Prog 2357: Chem Trails

[IndigoPrime]

A typically great Cliff Robinson cover leads us into Dredd. Of late, Rob Williams has in my head turned into the Hollywood Dredd writer – keen on spectacle and big concepts. But this tale marries the more procedural elements of post-The Pit Dredd with elements of the Judge Child. I'm enjoying it immensely. And the art is relentlessly excellent.

Helium continues to dazzle as well. One of the best strips in the Prog for a long while – and the Prog has been strong for a long while. Here's hoping the page count will allow for a proper collection now – and a webshop HC.

Devil's Railroad and Deadworld continue to be readable but nonplus in their own ays. The former still feels oddly out of time to me, with some slightly cartoon villains. Nice art. The latter is visually horrific but too often flirts with silliness, and is now juggling so many balls that what was once tight now feels flabby. Again: nice art.

Feral & Foe wraps up the strips. I'm still finding this one a lot of fun. It also has the benefit of Abnett's knack of creating something satisfying in and of itself – both in series terms and as a weekly read – which is quite a feat that not every other writer can match.

A letters page also, with Ol' Green Bonce inferring that the 2350 strips could get another airing, if enough people demand it. Or, you know, plead. He also confirms there will be another Burns strip in the Prog (his last): Nightmare, New York. And that D'Israeli's working on Edginton's Scarlet Traces prequel, Empire of Blood, due in 2024.

[broodblik]

Cover by Cliff Robinson:

[O Lucky Stevie!]

A letters page also, with Ol' Green Bonce inferring that the 2350 strips could get another airing, if enough people demand it. Or, you know, plead. He also confirms there will be another Burns strip in the Prog (his last): Nightmare, New York. And that D'Israeli's working on Edginton's Scarlet Traces prequel, Empire of Blood, due in 2024.

I had wondered about Nightmare as both John Burns & Kek-W had mentioned the strip on Facebook after The Order finished but have not said anything in the wake of John's retirement announcement.

[O Lucky Stevie!]

Wait -- Scarlet Traces prequel? As in before The War of the Worlds?

[IndigoPrime]

Who knows? But, yeah, I'd assume this would have to be pre-WOTW.

[Batman's Superior Cousin]

From Simon and Schuster

The first novel set in the War of the Worlds universe from the cult comic book hit Scarlet Traces, picking up the story directly from the climax of H.G. Wells' classic.


November 1898, four months after the Martians' failed invasion of the United Kingdom, leaving priceless technology scattered among London's ruins. As reconstruction begins, Germany sends men and resources to aid in the recovery; not entirely trusting Kaiser Wilhelm's goodwill, the Queen's spymaster sends his trusted agent Ampney Crucis to spy on the German workers.

In the shadows of the city, mutilated bodies are turning up in the new slums. With so many still missing and so much still to be done, the case is all but overlooked, handed over to the police department's most junior detective, Valentine Bey. As Bey begins his investigations, he crosses paths with Crucis, and the two men discover a plot that could change the world.

Something survived the War of the Worlds; something that lives still under London. And there are many who would kill to get their hands on it...

[O Lucky Stevie!]

Did that novel ever see print? I remember it being listed for pre-order but it disappeared around the publication date.

[broodblik]

Did that novel ever see print? I remember it being listed for pre-order but it disappeared around the publication date.

Is this what you are looking for: https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/XB621

THE CHANCES OF ANYTHING COMING FROM MARS ARE A MILLION TO ONE, HE SAID.

But still they came. In the last years of the Nineteenth Century England fell to the Martians. The population was devastated, but the Martians were wiped out and Britain survived. A decade later, the British Empire has rebuilt and expanded its influence using the alien technology that brought it to its knees. Captain Robert Autumn and his manservant, Archie Currie, investigate the disappearance of Archie's niece and uncover the sinister conspiracy behind the empire's power!

This volume collects Ian Edginton's and D'Israeli's critically acclaimed comic book adaption of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds and the sequel, Scarlet Traces.

[O Lucky Stevie!]

No. That's the trade reprinting the first series of Scarlwt Traces along with their comic adaptation of The War of the Worlds.

Scarlet Traces: Empire of Blood was solicited as a prose novel from the Abaddon Books imprint of Rebellion Publishing.

I've had a sticky beak on Abaddon's site & I can only see the Scarlet Traces original prose anthology which I bought brand new in hardcover in 2019.

[Batman's Superior Cousin]

Did that novel ever see print? I remember it being listed for pre-order but it disappeared around the publication date.

I had it pre-ordered months beforehand and had to cancel it & get a refund when the book failed to arrive roughly six months after its estimated release date.

[Colin YNWA]

Steady Prog this time. This is a period of up and downs, nothing terrible, just there's a bit of a rythm with the stories largely following the same pattern of high points and steady builders.

Dredd is a prime example, this is a great, one of the best Dredd's from Rob Williams for a while but this episode is setting things up. Its excellently done, and PJ is on absolute fire, but there's nothing to grab you in this episode. Won't be a problem when read as a whole but just steady this week in isolation.

To be honest I felt Helium was similar. A steady building episode with stella art. Not a problem just nothing to grab you.

The Devil's Railroad is the exception that proves the rule! This is getting better and better and this episode is a belter. I'm getting pulled into the story more and more each week and I loved this episode even though I find the art steady!

Arh damnit Fall of Deadworld is losing me a bit. Too much going on and not enough to hold it together as coherant. Hopefully a reread at some point will fix this as I do enjoy this thrill but this one is slipping after a solid start.

And Feral and Foe returns to the theme of this Prog steady builder with excellent art. Nice ending mind. Good if not stella stuff.

Delighted to hear we have one more John Burns story to come. Hope its self contained so he gets a final beginning, middle and end. Looking forward to finding out.

[IndigoPrime]

Deadworld's an odd fish. I loved how it started. I bought the HCs. But now I'm really cool on the strip. I want to like it, but it kinda lost me some time ago.

[Barrington Boots]

I feel exactly the same on Deadworld - loved the start, drawn in by the horrific imagery and a fresh take on some now-tired old characters, but I feel its become mired down in itself of late. I didn't mind this episode though.
Anyway, a lot of 'middle episodes' this Prog, but it's nearly all good:


Dredd More twists and tuns in a really great procedural Dredd. I have literally no idea what is going to be revealed, in a good way, and I'm engaged to see what it is! Art is brilliant.

Helium Whilst nothing 'exciting' happens this is another great episode of a very enjoyable tale. Really digging this.

The Devil's Railroad still isn't working for me at all. IP describing the villains as cartoonish above is one of the issues I have with it: there's a real disconnect between the horrible plight and the way the characters are presented. Not enjoying it sadly.

Deadworld I actually thought this was a far better epsiode. Fear pops up again after a long absence and shows why he's a terrifying antagonist and the Tweed insurrection plot, which I felt had really bogged things down, seemingly resolved in a horrible and satisfying manner. There has been way too much going on in Deadworld for me - the little shorts have been good, but the main stor seemed too fragmented - but I think we're now down to three strands (Death, Eastwood and the Sovs, Jess & Fairfax) and that could give us more focus going forward. As ever the art is a grotesque delight.

Feral and Foe more of an talky, exposition-y episode than late but still excellent. No surprise re. the housekeeper situation. This is an excellent run of F&F.

Very good Prog - three real winners for me, and only one I'm not into. And a great cover! Thanks Tharg.

[broodblik]

Not a bad prog at all feels like we in the middle of something.

Dredd – I see that Rob is taking us from space to MC1 and now deep into the Cursed Earth. This has been quite intriguing as we are heading for the grand finale. Still not sure where this is heading in a good way. Before I forget PJ is giving us some stellar art.

Helium – The story continues to add some back-story and as always great art from D'Isreali. Yes, the story feels like very much a middle-part of the total story but still good.

Railroad – I am not engaging in the story, and I struggle to really care for any of the characters. I just do not like Rufus art here as well and it feels like a drop-off compared to Counterfeit Girl.

Deadworld – I have the same feeling as most of the posts related to the series. Maybe it is time to wrap this up.

Feral and Foe – Really enjoying this one as each part of the venture feels like a stand-alone story all weaved together.

[IndigoPrime]

I think with Deadworld, Kek-W fell into the same issue that I've had with his other recent 2000 AD strips, The Order and Indigo Prime. By drawing in too much of what went before – and what started in other strips, by other writers – they become lesser, rather than stronger. I'm not sure Armoured Gideon brought anything good to The Order. I certainly didn't need Revere in Kek-W's take on Indigo Prime. (Not sure how Tyranny will play out, but that's at least more of a logical 'cameo'.) And Deadworld was a horrific Walking Dead meets monstrous fantasy origins for the Dark Judges, which has now become heavy with Elseworlds Dredd (Sovs, etc) and the worst bits of the Death strips (all that nonsense from Young Death, which eradicated the mystery from the character and added iffy humour).

I do really want to like it. The strip still looks suitably hideous. But I'd love for it to get back the sense of focus it had in the earlier arcs, and reign in the sprawling mess it's become. (For this reason, perhaps, I've enjoyed the one-shots a lot more than the ongoing of late.)