Saturday 10 December 2016

The V.C.s Book 1: Back In Action (2000AD #1301-1306, #2003)

"You're hit. You're dead" - Steve Smith

Long ago in ages past (the 1980's) trade paperbacks weren't really a thing, so 2000AD exploited its back catalogue by providing a monthly collection of a random serial for about fifty pence.  In this way I caught up with on-going series such as Slaine and Nemesis The Warlock as well as being introduced to serials that were over and done with such as The Ballad of Halo Jones and the V.C.s.  The V.C.s (short for "Vacuum Cleaners" due to their reputation for clean kills with little debris) was very early story dating back to the 1979-80, a future war saga that introduced us to a motley collection of human soldiers hailing from various Earth colonies, throw together to fight the insect-like aliens the "Geeks".  The viewpoint character was an Earth native called Steve Smith, who had to fight their prejudice against Earth based humans (his nickname was "Earth Worm"), and the cost of the war was very high as by the end only Steve and Jupe the sergeant and ship's captain, a certified badass who wasn't really slowed down by being rendered blind survived from the original crew.  Now a major, Steve led an an attack on the Geek homeworld that ended the war and the original strip, and I covered the original series during my last UK comics month.  But many years later in 2002, 2000AD scribe Dan Abnett decided it was time to give the concept another go round and thanks to my very good friend Lucy who gave me the trade paperback collecting the first three new Books of the V.C.s ("Back In Action") I can write about the sequel storylines as well.  I'm covering Book 1 first, plus the related one-shot "Escher's Well".  The further books will be covered in further UK comics months.

Throughout this story, Steve is haunted by the ghosts of four of the original V.C.s, Hen-sho, Ringer, Dwarf Star and Loon.  Only Steve can hear what they say and they only appear if he hasn't taken his medication.  Through this plot device current readers are able to get some idea what the original storyline was about and how the current situation compares.
An aged Steve Smith.
It's fifty years since the end of the Human-Geek war.  Now an old man, Smith is working as a maintenance person.  He tells his ghosts that the war, "screwed me up and I'm screwed up still."  But he hasn't taken his pills so he can "shoot the breeze with you guys".  He tells them he could get a job in the military but:

Steve: "Because times change.  For one thing, the modern corps is a place for hot-shot college graduates with Masters in Gravitics and Astro-Physics.  They don't have a place for grunts like you and me.  We're a dying breed".

Steve is summoned into the ship he's cleaning and told he has a visitor.  He is alarmed to find it is a Geek and freaks out a bit.  The Geek apologises for upsetting him.  He is just a historian composing a work on the Human-Geek war. 

Because next month is "Peace Day" celebrating fifty years of peace between human and Geek, he believes the time is right.  He wants Steve's input because he played such an integral part in the end of the war.

Geek: "I want to reflect the human history.  Like many of my generation I am ashamed of the brutal behaviour of our fore-fathers."

He says in the past fifty years the Geeks have not rearmed, nor have the stirred dissent, the war "is a shame we will bear for a long time."  He asks Steve is he is going to Peace Day.  Steve says probably not, though he has been invited.  The Geek says he'll see his old comrades again, Steve says he sees them plenty.
Keege the friendly Geek.
Later that night he wakes from a dream of battle with all the ghosts watching him.  They want him to attend Peace Day, Steve flatly says "No!"  We then cut to him at Peace Day, he is assigned a Captain Johnroe from the Galatic Combat Corps for the day.  Smith takes a look at the powerful looking ships in the sky above and asks what they are like to fly, Johnroe says they only get to fly them in simulations, there hasn't been a "hot war" for years.

He takes Steve to an old Star Ship of the kind Steve flew during the first war.  There are only fifty left in service and will all be taking part in the Peace Day fly-bys.  Onboard, Smith meets Jupe, now with eyes again, "cheap graft jobs".  Jupe asks when they get to fly. But Johnroe says the Air and Space museum has insisted that only their staff operate the antiques.  "We're all antiques" comments Jupe to Steve.
Jupe and Smith feeling like relics of a bygone age.
Jupe and Steve chat as they look out of the window.  Jupe says this might be the day "The Polity" invite humankind to join.  Steve says he never knows what to make of them since they made contact thirty years ago.

Steve: "This enlightened confederation of alien cultures.  With ten thousand years of peace and harmory beind them and technology that makes us look like cavemen.  Where were they during the Geek war?  They could have stepped in.  Stopped it.  Saved lives."

Jupe says humans are an infant species and needed to prove "we were worthy of contact not rescue."  Then the Geek flotilla arrives, Jupe comments how relieved he is that they aren't allowed weapons.
Spaceship!
Steve however notes the ships are starting to pair up, looks "like an assault formati-"  he is interupted by a huge explosion.  Smith initially thinks he is hallucinating because he didn't take his pills that day.  But he looks out of the window and sees the Geek ships tearing the human ones apart and realises they are at war again.

He returns to Jupe, who calmly says they are losing badly.  The Geek Blink ships are way beyond their capabilities and even the ships from the original war have some kind of bleeding edge shielding, "Smith, we're losing so frickin' bad it's not even heroic" comments Jupe.

The ship they are in makes Landfall on the moon.  The Captain tells them to keep calm, Jupe says the veterans came through a war, they do calm pretty well.  The Captain, behaving like an arsehole, invites them to "come and observe how we do combat these days.  If your hearts can take it."  Meanwhile Steve is given an idea by Hen-Sho's ghost and sneaks off.

The Captain shows the Geeks infantry on the moon coming for them via an advanced scanner.  He lists off all the modern technology their own soldiers are equipped with, but when they and the Geeks clash, the Geeks easily wipe them out much to the Captain's horror.  Smith then appears in an old V.C. suit.  The Captain demands to know what he's playing at and Jupe snaps.

Jupe: "No idea Captain.  But he's the only man I can see not dying or talking out of his ass".

Steve leads a group of similarly suited up soldiers out on to the moons surface.  Jupe asks if he has a plan, "We put out the mat, and start cleaning" says Steve.
Time to get cleaning.
Some soldiers are pinned down, reporting that their body shields don't offer protection and the Geeks are shrugging off their plasma rounds.  Some Geeks bear down on them and Smith's squad blast them to pieces.  Steve says the Geeks weren't expecting anyone to be using "antique killware".

He examines one of the Geek's body and finds a shield bonded to the thorax that he takes for reverse engineering.  They start to leave and one of the rescued soldiers says they might still be able to save some of the injured.  "No time.  No point.. One rule, you're hit, you're dead" says Steve.  When the soldier protests, Steve says it's a rule that works.

More Geek swarms appear, but Jupe has a "Blitz Cannon" and mows them down.  This clears the main assault swarm but another is approaching in a canyon nearby.  Using a jump pack, Smith peforms a "D.L.", Detonate and Liquidate with some "Hades Grenades".  With them dealt with, they return to the ship.

On the way one of the rescued soldiers bemoans that with all their state of the art defences and weaponry they were "crucified" while the veterans using antique killware and armour saved the day.  He does admit it was pretty "amazing" though.

Then we are shown a Starship Troopers style propaganda film for the humans.  It informs us they are fighting back.  They are unlocking the secrets of the Geek tech while going back to basics with "old style ships and old style weapons.. all back in style this season!"  Many are volunteering to fight and people like Steve Smith will be leading them, "who better to lead the new generation of troops over the top?"  It ends with two new recruits saying "Earth can take it!"

It's now six weeks after Peace Day, and Smith is meeting his new crew; Ronsalle, Kali, Lin Fu and Ryx.  There sixth crewmember will be with them by the end of the week.  They go out on a exercise patrol and it doesn't go so well.
Steve's rookie crew.
Ronsalle is "hit", Ryx who is supposed to be providing cover fire forgets to take the safety off his cannon and it jams and Lin Fu charges into a fight before checking she has adequate back-up.  Afterwards Steve chews them out and says he is going to Ops and when he gets back he wants Troopers not screw-ups.  As he leaves he says to his ghosts:

Steve: "I know, I know.  Well maybe I was that bad when I started out.  That's not the point. I had you guys to whip me into shape.  You're all gone now.  It's just me out-numbered by those dumbass rookies.  How much worse could it get?"

It does get worse.  His sixth crewmember is a Geek, the same one who wanted to interview him and who specially requested assignment to Steve's crew.  His name is Keege and he says the "current cycle of violence has been initiated by extreme racist factions".  Thousands of Geeks are opposed to them and want to join the fight against them.  Steve angrily responds:

Steve: "Suck it in Keege!  You talk all fine and high-minded.  But there is one detail you can't change.  You'll always be a frickin' Geek!"

However he is forced to take Keege anyway and now complete, his ship and crew go out on their first patrol.
Keege the V.C??!
They encounter four Geek ships and engage them in combat.  They take out three but the last one comes at them from the port side.  Keege is manning the port gun and Steve orders him to fire, but Keege seems to freeze up and doesn't responds.  Fortunately the Geek ship goes wide and the others shoot it down.  Keege explains afterwards, "I didn't freeze up, sir.  I... I... just didn't see it."

Steve is dubious as how he could miss a ship unloading everything at them.  Steve says he thinks Keege just couldn't bring himself to fire on his own people and suspends him from duty, saying they'll drop him off at the nearest supply depot.  Later that night Keege sneaks into the communications room, but Steve is waiting and points a gun at him demanding to know what he is up to.
Keege proving his innocence.
The rest of the crew assemble and want Steve to "vape" Keege there and then.  Steve asks Keege for an explanation.  Keege says he wanted to prove that he didn't freeze up during the battle.  He recalled hearing a low radio noise which his species use to incubate their young.  He thinks the Geek aggressors have developed that technology most likely as a command/control communications net and it temporarily overwhelmed Keege's brain.

The rest of the crew are dubious, but Steve goes to think in private.  He says to his ghosts he thinks that "I'm afraid I'm being blinded by my prejudices".  Then he is called to the Bridge.  Lin Fu and Ronsalle did a sweep for the sound and found it coming from a wreckage field nearby, a "Solar Death Bar" says Steve.  They suit up and go in for a closer look, and find millions of eggs, "The Geeks are hiving in here!" cries Steve in alarm.
Uh-oh.
Steve calls back to Kali on the ship that she needs to launch a "Nova missile" to wipe the nest out.  They start to fly back to the ship when they are attacked by Geek "drone-guards". They battle their way through with guns and grenades.  Kali is trying to get the ship through the debris field to get close enough to launch the missile.  Ronsalle is hit and the others have to leave him behind.

Kali says she doesn't know how she'll manage to work the missile deck as well, and Keege says he can do it, just cut him free.  Kali refuses at first, but Keege says to "flood the cabin with white noise" to block out the infrasound transmissions. Keege takes the missile deck and when the missile locks on he fires it saying "this is for Ronsalle you frickers". The missile wipes out the spawning hive and the others, minus Ronsalle get back to the ship safely.
Things that make you go boom.
Later they arrive on Mars and Steve tells them to enjoy some R and R before they ship out in seventy-two hours.  Keege asks if he should report back for duty too?  Steve says he'll think about it.  Left alone with his ghosts, he admits his crew did OK.  Ronsalle joins the other ghosts and Steve says, "you guys look after him Okay?  I'll clean up here."

That brings Book One to a close, but there is a one-shot called "Escher's Well" which follows on from it before Book Two starts.

Steve wakes from a dream of an old battle with his old comrades, the dream had turned into a nightmare in which he sees Jupe killed.  Having woken with a start, he calls Jupe up and they meet for a drink at a bar called Escher's Well which uses gravity to work like the Escher picture of all the stairs at right angles.
Escher's Well.
He asks Jupe to promise he has someone the can trust watching his back.  Jupe reassures him he'll be careful and they move on to discussing other things such as what side the Geek homeworld is going to come down on, and will The Polity get involved? Steve doesn't think The Polity will do "squat" to help them, then a trooper called Diderot comes up behind him and introduces himself as Ronsalle's replacement.

Before Steve can say anything to him Keege comes into the bar and the other patrons react poorly to his prescence and Keege is attacked.  Steve punches out the man who attacked Keege which inflames the others but the rest of the V.C.s come to the rescue and soon a full fledged chaotic bar brawl ensues which Diderot joins in with and which the V.C.s win.
Nothing bonds a crew like a good old bar brawl.
They make themselves scarce before the authories can get there.  Steve gives Diderot the thumbs up and when Keege tries to thank him, Steve says that the "V.C.s look after their own".  He and Jupe say their farewells for now and Jupe says that "there ain't no Big Kill Shot waiting for me."  But as he departs Smith thinks of the original V.C.s and says to himself that he wishes he could believe him...

This is a worthy sequel to the original.  I think my positive writes up of Saga, Halo Jones and Prophet show I've a bit of a weakness for grand space opera and the V.C.s was and is enjoyable sci-fi hokum.  It was a very clever idea to have the obselete equipment and tactics from fifty years ago be the only thing to work against a more advanced army, which meant the return of those awesomely cool armoured space suits (that HAD to be a big influence on the look of the Space Marines of Warhammer 40K) and the harsh philosophy of battlefield survival.  We also get a Geek in the role Steve Smith played in the original V.C.s, a distrusted outsider who proves himself loyal and worthy in battle. Finally having Steve talking to his old ghosts helps fill in the backstory of the original series (which is frustratingly out of print right now as a modern TPB) and help us see how much things have both changed and stayed the same.  Dan Abnett's writing is great and it's obvious he has a real love for the original series as he writes in this collection's introduction.  Henry Flint's artwork has a nice "chunky" feel to it, which again reminds me a bit of the Warhammer 40,000 universe I have so much affection for. There are two more Books in this trade so I'll be covering them in future UK comic's months, if you like tales of future war then keep an eye out, this stuff should be right up your street.

15 comments:

  1. Oh wow, I never knew about this. Must confess I have slightly mixed feelings. I thought the original VC series was perfect as a self contained piece with a natural conclusion. Having said that are least with this they didn't just do a re-hash as is all too common. I quite like the idea of examining the plight of veterans of the war. I also like the geek historian.

    Now personally I'd have been happy just for that dynamic to he explored. Potential for some great story just from that and the themes of reconciliation, memory who was right and wrong etc.

    But I suppose you can't have a war story without a war. You seen the new Battlestar Galactica? Got a real deja vu (although this came first) with the old enemy suddenly resurfacing and having to rely on old tech. The 'old vets bail out insolent young pups' is a pretty common theme too. Hmm, come to think of it just remembering that star trek episode where they found Scotty. Tjat subverted that usual bent a bit in that things *had* moved on and he was a bit outclassed by the new peeps.

    But back to the VCs, yeah, this seemed like a nice enough sequel if they insisted on having one. Glad they found a mechanism for bringing the old crew back in a way (although I'm now wishing I'd submitted my Rogue Trooper as hallucinating solder in Vietnam story).

    Smith may have been the audience surrogate but it was very much an ensemble piece. And it was a nice touch with the new ghost/hallucination being welcomed by the old ones.

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  2. Ahaha, something you didn't know about! Well I have to say according to the intro of the collected series it wasn't an edititorial fiat that bought the V.C.s back with them deciding it was time to exploit it, it was Dan Abnett basically making a sequel to the series his main goal of working at 2000AD and I think the love shines through.

    I haven't seen the reboot Battlestar Galactica, I was a bit put off by people saying it was being made up as it goes along, plus I know how it ends too. "Relics" is a great episode of ST:TNG, I do like how Scotty and Geordie do end up bonding over hastily improvised enginnering solutions and the ending has been known to tug a tear from my eye.

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  3. The category of 'stuff I don't know about' is very broad running the gamut from mathematics to 'how do I get the washing machine door open?'. There's a lot of cultural stuff in there too. That's why I love your blog.

    The VCs follow up does seem very respectful. So I'm not surprised it's a labour of love. I know the idea of former fans now running things can be controversial. Mr Moffat springs to mind. But it's perhaps better than when it's people who just see it as another job and have no passion or understanding of the history of a work.

    I was a bit disappointed with Christopher Eccleston there. I liked his performance and I understand there were other factors in his falling out with the show. But I wish he could have put that aside for the anniversary at least. All the other actors seem to have understood that being the Doctor is a sacred trust, not just another entry on your CV.

    I only saw a few Galacticas so I wasn't as bothered about the overall arc. Individually though the episodes were very good. They covered some interesting themes using that cover of being a fantasy show that perhaps would have been more controversial in a show with a real world setting. So we had the designated good guys rigging elections, installing military dictatorship and engaging in suicide bombings against civilians. Heady stuff.

    I think the way to appreciate the show was as a series of self contained vignettes in a particular setting. That used to be pretty standard. We all knew that Bruce Banner would never really find a cure for being the Hulk. He'd always end each episode trudging the lonely highway with that sad music playing. And Sam Beckett was never going to finally leap home. But it didn't matter. Nowadays though I suppose we all want 'closure'. That expectation can be a problem though. Chris Carter effect and all that.

    My favourite thing about Galactica though was when it transpired that the baddie was entirely motivated because he was from space-Yorkshire and he was fed up with being looked down on by the snobs from space-London.

    (Seriously, that is the plot. Even with him dropping the posh southern accent he fakes and going back into broad Yorkshire)

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  4. From all the new VC stuff it's a very respectful continuation but not over-awed with the subject matter and has introduced a new element "The Polity" which of course was not around in the original and that becomes more important as the series goes on.

    I might have to check out Galactica, but right now I am having issues with watching TV properly, rather than what I usually do which is let it burble in the background while I game/type. That problem is I ALWAYS fall asleep halfway through. I made it 45 mins into "Dredd" before waking up a few hours later to everything switched off in power saving mode. I'll try the second half tonight, so far I found it a little hrrm, flavourless. While the action is good and so is the acting and writing, it doesn't feel like the MegaCity 1 I have in my head. IDK I guess that would be waaaay out of the budgetary range of this type of film but I missed some of the larger than lifeness of living in the Big Meg, Still it wasn't appalling like I had originally thought, and definitely would have been sequel worthy it if had done better.

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  5. I totally get what you say about the depiction of MC1. That was initially the most jarring element of the film. One thing the Stallone film got spot on was the look of the place. Like Esquerra come to life. In the end though I actually enjoyed it, for the reasons I mentioned before. But it us almost like one of those alternative universe settings. Sort of Dredd 20 minutes into the future rather than 120 years. In all fairness there was a bat glider in the opening scene :-)

    (There were also lots of nice little continuity easter eggs scattered around in the background)

    The original screenplay idea was to do the whole judge death and associates plot. Tjat was abandoned mainly for budget reasons. I think also though it might have been a bit early in the franchise to delve into that. Judge death was weird even by big meg standards. Perhaps it was better to establish him as a regular cop dealing with human opponents first? I can see why what is effectively just a drug bust might seem a bit mundane though. The original plan for Dredd was that the crimes would be suitably futuristic. They bumped the original pilot story because it just featured a bank robbery and that seemed too normal. So while I love the film i can see why you could think it's not really Dredd. But before this, the best Dredd film was Robocop. (there's also a fan film called judge minty that is spectacular, mainly set in the cursed earth and they really get the look of that right. There's even a crashed Landmaster in the background of one scene)

    You have my sympathies with the viewing. I can understand how the meds might make you drift off, but also it can be really hard just to give TV/film undivided attention. It's weird, there are old films I love (and know every line) tjat I can watch again and again, but it's a rare new film that can hold my interest. I don't know if that's the new films themselves or just me. Probably a combination. I've maybe become more selective in my tastes but also there are fewer films that appeal to me being produced. I used to keep up with all the new releases but now I'm usually looking at what's coming out and thinking 'meh'. I don't mind that though, there are just enough films to fit in with my schedule, and every now and then a great film comes along. And I'd rather just read (including your blog) when I have free time anyway.

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  6. There is a long sad history of films saving their best ideas for the sequel that never came. Such a shame in this case really, but considering the outlandish stuff people take for granted in the DC and Marvel cinematic universes, why would the Dark Judges have been any weirder than say... a talking racoon wielding a rocket launcher?

    I don't know what it is about powering down into passive mode, even in the afternoon watching stuff with my family I can nod off. Which is embarressing as I talk in my sleep rather loudly. I can stay up three days straight playing videogames, with my pills not affecting me at all. Then when I shut of the Xbox I power down as well. Heh. Maybe I need fresh batteries? ;)

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  7. I think sometimes there's a certain arrogance in film makers where they expect a sequel, like they're entitled to one. That's perhaps been a growing problem recently and related to the tendency to spend a whole film on the origin story. You know my preference for getting straight into the action and worrying about how we got there later.

    But what's outlandish about an RPG wielding raccoon? They're very smart and they do have little hands, so I find that quite plausible. (That's actually a film I want to see, it looks pretty cool and a nice departure from the usual mass market fodder)

    Be interesting to see what route they follow if the Dredd series does go ahead. Death is a great character and they've established Anderson. Albeit without her quirky Dredd annoying attitude from the original. She was a lovely contrast to old stoney face's seriousness and stoicism in that first story.

    Maybe you've developed a symbiotic relationship with your Xbox, like ET and Elliot? You might be the next stage in evolution, a one woman technological singularity. You should get a little flashing light installed so we know when you're in 'sleep mode'.

    Personally though I'm currently basking in human superiority over machine. I actually managed to get the washing machine door open (despite its best efforts at refusing to cooperate). So give me a shout if you need Skynet shutting down.

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  8. Are you perchance like the character in Good Omens who is so appalling with technology he shuts down a nuclear reactor about to go critical by just fiddling with the controls? :P

    I do love games for keeping me alert and occupied. Having mastered LEGO The Hobbit I am currently larking about with LEGO Marvel Superheroes. LEGO games are like crack, seriously the lure of "oh just one more level, just one more gold brick" and before you know it it's half a week gone and your hands have moulded into a claw. I have the Xbox's lovely ergonomic controller to thank for it not affecting my back as well. I can only retro game for short periods now alas as the controllers are not kind to the spinally challenged.

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  9. I used to be quite good with technology but that's gone right out of the window. I think its related to moving to Cornwall. It's like hogwarts here, nothing technological works. But yeah, generally I can break something just by looking at it.

    (there's a real world scientist called Pauli. He was a genius but he was notorious for only having to walk past a room for all the equipment to break down. There were some institutions that wouldn't let him on the premises)

    I am really good with primitive technology though. Give me some bits of wood and a rope and I can build you anything from a ballista to a suspension bridge. And I have mended a land rover prop shaft literally using stone tools (although that's not uncommon in the landy fraternity)

    I have a theory about your alertness levels. Maybe you need to be actively engaged with something to be stimulated. So video games present a suitable work out for your brains but films and TV are too passive. You know so much about them you can automatically process everything about them automatically. It's just too easy for you. You're subconscious is probably going "this is standard plot elements x,y & z employing tropes 1,2 & 3". So unlike us lesser mortals there's no challenge in interpreting what's going on. It's all just too easy for you. Like how Sassy would happily play hunt the stick all day but with my superior intellect I'd get bored after only three or four hours.

    Ergonomics has gone full circle. The latest drone models are operated with x box controllers and the F22 uses a (much tougher) version of a video game joystick.

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  10. You're most likely right about how playing games works on me. I find it one way to get through a manic phase, the total focus needed channels that mood and is cathartic for it. Or I write like a demon, whatev's :)

    Like I said I do have the TV on all the time but it's easier for me to "watch" if I have it playing on the portable TV nearby, I guess it adds even more stuff to process and helps keep me awake.

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  11. I used to be quite good with technology but that's gone right out of the window. I think its related to moving to Cornwall. It's like hogwarts here, nothing technological works. But yeah, generally I can break something just by looking at it.

    (there's a real world scientist called Pauli. He was a genius but he was notorious for only having to walk past a room for all the equipment to break down. There were some institutions that wouldn't let him on the premises)

    I am really good with primitive technology though. Give me some bits of wood and a rope and I can build you anything from a ballista to a suspension bridge. And I have mended a land rover prop shaft literally using stone tools (although that's not uncommon in the landy fraternity)

    I have a theory about your alertness levels. Maybe you need to be actively engaged with something to be stimulated. So video games present a suitable work out for your brains but films and TV are too passive. You know so much about them you can automatically process everything about them automatically. It's just too easy for you. You're subconscious is probably going "this is standard plot elements x,y & z employing tropes 1,2 & 3". So unlike us lesser mortals there's no challenge in interpreting what's going on. It's all just too easy for you. Like how Sassy would happily play hunt the stick all day but with my superior intellect I'd get bored after only three or four hours.

    Ergonomics has gone full circle. The latest drone models are operated with x box controllers and the F22 uses a (much tougher) version of a video game joystick.

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  12. I thought it was such a good point it was worth saying twice.

    Actually it's a weird thing that if I check your blog on ,y phone it likes to randomly repost things. It's a bit annoying as it means I sometimes don't notice your posts straight away, as in deed just happens here.

    Like I say, technology hates me.

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  13. Oh you young people and your "smartphones". I still access the net solely via a landline which according to the late, unlamented CSI Cyber makes me the electronic equivalent of neolithic man. Hmph.

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