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 are forgoing the usual Earthlet’s Guide plug for an important announcement, followed by our coverage of this week’s Prog.
I. JOHN COOPER (1942-2015)
In addition to drawing the first commissioned Judge Dredd strip (which eventually ran in Prog 19 after Cooper was told to tone down the violence), Cooper was a mainstay of British comics from the 1970’s to the 1990’s. He ended up drawing almost three dozen Dredd strips over his career, as well as ‘The Guardian’ (“the the greatest Future Shock ever” according to artist Chris Weston) in Prog 50. And that doesn’t even begin to touch on his work for other British comics of the day, like “Eagle”, Valiant”, or “Battle”. It was in “Battle” that Cooper worked on what became his trademark character, Johnny Red. Johnny Red is the subject of an upcoming revival by long-time fan Garth Ennis for Titan Comics.
Please take a moment to go to DownTheTubes.net and learn more about this wonderful & well-respected artist (and thanks to them for the images seen here). Our condolences to Mr. Cooper’s family and friends.
II. THIS WEEK IN PROG 1921
NOW DEPARTING
Judge Dredd: Dark Justice, Part 11
This week concludes ‘Dark Justice,’ and what a ride it’s been! Wagner blended equal parts horror and action while sprinkling a liberal amount of the Dredd/Anderson banter he does so well. And Staples? Looking at these pages, it’s hard to believe that they’re all painted and that this original art exists out there. It’s a feat to paint an entire comic, but to have this level of detail and texture is something else entirely.
There are a few ponderous elements to this story’s conclusion. While no one [spoiler title=”spoiler”]met their demise[/spoiler], it’d be hard to imagine that [spoiler title=”spoiler”]there won’t be some other impact coming out of this[/spoiler], particularly for [spoiler title=”spoiler”]Anderson[/spoiler]. I mean, it’d be weird if [spoiler title=”spoiler”]Judge Death stuck his hand into your chest[/spoiler] to [spoiler title=”spoiler”]touch your heart[/spoiler] and it didn’t have a lasting effect. Thinking back to earlier in the strip, I wonder if [spoiler title=”spoiler”]all that focus on Judge Logan[/spoiler] wasn’t intended to be foreshadowing? And then, of course, there’s the question of [spoiler title=”spoiler”]The Dark Judges themselves[/spoiler]. I guess [spoiler title=”spoiler”]Fear[/spoiler] is [spoiler title=”spoiler”]on his way back to Earth[/spoiler] with [spoiler title=”spoiler”]Dredd and Anderson[/spoiler], but what about [spoiler title=”spoiler”]the other three[/spoiler]? [spoiler title=”spoiler”]Death, Fire, and Mortis[/spoiler] were [spoiler title=”spoiler”]just left floating in the vacuum of space[/spoiler]! It’d [spoiler title=”spoiler”]be silly to think[/spoiler] that [spoiler title=”spoiler”]this is the last we’ll see of the Fearsome Foursome[/spoiler], though [spoiler title=”spoiler”]seeing how terrible their situation is[/spoiler], that’s something that could be [spoiler title=”spoiler”]a long way off[/spoiler].
If I were to level a criticism against the story, it’d be that the characterization felt a little flatter than I expected for Wagner. I mean, Dredd can, and often should, be written as a one-dimensional guy, no argument. But I really like when Anderson is used as a way of humanizing the grizzly old Judge, and that was lacking through the story. Anderson fell a little too on the side of playing the damsel, which is odd for her. Now, is this characterization so egregious that everyone is going to be turned off by it? Not by a long shot. I already said how good I think the story is! That’s just coming from someone who has always really enjoyed Anderson as a humanizing element in an otherwise inhumane world.
Continued belowCredits: John Wagner (script), Greg Staples (art), Annie Parkhouse (letters)
NOW ARRIVING
Tharg’s 3rillers: 1%
Culbard’s back! Regular readers will know how much we like this guy’s art, and this week’s strip is definitely a high-water mark in terms of his 2000 AD work. While the art is very much recognizable as Culbard’s, there’s a little something new mixed in here. For one, it seems like he’s playing a little bit with his character designs. Maybe this sounds a bit silly, but I think he’s trying out new head shapes. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent the last few months looking at him draw animal heads over in “Wild’s End”? I’ll brush up on my ‘Brass Sun’ and we can talk more about this next week.
In addition to trying new approaches in cranial art, the color palettes Culbard uses are superb. They’re concise and set the necessary tone to let readers know, on a subliminal level, where you should and should not want to venture in this tale. One setting is all warm yellows, while the other is cold blues. Which is a deadly vacuum and which has a flight attendant with cocktails, I wonder?
On the writing side of things, Eddie Robson sets up an interesting little tale here. I’m always intrigued by the idea that bizarre occurrences may or may not be hallucinations, so when you pair that with commercial space travel, I’m all ears. Or eyes. Comics are for eyes.
Credits: Eddie Robson (script), INJ Culbard (art), Ellie de Ville (letters)
As if that’s not enough, we still have all these continuing Thrills!
Survival Geeks: Steampunk’d, Part 4
So, it seems like even number installments of this strip have less ‘geek’ stuff happening, and are therefore more appealing to me? Or maybe comically setting up an unassuming character to be ritualistically sacrificed to a giant Cthulhu creature will always win me over? It’s tough to say.
This week’s installment of ‘Survival Geeks’ is definitely the funniest, and grossest, of the bunch. Maybe I’m warming up to the cast? Maybe I’m so enamored with Googe’s work I’m becoming more forgiving than I was a month ago? Can I write a reaction that’s nearly all questions? Looks like I can!
Credits: Gordon Rennie & Emmy Beeby (script), Neil Googe (art), Gary Caldwell (colors), Simon Bowland (letters)
The Order, Part 11
Remember how last week I said I was ready for the wurms to finally show up? Well, they have! Actually, they showed up in the last panel of last Prog’s installment, but I didn’t want to spoil that. The interdimensional trip must have been long because the FIRST thing one of them does upon reaching terra firma is snack on one of The Order. It chose…poorly.
What follows is a whole bunch of slash, stabbing, ducking, shooting, fuse lighting, running, swinging, cutting, bleeding, eating, and one of my favorite dialogue exchanges this week:
“Ritterstahl! You’re — you are naked and no longer made of metal.”
“A long story.”
“I hope I live to hear it.”
Taken by itself, amusing. But paired with John Burns’ art that gives Anna a playful grin on the first line and a confident swing of the sword while holding a pistol on the last, it really works. They’ve both come out of their shells over the course of this story and Kek-W has made us care about them.
He’s also sicc’ed interdimensional worms on their budding romance, so it’s not exactly smooth sailing from here…
Credits: Kek-W (script), John Burns (art), Annie Parkhouse (letters)
Savage (Book 9): Grinders, Part 11
Who says 2000 AD doesn’t do superheroes?
All kinds of hell are still breaking loose in London. Howard Quartz has been smashed by one of his own creations, a Hammersmith Mk II robot under the control of a Volgan cyborg ‘Grinder’ operative. Bill delayed shooting the Grinder long enough for Quartz to be killed in retaliation for Quartz’s past actions against him; having done so, Bill turns his sights to the last remaining Grinder: his older brother Jack Savage.
Continued belowIt’s about to get Biblical up in here.
Mills has given us a Jack Savage committed to the Volgan cause but not entirely devoid of affection for his former British life. We’ve seen him try and do right by Bill, in his own way. When Jack lays it on the line for Bill this week, you might not be able to sympathize with his choices, but you can certainly understand them. But although they share the same face (due to Bill’s plastic surgery to adopt his then-presumed-dead brother’s face to protect his identity) and blood, they are completely different people. Jack’s is not just the usual “selling out to the highest bidder” betrayal, and Mills pays it off well here. Plus, Patrick Goddard continues to shine here, particularly in giving the Savage brothers nearly identical features but enough distinctions to be realistic (and avoid confusion).
Credits: Pat Mills (script), Patrick Goddard (art), Ellie de Ville (letters)
III. ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
In addition to this week’s Thrill-Zine™ readers can expect a few more gifts from the always generous, constantly handsome Tharg the All-Powerful.
INSURRECTION- LIBERTY
First up is the second volume of Dan Abnett and Colin MacNeil’s painfully good “Insurrection”. This is what happens when Abnett brings his Warhammer 40K miniatures over to Judge Dredd’s house, and it is incredible. Set in deep space, “Insurrection” presents readers with the second wave of unrest happening out on Mega-City One’s mining colonies. It’s what happens when disillusioned Colonial Judges grant citizenship to Uplift (read: talking Gorillas) and robot alike in order to declare independence from The Big Meg; good idea in theory, not so easy to pull off in reality. There are a lot of high-minded ideas coming out of Abnett on this one, but my favorite by far is the concept of born-again robots. Yep, robots who believe in God and preach they are the refined end-product of His grace. That’s right: God created Man so that Man can create Robot. Boom. Thank you, Dan Abnett, I want to be you when I grow up.
In addition to all of those wonderful ideas, this thing is drawn by none other than Collin MacNeil. If you think you know MacNeil’s art from his work on ‘America’, think again. While exquisitely rendered, the art in “Insurrection” seems to pull more on the sensibilities of a cartoonist than those of a painter. While textured and nuanced, the minimalism of the character design reveals a real genius at work. There’s really nothing else that looks like this on the stands, and you’d be silly to not pick this up. I can say, without hyperbole, that this is one of the best comics I’ve read so far this year.
TALES OF TELGUUTH: A TRIBUTE TO STEVE MOORE
Steve Moore was a hell of a writer who created one of “2000 AD”‘s longest lasting contributions: the Future Shock! In honor of the master of the short-form, this week sees the release of a collection of stories penned by Moore and drawn by a litany of fantastic artist. Greg Staples, Siku, Simon Davis, Carl Critchlow and Clint Langley are just some of the artists you’ll see featured in this nearly 200-page collection. But don’t just take my word for it: this thing’s got a foreword by Alan Moore, and you know he doesn’t just throw his name around. Just thumbing through this thing is an overload to the senses, and the above image by Greg Staples is only the beginning!
THE RED SEAS, BOOKS ONE AND TWO
Last but not least, we’ve got a first. Never before has 2000 AD released a collection digitally before it’s been printed on actual paper, but that all changes today. Head on over to the 2000 AD webstore or associated apps (using the handy-dandy links below) to pick up not one, but TWO volumes of “The Red Seas” by long-time Thrill-Zine contributors Ian Edginton (Brass Sun, Hinterkind) and Steve Yeowell (Zenith, The Invisibles).
All said, these two tomes, set in the same universe as ‘Leviathan’ and ‘Stickleback’, clock in at around 800 pages of swashbuckling adventure on the high seas. Watch out for zombie pirates, ancient books of arcane magics, horrors from the deep, and possibly the end of the world. And all of that presented to your eyeballs by Yeowell’s art.
Continued belowIf that description doesn’t get you on board, then maybe just have a gander at that awesome cover design. Credited to Simon Parr and Sam Gretton, this is yet another example of the quality of work Tharg demands of each of his droids. Between this, the treatment on those bi-weekly Mega-Collections (that are unavailable outside Great Britain, thank you very much Hachette) and the recent revamp of the weekly magazine’s trade dress, it seems as if 2000 AD’s design team is on a bit of a tear lately!
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?
This week we turn our gaze towards the stars! Mega-City One is actively colonizing off-world in a bid to secure the massive, and increasingly rare, resources needed to keep the city running. In order to maintain control over these new and often volatile colonies, The Meg has had to send Judges to the farthest reaches of space. Many of these Colonial Judges may never return to Earth, and some weren’t even born here to begin with.
Elements of an SJS Senior Judge’s (Colonial) uniform:
- SJS Judge’s helmet w/ skull adornment
- Cape w/ skull fasteners
- High space armor w/ helmet attachment and SJS chest-plate
- SJS badge directly below collar
- Matching shoulder pads (no eagle)
- Space-issue utility belt with vacuum-resistant pouches and Skull and Eagle buckle
- Gloves w/ knuckle reenforcement
- Laz-pistol
- Space-grade cod-piece
- Officer-issue elbow pads
- Officer-issue knee pads
- All-environment colonial-issue boots
Identifying elements unique to Judge Kulotte (pictured above)
- Walking cane w/ skull topper
I find Abnett’s work with Colonial Judges to not only be particularly interesting, but also one of his greatest contributions to the world of Judge Dredd. We’ll be sure to explore this division of the Judicial System sooner rather than later.
That’s gonna do it for us this week! “2000 AD” Prog 1921 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!”
