Welcome, citizens, to this week’s installment of Multiver-City One! Every Wednesday we examine the latest offerings from Tharg and the droids over at 2000 AD, the galaxy’s leading producers of Thrill-Power entertainment! Between the weekly “2000 AD” itself, the monthly “Judge Dredd Megazine”, an extensive library of graphic novel collections, and new US-format one-shots and mini-series, they have decades of zarjaz comics for you to enjoy.
We’ve got a brand-new Prog this week, so we’ll jump right in after a quick public service announcement!
I. AN EARTHLET’S GUIDE TO 2000 AD
We understand that having such a large selection of comics to choose from can make knowing where to start with 2000 AD seem daunting. What do they publish? Where can I get it? What’s up with Judge Dredd? Can I still read “2000 AD” if I don’t like Judge Dredd?
So to help new & potential readers, we’ve put together An Earthlet’s Guide to 2000 AD. A regularly updated FAQ, The Guide will collect everything you need to make your initial foray into the 2000 AD Thrill-verse as simple as possible.
II. THIS WEEK IN PROG 1929
Judge Dredd: Breaking Bud, Part 1
Surprise! This is not the next chapter of “Enceladus,” which means we’re all left wondering about last week’s cliffhanger. I guess I should pay more attention to when strips end with ‘Next Prog’ versus ‘To Be Continued,’ huh?
While we’re pondering the unseen threat that lurks in the Black Atlantic, John Wagner returns to Dredd to pick up on a small piece of lore he left dangling not too long ago. If we cast our minds back to Megazine 350 we will remember a story called ‘Dead Zone,’ a gruesome little ditty involving mass graves, the robbing of said graves, Cursed Earth muties, time travel, and of course, Judge Dredd. Over the course of this six-parter, we became familiar with a piece of future tech with immense power. It was a golden bracelet with four colorful buttons on it. Each button, once pushed, grants the wearer a power like invisibility, or can cause others to compulsively tell the truth. This sort of tool quickly became of interest to The Justice Department, and by the story’s end had fallen under Judicial possession.
The opening of “Breaking Bud” reveals that, while we may have let the bracelet slip from our memories, Dredd and The Justice Department certainly did not. This is where we meet Bud Biggard, a Justice Department employee who is tasked with piloting the bracelet during experimentations. Bud’s a family man trying to make ends meet, and we’re given no indication that he is anything other than a good worker and upstanding citizen. When Bud is fired due to budget cuts, let’s just say he doesn’t take it too well.
This is the type of story Wagner excels at. While I enjoyed his romp though classic-Dredd territory in ‘Dark Justice,’ I think his best work comes when he uses the world of Mega-City One as a way of discussing real-world social issues. When Wagner shows us a worker suffering so the bosses can gain, that’s not fiction. He’s drawing from the world we live in and presenting what he finds in the form of a comic script.
Richard Elson’s art on this serves the story well. His line and attention to detail makes his version of The Meg feel like a hard and uncomfortable place. It reflects how Bud must feel as his life and livelihood tumble away from him. It was neat to see letterer Ellie de Ville get to play around a little, too. There is a panel where Bud is tormented my something his boss said, and it’s shown by a repeated image of a laughing mouth. De Ville plays off of that imagery by echoing the composition with her lettering. It’s always good to see the different visual element of a comic come together to enhance the reading experience.
Credits: John Wagner (script), Richard Elson (art), Ellie de Ville (letters)
Sláine: Primordial, Part 6
Continued below
Something to keep in mind when reading ‘Sláine’ is that it’s historical fantasy with a 90% emphasis on the fantasy part. So when I saw the above panel and immediately started thinking of Roman emperors and how these didn’t look like Roman legions, I was clearly overthinking it. All you need to know is that the Gododin has brought in some outside forces to hunt down Sláine and Sinead. And those forces are badass. Between the rousing marching cadence that Mills gives them leading up to this panel, and the way Davis makes them look like a Trojan Black Ops platoon, you being to think things aren’t looking good for our man Sláine.
And on the one hand, they aren’t. Because, again, Black Ops Trojans. Seriously.
But on the other, this is Sláine we’re talking about here. If he stashed Sinead so she’s out of harm’s way (simply because she’s still dealing with the mental effects of Gododin’s brainwashing; we know she can handle herself in a fight from what we saw in ‘A Simple Killing’) and warmed up ol’ Brainbiter, those Trojan boys might be in for more than they bargained for.
For anyone thinking the last few weeks have been a little heavy on the hand-wringing and light on the head-lopping, next week is looking like it’s going to grant your wish.
Credits: Pat Mills (script), Simon Davis (art), Ellie de Ville (letters)
Grey Area: Locked In, Part 3
I have a question.
It’s been pretty firmly established that this planet and its inhabitants, The Harmonious Free, have zero interest in what exists beyond their own world. There is nothing in their emotional or intellectual make-up that complex them to explore the vastness surrounding their home world, and this week’s strip served to reinforce that. So if that’s the case, why do they have a Grey Area? If they are technologically advanced, but have nothing that can gather information about the wider universe, how did they even make a Grey Area? Did another race come and set it up for them? Do other planets have a reason to come here?
I guess I actually had a few questions.
It seems the more we learn about The Harmonious Free, the less likely it seems that they’d have any use for a Grey Area. Now, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Dan Abnett is that he explores big ideas though simple logic. I can’t imagine that he’d set all of this up without considering if it’d work logically or not. Because of this, I can’t help but wonder about The Harmonious Free. I don’t think that their psychic union is the whole reason they’re unwilling to look outward or heed the warning of an existence-ending God-Star.
Credits: Dan Abnett (script), Mark Harrison (art), Annie Parkhouse (letters)
Orlok, Agent of East-Meg One: The Rasputin Caper, Part 6
This week sees the cap of Wyatt and Lynch’s latest installment of ‘Orlok, Agent of East-Meg One.’
This strip has been a ton of fun, and probably the best Orlok story to date. It hit the ground running and never felt like anything other than what these creators thought would be a hoot to put on paper. Between the references to Judge Dredd stories, the sly cameo appearances, and the overall irreverent humor, there was a lot to sink your teeth into with ‘The Rasputin Caper.’
The story ended pretty much as one would imagine: Orlok comes out on top and everyone else… well, let’s just say they’ve had better days. But even though you’d be able to say from the start that Orlok would fulfill his mission, because Wyatt & Lynch have always shown him to be the type of man who always DOES get the job done, that’s not why you read a comic like this. This was more about the journey than the destination because that’s where the surprises are. The Black Widower leaping around in those heels, the familiar-yet-safe-from-copyright-infringement guest stars, the spy-vs-spy banter; that’s the stuff you’d never see coming.
Tharg’s note at the beginning of the issue tells us that we won’t have to wait long to see Wyatt and Lynch in action again, but here’s hoping that they’ve not too far from reuniting for the next ‘Orlok’ adventure!
Continued belowCredits: Arthur Wyatt (script), Jake Lynch (art), Ellie de Ville (letters)
Strontium Dog: The Stix Fix, Part 6
Mos Eisley isn’t the only wretched hive of scum & villainy. This week, we get to see The Rock. No, not that one. A different one. This one’s in space.
The long and winding road to kidnapped NKD leader Jim Jing Jung seems to lead right to this floating way-station for pirates, criminals, and other undesirables. Johnny Alpha’s got the goods from Wheatus Stix that Mungo Stix, kidnapper of the aforementioned Jung, is holed up on The Rock. So Johnny, Wheatus, and the returning duo of the Honorable General Bing and his put-upon interpreter are headed for the lion’s den, so to speak. Man, with a task like that ahead of him, a lesser man than Johnny might just ask for someone to shoot him and put him out of his misery. But not our Strontium Dog Johnny, right?
So imagine my surprise when I saw Johnny say this exact line in all seriousness: “Captain, I’m going to have to ask you to shoot me.” And then see him later with an actual gunshot wound.
Didn’t he just come back from the dead?
Credits: John Wagner (script), Carlos Ezquerra (art), Simon Bowland (letters)
III. OF INTEREST- FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2015
Last Saturday was Free Comic Book Day and, as we have all come to expect, Tharg did not disappoint! This issue was full-size in both dimensions and page count, with a gorgeous cover by the one and only Henry Flint. The stories were a collection of strips both old and new, with three brand-new stories complimenting a few 2000 AD classics.
One particularly interesting feature of this year’s FCBD offering was the inclusion of digital content. Every strip ended with a QR code that, once zapped with your handheld communicator, unlocked even more thrills! Some stories, like ‘Nemesis the Warlock’ and ‘Dan Dare,’ were paired with another chapter from their respective stories, while others, like ‘Doctor Sin,’ unlocked one-off content. All of this effectively doubled the size of the issue.
The extra content means this comic would have been a bargain at standard cover price, which make the fact that it was completely free a real mind-bender. Here’s hoping you all scooped one up! And if not, there’s always next year!
IV. RECOGNIZE THE LAW
It’s no secret that there are a great many flavors of Judges from a great deal of Mega-Cities, so we’re aiming to use this space as a way of exploring as many types of Judges as we can. Did you know that in Mega-City One there are Accounting Judges? And Exorcist Judges?
Today we examine Mega-City One’s internal affairs division: The Special Judicial Squad!
Features of an SJS Judge:
- Bi-visored helmet (bullet cut) with skull insignia
- High-collar jumper (black) with diagonal cut and silver buttons
- Silver Eagle shoulder pad, single-breast coverage with shield and surname
- Elbow pads w/ rigid plastic shell
- Gloves w/ pockets and knuckle reenforcement
- Utility belt with silver SJS buckle
- High-impact knee pads
- Heavy-duty boots with holster for Lawgiver (right) and sheath for utility knife (left)
The look of an SJS Judge is certainly imposing. I guess they’d have to be if they’re job is to police the Judges!
That’s gonna do it for us this week! “2000 AD” Prog 1929 is on sale today and available from:
- The 2000 AD Newsstand app for iPad and iPhone,
- The 2000 AD app for Android devices,
- 2000ADonline.com in print or DRM-free PDF and CBZ formats,
- Select US newsstands, and
- Finer comic shops everywhere
So as Tharg the Mighty himself would say, “Splundig vur thrigg!”
