Broken Frontier

When it originally appeared in 1979, The V.C.s was a tale of gritty space warriors doing the legwork of a hard as steel war against an alien intelligence, the Geeks. It was told from the perspective of rookie Steve Smith who learned how the V.C.s handled warfare: when you're hit, you're dead. This new tale, well ... it takes exactly the same route and it is glorious and gritty space combat at its finest! Like Dan Abnett says in his intro: 'I had no interest in re-inventing or re-imagining anything. I wanted to find out what Smith was up to, and the Geeks too.' And boy do we find out.

2581 AD, Earth Solar System. Fifty years have passed since the human/Geek war and the surrender of the Geek home world. Once a star-trooper and a member of the elite battle unit known as The V.C.s, Steve Smith is now just a janitor, haunted by what he saw during combat and the memories of his fallen comrades. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the end of hostilities, Earth is preparing to celebrate Peace Day with a massive air display. But in the depths of space and old enemy is stirring!

The focus is again firmly on manly space action in the tradition of the British war comics of the Seventies like Battle. But since this is the 2500s, amidst the gore and bloodshed, emancipation has led to female participation so Steve Smith, reinstated squad leader after a sneak attack by the Geeks, finds himself leading male and female newbies into war. Writer Abnett makes good use of the previous established stories and establishes Smith further as a fully grown hardcore V.C., literally haunted by his experiences in the first Geek war.

His new role as leader to the newbies is a nice reversal on the newbie in the experienced squad from the original version. It gives Abnett a chance to let the philosophy of the V.C.s come to the front and lets us witness the reactions of people who hold different ideals in a different time. In the end though, they become straight up V.C.s because vaping the enemy is always right, and that is how it should be according to Vacuum Cleaners' law! Unfortunately for Smith, the law isn't as black and white anymore. In a very good storytelling move, Abnett has a Geek joining the squad since the new war is fought by a splinter group of the Geeks (or the G'Egeekaje as their race is actually called). Can you say: terrorists? Al-Gaeda

While firmly in line with the old V.C.s serial, Abnett manages to insert a lot of vigour and vitriol in the new characters - even though the Geeks still remain a bit of stock alien über enemy -. This first volume of the new incarnation 'Back in Action' solves the first big plot thread, but also installs a few threads that remain unresolved so there's definitely more to come.

Artwise, the first parts are handled by Henry Flint after which - for the remainder of the volume -  Anthony Williams steps in. Henry Flint was born to draw gritty soldiers in combat so his scratchy line work, reminiscent of the works of Carlos Ezquerra, is ideally suited for this grim combat sci fi tale. His detailed backgrounds, hardware and ships infuse a dirty look for an Earth, strapped under Geek combat boots for a long time. Once the actions starts, the ink hits the paper and it just never lets up.

Anthony Williams on the other hand uses a clear open style with a cartoonish tint that seems less suitable for the grimy feeling Abnett is going for. For backgrounds he depends a lot on the colorist (it could be himself since there is no credit for a colorist in this volume) and therefore a lot of the grime and grit is replaced by computer backgrounds and photoshop effects in combination with photographs. Although a solid artist himself, the material is not a good fit for Williams whose line work is too straightforward and bright for this down-to-planet gravel and fortitude tale.

Dan Abnett, Henry Flint and Anthony Williams keep the spirit alive of the Vacuum Cleaners of space combat. The V.C.s: Back in Action is a lightspeed tale of space warfare getting their hands down and dirty, steeped in Seventies British war comics. The V.C.s is combat and camaraderie, dust and sand, vape traces on old battle suits and going in close for the kill while the bulky star ship hovers off sight. It breathes clunkiness and blitz-fire and shoot-death-kill. Vape those dirty Geeks! Again!  

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The V.C.s: Back in action, published by Rebellion 2000 AD, is a full color 160 pages TPB, retailing for £13.99. It is available now from finer bookstores and comic shops everywhere.