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: Matter of Life and Dredd
Credits: Ken Niemand (script), Tom Foster (art), Gary Caldwell (colors), Annie Parkhouse (letters)
Greg Lincoln: Ken Niemand does a little bit of bait and switch as this story opens, only revealing that the protagonist is not Dredd at all, but Rico. He throws the young Judge into a near death situation and introduces several ghosts of the Dredd bloodline into the story. It’s clear from narration that Ertha Fargo, the Legend, and the older Rico are all in the younger Rico’s head. The set up has just enough ring of a Christmas Carol to be a holiday tale without any of the holiday smarminess creeping in. The commentary given by the three spirits to motivate Rico is really interesting; in fact, it’s actually more interesting than the plot of the story itself. The hostage situation, the juvie gang, the gang boss, and his dying brother are all really forgettable and secondary when the story is finished.
Tom Foster’s art is clean and clearly drawn throughout the one-shot, but there is something just a bit off. In some panels, it’s obvious that the proportions are off because all around it are really solidly drawn characters; those moments can throw you out of the story. The juvie characters’ designs are a bit dull and their styling lean just a little too into superhero, form-fitting spandex. It’s a choice, but it stands out from the art of Rico and his visiting ghosts. Gary Caldwell ties it all together with his colors, but there is also something just a bit off. The story is a winner, though, because the subtleties introduced into the new Rico’s character makes him more compelling to read.
Helium: Scorched Earth Part 11
Credits: Ian Edington (script), D’Israeli (art) Simon Bowland (letters)
Matthew Blair: After a long and desperate race for survival, the group is saved by the sudden appearance of a deus ex machina that chases their pursuers off and delivers them into the hands of people who are better equipped and well armed.
Unfortunately, the improvements in their survival situation is offset by the arrival of some very bad news.
Ian Ediginton crafts a satisfactory conclusion to this little chase scene in “Helium: Scorched Earth Part 11” with the introduction of a new faction, which appears to be the comic’s equivalent of NATO to Ris’ Soviet state. While it is weird being introduced to a new faction this late in the story, Ediginton does a great job of incorporating this new group into the world without relying on too much exposition or awkward dialogue. It’s a great segue into the next part of the story that gives the reader plenty to see and deduce on their own, plus it changes the entire dynamic of Ris and the rest of the world.
After a long stretch of dark, moody, and richly colored artwork “Helium: Scorched Earth Part 11” is a moment for artist D’Israeli to draw something brighter and more colorful. The bright, open sky above the poison gas is a welcome reprieve from the oppressive surface of the planet, and the arrival of a new ship and new faction allows D’Israeli to draw ships and interiors that look and feel a lot more modern and a lot cleaner. As per usual, the whole thing looks gorgeous and now there’s a whole new set of opportunities for very pretty artwork.
“Helium: Scorched Earth Part 11” is a solid conclusion to a great chase scene and a good introduction to a new faction in the story, and while the group may be physically safe from harm (for the moment at least) there’s more to explore and more to learn about what’s going on in future progs.
The Devil’s Railroad, Part 10
Continued below
Credits: Peter Milligan (script), Rufus Dayglo (art), Jose Villarrubia (colors), Jim Campbell (letters)
Brian Salvatore: “The Devil’s Railroad” has been a repetitive read thus far, and ‘Part 10’ doesn’t do much to dissuade that opinion. Instead of giving us an actual reunion of Palamon and Constance, there’s another misunderstanding that leads to them fighting and not actually getting together, again delaying the inevitable. These reviews are starting to sound like a broken record, but that is because there is so little actually happening here. We knew from last week’s ‘cliffhanger’ that Palamon’s temper gets the better of him again when he kills Constance’s cousin. We also know that there is some sort of justification for him doing so, storyline wise, because the cousin was ratting them out. But all of that is replayed here with no real revelation or new information, just now seen from Constance’s perpective.
The most interesting piece of this issue is the transformation of Kreuzz into some sort of flying dinosaur, which Rufus Dayglo does in his over the top, as gross as possible stying. While I’m no more of a Dayglo fan than when I started this series, I must admit that Dayglo’s work is the only think keeping “The Devil’s Railroad” from totally rolling off my smooth brain. Peter Milligan’s script is so bogged down in stalling tactics and thematic deja vu that there’s little in each installment to really draw the reader in. How much longer can this go on for?
Enemy Earth – Book Three: Part Three
Credits: Cavan Scott (script), Luke Horsman (art), Simon Bowland (letters)
Chris Egan: This week Scott plots out much more of the main story and reveals some of the big threats of this strip. And with this the story shifts from a scary, but fairly rollicking adventure to military prisons, Boss characters, and the bigger reveal of an invasion threat.
What started as such a wild, but fun read has begun to spiral out of control, for both the characters and the reader. It’s all a natural progression for “Enemy Earth,” but in the context of just Book Three this transition between this week and last is pretty jarring. The expansion of the story into this greater war plot is pretty interesting while still capturing plenty of the sci-fi/horror elements that have been present all along.
We are now at the junction point of how this story will proceed from here. And while the first two chapters were a fun read, it’s great to be getting something of even more substance that isn’t losing the sight of what makes this series work. It also let’s Horsman really take things in various directions. An excellent blending of genres makes for great pageturner and will keep fans looking for more ASAP.
Feral & Foe: Bad Godesberg, Part 11
Credits: Dan Abnett (script), Richard Elson (art), Jim Campbell (letters)
Michael Mazzacane: To quote an excellent horror movie from the 80s “you moved the cemetery but you didn’t move the bodies!” In the eleventh episode of “Fearl and Foe” we discover the source of Godesberg’s curse and man who couldn’t have seen that coming. Back during the Seventh War against Malignkind, Godesbald slayed the lich Hungry Sloke. He cut off his head but not before being cursed by the Lich. In a display of dominance Godesbald buried the Lich’s head and built his citadel atop it. As Poor Celine aptly puts it “This Godesbald is an idiot.” Because Lich’s do not die! (Unless you destroy the phylactery.)
This is a pretty exposition heavy strip and Abnett’s scripting and Elson’s art make it work. This dump takes up the back three pages and involves Bode doing what he does best, reading scrolls. There is some irony to be had by the act of reading and the metatextual exposition that is being done in this instance. Abnett puts this moment over the top through Wrathchild’s commentary. Abnett, Elson’s art, and Campbell’s lettering work together to make a call and response comedy routine. Bode says one bit of exposition, Wrathchild says something positive. Bode says another bit, Wrathchild reacts negatively. It’s the Home Simpson “that’s good – that’s bad” routine, simple and effective.
The dialog heavy nature of this exposition dump is also contrasted by the larger battle that is going on in the basement, Abnett introduces an anonymous chorus of sorts. These poor lads are going to die gruesome deaths. Or they might yet survive as the Man of Iron lumbers onto the page and smashes wrechfiend to bits. Richard Elson gets to go big and graphic in the opening couple of pages. These pages make for a nice change of pace with and give the strip balance that makes the exposition dump manageable and less cumbersome.
