Rereading Phase 1 for this review was very welcome. So there are elements of Lovecraft and the inevitable comparison to Captain America influencing the story.

Zenith is the only active Superhero, the son of two British heroes created after WWII using genetic science that had created Maximan. Scientists defected from Germany and the British created Maximan, a super-soldier. The Nazis created Masterman, a genetically enhanced human body to house Iog Sotot. The Lloigor are attempting to enter this dimension using a Nazi Occult group, Black Sun. The Lloigor, in this Phase we meet Iog Sotot, ‘Eater of Souls’ which is loosely based on Yog-Sototh. The villains of this story are creatures from H P Lovecraft’s books. There isn’t much colour at all in this book, The titles, credits and original colours are retained. The story is reproduced as originally published except there are no ‘next prog’ dialogue at the end of each chapter. Phases 1 to 4 will now see publication as four hardback volumes with Phase 2 due out December 2014 and the second two Phases due out in ‘early’ 2015.

There was a complete collection published in December 2013 in a limited run of 1,000 copies which retailed at £100.00 and was available only from 2000AD’s Future Shop. Nevertheless Zenith went on to run for four books, or ‘Phases’. Many readers were opposed to a superhero story being in 2000AD. 2000Ad had no superheroes, though the non-comic reading public often misrepresent their characters such as Judge Dredd as ‘Superheroes’. Zenith was a little controversial when it debuted in the pages of 2000AD in August 1987. Originally published in 2000 AD Progs 558-559Īlso included in this book are original design sketches by artist Brendan McCarthy who created the look and style for the characters in this story. Originally published in 2000 AD Progs 535-550

Zenith phase one