2000 AD #1313
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeProg 1313 marks the debut of The Red Seas, Ian Edginton and Steve Yeowell's occult pirate serial, introducing Captain Jack Dancer and his crew of the Red Wench to 2000 AD readers. The series brought an unusual genre blend — 18th-century piracy laced with supernatural horror, zombie crews, and cosmic stakes — that carved out a distinct tonal niche in 2000 AD's anthology lineup and helped define the creative ambitions of Rebellion's early stewardship of the Galaxy's Greatest Comic. Its first arc, 'Under the Banner of King Death,' went on to anchor a long-running multi-part saga that has since been collected and reprinted multiple times, confirming its standing as one of the notable new series launched in the Rebellion era.
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The Red Seas had a circuitous path to print: Ian Edginton originally conceived the series for Marvel's Epic imprint, where it was to be illustrated by Phil Winslade, but Epic's closure shelved the project. It reached readers only after Edginton pitched the concept to Matt Smith at the start of Smith's editorial tenure at 2000 AD — a tenure that began in 2002, placing prog 1313 squarely at the opening of that new editorial era. Steve Yeowell, a 2000 AD veteran best known for his work on Zenith and The Invisibles, stepped in as artist and became co-creator of the strip alongside Edginton.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Prog 1313 is the first appearance of Captain Jack Dancer and the crew of the Red Wench, debuting in the opening chapter of The Red Seas story arc 'Under the Banner of King Death' (progs 1313–1321).
- The Red Seas was written by Ian Edginton and drawn by Steve Yeowell; Yeowell is credited as co-creator of the strip.
- The series blends 18th-century pirate adventure with supernatural horror elements including zombie crews, magic, and in the first arc, an appearance by Satan himself.
- The Red Seas was originally developed for Marvel's Epic imprint with artist Phil Winslade, but only reached publication after Epic folded and Edginton re-pitched the concept to 2000 AD editor Matt Smith.
- Prog 1313 also continued the ongoing Sinister Dexter series, featuring established 2000 AD characters Finnigan Sinister and Ray Dexter — long-running gun-shark protagonists created by Dan Abnett and David Millgate, who had debuted in 2000 AD Winter Special #7 (December 1995).
- The issue appeared under Rebellion Developments' sole publishing control, which had taken full editorial charge of 2000 AD from prog 1263 onward, with Matt Smith having assumed the editorship in 2002.
- The story index also places the Asylum serial as running concurrently in progs 1313–1321, making this a notably packed anthology prog for new and ongoing content.
- The complete first book of The Red Seas, collecting progs 1313–1321 and subsequent arcs, was later published as a trade paperback by Rebellion, with a digital collected edition also available.
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Reprints
Reprinted in The Red Seas: Under the Banner of King Death #[nn] (2005), Asylum #[nn] (2007), Downlode Tales #3 (2013), Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection #74 (2017), Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files #36 (2021)
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