Welcome, citizens, to this week’s installment of Multiver-City One! Each and every Wednesday we will be examining the latest Prog from Tharg and the droids over at 2000 AD, giving you all the pertinent information you’ll need heading into this week’s Thrill-Zine!
I. THIS WEEK IN PROG 1853
Aquila: Where All Roads Lead, Part 3
At this point in history, Rome was the center of the known world, so it would make sense that Rennie has more than a few characters in the cast to flesh out as the title character continues to search for the reason his travels have lead him there. The aftermath of the Veiled Virgin’s attack last Prog gives an opening for the introduction of Triscus the Diviner, the first of two characters looking to see the future from the aftermath of bloody violence. The other, Locusta, has the ear of Emperor Nero and seems certain that Aquila will find his way to them and do their bidding.
Before that can happen, Aquila has a sewer conversation with a giant wolf to survive. Fearless though he may be, the odds are looking pretty stacked against Aquila, as Felix points out in his futile attempt to distance himself from Aquila in the eyes of the wolf. But is the wolf, self-proclaimed ‘sister’ to Aquila’s host Ammit the Devourer, really looking to eat him? Or is there something more going on?
Credits: Gordon Rennie (script), Patrick Goddard (art), Gary Caldwell (colors), Ellie De Ville (letters)
II. IN RECENT NEWS
Judge Dredd Case Files now available digitally!
Last month, the folks at 2000 AD announced that 20 volumes of their Judge Dredd Case Files will now be available for iPad and iPhone. The Case File collections are a chronological assemblage of all of Judge Dredd’s adventures. Readers can start with the first appearance of Mega-City One’s top cop and follow him out into The Cursed Earth and beyond. These twenty volumes cover about 850 Progs worth of strips from some of the greatest talents to ever work in comics. John Wagner, Grant Morrison, Garth Ennis, Dave Gibbons, Mark Millar, Brian Bolland, Carlos Ezquerra, Mick McMahon, Alan Grant, John Smith, Brendan McCarthy, and Garry Leach are just a few of the top talent writers and artists you’ll find in these tomes. Each chunky B&W volume clocks in at around 350 pages and will run you $13.99. Worth every penny!
I’m excited that 2000 AD is digitizing these comics and bringing vintage Dredd back into circulation, but on top of that I can’t wait for the big Judge Anderson PSI Files collections to be available electronically! As a Judge in the PSI Division, Anderson’s a telepath that can detect crime and other no-goodness before it even happens. She’s also a pretty well-adjusted and normally functioning person given her job description, which makes her not only a great character foil for the taciturn Dredd, but just as much fun to follow on her own adventures. So there’s all that…plus the Secret Files, which are a lot like the Case Files collections, except they include the stories from all the various “2000 AD” annuals and specials. So many good comics to look forward to!
If you’re still on the fence about the Case Files, we’ve got a 20-page preview for you to take a peek at. And fear not, non-iOS users! The same digital offerings are available directly from the 2000 AD online store. There’s even a value-priced Volume 1 available!
III. FUTURE PERP FILES
ATTN: ALL CITIZENS OF THE MEG! Be aware that there is always a Judge watching you. Each sector is equipped with millions of HD-CCTV and bioID units. They are there for your protection. If your intent is upright citizenry, then you have no qualm with our surveillance. And remember: if you see something, you are now an accessory to a crime. That’s six months in an Iso-Cube, creep! Random CPU algorithms has selected this citizen for immediate surveillance and assessment…
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That’s gonna do it for us this week! Prog 1853 is on sale today and is available from finer comic shops everywhere, from 2000ADonline.com, and via the 2000 AD Newsstand app for iPad and iPhone. So as Tharg the Mighty himself would say, “Splundig vur thrigg!”
