delivery of its spine-chilling surprises, is Andrey Lunatik’s extremely characterful artwork, which genuinely imbues the bespectacled maniac with just the sort of humorous quirkiness this book needs to set it apart from being just another ‘slasher’ story, and keep the reader wanting to see more of its leading cold-hearted character. In fact, it’s easy to see just why Bradley wanted to use a portion of the $2,733 pledged “to help bring this project to life” to compensate the Russian (and the rest of this publication's creative team) for “putting out some great work”.

‘First published on the "Dawn of Comics" website.'

The regular cover art of "TIMMY LALA'S ICE SCREAM" No. 1 by Helmut Rancho

The Vampires Of Lower Bennett Street #2 - Markosia Enterprises

THE VAMPIRES OF LOWER BENNETT STREET No. 2, July 2018

Despite perhaps somewhat precipitously moving away from its previous edition’s wonderfully atmospheric Seventeenth-Century shenanigans to a “futuristic and terrifying world [where] there are many questions to be asked”, Mike Lynch’s script for Issue Two of “The Vampires Of Lower Bennett Street” still must have provided its readership in July 2018 with plenty to enjoy with its hard-hitting physical violence and penchant for automatic weapons fire. Indeed, the sheer tempo of its plot, as Lazarus’ party easily overpowers Agent Grey’s ill-equipped small military force and finally escapes their centuries-long captivity arguably imbues this book with far more passion and pace than its forerunner.

Fortunately however, this series of frantic fire-fights involving the blood-drinkers “finally freed from their underground tomb” haven’t seemingly been penned simply for the sake of action, and add a lot of interest to this “new nightmare” as the long-time slumberers both discover and then explore their invulnerability to their enemies’ ineffective armaments; “Huhh? See! Their muskets have no effect upon us, strange as they are!” Such unexpected imperviousness really does bring out the viciousness of the vampires, with Martha in particular appearing to disconcertingly enjoy the fact that the firearms won’t harm her, but will quite easily blow the head clean off one of the soldiers she has just captured.

In addition, the West Irishman’s narrative also introduces the incredibly intriguing bat-headed sub-leader of this dark and twisted “totalitarian future”, whose vampiric abilities appear to have been enhanced with nano technology. Splendidly attired in the long black leather raiment of your typical fascist dictator, even down to his swastika-like motiffed red armband, this cold-hearted killer dominates every panel within which he appears, whether that be him matter-of-factly slaying one of his own men with a poison-laden syringe and subsequently ordering for the dead trooper’s head to be removed and body burnt, or simply informing Grey that he will soon undergo “the procedure” now his application to join the new breed of vampire’s order has been fruitful. 

Similarly as successful as Lynch’s narrative is Joe Campbell’s pencilling which packs plenty of panels with just the sort of intense pulse-pounding proceedings an audience would expect from a plot focusing upon “Lazarus and his vampire allies” battling against gas-mask wearing goons, hovering satellites, and state-of-the-art fighter planes. In fact the artist’s ability to represent the breath-taking speed with which some of this comic’s cast can move is one of this publication’s highlights, as his dynamically-etched blur-lines shockingly show just how outclassed the Demon Mother’s forces are when engaging this book’s titular characters in close combat.

‘First published on the "Dawn of Comics" website.'

Writer: Mike Lynch, and Artist: Joe Campbell