Welp. We did it. The election’s over, and apparently we’d have voted for brexit, too. So let’s just bury ourselves in comics, the ultimate escapist entertainment!
This is a big week, as Tharg bestows both a Prog and a Megazine upon us. Both issues se new “Judge Dredd” serials kicking off as Arthur Wyatt and Jake Lynch make the jump from the weekly to the monthly mag. Meanwhile, every other strip in both publications continue to march forward. Flesh, Anderson, Counterfeit Girl and Angelic are just a few of the thrills awaiting readers who pick up both issues. Additionally, the Megazine also features a remembrance piece on Steve Dillon, an interview with the artist’s brother Glyn, and another installment of the “Thrill Power Overload” update.
We’ve got a lot of comics to cover, so let’s get right to it.
I. THIS WEEK IN 2000 AD Prog 2007
NOW ARRIVING
Judge Dredd: The Cube Root of Evil, Part 1
Credits: Arthur Wyatt (script), Jake Lynch (art), John Charles (color), Annie Parkhouse (letters)
Fresh off their jaunt in the Megazine Arthur Wyatt and Jake Lynch are back at it, this time in a weekly serial. I really like the way these two work together, and it seems they do, too! “The Cube Root of Evil” is the latest in a series of strip the two have worked on together, jubilantly reveling in everything they love about Dredd World comics.
Jake Lynch is always an artist to marvel at. He’s got this uncanny fluidity in how he approaches every strip he’s on, adapting and flexing his talents with the intent of enhancing the comic. All you have to do is take a peek at any of his interiors or recent cover work to get a sense to the range this guy is capable of. He’ll lean on his favorites when he needs to, channeling McMahon, Smith, Bolland and even early MacNeil when the situation calls for it. Don’t let me lead you to believe he’s simply lifting from classic artists, though. Lynch does this is through his own lens, taking his own path to the finished page while harkening back to the aforementioned artists in order to achieve an effect.
Beyond Lynch’s reverence for those who came before him, is his own brilliant sense of storytelling. There’s a brashness in his work that I really respond to. His layouts are bombastic, as are his character designs, both of which give me the impression that he is an artist beyond his years. It’s the sort of thing where you could strip out the color and tell people that it was from 1981. And speaking of color, Lynch is joined on this story by John Charles, who does a pretty solid job. He accents the cool blues and desaturated construction of the Big Meg with pops of magenta and sea foam green, which helps to ratchet up the nostalgic, classic look of the strip.
Of course, at the helm of this tale is Arthur Wyatt, a writer who’s work I always love to read. Part of why I think he and Lynch fit so well together is because they draw inspiration from similar types of Dredd stories. As a result, readers get these darkly humorous adventures that sometimes tilt towards the absurd. Wyatt seems to love little moments, the type that’ll slip right by you if you’re reading too quickly. A great example from this week is when Dredd has to accompany Admin Judge Orville to the apartment of one Ms. Bierce in the spirit of public relations. Dredd being who he is immediately become bored and uncomfortable, so he begins to look for infractions to bring against Ms. Bierce. Once he finds one, he pounces, only to be hurried out of the home by Orville. That panel shows Wyatt and Lynch in perfect sync, as Dredd cranes his neck over Orville in order to let Ms. Bierce know that she had indeed done something wrong. This perfect little moment not only encapsulates the type of person that Judge Dredd is, but also the type of storytelling that these two creators can accomplish together.
Continued belowCONTINUING IN THIS WEEK’S PROG
Flesh: Gorehead, Part 7
Credits: Pat Mills (script), Clint Langley (art), Ellie De Ville (letters)
Despite what the title page says, I’m pretty sure that this is part seven, not six. But anyway, comet!
Now, it looks like Mills is setting out to teach readers a little bout how exactly the dinosaurs went extinct. Yes, there was a giant meteor, but it’s not the impact that did them in. Instead, it was all the debris and sediment that was thrown into the atmosphere from the impact. For years that followed the sun was blotted out by the suspended particulates, which killed all of the vegetation on the planet. With no plants around, the herbivores died. With no herbivores to hunt, the carnivores died.
Langley does an exceptional job rendering out the post-impact landscape, making the world seem as if it were in the throws of a prehistoric dust storm. The way he illustrates the humans’ lights cutting through the dirt in the air is really impressive. This is where the artist’s photo realism pays off, I think. While it leaves his characters sometimes looking a little too real, it’s this realism that makes the landscape feel so dramatic and inhospitable.
Hunted, Part 7
Credits: Gordon Rennie (script), PJ Holden (art), Len O’Grady (color), Simon Bowland (letters)
How many times can I proclaim the art in this strip to be even better than the week that preceded it? How many reviews in a row can I sing the praises of Holden and O’Grady?
I guess seven?
Look, it’s not hyperbole when I say how blown away I am by the art on this story. Here at Multiversity, we’ve been looking at Holden’s art for a while, so we’re already fans. But good gracious has he grown. His acting, his pacing, his layouts, his character design, it’s all better than it’s ever been. And I say that after having read “Dept. of Monsterology.” This week also sees Holden playing a lot with silhouette, blotting out tight shots of characters’ faces in order to sell the mood. He uses to great effect, choosing to unnaturally illuminate aspects of what each silhouetted character is wearing, creating a bit of stylization in his approach.
Len O’Grady really nails it this week. There’s a lot of excitement for him to convey, and I’d say he over delivered. I’m looking at the panel of Jaegir and her partner, in their clunky battle suits, under fire. The way O’Grady cheated texture and softened the value of Holden’s inks really sells the situation. They’re in the heat of battle, surrounded by danger and explosions, and we can almost understand that just through the colors.
All in all, this strip continues to be a real stunner. I get the impression that Rennie is scripting this thing pretty tightly, but that he’s also leaving more than enough room for Holden to do what he needs to do. I absolutely love the large cast of the story and that we got some surprise appearances. It’s an excellent story that always leaves me excited for next week when, presumably, the art will be better than ever.
Savage: The Märze Murder, Part 7
Credits: Pat Mills (script), Patrick Goddard (art), Annie Parkhouse (letters)
Opposite sides joining forces, departmental pissing contests, “Savage” is certainly starting to really lean on some crime devices. I mean, Mills has been incorporating tropes into the narrative all along, but for some reason this week felt a little too on the nose. Maybe it’s because, despite the gun battle, this installment felt less bombastic than previous weeks. Maybe it was that Mills returned to a type of cliffhanger we just saw a few weeks ago.
Counterfeit Girl, Part 8
Credits: Peter Milligan (script), Rufus Dayglo (art), Dom Regan (color), Ellie De Ville (letters)
The twists just keep on coming as two generations of Albions conspire against two iterations of Libra. While I previously moaned about Libra’s illness dragging on for one too many weeks, I’m glad to see that it’s paying off. I love a good conspiracy story, so this week’s turn of events were more than welcome to me.
Continued belowDom Regan is doing some pretty interesting stuff with the two Libras. As the first Libra’s illness progressed, Regan slowly added more texture and artifacting to the way he colors the character and the world around her. Now, seeing her face to face with the original Libra, it was almost shocking to see how much she’d changed, and it’s mostly due to the color treatment, I think. The recently revealed original Libra looks so smooth and fresh in comparison to her deteriorating doppelgänger that it added another level of narrative for me. The Original Libra is not only healthy, but she’s also in a relationship with a very wealthy fellow, so he clothes are more streamlined and she just seems to have less wear to her than our first Libra did back when she was healthy.
There’s a class dynamic at play here, which goes beyond even the points I’ve already laid out. This time the praise is to be laid at Milligan’s feet as he introduces the idea of the wealthy exploiting the poor in the most direct way yet. Libra purposefully went into the world to find a disenfranchised person to whom she could do whatever she needed, a luxury afforded to her by her lot in life. It’s an expert bit of storytelling that stands nicely on the narrative elements Milligan’s laid out in the preceding weeks.
And, of course, Dayglo’s art continues to be fantastic. What can I say to that without repeating myself? The guy’s on of the best on Tharg’s bench, and this strip is undeniable proof of that.
II. THIS MONTH IN JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE 376
NOW ARRIVING
Judge Dredd: Psicho, Part 1
Credits: Peter Milligan (script), Tiernen Trevallion (art), Annie Parkhouse (letters)
I love how much the Psi Division has been in the fore lately. Obviously there’s the Anderson movieverse strip a little later in the issue, but we’ve also had that recent Emma Beeby written Anderson strip as well as her surprise appearance in a recent Rob Williams story. With all of that in the air, Peter Milligan steps in to pen a story that almost feels like every Psi Judge’s worst nightmare.
I was shocked to read that this is Milligan’s first Dredd story in 25 years. I guess that, since he’s always got something going on, I sort of lost sight of the fact that he hadn’t held the pole position in one of these magazines for a good long while. I wasn’t reading these comics Dredd comics back in ’91, so I very well may have never actually read a Milligan “Judge Dredd” story, which seems weird for some reason.
It’s neat to see a Psi story through a horror lens. It follows two horror tracks simultaneously, as there is a killer/monster on the loose and a Hitchcockian asylum that feels built on suspense. With this dual approach not just any artist will do, so I was glad to see Tiernen Trevallion’s name in the credit box. Last we saw Trevallion was when he was drawing “Absalom,” and it looks to me like he’s done a little bit of leveling up in the months since then. The moment I saw his design and rendering of the Institute for Troubled Psychics in pane one, I knew we were in for a treat. I could see immediately that Trevallion was blending three different line styles to achieve the look of this strip. The first was one I was familiar with, as it was his approach in “Absalom.” It’s that bold, deep style that he’s using here for his character work. When it comes to the backgrounds we see a finer, more open line being utilized. This serves to create separation and depth in the panels and is a departure from his previous works. Looking back at “Absalom,” it looks like everything was rendered in a similar line style. Sure, there was variation in line weight to create depth and volume, but it wasn’t the difference we see here. The third type of line I see is the most interesting. It seems as if Trevallion is beginning to use a more bristly line style for some aspects of the story, and it’s working really well. If you look at the shading on the institute panel I mentioned earlier, or any thime the killer is seen, Trevallion uses an approach that looks almost like an etching, which creates a quality that runs counter to the slick, bold work we see elsewhere on these pages.
Continued belowIn reading this first chapter I immediately felt that the Megazine was the right place for this story. From the start it was made clear that this was a case with some history, and history needs space if a writer is to unpack it. Being in the Megazine affords Milligan at least two extra pages to say what he needs to, which is great when there’s a month between installments.
All in all, this is a fantastic start to Milligan’s return to the character.
CONTINUING IN THIS MONTH’S MEGAZINE
Blunt, Part 7
Credits: T.C. Eglington (script), Boo Cook (art), Simon Bowland (letters)
Boo Cook continues to stun with this month’s installment of “Blunt.” Obviously, his line style and sense of character design are impeccable and immediately recognizable. Then there’s his approach to color, which is almost as iconic as his line art. His use of extra saturated secondary colors is masterfully handled, creating a sort of space psychedelia that fits Eglington’s narrative nicely. Cook’s coloring strikes me almost as a modern day John Higgins, with his selection of unconventional palettes and eerie accents.
It’s also worth mentioning Cook’s page layouts, which are bold and dynamic. He takes a lot of chances in this department, and I think they all pay off. His page designs all pay close attention to balance and the action on the page. It seems that for quieter passages, Cook weights his pages at the bottom, making them feel stable. Then, for moments of shock that leave characters off balance he’ll tightly group his panels at the top, leaving the bottom half of the page feeling lighter. This creates a sense of being unstable, inserting a bit of the on-page experience in the reader. Here’s an example:
On the left we have a page where the characters set up camp and are able to catch a night’s sleep. Notice how the upper panels are cradled by the lower, which show the night changing to morning. The symbol of the cradle indicates to me a peaceful sleep, while using three panels to show time pass indicates that it was a good stretch of uninterrupted time. As for the layout itself, that curved cradle acts almost as a stand, creating stability for the reader so that they can feel as the characters do. Plus, all of the action pushes the reader’s eye towards the center of the page, which amplifies the balance provided by the bottom tier. The page on the right is a different story. Look at how the bordered panels are presented: three of the four are clustered tightly together at the tippy top of the page, while the fourth is isolated down below, asymmetrically placed off to the side. Now note the character’s movement in the large, borderless panel (a larger example is at the top of this review.) she’s screeching to a halt, leaning back and unbalanced. Now compare her head and fee to the panel layout of the entire page. Things like this don’t happen accidentally.
While on the surface this may seem like just a jungle adventure story, Cook and Eglington have poured the entirety of their skill and craft into “Blunt.” Despite the title, there’s an incredible amount if finesse in this comic.
Angelic: Home is the Hunter, Part 2
Credits: Gordon Rennie (script), Lee Carter (art), Simon Bowland (letters)
An interesting turn of events this month, though it’s still unclear how this is all going to shake out. The emergence of this second ‘Pa’ has really thrown a wrench in my understanding of this series, and I’m assuming it’s done the same for you, too. After the last run of “Angelic” it was taken to be that the bearded man was the infamous Pa Angel and that little Linc would eventually become the Link we know as Pa’s second oldest. But it’s possible that the second Pa we’ve encountered in this story is the actual Pa Angel of “Judge Dredd” fame, and after this installment I can see a line from how Linc’s spelling can be altered.
Both Pas have a good reason to not be the real McCoy, though:
Continued below- There’s been no mention of a Ma Angel or an older kid in regards to our protagonist, the first Pa.
- Second Pa has a really large family, so Link would have more than the three brothers we’ve come to know and (not) love.
Maybe this is Rennie rewriting history a little, though I doubt it. He’s a writer who loves this between-the-raindrops stuff, so it’s only a matter of time before things are made clear. In the meantime, we’ve got a pretty riveting comic to sink into!
Anderson: The Deep End, Part 2
Credits: Alec Worley (script), Paul Davidson (art), Len O’Grady (color), Ellie De Ville (letters)
One of my favorite things to come out of the Dredd movie is the redo creators are getting with Psi Judge Cassandra Anderson. Back when Judge Anderson was first introduced she was basically created to be a victim. Judge Death was the new bad boy in town, and it was needed to be known that he was not fucking around. That’s why he possessed Anderson and, ultimately, the two were encased together in a block of Boing®. The woman fell, serving as motivation for the male hero to get the job done. It’s a problem that’s currently being excised from comics, but will leave its mark.
Now, withe what can be described as the Ultimate Comics relaunch of “Judge Dredd,” “Dredd” is giving writers a second pass at Anderson’s early days, and Alec Worley is taking full advantage of it. While both iterations of the character were presented as capable Judges, having Anderson out on the streets solo is a good move. Whenever she’s teamed with Judge Dredd she instantly becomes the Robin to his Batman, even when she’s the title character. It’s the nature of their long established dynamic. So having her go it alone, especially in a harrowing, familiar conflict, elevates the character.
And it’s an interesting lettering choice that’s been made for the perp Fernandez. Quite familiar…
III. AN EARTHLET’S GUIDE TO 2000 AD
At Multiver-City One, we understand trying to figure out to start with a selection of almost 40 years worth of comics can be 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?
To help all you new & potential readers, we’ve put together something we call An Earthlet’s Guide to 2000 AD. This FAQ collects everything you need to make your initial foray into the 2000 AD Thrill-verse as easy and simple as possible.
That’s gonna do it for us this week! “2000 AD” Prog 2000 and Judge Dredd Megazine 376 are both on sale today and available digitally worldwide on:
- The 2000 AD Newsstand app for iPad and iPhone,
- The 2000 AD app for Android devices,
- 2000ADonline.com in DRM-free PDF and CBZ formats.
They are available in print today from:
They are available in print in North America next month from your local comic shop.
So as Tharg the Mighty himself would say, “Splundig vur thrigg!”
