2000 AD Prog 2169 Featured Columns 

Multiver-City One: 2000 AD Prog 2169 – 43 Years of Blood, Sweat, and Fears

By , , , and | February 19th, 2020
Posted in Columns | % Comments

Welcome, Earthlets, to Multiver-City One, our “2000 AD” weekly review column! Every Wednesday we examine the latest offerings from Tharg and the droids over at Rebellion/2000 AD, the galaxy’s leading producers of Thrill-Power entertainment. Let’s get right to it!

Cover by Cliff Robinson and Dylan Teague

THIS WEEK IN 2000AD

Judge Dredd: Cold Case
Credits Kenneth Niemand (script) Tom Foster(art) Chris Blythe(colours)Annie Parkhouse(letters)

Michael Mazzacane: Kenneth Niemand’s script for ‘Cold Case’ does a lot right as he pushes through a police procedural that ties into the history of the strip, ‘The Apocalypse War,’ and one of Dredd’s early work relationships, and closes in 6 pages. Every page builds on and completes one piece of the puzzle. The work by art team Tom Foster and Chris Blythe are central to pacing, but more importantly establishing the right kind of procedural mood. Blythe’s color palette gives everything a lived in feel, the lighting is heavy but the judges golden armor still manages to glissen. The strip is aesthetically leaning into noir without going too far and losing the weird science fiction of “Dredd.”

The pacing of this strip is excellent, efficient without being too lean or purely mechanical. ‘Cold Case’ is plot focused but Niemand and the art team still capture a good Dredd. The idea of Dredd being nostalgic as he thinks back on a story that originally published in 1982 seems potentially out of place but it is in the pursuit of Justice! Blythe ups the saturation in the five panel flashback, but the art teams work overall does not play the sequence as sentimental and nostalgic. It was the eve of one of Mega City Ones worst days. With a lot of plot maneuvering to get through Foster turns in some wonderful looking pages on a macro level. The fifth page is the best fusion of plot and storytelling as Dredd’s crew of investigators work through the paper archive and he goes about his day. The page plays on a call and response rhythm that manages to work in a few sight gags and get the strip to the point where it can effectively end on the next page. The sight gags themselves are not overly funny, but due to the rhythm capture the fascisit monotony of being a Judge on patrol.

The final page and where it ends the strip is just wonderfully handled, telling the reader everything they need to know in a single image. ‘Cold Case’ is one of the best one shot “Dredd” strips I’ve come across in a while, it manages to tie into the history of the series without being cumbersome and tell a structurally sound narrative. Everything about this strip feels considered.

Brink: Hate Box, Part Twenty
Credits: Dan Abnett (script), Inj Culbard (art), Simon Bowland (letters)

Rowan Grover: At long last, we reach the end of the road with “Hate Box”, which Abnett and Culbard ensure is a quiet issue with an appropriate amount of side drama to keep us excited for the next installment. I love Bridget’s attitude throughout this as being singularly minded the entire time. She isn’t putting up with other people’s crap, like the people calling her ‘Habby’ outside her building, she just directly wants to thank or help those that she cares about, from Weyow for saving her life, and to go and help her Mami. The scene of her dealing with her Mami’s Alzheimer’s is affecting because of how little Bridget is acknowledged, but also really touching because Bridget just pushes through and wants to spend time with her anyway, and using the book from her childhood is a nice emotional beat to end on.

Culbard does a great job of reflecting the quiet tone that is being pushed in this prog. The restraint Abnett shows on dialogue means that there’s a lot more space for Culbard to allow for long, slow moments, like Weyowa dropping Bridget off and her carefully getting out with just a few thankful words. The way that Culbard paints Bridget throughout the rest of the prog works nicely with the narrative because she remains so determined to take some time out to help the people she loves. I love how she remains so unflinching especially when dealing with her Mami, almost as if she’s completing another job, yet the final page shows a definite warmth and contentedness to her that you can’t help but smile at.

Continued below

“Hate Box” has certainly been one of the longer 2000AD progs I’ve kept up with, but Abnett and Culbard sustained its quality right through to the very end, and even though I’ve spent so much time with it, I can’t wait to see what the pair have keyed up next.

The Zaucer of Zilk: Part 8 – A Zaucerful of Zecrets
Peter Hogan (Script), Brendan McCarthy (Art, Colors, & Story), Len O’Grady (Colors), Jim Campbell (Letters)

Christopher Egan: Readers who have been sticking with the latest on-going Zaucer of Zilk strip will be happy to know that part 8 gives us some closure and answers before it takes a brief hiatus. As we jump back into the action, our mystery woman comes across Tutu in Curtaindown, meanwhile across the land, the Tailor of Tales and Craggaknock are dealing with the Fancy Pants. Craggaknock looks like he is done dealing with all of this, until his part in this story becomes fully formed, and dips through the mirror portal, before imparting a few final words of allegiance to the Zaucer.

The rest of this chapter is devoted to the Zaucer and his final moments with T’tooth. As he lays dying, T’tooth gives the Zaucer plenty of crucial information tied to his previous ‘death,’ who put him in that state, who lied saying that it was the Zaucer who betrayed him, and who had stolen his wand. It turns out, it is all the same person: The Criminaut. Who the Criminaut is, is revealed, but that zecret will be kept until you’ve read this chapter.

Overall, this is a fast paced and incredibly important part to this saga. The script isn’t anything outstanding, it is light and gives us what we need, but that’s about it. Part 8 isn’t really any better or worse than the rest of the series, but it is a nice breezy read that finally gives us some of the answers we were hoping for.

Proteus Vex: Another Dawn Part 8
Michael Carroll (script), Henry Flint(art), Simon Bowland (letters)

Greg Lincoln: Proteus Vex Another Dawn part eight has a very interesting storytelling voice. The story pairs Michael Carroll’s narration that tells historical myths and facts about the moment with Henry Flint’s action heavy scenes as Vex and Midnight attempt to save the colony introduced in part 7. Carroll’s words tell us there are myths about this moment including one that this was likely Proteus Vex’s last assignment. This part feels particularly longer then its slim five pages due to the parallel storytelling.

As Flint shows the battle Carrol tells us of the agent who brought the news of the colony to then Chancellor Baryon, he tells us also of her death at the chancellors hands. He makes this agent feel like a full character in just a few lines though we never see her once. We learn the certain particular capabilities of Midnight’s race and Flesh pilots as they applied to the actions happening in the story. These facts and stories inform and add to the overall impact of this story and amp up the tension as the last panel comes.

The parallels between the images and words invite us deeper into the story deeper somehow as we’ve come to ow these characters and world in a way that’s unexpected and so very effective.

Feral & Foe: Part Eight
Credits: Dan Abnett (script), Richard Ellson (art), Richard & Joe Ellson (colors), Annie Parkhouse (letters)

Christa Harader: Wrath’s got herself a demonic sword, and the team’s got itself a new tank. Unsurprisingly, neither of these developments are particularly positive for the duo, and they’re in trouble. Again.

Another installment in the books, this one a bit more streamlined in terms of action and plot drive, but the main issue this week is the almost unreadable lettering for the sword. Parkhouse picks a spindly horror font that bleeds heavily into the black boxes, and the red does very little to help readability. Squinting and slowing down in each panel to decipher what’s going on with the sarcastic blade isn’t a fun experience, and it tanks the strip as a whole. Plot-wise, we’ve got a good twist, and Ellson’s art and creature design continue to hold up well. The sword’s Moorcock-ian vibe is a good one (when we can read what’s going on) and Wrath’s power dynamic with the blade is something to watch.

The rhythm in “Feral & Foe” has been up and down, but it appears we’re back on track and headed toward a conclusion at some point. Whether it’ll be satisfying given the twists and turns of the story, and their varying degrees of mood dilution, remains to be seen.


//TAGS | Multiver-City One

Christa Harader

EMAIL | ARTICLES

Greg Lincoln

EMAIL | ARTICLES

Michael Mazzacane

Your Friendly Neighborhood Media & Cultural Studies-Man Twitter

EMAIL | ARTICLES

Christopher Egan

Chris lives in New Jersey with his wife, daughter, two cats, and ever-growing comic book and film collection. He is an occasional guest on various podcasts, writes movie reviews on his own time, and enjoys trying new foods. He can be found on Instagram. if you want to see pictures of all that and more!

EMAIL | ARTICLES

Rowan Grover

Rowan is from Sydney, Australia! Rowan writes about comics and reads the heck out of them, too. Talk to them on Twitter at @rowan_grover. You might just spur an insightful rant on what they're currently reading, but most likely, you'll just be interrupting a heated and intimate eating session.

EMAIL | ARTICLES


  • Columns
    Multiver-City One: Judge Dredd Megazine 466 – Shoot ‘Em Up!

    By , , , and | Mar 27, 2024 | Columns

    Welcome, Earthlets, to Multiver-City One, our monthly look at the “Judge Dredd Megazine!” Let’s get right to it.Judge Dredd: Ravenous Part 3Credits: Mike Carroll (script) Anthony Williams (art) Annie Parkhouse (letters)Matthew Blair: All seems lost for the heroes of Mega City One. They’re facing off against the perfect predator and nothing they have can stop […]

    MORE »
    Columns
    Multiver-City One: 2000 AD Prog 2375 – Bumper Issue!

    By , , , and | Mar 27, 2024 | Columns

    Welcome, Earthlets, to Multiver-City One, our “2000 AD” weekly review column! Every Wednesday we examine the latest offerings from Tharg and the droids over at Rebellion/2000 AD, the galaxy’s leading producers of Thrill-Power entertainment. Let’s get right to it!This Week in 2000 AD Judge Dredd: Next Man Up Credits: Rob Williams (script), RM Guera (art), […]

    MORE »
    2000 AD Prog 2374 Featured Columns
    Multiver-City One: 2000 AD Prog 2374 – A World of His Making!

    By , , , and | Mar 20, 2024 | Columns

    Welcome, Earthlets, to Multiver-City One, our “2000 AD” weekly review column! Every Wednesday we examine the latest offerings from Tharg and the droids over at Rebellion/2000 AD, the galaxy’s leading producers of Thrill-Power entertainment. Let’s get right to it!This Week in 2000 ADJudge Dredd: A Dimensional Travelers Guide to Mega City One Credits: Ken Neimand […]

    MORE »

    -->