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
Cadet Dredd: Suboptimal
Credits: Arthur Wyatt (script), Davide Tinto (art), Gary Caldwell (colors), Annie Parkhouse (letters)
Rowan Grover: The latest “Cadet Dredd” one-shot is a pretty safe venture into a comparatively unexplored sector of the Mega City universe. There’s a little bit of a friendship/rivalry dynamis here between Dredd and the wunderkind Judge Quinn, which seems interesting to start off with as Quinn seems to be able to outthink even mighty Joe Dredd. However, it’s only really touched on at the beginning of the story and the two quickly work together comfortably, if at all, making the earlier moment feel like wasted potential. The plot itself is fine, with a fun nostalgic visit to a fossilized 80s-style mall, but the use of it doesn’t feel integral to the story, more like set dressing to appeal to those hungry for nostalgia-ware.
Tinto does a fine job on art, rendering these lithe and child-like versions of Dredd and other judges that work well at establishing an all-ages tone. I do appreciate that through Tinto’s characterization, you can tell which character is Dredd even if his iconic scowl isn’t fully formed. It’s a more unrefined anger, which does a better job at character development and building than the narrative does. The action itself is fun and dynamic, especially in the latter half. Tinto clearly has a lot of fun having Dredd sprint half-bent through these empty halls and whacking people with a hockey stick, something which shouldn’t work in theory for this character but feels satisfying nonetheless. Caldwell’s colors here are solid, but feel a little too grounded in realism for this world. The moments that stick out are the most exaggerated, from the green tinted prison scene, to the red-backgrounded shot of Dredd fly-kicking the heck out of a bunch of fools.
“Suboptimal” is a decent romp, but lacks a lot of active storytelling and building that was more present in the previous “Cadet Dredd” stories. This is still a visually fun comic, however, with action that makes this a buoyant and easy read.
Action Pact: The Radyar Recovery
Credits: Mike Carroll (script), Luke Horsman (art), Matt Soffe (colours), Simon Bowland(letters)
Michael Mazzacane: “Action Pact” manages to do a lot in its debut strip and leave me wanting more. Mike Carroll and Luke Horsman in ‘The Radyar Recovery’ tell a straightforward men-on-a-mission story, not too dissimilar to “Suicide Squad” or “HARDCorps,” but with a cosmic twist. The setup is straightforward: Captain Drake leads a diverse team of individuals on the orders of the Controllers. This mission is a rescue op to retrieve a time displaced ship.
That narrative familiarity allows for the strip to have an easily discernible flow and let the art team of Horsman and Matt Soffe go outlandish and cartoony as Drake and Co. battle through enemy lines. Horsman fills every inch of the page with action, explosions, speed lines, emotive faces, engine burns, everything. It’s a level of density that would be hard to read if not for Matt Soffe’s coloring that manages to draw the eye and create a reading line along with Simon Bowland’s lettering. The paneling and page design itself is geometrically basic but Horsman’s content and cartoonish leaning was over it. The pages are not as jam packed and hard to read as they initially appear nor are, they spectacularly hollow and quick to read. As their vehicle barrels through the battlefield there isn’t any stable geography, but that is the point. The opening pages are managed chaos allowing for the comedic moment when they drive off the cliff to land.
If there is one bit of irksome friction it is the introduction and paneling around the recovered ship and the Controllers. The sequencing of events around the plane recover feels like it missed a transition panel. The appearance of the Controllers, extra dimensional beings that have impressed Drake and her squamates, is similarly out of nowhere. What they can do is also sudden, but for shocking narrative effect and setting up “Action Pact” as a potentially ongoing strip of sorts. Drake and the squad aren’t really employees, they aren’t even independent contractors, they’re more like prisoners who are sent on impossible missions for reasons they do not understand. However, eventually, the Controllers deem their service sufficient, and they are sent back to their respective time. The particular criteria for their reward is unknown and a good source of ongoing drama.
Continued below“Action Pact” shows a lot of promise. Luke Horsman’s art is energetic, and they are able to do character acting from a variety of figures. The setup of “Alien Legion” meets “Suicide Squad” is simple and a replicable narrative engine to create a variety of missions for them to go on. Hopefully there will be more of this strip in the future.
Viva Forever: 9 Amazing Tips
Credits: David Baillie (script), Anna Morozova (art), Pippa Bowland (colors), Jim Campbell (letters)
Greg Lincoln: “Viva Forever: 9 Amazing Tips” is a satisfying piece of storytelling that hopefully is the beginning of something bigger for its creative team. David Baillie’s narrative is on the predictable side, but it’s not really set up to be a big mystery. It really does not matter if you manage to suss out where the story is going because, in the end, this strip feels like the set up for something bigger. The story is one that is a familiar one, a Robin Hood-like story, taking back from the rich what they have quite clearly stolen from everyone else. The tools that Viva uses are updated, flashy, and clever, but it’s still a clever caper. It is cathartic to see a one percenter lose their nest egg, given the state of the world today, and know that they deserved it. More then that though, the art in “Viva Forever” catches the eyes and holds your attention.
Anna Morozova and Pippa Bowland created some really strong pages for the flashy introduction. The artwork, and particularly the designs, are distinctly reminiscent of Aeon Flux, minus all the PG-13+ content. The sloping angularity of the characters’ features and use their of line weight and color evoke the feeling of a heavy cyberpunk story, but without the egregious amounts of flesh.
It’s a visual feat that really plays on social media trends. From the fact that Viva made herself a media figure to the subject of her heist itself, it’s all clever and neatly done, begging the question of what next for this “thief.”
Future Shocks: Geeno Firenzo’s Big Comeback
Images: Karl Stock (Script) Silvia Califano (Art) John Charles (Colours) Annie Parkhouse (Letters)
Christopher Egan: Geeno Firenzo, the emotional influencer, has a new social media platform for everyone to enjoy. There is just one odd catch: He is connected to every user. He tells them what to think or feel in any given situation, but he’s also emotionally connected to them, to a point that users feel like he is part of them. He is beyond friend or family; he is inside your mind. Then one day Geeno disappears, leaving everyone in a lurch, but people are still connected to the system, addicted to it like any other daily-use social media.
This one-shot is a fun, but transparent satire on all social media – especially Facebook or Twitter. Stock writes a quick-paced and clear script allowing for readers of all ages to quickly grasp exactly what he’s going for. It delves into being overly connected to those around us, whether we know them personally or not. Emotions overlap, major decisions are made for users on their behalf simply based on how others feel or will react. It’s all quite good and walks the line between quite funny and really sad.
Silvia Califano’s zany artwork, colored by John Charles with bright and wild zest, presents a futuristic world to both laugh and raise an eyebrow at, but it’s all very prescient. We are all living this to an extent. I love how their work really comes together to feel like part of the 2000 AD world, but still has its own distinct psychedelic flavor to it. The loose, but deliberate line work and intense colors are like some of the wilder parts of Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant’s work together.
This creative team has made a fun story, with a clear message. What you take away from it is the most important thing.
Mayflies: Precious Cargo
Credits: Mike Carroll (script), Simon Coleby (art), Dylan Teague (colours), Simon Bowland (letters)
Brian Salvatore: For an issue full of all-ages stories, “Mayflies: Precious Cargo” stands out because to call it all-ages is disingenuous at best. This story is full of head shots, scorched Earth military maneuvers, and a plot that is relatively bleak and fatalistic. Nothing about this story would’ve been out of place in a regular issue of 2000 AD, and so it sticks out here like a sore thumb.
Simon Coleby’s art, by design, is cold and sterile in places, both evoking the sameness and banality of people grown, not raised, but also the somewhat faceless and interchangeable faces of war. Dylan Teague’s color palette is subtle, but establishes real distinction between the pages, acting as the most dynamic piece of the story. In a strip that is relatively boiler-plate, the color work jumps out and gives he story some depth.
This isn’t a bad story per se, but there’s something off about it. As the concluding story of this anthology, it definitely ends the title on a down note, and on that is all-ages in name only.
