Four more utterly scrotnig 2000AD character studies from the hand of British artist,Simon Penter.
From top:Strontium Dog,Johnny Alpha;Judge Dredd circa,Apocalypse Wars;Russian rogue,Nikolai Dante and Anderson-Psi Division vs A.B.C Warrior,Hammerstein because..it’s cool!
And so the final chapter begins with a fitting farewell cover(Prog1786,8Jun’12)from second-most prolific Nikolai Dante artist,John Burns.
Although Dante had defeated Konstantin Romanov and was set to become Tsar with Jena Makarov at his side,there were rumours of her father Vladimir plotting to reclaim his title of Conqueror.
“Sympathy for the Devil”;script:Robbie Morrison;art:Simon Fraser
Roguish cover(Prog1778,11Apr’12)by Paul Marshall & Gary Caldwell.
With Romanov family patriarch Dmitri dead,eldest remaining sibling,Konstantin has challenged Nikolai Dante to a public duel.
“The Dante Gambit”;script:Robbie Morrison;art:John Burns
Well-choke-here it is…the final Nikolai Dante cover(Prog1791,11Jul’12)to the last ever episode appropriately drawn with shades of twilight by co-creator and,along with Robbie Morrison,chief contributor to the mythos of Dante,Simon Fraser.
Thanks go out to both creators for picking out a jewel from amongst a glut of inferior stories and characters,during an uncharacteristic slump in the mid-90’s weekly Prog.
It has been a truly remarkable standard of quality entertainment from a strip running regularly for 15 years.
A raising of the blade to Messrs. Morrison and Fraser,concealing a definite tear in the eye..From the roguish,young scamp to the war-weary veteran and on to the elder statesman,
Bojemoi,Kolya,bojemoi indeed!
A strong end to a powerful series, now everyone needs to go back to the start and re-read it.
Pulp romance-themed cover(Prog1765,11Jan’12)from famed Brit comic atist,Steve Yeowell(Zenith,The Invisibles).
Nikolai Dante’s true love,former Tsarina Jena Makarov is being forced to marry Dmitri Romanov in order to save her lover’s life.
“The Wedding of Jena Makarov”;script:Robbie Morrison;art:Simon Fraser.
Cast and crew(from l-r:Lulu Romanov,Viktor Romanov,Nikolai Dante,Katarina Dante,Elena Kurakin)cover art(Prog1735,25May’11)by co-creator Simon Fraser.
On seized pirate ship the Marauder,Nikolai Dante readies his small band of revolutionary leaders to attack power-mad autocrat,Dmitri Romanov.
But is everybody on board with Dante’s plan?
“Bad Blood”;script:Robbie Morrison;art:Simon Fraser
Cut the crap!
Lively cover(Prog1731,28Apr’11)from 2000AD great Cliff Robinson.
Holed up in a deceased General’s quarters,Nikolai Dante is approached by Tsar Vladimir’s former oracle,Odessa Zhirinovsky.
She wants to write Dante’s memoirs and knowing how she suffered at the hands of the Tsar,not to mention being blinded by his sadistic half-brother Konstantin Romanov,he is only too happy to oblige.
A good issue for any newcomers to Nikolai Dante’s world as it neatly summarises his exploits and tragedies,right up to the return of evil patriarch,Dmitri Romanov.
“The Memoirs of Nikolai Dante”;script:Robbie Morrison;art:Simon Fraser
I love this cover(Prog1708,27Oct’10)by sometime 2000AD artist Nick Percival.After disappearing from the pages of 2000AD in the mid-90’s,Percival returned in 2004 with a much tighter style and has delivered some of the most iconic covers of the last decade,including this one of Konstantin Romanov on the battlements of Castle Kronstadt with victim,decent-ish vampire,Emmanuel Chekhov!
“The Master of Kronstadt”;script:Robbie Morrison;art:John Burns(Book X,“Hero of the Revolution”)
