Columns 

Multiver-City One: 2000 AD Prog 1850

By and | September 18th, 2013
Posted in Columns | 2 Comments

Welcome, citizens, to the inaugural installment of Multiver-City One! Each and every Wednesday we will be examining the latest Prog from Tharg and the droids over at 2000 AD, and giving you all the pertinent information you’ll need headed into this week’s Thrill-Zine!

We’re super excited to bring you this new ongoing article, and so are the good folks over at 2000 AD! In fact, we’re all so excited that we’ve put together a 2000 AD prize pack to give away to a luck reader! The pack includes a set of the Judge Dredd pocket-edition books that came out last year, as well as some other goodies that you definitely want to get your mitts on. To enter, all you have to do is tweet a link to this article using the hash tag #MultiverCityOne, or retweet our link to this article! Tweet as many times as you want, each time is another chance to win! We’ll randomly select a winner and announce them right here next week. Good luck!

I. NOW ARRIVING

There’s no better way to start an article like this than with an issue like this! With four brand-new stories starting this week, Prog 1850 is a perfect jumping on point for any new or lapsed reader. Let’s see what’s in store!

Judge Dredd: New Tricks

Judge Dredd has been assigned to mentor a group of Judges undergoing retraining. As if that weren’t daunting enough, retrainees work grueling 24 hour days that only allow for 15 minutes in the sleep machines. While on a routine call about a harvester robbery, the Judges discover that something is bubbling up from the Undercity deep below the Meg. And a retired Judge returns from her ‘Long Walk‘…

By Michael Carroll (script), Paul Davidson (art), Chris Blythe (colors), and Annie Parkhouse (letters).

Damnation Station: The Titanic Sails At Dawn

Two years ago today, Earth Station One was attacked by hostile space invaders. Over three hundred legionnaires perished that day, with only 14 survivors. Now we are just days away from completing a new fleet of Earth Stations to combat this threat. Each of the five Battleships will be able to hold 200,000 troops, a number that some call a ‘disproportionate response.’ These are the same people that claim that it was The Hosts that started this conflict, even though it was the invaders who encroached on sovereign space. The Hosts have been generous to us, and therefore we owe it to them to ally ourselves with them militarily.

By Al Ewing (script), Mark Harrison (art), and Simon Bowland (letters).

Flesh: Badlanders

Flesh take place in a wild-west flavored world complete with humanoid monster posses, giant dinosaurs, and futuristic weaponry. Vegas Carter and her band of weird allies are on a mission to destroy Trans-Time, but not before a heartbreaking moment with Trunko the elephant-trunked brontosaurus. There’s a dinosaur rodeo on the horizon, as well as a secret, corporate-funded presidential audition.

By Pat Mills (script), James McKay (art), and Annie Parkhouse (letters).

Brass Sun: The Diamond Age

It’s the 203rd Scarlett Duke’s birthday, and the House De Kype is holding a large and lavish party in his honor. Duke Taurus Simeon De Kype is thought to be descended directly from one of the Dynasties of the Wheel, which were crafted by the Sun King himself. So clearly, such a divine soul deserves a real barn-burner of a party.

By Ian Edginton (story), INJ Culbart (art), and Ellie De Ville (letters)

II. THIS WEEK IN PROG 1850

With so many solid stories, it’s hard to pick one to pull out and review. With that said, I found myself most intrigued by Edginton and Culbart’s Brass Sun. The story takes place in what feels like Edwardian-era England and the not-so-distant future simultaneously, which plays exceptionally well for Culbart, who as you may know, was the artist on last year’s The New Deadwardians from Vertigo. The art is stunning in this story. Culbard combines the confident and minimal line of a veteran cartoonist with the rendering and attention to detail of a highly skilled draftsman, creating a very distinct and interesting voice on the page. Also of note is the color palette he’s chosen. Switching from warm exteriors with cool highlights to chilly interiors with the warmth of the world poking in through windows, the colors on each page help to make the atmosphere almost palpable.

Continued below

The narrative focuses on the service staff working to please the Scarlett Duke. All seem to despise the man, and with plenty good reason. The Duke, in just a few short panels, seems to prove that he is sorely lacking in any type of redeeming qualities, belittling and degrading all he comes in contact with. This environment sows the seeds of discontent, and we are introduced to a cast of characters that seem to want nothing more that to get out from under The Duke’s thumb. I’m excited to see where this all goes, as this inaugural chapter sets up some pretty interesting plot points. It almost seems to have a cloak & dagger feel to it (the story type, not the characters, silly.)

Great story, incredible art, this is a strip that is not to be missed!

III. AN ORAL HISTORY OF JUDGE DREDD

The tale of Judge Dredd has been continually published since 1977, and has been brought to us by some of the most creative minds to ever work in comics. As a result, there have been some out-of-this-world story beats woven into the fabric of the character. We thought it would be interesting to talk with the writers and artists behind Mega-City One and see what their favorite bits of Dredd’s history are. This week, Arthur Wyatt and Henry Flint take us out into The Cursed Earth to hunt for a tale that can absolutely, positively, NEVER EVER be published again!

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/robotsfromtomorrow/oral_history_1.mp3]

(Here’s a direct download.)

IV. FUTURE PERP FILES

dredd cpu

ATTN: ALL CITIZENS OF THE MEG! Be aware that there is always a Judge watching you. Each sector is equipped with millions of HD-CCTV and bioID units. They are there for your protection. If your intent is upright citizenry, then you have no qualm with our surveillance. And remember: if you see something, you are now an accessory to a crime. That’s six months in an Iso-Cube, creep! Random CPU algorithms has selected this citizen for immediate surveillance and assessment…

 

V. ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

Also out this week is Judge Dredd Megazine #340. This issue not only has the second installment of Judge Dredd: Nurture by Rob Williams and PJ Holden, but it also has the first chapter of the Dredd movie sequel! Dredd: Underbelly takes place a year after the events of the 2012 movie, re-teaming Dredd and Anderson on a case that is not for the faint of heart! A little earlier this week we had the chance to sit down and talk all about it with the team behind the story, Arthur Wyatt and Henry Flint. The issue also has the first chapter of Ordinary, the brand-new strip from artist extraordinaire D’Israeli and the aforementioned Rob Williams. All this is in addition to the usual interviews, backmatter, and over 60 pages of resurrected 2000 AD classic material. What a big week!

That’s gonna do it for us this week! Prog 1850 is on sale today and is available from finer comic shops everywhere, from 2000ADonline.com and via the 2000 AD Newsstand app for iPad and iPhone.


//TAGS | Multiver-City One

Mike Romeo

Mike Romeo started reading comics when splash pages were king and the proper proportions of a human being meant nothing. Part of him will always feel that way. Now he is one of the voices on Robots From Tomorrow. He lives in Philadelphia with two cats. Follow him on Instagram at @YeahMikeRomeo!

EMAIL | ARTICLES

Greg Matiasevich

Greg Matiasevich has read enough author bios that he should be better at coming up with one for himself, yet surprisingly isn't. However, the years of comic reading his parents said would never pay off obviously have, so we'll cut him some slack on that. He lives in Baltimore, co-hosts (with Mike Romeo) the Robots From Tomorrow podcast, writes Multiversity's monthly Shelf Bound column dedicated to comics binding, and can be followed on Twitter at @GregMatiasevich.

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 »

    -->