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 2000AD
Judge Dredd: Against The Clock
Credits: Ken Niemand (script), Patrick Goddard (art), Dylan Teague (colors), Annie Parkhouse (letters)
Rowan Grover: “Against The Clock” might well just be one of my favorite one-shot “Dredd” stories of late. Niemand provides us here with a story that crams an infeasible amount of techniques here and somehow manages to make it all work without feeling overstuffed. Already, having the story be centered around futuristic hoverboarding ticks a very specific niche interest for me, which I understand might not apply to everyone (though it should!). The first actual little detail that stuck out to me, something that’s present in all good “Dredd” stories, is the attention to great language patterns and use of in-canon jargon. The back and forth between Plankhurst and her employer has great use of language like ‘Primo slots” and later, Plankhurst’s own internal and external dialogue use of phrases like “Sky-Jock” and “What the skav?” are a tonne of fun. Niemand also manages to create some incredible tension from nowhere in the Dredd encounter scene via use of a countdown timer in the corner of each panel. It gives us little moments of added tension and release in every few panels to keep things interesting. It’s such a well-crafted little comic, I can’t help but admire all the mechanics behind it.
Goddard and Teague are no slouch in the art department, either. Goddard’s study of skate/snowboarders and their positioning is evident from the first page that we see Plankhurt maneuver her board. There’s a great sense of balance control in each panel and you can really feel her trying to steady the board as she flies it through traffic and other obstacles. The little detailing in Plankhurt’s costume is great and perfectly befits a denizen of Mega-City One, from the angry smiley-face slapped on the back of her helmet to her kid literally slung over her shoulder like a backpack in a sleeping bag-looking compartment. Goddard especially puts the foot on the gas towards the end as we see Plankhurst rushing against the clock, increasing the visual tension by using dynamic camera angles and appropriate placing of speedlines, with the first free-fall panel on the second-last page being my standout. Teague’s palette here has that buoyant, vibrant and candy-like visual style that reminds me of Japanese street art, specifically the skating game Jet Set Radio. Having the trail of Plankhurt’s board glow a bright orange in contrast to the surrounding blues is a great way to give those rush scenes a sense of direction to really cling onto.
“Against The Clock” is one of those 2000AD stories that uses its short format incredibly well, and feels chock-full of clever techniques that I will be pouring over for some time. This is a story well-worth checking out.
Sláine: Dragontamer Part 7
Credits: Pat Mills (script), Leonardo Manco (art), Annie Parkhouse (letters)
Jeremy Hachat: Sláine has infiltrated the palace of Brutus and plans to release his son, Alban. There is resistance from the guards, but it is welcomed by Sláine as heads roll and blood is spilled. The opening pages are full of action complimented by some great Pat Mills narration that is exciting and entertaining. This is what we love about Sláine. “Dragontamer” Part 8 is a fairly dense chapter with a lot happening pretty quickly and an ending that will leave you wanting more.
From the very opening panel, Leonardo Manco is letting the reader know just how good he is. The energetic pose of Sláine and the facial expression of vault keeper are perfect. The first page is an amazing example of great comic book storytelling, as the action moves quickly while Manco cuts between terrified guards and close-ups of a bloody axe. Throughout the “Dragontamer” storyline we have been building up to a reveal of Prince Alban, the son of Brutus, and the full-page reveal from Manco is absolutely terrifying and gross. It does not disappoint.
Continued belowWith Sláine releasing Prince Alban and setting him upon Brutus’s soldiers it seems Sláine’s plan is to cause as much chaos as possible. This chapter ends with the Dragon Prince seeking out and coming face to face with one of the Kings’s sorcerers. As readers of this story, we can only hope that “this is not going to end well.”
Proteus Vex: The Shadow Chancellor Part 8
Credits: Mike Carroll (script), Jake Lynch (art), Jim Boswell (colors), Simon Bowland (letters)
Greg Lincoln The story moves quickly this week; quite a lot happens in these sparse five pages. The story tempo hits high gear, pointing us towards a likely plot resolution. This week Carroll, Lynch, Boswell and Bowland treat us to not just one but two narrow escapes, a near tearful farewell, the predicted arrival of the Citheronians, and the possible addition to the Proteus Vex’s crew. Lynch and Boswell’s new Citheronians give a sense of physical scale for the race in their short cameo appearance and leave a mental image of what Midnight may become.
One of the story payoffs in “The Shadow Chancellor” has to be finally knowing why the Citheronians want Midnight back. It’s an interesting reason, thankfully beyond some random crime or secret royalty plot. She shares her tale with Navarch Andrum, which makes a bit of sense as a sort of bond that formed between Vex and the Navarch a few chapters back. Speaking of a bond, there seems to have been one formed last week between Vex and the Silent entered. Jake Lynch really handles action pretty well; the way that Vex’s size allows him to play with perspective and action allows for some pretty clever storytelling. All in all, it’s great to be reading a story that is so hard to predict where it going at any point. I’m really hoping that Proteus Vex stays around in the Progs for a while.
Durham Red: Served Cold 08
Credits: Alec Worley (script), Ben Willsher (art), Jim Cambell(letters)
Michael Mazzacane: As “Durham Red” approaches the final acts, Alec Worley and Ben Willsher change things up and give this strip something it hasn’t feature previously: humor. “Red” is a Dreddverse, Dredd adjacent strip – via “Strontium Dog,” and there is a history of at least black comedy in there. The comedy at the start of this strip isn’t bleak, more an understated series of sight gags built around the inherent comedy of how a brain in a jar deals with cold weather. Willsher and Worley pepper other types of comedy throughout. The comedy isn’t overwhelming, but it is a nice change of tonality that also helps to set up further plot developments.
This strip is primarily about moving the plot forward. The mercenaries turning on their financier was both obvious and wonderfully timed. Willsher renders him this smarmy finance bro, so when he gets some comeuppance it plainly felt good. In particular Willsher draws his eyes in extreme close up that make them surprisingly expressive. This level of expressivity in no way “redeems” or “redefines” the character, but it is a level of recognition and basic humanity that is surprising for the strip and is a new source of tension going forward.
Worley does finally give a name to what it is that drives Durham and her ultimate desire: forgiveness. How this is revealed is melodramatic and yet oddly lacking in affect. The overall construction of the final two pages is sound, all the components are there. Something about it just didn’t land for me as a reader, I think I need to see how part 9 goes in a couple of weeks.
“Durham Red” readies to the final batch of strips in a well-constructed episode that has the creative team showing new facets of their creative potential.
Hershey: The Brutal – Part Eight
Credits: Rob Williams (Script), Simon Fraser (Art), Simon Bowland (Letters)
Christopher Egan: As we come to an end of Book Two in the current saga of Judge Hershey, this week’s chapter actually had me feel something other than annoyance at the lack of story, or sheer joy at the sight of anything resembling an interesting comic strip. I was saddened. Shockingly enough this chapter actually pulled at the heart strings, if ever so briefly, and they only had to use a dog in peril to get me there. This week’s chapter is all stand offs. Hershey has her bionic weaponized arm aimed at Mr. Edu’s head, Zagella is pointing a pistol at Hershey, Frank is facing down his boxing opponent/crime thug, and so on.
The tension is taut. Who will live, who will die, where is this going? While Hershey and Frank had successfully infiltrated this crime syndicate, once the secret was out as to who they actually are; their reputations precede them. There is nothing to hide, secrets and embarrassing truths are in the air. It’s all very exciting. Joe, being the good boy that he is, attempts to protect Frank at his own peril. Williams does a great job selling the pain and anguish with what each character is facing. Everyone is hurt or betrayed by the end.
Fraser’s art is more frenetic and captures the emotions and action throughout this chapter and his colors, while neat and calculated, bring the frantic gut punches and twists to the forefront of the storytelling. It’s all great to look at. While the writing is minimal this week. Williams and Fraser really close out this ‘book’ on a high note. It still doesn’t quite give the resolve or fully fleshed plot that I have been hoping for since the start, but it is a solid leap in the right direction. I am finally intrigued to see what happens when this strip comes back.
