Reviewer: William Cooling
Cover by: Cliff Robinson & Chris Blythe
Editor: Alan Barnes
Publisher: Rebellion
Usual comedy fair from Robinson, which acts as a good introduction to the Dredd story and may rope in some desperate teenagers.
Judge Dredd
Story title: Crime of Passion
Written by: John Wagner
Art by: Cliff Robinson
Coloured by: Chris Blythe
Lettered by: Tom Frame
After a four-month stint by Gordon Rennie, Dredd’s co-creator John Wagner returns to the Meg’s Dredd strip. As with Rennie’s work, this is another light hearted story, centring on the hosting of the World’s Sex Championships in Mega City 1 with the Mega City 1’s Keene and Dix favourite for the mix doubles (hmm, I wonder how they do singles. Oh wait they could get…).
Wagner is a great comedy writer as shown by the sex-sport scenes, which not only land jibes at synchronized swimming but also continue a habit he has of creating some bizarre future sports (i.e. eating and obesity). Now some may think these are just cheap jokes, but I feel that Wagner is asking serious questions about whether the physical feats we deem worthy of being called “sports†are any more strenuous than activities we take part in everyday. Of course this being the weekend that England won the Rugby (think American “Football†without all the armour but better) World Cup this point has no validity whatsoever.
Anyway, where this story does fall down is the hostage situation that arises when Keene and Dixs’ child is kidnap with the kidnapper demanding they throw the match. To be honest this feels like padding to make what would be a great six page one off fit the Megazine’s 11-page Dredd slot. Don’t get me wrong its not bad per se, I just would have preferred more sex jokes.
Cliff Robinson’s art is perfect for this piece with his muscular style emphasising the sexless nature of the Sex Championship’s as this is competition not porn. His style is also a balanced mix between the cartoon and realistic, a mix that allows him to move from the comedic to the kidnapping elements whilst maintaining a consistent tone.
A fun if lightweight one off, albeit one that would have benefited if it been a traditional “Mega-City Craze†story instead of having an unoriginal kidnap plot.
Devlin Waugh
Story title: Red Tide: Pt. 12
Written by: John Smith
Art by: Colin Macneil
Lettered by: Annie Parkhouse
At the end of last issue we saw our band of intrepid heroes reach the lab where the Professor’s vampire daughter (Hannah) is kept secure. However, daddy’s little princess has gone ape in the lab and killed everyone in it (as you do). What’s more she’s totally got the hots for Lilith, the women vampire who turned her a while back. In addition to that, there’s a great big bloody vampire stalking them and about to break in.
This series has failed to deliver hampered by being written for an entirely different publishing schedule (weekly instead of four-weekly) and the inappropriate art. Typically both problems are solved for this closing episode as we get a 12 page climax and a more intense script that plays to Macneil’s strengths more.
Although the writing for this story has been too flabby to achieve the Action/Horror movie feel Smith wanted, it really improves this issue with a tightly scripted piece that snappily moves from the Lilith/Hannah reconciliation to the final confrontation with Landis and then to the happy ending. He also ushers in some of his trademark weirdness, so if you want to see shape shifting vampires, lesbian vampires and a double cross at the end then this is the title for you.
As I’ve said Macneil gets a chance to shine as the scenes devoted to characterisation and dialogue play to his strengths. However, even the action scenes are an improvement on previous parts as they generally focus solely on Landis (bad Vampire) and Devlin allowing him to depict a brutal slugfest. His attention to detail is also shown brilliantly at the end, in his portrayal of Hannah’s transformation.
A good ending to what has been a disappointing series, if only the rest of it had have been this good.
2000AD GOLD
Harry 20 on the Rock
Story title: Untitled Pt.16-21
Written by: Gerry Finely Day
Art by: Alan Davis
Lettered by: T. Jacob
The end is here as Harry having escaped only to be betrayed by Ben (who turned out to be a prison android) changes from focusing on escape to overthrowing the reign of Warden Worldwise.
A wonderful collection of parts with each having a major cliffhanger that makes it quite a roller coaster to read in one sitting. Finley-Day’s writing shows Stevens how to do it, developing all the principle characters and expertly showing how they would react to the revolution (21 Toady is priceless).
The art is of course excellent with Davis bringing the best out the script especially in his portrayal of Harry 20. He just captures the common-man persona that Finely-Day has given to him. Davis has been vital to this series, imbuing Finely-Day’s fantastical script with a realism that makes it believable.
An excellent conclusion to an excellent series.
Charley’s War
Story title: The Story of a soldier in World War One Pts. 11-13
Written by: Pat Mills
Art by: Joe Colquhon
Mills continues his dissection of the life of a soldier on the western front with the beginning of the Battle of the Somme, which saw the first wave of the volunteer army go into battle.
This is a wonderful story with Mills managing to pack an incredible amount of action into each page. Although this has a heavy and deliberate anti-World War One bent it doesn’t suffer from some of his latter excesses as he allows some of the characters to go against the spirit of the piece and still be shown to be sympathetic.
Mills exhibits some deft characterisation and some excellent dialogue neither of which have dated in the 25 years since this was first published. Nor has the art, with Colquhon’s detailed, compact drawing perfectly capturing the feel of the trenches in a way no current artist could.
An excellent story, whatever your opinion of the First World War.
XTINCT
Story title: Untitled Pt 5
Written by: Paul Cornell
Art by: D’Israeli
Lettered by: Digital Derci
This is a truly wonderful series but oh my God how strange and off the wall can one story be. This episode the GM-Dinosaurs intent on the destruction of the human race have gone to Alice Springs to kill the three humans that live there. However, the humans resist and are able to repel the attackers leading to one of them getting separated and lost. As he marches across the snowy wilderness he has a religious experience as the saviour of man shows himself to him.
As I’ve said the writing in this story is joyously weird in ways that your humble reviewer cannot express especially in relation to the messiah that Cornell invents. Despite this weirdness Cornell keeps a firm grasp of the basics such as characterisation, dialogue and (an imaginative) narrative.
D’Israeli’s art is of his also high standards as he once more excels in drawing in depicting the weird and gruesome in an unique, stylised way. I especially love his depiction of the messiah of humanity.
This has been a great series and I can’t wait to see how it concludes next issue.
Armitage
Story title: Apostasy in the UK
Written by: Dave Stone
Art by: John Ridgway
Lettered by: Ellie De Ville
Okay I’m damn annoyed.
Last month Dave Stone delivered a strong opener, which centred on a series of tribal murders. However, this month he proceeds to flush it down the toilet with this dog’s breakfast of a climax.
The part at first seems to be going fine, progressing nicely from last month’s cliffhanger where Steel was kidnap by the cult. We are informed of their mission after a predictable twist, and then it happens. Instead of giving us a serious villain worthy of the character, build up and art Stone decides to gives us a Dark Judges’ pastiche that not even the darkest corners of fan fiction would consider acceptable. I have never seen a writer so wilfully and completely cut the knees of his own story as Stone does in this part. The interesting and dark thriller that he had hitherto developed just implodes as he delivers a comedy ending that is insulting to the readers and the artist who has produced great work for this story.
Judge Death
Story title: The Wilderness Years Pt. 5 ~ Viva Las Vegas- Not!
Written by: John Wagner
Art by: Frazer Irving
Lettered by: Tom Frame
Last month Death arrived in Las Vegas and agreed to participate in a series of boxing matches in return for some weapons of mass destruction. In this week part he completes his tenure and awaits payment…
This story has been treading the fine line between using Death as a springboard for black comedy or parodying him. Thankfully, once again it keeps on the side of the angels as Wagner delivers yet another dark script that stays true to the character whilst delivering some excellent comedy.
However, the star of this part is Irving who delivers some great scenes. His depiction of Death’s boxing is a wonderful, gothic perversion of the Raging Bull style boxing match montages. Once again he imbues his Death with amazing characterisation, managing to marry both the menacing and comedic aspects of the character without sacrificing either.
A great, great part that also features some plot development as well (a shock I know).
Excellent issue despite Stone dropping the ball with Armitage, with all the other stories delivering strong parts. It’s especially heartening to see Smith and Macneil getting it together to deliver an excellent final part for Devlin Waugh. In addition, Gordon Rennie delivers his best column yet using a Dredd drinking game to take an irreverent swipe at some of the clichés that abound in Dredd. However, the Dredd story isn’t as strong as last issue and Armitage is awful so not a weaker issue than 212.
