Nemesis the Warlock: Book 3 Eps 5-9
Kevin was legendary for rejecting stories that were not to his liking. It never happened to me but I know he rejected at least one D.C. Comics script from Vertigo because it didn’t have enough action.
I’m blown away by Nemesis the Warlock: the Definitive Edition. My compliments to the publishers, Rebellion, and especially their designer Gemma Sheldrake for the truly inspired front and back covers.
Such a Definitive Edition requires a Definitive Commentary, a companion piece for when you’re looking at the beautiful art by art-creator Kevin O’Neill and the other talented artists that followed him. So it’s time for The Secret History of Nemesis the Warlock, an episode by episode revelation of what really went on behind the scenes.
Episode Five – Ydrassil Castle
The Terminators have laid siege to the castle of the Basilisks, whose donjon has been built around one of the massive trees that populate their planet. Kevin depicted the tree as a nuclear explosion which was a truly brilliant idea of his alone. The castle itself is equally amazing and all-consistent with our European approach. It’s most unlikely that such fantasy could ever appear in a superhero comic!
And now Mek-Quake appears as a Terminator mobile battle tower! It’s great to see him back, snarling ‘Big Jobs’.
Kevin and I were immensely fond of the robots we created for Ro-Busters and you will see that Ro-Jaws appears in a later story. As always Mek-Quake is stupid and vicious and screws up. Of all the characters I’ve written for 2000AD, I probably miss Mek-Quake, Ro-Jaws and Torquemada the most, so this is a great volume for me.
Episode Six and Seven – Nemesis joins the battle.
Nemesis leads the alien Basilisks in repelling the Terminators. The action is good, but I personally think the warlock doesn’t work quite so well as an action hero. It’s here that more conventional human heroes probably have the edge.
Kevin and I never talked about it, but I suspect we both felt the same way. I think we both preferred the character or villain episodes over these hero episodes. It’s notable that Kevin tended to put more detail into them and I steered the Warlock away from battle scenes in future.
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