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, and giving you all the pertinent information you’ll need headed into this week’s Thrill-Zine!
I. NOW DEPARTING
This is a big week! Tharg has seen fit to clear the slate to make room for next week’s mega-sized mag (more on that in the next section), so that means we’ve got a full round of departures.
Judge Dredd: Ferals, Part 4
I am infinitely fascinated by Mega-City Cadet recruitment, especially for the kids who show psy abilities. The wrap-up to this one has Dredd walking the line between just kinda and totally fascist lawman, as he can’t seem to make up his mind about the kid he’s trying to help. This strip is a real reminder of how good of a character Judge Dredd is: even when you know you should not be rooting for him, you still do.
Credits: Emma Beeby (script), John Burns (art),
Annie Parkhouse (letters)
Flesh: Badlanders, Part 12
Credits: Pat Mills (script), James McKay (pencils), Lee Townsend (inks), Annie Parkhouse (letters)
Brass Sun: The Diamond Age, Part 12
For our inaugural Multiver-City One, I raved about the art in this story, and three months later not a thing has changed. Between the snappy dialogue, thoughtful characterization, and incredible art, this strip is probably some of the most compelling comics being published anywhere right now. I cannot wait for this one to return to the pages of this Thrill-zine.
Credits: Ian Edgington (script), INJ Culbard (art), Ellie De Ville (letters)
After Losing Every Battle, Part 4
It’s a testament to Ewing’s writing ability that he’s able to wrap up such a sprawling story in so few pages. And he does it so well! On top of that, he’s got Harrison’s rock-solid art to make the whole thing even stronger. This was a really good strip with some strong, high-minded concepts. And it ends on a bang!
Sorry. Bad joke. You’ll get it when you read it.
Credits: Al Ewing (script), Mark Harrison (art), Simon Bowland (letters)
II. COMING SOON
Do not bug your hume newsvendor for new Progs the last two weeks of December because there won’t be any until January 2, 2014. But fear not, for Tharg loves you enough to give you a 100-page stocking stuffer to tide you over, AND even makes sure you get it early. What is this bundle of Thrill-power called?
2000 AD PROG 2014
From his brain to your nervous system, this Prog brings you eight strips plus a look into the inner workings of the Nerve Centre and how 2000 AD comes together for you each week. This aren’t just throwaways, but a look at the strips coming to 2000 AD all throughout 2014 (hence the name. Clever Quaxxannian, that Tharg…). So while you are enjoying your holiday of choice this December, you’ll have new material from:
Judge Dredd
Ulysses Sweet, Maniac For Hire
The Ten-Seconders
ABC Warriors
Sinister Dexter
Absalom
Grey Area
Strontium Dog
(and Tharg The Mighty’s Building A Better Comic)
An impressive list, to be sure, but the droids, man! What about the droids? Tharg culled from the roster’s best in bringing his vision to your eyeballs:
John Wagner
Pat Mills
Carlos Ezquerra
Clint Langley
Leigh Gallagher
Rob Williams
Gordon Rennie
Edmund Bagwell
PJ Holden
Dan Abnett
and more (that droid really gets around…)
We’ll be going more in-depth over the next few weeks once you can play along at home, but in his infinite generosity, Tharg has bestowed upon us gifts from X-Mas past to prep you for X-Mas future! Keep your browsers on this site to get three complete strips starring one of the Prog 2014 characters, written by a Glaswegian hume known for his baldness, fashion sense, and being one of the only Terrans to log more galactic mileage than both Tharg AND his sister Marg combined. And his name rhymes with Shmant Shmorrison.
Continued belowIII. AN ORAL HISTORY OF JUDGE DREDD
The tale of Judge Dredd has been continually published since 1977, and has been brought to us by some of the most creative minds to ever work in comics. As a result, there have been some out-of-this-world story beats woven into the fabric of the character. We thought it would be interesting to talk with the writers and artists behind Mega-City One and see what their favorite bits of Dredd’s history are. This week, Douglas Wolk talks a little about the “acts” in the arc of Judge Dredd as a character, including where and how the famed “America” storyline really changes the game.
[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/robotsfromtomorrow/mvc1wolkdreddamerica.mp3 ]
IV. 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…
That’s gonna do it for us this week! Prog 1861 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!”
