Nemesis The Warlock : The Final Heresies

 

Nemesis the Warlock:  The Final Heresies

Pat Mills, John Hicklenton, David Roach, Kevin O’Neill, Carl Critchlow, Paul Staples, Chris Weston, Clint Langley & Tony Skinner

Review by Luke Williams

So. Here we are, a year or so after release date. The third and final volume of the lovingly bound collections of Nemesis the Warlock. Handsome volumes that they are, these stories have been collected numerous times, so the question is does this add to the collections you may already have?

This final sequence, though stretched out over a period of 10 years or so, begins in a period of transition for the Prog’; the mid 500s – early 600s just before Slaine : The Horned God. We have Zenith and ABC Warriors “The Black Hole” (referenced here) but we also have Rogue Trooper : “The Hit”, significantly, it also saw the launch of Crisis Fleetway (2000 ADs then publishers) first move into “mature” comics, with a significant  contribution from Nemesis co creator Pat Mills on political strip Third World War.

As far as Nemesis is concerned, Bryan Talbot had already left, his startling and talented replacement John Hicklenton had made his bonkers and controversial debut on the strip with “The Two Torquemadas”. If the difference between O’Neill and Talbot was jarring; and the subsequent switch to Hicklenton fried your brain, then the shift from the LSD nightmare that was Hicklenton to the smooth, beautifully rendered and finely detailed art that is David Roach’s debut is instantly sobering.

Considering the subject of “Purity’s Story” Hicklenton could have been a poor fit. Roach’s work is far easier on the senses than the overload that is Hicklenton’s art, and, to be completely politically incorrect, Roach draws beautiful women. It’s Purity’s origin story; detailing from her perspective how she and Nemesis met, and her connection to Torquemada. It’s a breather in what had become a protracted and increasingly personal chase / battle sequence between the two mortal enemies. The inherent contradictions in Nemesis’ character are further explored and some home truths are explained to Purity as Mills and Co set up the series for its denouement.

John Hicklenton is back in the saddle for “Deathbringer”, book 9, where his craziness in the later episodes comes to the fore in character design and the fight sequences, it’s really quite disturbing. Its also here that there is a little bit of cross pollination between Mills’ strips – not directly, but definitely in tone. Mills buy now was writing Third World War in Crisis, the plot – such as it is; is that Nemesis & Purity have trailed the Grandmaster to an alternate 1989. Due to time dilation (or something) Torquemada has been in Britain for many years and now heads up a paramilitary police force and owns a chain of bed and breakfasts. After the inevitable fight, drawn in lovingly gory detail the relationship between Nemesis & Purity is forever changed. One things is for sure, Hicklenton could draw an incredibly grotesque Torquemada.

And then; in the Prog at least; nothing.

Not for years.

However, this volume collects the abortive attempts to build to what was inevitably going to be the climax of the strip. It seemed like either editorial or probably more likely Mills had lost interest, Slaine was riding high following the massive success of “The Horned God”; ABC Warriors with Bisley and SMS had been a hit with Kev Walker fully painting the next storyline (admittedly a few years away), Toxic was a twinkle in his and partners’ eye, and Mills and Kevin O’Neill had found cult success in the US with “Marshal Law”.

First off is the “Shape of Things to come” drawn by Paul “Finn” Staples from Prog 824, 4 years after the “Deathbringer”. “SOTTC” effectively resets the strip back to its roots, eschewing the development by Talbot, Hicklenton and Roach. Three parter series “Hammer of the Warlocks” drawn by a young and lurid Clint Langley, picks up the plot thread from “SOTTC” and… doesn’t do a lot with it.

The highlights from this period, included here as a coda rather than within the main storyline  are “The Tomb of Torquemada” – full colour Kev O’Neill originally published in the short lived series of Poster Progs. “The Bride of the Warlock” drawn by great “should have been” Nemesis artist Chris Weston – which sees Candida recovering from her breakdown and being wooed by the Warlock. It’s a bit silly, but has fantastic visuals by Weston.

On the other hand, possibly the most painful to read would be the single episode “Warlocks & Wizards” and the series “The Enigmass Variations”, both painted by Carl Critchlow, the latter co written by Mills’s then creative partner Tony Skinner. Both strips were hampered by poor printing technology making the art very dark, or as it has been described, like someone painted with mud, which unfairly reflects on Critchlow’s work. But more crucially, the stories are just hammy, painful dialogue and a silly plot.They aren’t part of the storyline proper, but they are probably the character’s nadir and presumably included for completeness.

The strip finally ends in 1999 with Book X, imaginatively titled “The Final Conflict”, drawn for the most part by genius Henry Flint – “the 2000 AD artist’s artist” –perfect for the strip and of all the artists who followed Kevin O’Neill on the strip, probably the one most in spirit with its co-creator. As you’d imagine, this is the final battle, were back in Termight, but this time it’s a three way fight, Purity, Torquemada and Nemesis, before a suitably appropriate fate befalls the mortal enemies, the final episode fittingly drawn by Kevin O’Neill for the first of the bumper end of year progs: Prog 2000, celebrating the new millennium.

Also in this collection is the pseudo sequel Deadlock starring the titular ABC Warrior, again drawn by Henry Flint, but this time chasing a serial killer and being tracked by President Purity Brown, who is finding life as a politician more It means the strip has gone full circle, as Mills & O’Neill had mooted the idea of Deadlock being the character zooming around Termight in the early days.

Finally, Mills and O’Neill returned to Nemesis and Torquemada one more time for Prog’ 2000, the 2000^th issue, which didn’t really add anything to the story, but is fittingly the final strip in this book and of course, sadly, it was the final Nemesis strip O’Neill drew.

And that… is that.

There are some extra bits and bobs in here that may be of interest. There’s a nice collection of covers and pin ups, including work from artists not usually associated with the strip, such as Garry Leach, Liam Sharp, Colin Wilson & Simon Bisley. The introduction from Pat Mills gives nods to his artistic collaborators and how Torquemada as a villain has influenced his other strips.

There’s no doubt that the strip had begun to lose its way from Book 6. Collected, readers new to the strip may not be able to see the effect that extended break had on the strip, or perhaps this long term reader is overplaying it. What is clear is that the one offs and short series between Books 9 & 10 indicate that Mills and editorial didn’t know how to wrap this up, or perhaps had just lost interest.

It’s a handsome, hardback and book ribboned; sitting attractively with the other two on the shelf if such things matter to you.  Better print quality, the reproduction of Carl Critchlow’s pages aside, and a more appropriate size tan the “phone books” volumes that previously collected the strip. Whether these volumes are the best reprints is another argument, if it wasn’t for the fact that the Titan volumes seemingly were designed to fall apart after 2 readings I’d say they were still the best.

Worth buying? Well, yes – if you are a Nemesis fan and have the other two it seems silly not to get the last one doesn’t it? Assuming of course you can get one, Rebellion says they were limited to 350.

It’s a beautiful package, only let down by some of the story content, and occasional poor colour reproduction.

Nemesis The Warlock : A Potted History. Parts 1, 2, 3, 4

Nemeis The Warlock : The Early Heresies The Latter Heresies

ABC Warriors : A Potted History. Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Kevin O’Neill 1953-2022

By Luke Williams

There’s never been an artist like Kevin O’Neill. His characters are comic, grotesque, macabre, horrifying and hilarious all at once. His pages can be disturbing and contain boundless energy, marrying extreme violence with slapstick humour, his characters are horrifying and hilarious. His art is jagged, surreal, anarchic and euphorically visceral with an anarchic edge. His outlandish designs reveal a vivid and extraordinary imagination.

Kevin started as a junior on the IPC humour titles, describing himself as a “bodger”, whiting out artists names, cleaning up pages etc.  He found a dream job as assistant art editor on 2000AD.  It was here that he really started to spread his wings under the tutelage of art editor Jan Shepheard, later replacing her as art editor.

Heavily influenced by British humour comic great Ken Reid, and Mad magazine, it was Kev’ who was responsible for the adverts for “Flesh” and humour in the editorial illustrations in the early Progs of 2000AD. Famously he introduced creator credits early on in the Prog, a huge leap for comic creator recognition and creator rights in the UK.

He was also responsible for designing many early characters including Judge Dredd “Robot Wars” antagonist, Call Me Kenneth, and co-creating Starlord’s “Ro Busters”, along with humour strips “Bonjo Beyond The Stars”, “Dash Decent” one off story “Shok” (which later famously inspired the 90s sci fi film “Hardware”), a hand in the “ABC Warriors”

and a strip he and Pat Mills originally began working on to let their hair down “Comic Rock”, which metamorphosised into the gothic majesty of “Nemesis the Warlock”.

Moving to work in the US market and wider audience, no one could ever accuse O’Neill of toning his work down and comprising his style. Notoriously, he is the only artist ever to have his work rejected by the industry regulator the Comics Code Authority.

In the States he co created Marshal Law, producing savagely beautifully painted pages, the bizarre Metalzoic which allowed his robot design creativity to go wild, with Alan Grant he produced work on DC’s Lobo and a revival of post Crisis ignored Bat-Mite, collaboration with Pat Mills and Tony Skinner on a comic continuation of Roger Corman’s Death Race.

But perhaps most enduring and well known is his collaboration with Alan Moore The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, where he interpreted classic literary and more recent popular culture characters in his own inimitable fashion.

He did return to the Prog; most notably on covers (check out Prog 492), two memorable Judge Dredd strips, the infamous Prog 500, the occasional anniversary issue, a reprint of Metalzoic and to dip in and out of contributing to co creation “Nemesis the Warlock”, and drawing its capstone.

Most recently, despite rumours of his retirement he returned to British comics with a revival of the “Kids Rule OK” strip written by Garth Ennis and an upcoming “Bonjo Beyond the Stars”.

An idiosyncratic talent, he exemplified the early iconoclastic punk attitude of 2000AD in short, a genius. Rest in peace Mr. O’Neill, thanks for everything.

Nemesis The Warlock : The Latter Heresies

Or where Luke continues to buy the same stories over and over again but in increasingly fancy formats

By Pat Mills, Kevin O’Neill, John Hicklenton & Tony Luke

Review by Luke Williams

 

In Volume 1, “The Early Heresies” we left Nemesis, oddly chipper for a guy who had just received news that his wife and child had been murdered by Terminators, as the saviour of the Gothic homeworld and getting his revenge; Torquemada was dead at the hands of his own fanatics. Where could the strip go now?

Set ten years after the events of the Gothic Empire, this collects the second act of the saga, where Thoth, Nemesis’ not actually dead son, Thoth, returns to resolve some Daddy issues and exact a rather convoluted revenge on the man who ordered the death of his Mother.

The volume collects books 4 “The Vengeance of Thoth”, 5 “Torquemurder” and 6 “The Two Torquemadas”, plus the interlude / prologue to the latter half of the saga that is “Torquemada the God” and a bunch of other bits and bobs such as the Nemesis and Torquemada games from Diceman, photo strips and one offs from various annuals, specials and the Prog itself.

Across the volume we see Torquemada plucked from the past by Thoth,  thrust into the present to be endlessly tortured and subsequently used as bait by Nemesis to entice his revenge driven son into the open (Book 4 “ Vengeance of Thoth”).

This swiftly moves to Thoth being pursued through the time wastes by the motley crew of Nemesis, Torquemada and the ABC Warriors (Book 5 “Torquemurder”).

There  is  brief “lull” in the Kevin O’Neill illustrated “Torquemada the God” which cues up the next sequence with a glimpse into Torque’s new domestic arrangements,

 

whilst the final book illustrated by John Hicklenton, sees the far future Torquemada meeting his first incarnation, the leader of the Spanish inquisition Tomas De Torquemada (“The Two Torquemadas”).

 

You can argue that the logic in the strip fails as in any time travel story, e.g. why doesn’t Nemesis just go back in time to just before Thoth kidnaps Torquemada in the timeline to stop any of this happening. Alternatively, you could just ignore all that tosh, don’t think about it too much and just enjoy the ride.

This, the middle period of “Nemesis”, is where the strip starts to start to sag. That’s not to say that these stories are bad, but from here on in the strip begins to lose direction and it seems Uncle Pat wasn’t quite sure how to wrap things up. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

What is undeniable is the quality of the art. From the sublime Kev’ O’Neill drawn strips, Bryan Talbot’s gothic majesty and his killer double page spreads to Hicklenton’s unhinged and grotesque genius. The Diceman strips are an interesting curio, and you get some cracking O’Neill and Talbot art to illustrate them. If there are drawbacks, the running order of strips is a bit off and the ridiculous, incongruous and painful to read photo strips maybe a necessary inclusion for the completes point of view, but add nothing to the saga. Finally, for such an impressively produced volume it seems a bit of a cop out to use reprinted creator commentary.

Volume 1, “The Early Heresies” was meant to be a “limited edition”, but clearly it sold in sufficient numbers for it to be reprinted, alongside this Volume,  presumably Volume 3 isn’t that far away.  The Titan reproductions are still the best, even with their Orson Cart  (he falls apart)  binding, but these hardback volumes are a big step up from the soft cover phone books that Rebellion also hawk. The “Heresy” editions have better quality paper and clearer reproduction than the occasionally smudged and murky reprint in the soft cover volumes, they are also bigger than the phone books, Prog’ sized, and have that mark of class – the book ribbon. I love me a book ribbon. Do yourself a favour; sacrifice a few trees and get a copy of this (if there are any still available of course) it’ll look lovely on your bookshelf. It’s a super attractive format and one they should really consider for other classic strips.

Roll on Volume 3

Nemesis The Warlock :  A Potted History

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3 Part 4

 

 

Death Race 2020 1-8

 

Is it 2021? What happened to the murderous road race that was to take place in 2020 across the North American continent? Luke looks into what could have been.

by

Pat Mills, Tony Skinner, Kevin O’Neill, Trevor Goring, Dan Schafer and Digital Chameleon

Published by Roger Corman’s Cosmic Comics

Review by Luke Williams

Nemesis The Warlock : The Early Heresies

Silencing the little voice in his head, Luke ponies up the dough for the latest repackaging of classic Nemesis. Limited edition, not all Squaxx will have got a copy, but what are they missing out on? Luke checks out what he forked out 30 quid for, in this Rioja fuelled overview.

Nemesis The Early Heresies

Marshal Law Figure. By Unbox Industries

Luke has spent some of the dosh he has earned from his day job and the ramblings for (cheap plug) “Comic Scene” on a “Marshal Law” figure, the superhero hating character created by 2000AD legends Pat Mills and Kevin O’Neill. Yeah, okay he’s had his for a few months, but he’s been busy for crying out loud.