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2000 A.D. Prog 1952
Released by: Rebellion
Released on: October 14th, 2015.
Written by: Various
Illustrated by: Various
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Here's what to look for in the latest and great issue of 2000 A.D., highlighted by a killer cover courtesy of Leigh Gallagher!
Judge Dredd - Serial Serial by John Wagner and Colin MacNeil: Twenty-nine sets of finger prints were found in Winston Raye's apartment. That's a lot. They've been identified and now it's up to Dredd to sort them out - one Roberto Smith's prints matter, because he ties into a raid that took place awhile back at Strepsil Mansion. Is Smith the elusive PJ Maybe? He'd tangled with the Dark Judges and was presumed dead but it looks like that presumption was wrong. Has he assumed yet another identity and started yet another killing spree? Dredd thinks so, but to prove it he's got to sift through the evidence and eliminate a few more suspects.
Wagner's story continues to build nicely. There's good suspense here, a few nice twists and turns and if this is still less action intensive than the typical Dredd story that's not a bad thing. What's interesting here is how the story shows us Dredd's cooperation with Corrigan and the other lab types who are helping him sort this out. If Dredd's the tough guy, the one who shakes down perps and busts heads, Corrigan is the detail guy. They make a good team here. Wagner writes this very well and MacNeil's artwork, which uses a lot of thick and heavy line work, suits the story nicely. A great package overall, nice and shadowy in the visuals, which suits the mystery element of the story.
Defoe - The London Hanged by Pat Mills and Leigh Gallagher: In the last chapter, Titus got his gear and went outside to confront Cox, the talking zombie who seems to be the one leading the onslaught. Now he talks to him, face to face, and learns that he's leading the bodies of those that were hanged at Tyburn over the years. Some were murderers, true, but others were not - should a fifteen year old have been put to death for stealing linen? These corpses want the justice they didn't get when they were alive. They were the poor and now they want to fight back against the rich… and they want Titus' help and Cox knows just how to manipulate him. Titus heads back to his cabin and sends his family to stay at his sister-in-law's place, which just so happens to be in one of the poorest parts of London. This is going to get messy.
This Defoe story continues to be one of the stand outs of the current runs. Mills is firing on all cylinders, providing a zombie story that's different from the zillions of other zombie stories that have been so popular in comics over the last few years. It's grim, dark stuff and it's starting to get interesting in both its pacing and its politics. Gallgher's artwork continues to be just as moody and atmospheric as the writing, and the detail is really strong here - the guy draws shambling corpses beautifully.
Brass Sun - Motor Head by Ian Eddington and Inj Culbard: Conductor Seventeen reveals the truth about his name and introduces himself to a 'tick' (machine) as Septimus. He realizes, now that he's basically imprisoned, that there are no young men here. Once those in the labor force as spent, they're used for spare parts. Meanwhile Reverend Mother Gynour and the Station Master are planning to pillage 'the girl's brain' and use what they find there to bring about 'The Clockwork Jihad!'
High concept and decidedly complex, this one is starting to build nicely after a somewhat confusing start and in this third chapter it has effectively made the shift from befuddling to genuinely intriguing. Culbard's art is going in interesting directions. The line art is solid but some of the panel layouts here are distinctly odd. It makes for some visually impressive pages. Great use of color too. This one is building to something indeed…
Sinister Dexter: The Taking Of Michael - by Dan Abnett and Patrick Goddard: The cops are cleaning up the mass slaughter that took place aboard the yacht in the first chapter and they find a wallet belonging to a fed named Ali Heels. She and her partner Woody are missing. Then we see what those feds are up to when they scoop Finny and Ray off the street - that was a mistake.
Solid, hardboiled crime stuff so far. It's kind of annoying that the characters say 'funt' when they really mean 'fuck' (just use a different word, don't replace the profanity with fake profanity!) but otherwise this is an entertaining mix of ultra-violence and espionage. Goddard's art is solid, he draws the action scenes well and communicates movement and tension nicely. Good job on facial details too. This is a fun read.
Bad Company - First Casualties by Peter Milligan, R. Dayglo and J. McCarthy: Last but most certainly not least, the third chapter of the latest Bad Company story. Danny convinced Kano to hand himself in unaware that the powers that be intended to kill him. How he's got to convince Thrax, Fly-Trap and Mad Tommy Churchill to help him spring Kano from custody. They're not having it but Danny isn't taking now for an answer and he does his best to rally these warrior types, now living lives as heavily medicated and docile old men, to make some new memories with him. It works, and they set out to save their mate and prove they've still got it!
Milligan's story is picking up the pace - well, it was already quickly paced but here it's set to explode and the next chapter should see the different threads start to mean more now that the gang is back together. We knew it would go here once Kano went into custody but it's fun to see how it plays out and the dialogue is rock solid. Rufus Dayglo and J. McCarthy deliver fantastic splatter punk style artwork, the kind that made eighties underground comics so much fun, but they do it with their own unique style. Great artwork, really, and just a fun read all around. Here's hoping when this serial ends that Bad Company don't stay away for too long, this run makes you want more.