The Complete Nemesis the Warlock: Bk. 1 [Paperback]

These days, I grab any 2000AD collected editions I can find in the US, as the opportunities appear to be dwindling. Considering the love affair American comics readers have with British writers and artists, you'd think we'd snatch up these books, but unfortunately, that's not the way it goes. In fact, several years ago, DC began reprinting select storylines of various characters, including several I'd never heard of before. These reprints featured work from such big names as Alan Moore, Simon Bisley, Brian Bolland, Frank Quitely, and Chris Weston: creators who are no strangers to American audiences. Unfortunately, the line was cancelled after a year or so. On one hand, I can understand that DC wouldn't want to continue the line if the books aren't selling, but did they honestly expect that they would fly off the shelves without heavy promotion? The unfortunate truth is that most American readers need to be spoon-fed when it comes to British comics, and we few enlightened fans suffer the consequences.

In any case, I am happy that 2000AD/Rebellion is following the black-and-white "phone book" trend of Marvel's Essentials and DC's Showcase by releasing their Complete collections. These are available through US distributors, and my local shops order them regularly, so I can finally read the original adventures of my favorite 2000AD characters - and at this point, I don't care if they're not in color. THE COMPLETE NEMESIS THE WARLOCK BOOK 1 collects the first 4 stories of my favorite horse-faced demon, plus some nice extras. Nemesis leads the fight against the evil Termight Empire and its emperor, Torquemada, whose goal is the elimination of all alien life in the universe. All of the stories are written by Pat Mills, and they kept me on the edge of my seat. The pacing and character development are amazing. What begins as a couple of random stories based on rock songs gradually metamorphoses into an epic of amazing scope. While it could be argued that the stories are formulaic in the repeated confrontations between Nemesis and Torquemada, Mills infuses them with inspired takes on politics, racism, divine right, sociology, and alien biology.

The art is in a class by itself. Nemesis is certainly a uniquely-designed character, and the unsettling grotesqueries established early on by Kevin O'Neill are ably carried onward by Jesus Redondo and Bryan Talbot, before returning to O'Neill towards the end of the book. The art is perfectly suited to the stories, making a combination that is rarely seen elsewhere. I can't wait for Book 2!

Nemesis the warlock astounded me when i was young - it seemed so 'deviant', to have a demon as the hero and a religious zealot as the enemy. The artwork here is fantastic from Kevin O'Neill whose vastly intricate artwork is compelling. The book, to be fair, does not have the best Nemesis story lines - Terror Tube and Killer Watt are not exactly structurally complex but they do set the scene and give us a great view of 'Termight' from the inside out. Book I and Book II are sort of adventure stories with big spiders and the like.

However, Book III (with the return of O'Neill in the artists chair) is where things start taking a darker turn and develop in complexity. For me, this is where the great stories begin. Unfortunately this collection stops at the end of Book IV with all the really dark stuff still to come. Also, Bryan Talbot's artwork in Book IV ( and later in Book V and VI i think) is not as compelling as O'Neill's.

I'm pleased at how thorough rebellion have been with this collection as they have included all nemesis stories from the era i.e. the ones that appeared in special editions and annuals etc., as well as the first two stories in which Nemesis isn't seen!

This is essential stuff even if only to set the scene for vol 2 which will have The Two Torquemadas and Deathbringer with the unnerving artwork of John Hicklenton.

Also, be sure to check out The Meknificent Seven and The Black Hole collections of ABC Warriors as they are tied in with these stories.

Be Pure, Be Vigilant, Behave!

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Ah, the thrill of 'arch deviants' and 'bigots'! The memories come flooding back, with o'Neil's nightmarish artwork (wasn't some of this censored with big white blobs?) to the fore. Pleasantly surprised 'The Gothic Empire' is included, as Talbot's version of Purity Brown did funny things to me as a boy. A great collection of stories and an equal to Dredd and Rogue on my bookshelf.