British Comics: Science Fiction Goodness You May Have Missed

For the past couple of years, I became interested in knowing what was available outside the standard superhero fare of most American comics, or even the angst-ridden slice-of-life stories in many independent comics. I still wanted action and adventure, just not necessarily with capes and tights. Fortunately, I discovered many wonderful reprints of British sci-fi comics. Here's a look at a few of the titles and specific story arcs I discovered.

ABC Warriors: The Mek - Nificent Seven- My first foray into the world of ABC Warriors was quite satisfying, if not surreal. I'll be honest, I thought at first that the name was kind of hokey. Perhaps because I have two daughters ages five and three respectively, anything with the acronym "ABC" in it is usually educational and juvenile. I'm pleased to announce that ABC Warriors is anything but juvenile!

The Mek-Nificent Seven has an insane reprint history. It originally appeared in the pages of 2000AD issues 119-139 way back in 1979. Parts of it would be reprinted in Best of 2000AD Monthly issues 13 and 14. Yet other parts were reprinted in Quality's Sam Slade Robo-Hunter reprints. Fleetway-Quality turned out a four issue set for this arc. Titan Books reprinted it in a two book series and then later in a complete edition (which I used for the purposes of my review) with an added commissioned prologue and epilogue tying it into the Ro-Busters serial. DC/Rebellion also reprinted a complete edition minus the Titan commissioned material.

ABC Warriors - The Mek-Nificent Seven is about a group of robot warriors gathered to fight the heavy battles during the Volgan War. The "ABC" stands for Atomic-Bacterial-Chemical to denote the nature of these warriors. One mechanoid in particular, Hammerstein, is tasked with gathering an eclectic and elite band to head to Mars and tame the out-of-control planet steeped in civil and race wars, land ownership battles, oppression, etc. With his closest allies (the cowboy-talking Happy Shrapnel and the cooler-than-cool Joe Pineapples), Hammerstein seeks out the mindless Mongrel, the bloodthirsty Blackblood, The Mess (formerly Steelhorn, now stuck in a jar) and my personal favorite: the ruthless and slightly fanatical Knight Martial Deadlock to complete the Seven.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this first ABC Warriors story arc is how long writer Pat Mills takes to gather the complete group of seven. About half the volume is done before we see the entire group together and learn their true mission but the time is used wisely to develop characterizations and origins. In today's era where 'decompressionist storytelling' in comics is becoming the norm, I found it interesting that Pat Mills was doing it back in 1979, and doing it well! Even then each chapter contains enough action to entertain the reader while the group is being gathered together. He also has an odd sense of humor and politics, especially in later chapters, that makes for some very unique and entertaining story arcs.

The artwork is divvied up amongst a variety of 2000AD's finest artists: Kevin O'Neill, Mike McMahon, Brendan McCarthy, Brett Ewins, Carlos Ezquerra and Dave Gibbons. Even with each artist having their own style, the overall flow to the artwork works very well and there is nothing blatantly out of place or different as you are reading. I chalk that up to the fantastic designs of the ABC Warriors. Each has a very unique and stylized look to them. It's a winning addition to any library.

Rogue Trooper: Realpolitik - As a general rule, I don't like 'war comics'. It's not that I'm against them or don't have an appreciation for them, it's just that I use comics for escapism from the mundane of the everyday and to me, war is not escapist material.

All I knew about Rogue Trooper going into this volume was that he was some sort of futuristic soldier created a while back by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons and that he had gone through a sort of 'reboot' in recent years and had a video game based on these comics. The cover to this collection looked very intriguing though and I figured I had to start somewhere with Rogue Trooper. The volume I reviewed was published by Rebellion books and contains strips originally featured in 2000AD issues 1301-1312, 1344-1349, 1380-1385, 1462-1464, 1477-1479 and the 2003 Special.

I was immediately drawn into the world of Rogue Trooper, as war ravages Nu Earth between the Norts and the Southers in the far reaches of space. There's a very epic feel to this seemingly never-ending war as battle after battle is fought over the bleak landscapes destroyed by nuclear and biological weapons. Surviving in this place is nearly worse than dying in battle!

I won't go into great detail about the stories in this volume as there are a wide variety, yet they are surrounded by a couple of main plots: Being a genetically engineered soldier, Rogue Trooper has outlasted his projected lifespan and his body is failing while a revenge-bent War Marshal from the enemy side is hunting him down; and the politics of such a personal vendetta have repercussions for both sides of the war. Many secondary characters from the individual stories converge to make this an epic storyline.

A couple things made this volume stand out for me. One is the character of Rogue Trooper himself. He's a lone man on a mission to find the Traitor General (the main storyline that weaves all Rogue Trooper tales), but he still takes time fight for the side he was programmed for. Also, I wasn't sure how they would make this character interesting as a lone figure, but they give him a team dynamic by inserting 'biochips' of his fallen comrades into his gear and weaponry, thus at any time there are 4 'people' talking, fighting, and working together. This adds a fascinating dimension all around.

The black and white line art is also a feast for the eyes. There are a wide variety of artists that worked in this volume and some stand out better than others, but overall the detail given by all parties give this a wonderful look. I found myself constantly perusing pages long after I read them to bask in their fineness.

This was my first Rebellion trade purchase and I have to say I'm extremely pleased with their presentation. I can't wait to pick up some more. Though I may not like standard war comics, Rogue Trooper's fasciating sci-fi take on the subject and well written characterizations and plot lines have me wanting more!

Striontium Dog : Portrait of a Mutant - This volume is one of the reasons why I'm really enjoying discovering British comics.

I've never read a Strontium Dog strip in my life, but when a character is recommended, the story is developed by creators who have never let me down (John Wagner, Alan Grant and Carlos Ezquerra) and I could find a decent collected edition for a reasonable price off Ebay, it's really a no-brainer that I should give it a try.

The edition of Strontium Dog -Portrait of a Mutant I used for this review is the oversized Titan Books edition from 2002. The story first appeared in 2000AD issues 200-206 and 210-221, with reprints appearing in Eagle Comics Strontium Dog 1-5, The Best of 2000AD 15 and 16 and most recently in the Strontium Dog Search/Destroy Agency Files 02 volume by Rebellion Books (the chronological reprinting of every Strontium Dog story ever).

The lead protagonist of Strontium Dog is Johnny Alpha, a mutant. In the future world of SD, mutants are considered lesser-class people in which many can only find work that "norms" (normal non-mutant humans) aren't willing to do. For many, including Johnny, this includes becoming bounty hunters for the Search/Destroy Agency, where they earn the nickname "Strontium Dogs". Strontium fallout radiation is apparently the main cause of mutation in this universe, and when I say 'mutation' I mean like they might have a power of sorts, but more than likely its to have some extra limbs, or body parts where they shouldn't be.

What makes Portrait of a Mutant really intriguing is that it starts off as a standard Strontium Dog bounty adventure: with Johnny and his norm partner Wulf (a huge barbaric-looking type with a heavy accent) finishing off one bounty and taking on another job. Their next bounty though turns out to be Johnny's father, a crooked and very human politician.

The majority of the story is then told in flashback, as we understand how Johnny was a mutant when his family was normal, what strange powers he can do with his eyes, and how he's banished by his father. The origin continues as Johnny takes up with other restless mutants sick and tired of the prejudice they endure and ends up helping lead a mutant uprising, looking for equal rights for mutants. The civil conflict tears apart and re-defines the very foundation of Johnny's family. The flashbacks end just as Johnny finds his father, his bounty under his new life, and final judgment is passed.

Don't be deceived by my poor synopsis. Though Portrait of a Mutant has its fair share of moral and social commentary, it's mixed in with heavy doses action and adventure with plenty of sci-fi technology, gun slinging and explosions. It is a strong, compelling, addictive read and a perfect introduction to Strontium Dog. Wagner and Grant have created yet again another fantastic cast of characters that I want to follow. The early line art here of Carlos Ezquerra seems quite rough by more modern standards and his own later stuff, but I found it to be perfect for the grim, dirty, irradiated world of Johnny Alpha and friends.

A second story in the Titan volume, The Schicklgruber Grab first appeared in 2000AD issues 182-188, with reprints in Eagle's 2000AD Monthly 3-6, Judge Dredd Megazine 3.68 and 3.69, The Best of 2000AD 4, DC/Rebellion's trade paperback of Strontium Dog - The Early Cases, and last but not least, Rebellion Books Strontium Dog Search/Destroy Agency Files 01 trade paperback.

This shorter story is more of a sci-fi romp and is actually a nice break from the dark origin story and shows the flexibility in the types of Strontium Dog stories that can be told. In this, the "Committee of Ultimate Retribution" have placed a million dollar bounty for Adolf Hitler (yes, that Hitler), so chaos and hilarity ensue as a bunch of freaky looking mutants attept to time travel and nab the prize. Of course, Johnny and Wulf have first dibs!

As goofy a premise as it sounds, it's actually a smartly written story using historical facts and probabilities to even attempt to explain how removing Hitler from history into the future would work. Plus, its just plain fun!

Final verdict: Both Portrait of a Mutant and The Schicklgruber Grab are a great intro to Strontium Dog. It's able to vacillate between action, sci-fi, drama and comedy while giving depth to the characters. I'm hooked, so I'm thinking I need to hunt down the Search/Destroy agency files from Rebellion.

Robo-Hunter: Verdus - When I first picked up Robo-Hunter: Verdus, I didn't realize how far back the strip went. The edition I read was the 2004 trade paperback that DC Comics released in conjunction with 2000 A.D. but the Verdus storyline first appeared all the way back in 1978 within the pages of 2000 A.D issues 76-82 and 100-112. It would subsequently be reprinted in Best of 2000 A.D. Monthly 51 and 52, and Titan released it in two volumes as Robo-Hunter Book 1 and Book 2 respectively. Eagle Comics also released it in 5 parts. A lot of these strips have a long and fascinating reprint history so I'll try to bring that out when I can.

The concept of Robo-Hunter is pretty straight-forward. In the future, humans rely on robots for pretty much everything, but sometimes a robot may get wonky, wild, even a little murderous. That's when you call in Sam Slade, Robo-Hunter, the best in the business. Sam's getting a little old and tired though, until he's called in for the biggest job of his life. A self-replicating robot was sent to the planet Verdus to establish a colony fit for humans, but after the first human colonists were sent, they were never heard from again nor has any subsequent human venture out there. Sam is coerced into going to the planet and determines how and why the robots have taken over and what happened to all the humans.

What could have been a basic science fiction action plot is turned into a wonderfully entertaining romp in the hands of John Wagner and Ian Gibson. In their hands, Sam Slade is a wise-cracking mercenary that doesn't mind doing the right thing, just as long as he comes out on top. There is plenty of both slapstick and cerebral humor for readers of all ilks, with lots of highly imaginative plot devices. For instance the space trip to Verdus reduces Sam in age by 20 years, which is great since it'll be more realistic to see a younger fit guy taking on a planet of robots, but it also turns his pilot into a one-year-old that still retains the bad adult attitude, leading towards some fun antics. The events and twists that lead up to Sam discovering just what happened on Verdus introduces us to several robotic supporting characters, many with very human personality disorders. The mechanical and very ineffective Verdus Parliament as well as the aptly named Big Brain are not to be missed!

Much of the fun in Robo-Hunter, besides Wagner's deft writing, is Ian Gibson's art. Gibson has a very whimsical style bordering on cartoonist, yet his caricature renderings work perfectly within the confines of the outrageous story. He also does some great backgrounds, giving unprecedented scale to the massive robotic cities of Verdus. This was my first real look at Ian Gibson's art and it has me hunting down more.

If I have one complaint about the Verdus collection is that it definitely seemed to be written for the serialized format (which it obviously was), so I found more enjoyment by reading it in chunks over the course of a couple weeks rather than a straight read-through in one sitting. It tends to have to give the reader a synopsis every so often, which is annoying in collected edition but makes sense since it was first presented in a weekly magazine. I guess that's not really a complaint, just more of a recommendation on how to read the series.

The DC/2000AD edition I read was presented quite nice and featured not only the entire Verdus saga, but reproduced several of the original 2000 A.D. covers too. The paper quality is not as nice as the oversized Titan reprints or the Rebellion editions but is still nice glossy paper and not newsprint. The SRP is only $14.95 for 134 pages of early Wagner and Gibson goodness. It can be found much cheaper from your favorite online retailer.

Skizz - Like everyone else on the planet, I have a fascination with Alan Moore's works and it's been fun for me to dig around his earliest works from 2000AD.

Skizz is interesting in that it might possibly be the most pedestrian work I've ever read of Alan Moore! It's not bad at all, but it never really moves beyond the "E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial" vibe it was cashing in on at the time (and referenced and teased about in the book itself). Where as Moore would definitely cut his teeth more on the Future Shocks strips and The Ballad of Halo Jones where his trademark characterizations, humor and edge are more apparent, on Skizz he pretty much turns out a story about an alien lost on Earth, the friends he makes and the enemies trying to catch him. No more, no less.

It's still an enjoyable read and I am recommending it, especially for historians such as myself. Just don't go into it expecting a deeply layered book like Moore's later creations.

Thirteen - Thirteen (or Th1rt3en or 13, as I've seen it spelled out) is an exciting little story by Mike Carey and Andy Clarke that first appeared in the pages of 2000AD Progs 1289-1299 and as far as I can tell, has only been reprinted beyond that in the trade paperback published by DC under their DC/2000AD imprint publishing agreement with Rebellion.

Thirteen is about a punk named Joe you uses his minor telekinetic powers for petty thievery and cheating. When he discovers an odd pearl that suddenly increases his power to an unbelievable (and nearly uncontrollable) level, Joe finds himself in a conflict between two alien races that deal with psychic phenomenon and have their own agenda for Joe. Just who is Aden, where does she come from, and just what is the mysterious 'Thirteen'?

Thirteen is an entertaining, if quick, read in the light sci-fi genre. I was familiar with some of Mike Carey's work from Lucifer and Hellblazer, and he has no problem with characterization. In fact, it's the standout of the book, as the reader gets familiar with everyone and understands their motivations as the story progresses, especially in the final act when everyone's true colors are revealed. Thirteen is no where near as deep as Carey's later work but it's still intriguing enough. It still stands above basic science fiction fare.

Andy Clarke's artwork utilizes nice detail and realism. He reminds me a bit of Frank Quitely minus the pout on the characters. He creates some unique and dynamic visuals. I think his character designs really added to the overall experience of the read. Of course, I have an affinity for punk rock influences, so I'm a bit biased. Seeing a character in a Dead Kennedy's shirt always makes me smile!

Thirteen is a good, solid, entertaining read at least once. I'm not sure I feel the need to re-visit the material, but its like a good summer blockbuster film: Loud and fast with some great action sequences and stunts, and I'm glad I spent my money to see it in a theater, but I'm not sure I want to watch it over and over on DVD. That's exactly how I felt after I read Thiteen, but I recommend it for at least one full reading.