Max Returns To Send You Into Your Own Personal Nightmares In A Preview Of ‘The Thirteenth Floor’ Volume 4

The return of Max, the maniacal A.I. in control of Maxwell Tower – Volume 4 collects all of Guy Adams‘ excellent updated versions with a host of star artists alongside the legendary John Stokes… it’s time to revisit The Thirteenth Floor…

 

Maxwell Tower was once the most ultra-modern tower block you’ll ever find, all under the control of the sentient computer, Max, programmed to protect and serve Maxwell Tower’s residents. Except Max took it all a bit too far, consigning all those he sees as a threat to the terrifying Thirteenth Floor, a place where your worst nightmares become real.

In the long and convoluted story of Max, he’s watched over Maxwell Tower, moved to Pringle’s department store – where he swiftly dispensed justice on his new 13th floor to thieves and shoplifters, and then became an agent of MI5. Yes, British comics in the ’70s really did have their own special brand of madness and invention, didn’t they?

But now, decades later, we have a somewhat rundown Maxwell Tower with a dormant Max. But dormant doesn’t mean dead… and now he’s back and ready to reactivate the Thirteenth Floor!

The Thirteenth Floor was a strip created by John Wagner, Alan Grant, and Jose Ortiz, that featured in Scream! right from the start, a much-loved strip that Adams brought back in the material collected here – from the Scream! & Misty Specials from 2017 and 2018, plus The Thirteenth Floor: Home Sweet Home Special from 2019. Additionally, we have two other one-off tales, The Romantic and some amazing-looking Ortiz artwork in Museum of Terror from the Scream! Holiday Special 1989.

These new tales all centre around troubled teen Sam Bowers, who literally runs into Max on the run from some bullies…

 

Max teams up with Sam and they begin dishing out punishments, sending those who fall foul of them up to the Thirteenth Floor.

But all those missing people have come to the attention, no surprise, of the police, with PC Hester Benedict investigating the disappearances. When she gets too close, Sam and Max got desperate and gave her a partial memory wipe. Now, those memories have started to return and Hester finds herself drawn back to Maxwell Tower and the terror of the Thirteenth Floor.

 

Sam’s troubled life means he wants to get back at bullies, and Max has given him the perfect chance to do that. But just for once, perhaps Max has misjudged, perhaps there’s far more wrong with Sam than Max thought? But it might all be too late for everyone in Maxwell House by the time Max realises that Sam’s more than a little disturbed.

As for Hester, she’s having the worst time, nightmares all around, visions of her dead mom, the works. Between the two of them, they’re going to have to sort something out when something goes very wrong at Maxwell Tower and the residents find themselves just where Max never wanted them to be.

It’s obvious that Adams is a big fan of the Thirteenth Floor and he really does a great turn here updating the concept for today. He’s joined by the legendary John Stokes for the ‘real-life’ sections of the book and a host of artists to illustrate the nightmarish realm of the 13th Floor.

It’s a simple idea – black and white for reality with John Stokes artwork, then exploding into a myriad of different colour nightmares from great artistic talent.

So that means the likes of Frazer Irving…

… and Kelley Jones…

 

Not to mention possibly the most disturbing – if ever you were wondering if The Beano artist Tom Paterson‘s artwork would ever work in a horror tale, you’re about to find out that the answer’s a definitive yes…

 

It’s a complete storyline, tying everything up with Adams’ three Thirteenth Floor outings – although the ending does give us more than enough to imagine there might yet be more.

But for the moment, it’s time to enjoy the scares and the madness you’re about to discover… on the Thirteenth Floor…

 

 

The Thirteenth Floor Volume 4: The Return Of Max

‘Home Sweet Home’, written by Guy Adams, illustrated by John Stokes, Henrik Sahlstrom, Tom Paterson, Abigail Harding, Frazer Irving, Vince Locke, Jimmy Broxton, V.v. Glass, Kelley Jones. Letters by Simon Bowland. Colours by Quinton Winter.

Other stories: ‘The Romantic’, written by Keith Richardson, art by Andreas Butzbach, and ‘Museum of Terro’r, writer unknown, art by Jose Ortiz.

Published by The Treasury of British Comics & Rebellion on `14 September 2023

Now, a little preview, with art by John Stokes (B&W) and Frazer Irving (colour) from the first time Guy Adams took us back to The Thirteenth Floor…