Reviewer: William Cooling
Editor: Matt Smith
Publisher: Rebellion
Judge Dredd
Story Title: Brothers of the Blood Pt. 4
Written by: John Wagner
Art by: Carlos Ezquerra
Lettered by: Tom Frame
Last week, Dolman was thrown in the deep end as he accompanied Rico and Dredd in stamping out a Block War and was forced to kill for the first time. Fresh from this sobering experience and his first meeting with his clone father/brother (confusion on that one) he has to make his decision as to whether he will quit the Judges.
Wagner has been unbelievably good with this story, as he has subtly crafted an engrossing tale all centred on the desires of Dolman to be his own person. With this climatic episode Wagner returns to this wish and by not weighting the script towards either staying or going he manages to mask the decision until the last moment. In addition to Dolman’s deliberations Wagner also shows Dredd’s growing feelings of mortality as he contemplates what will happen to his beloved Justice Department and city. Throughout the entirety of this thoughtful, characterisation-based part we are shown what a deliberate writer Wagner is and there’s more than hint that he has begun a build up to an absolutely massive story.
There isn’t really more that can be added save that Ezquerra is once again bloody brilliant in his usual mind blowingly consistent way. This part is a fitting end to what has been the best comic story I’ve read in a long time.
Tharg’s Future Shocks
Story Title: Lucky For Some
Written by: Colin Clayton and Chris Dows
Art by: Alan Burrows
Lettered by: Annie Parkhouse
One of the strange things about Future Shocks is that although they’re meant, and do breed new talent, they are on the whole, the most retro and backward looking scripts you will ever read. This week’s is a case in point and Clayton and Dows combine to give us a story about a group of space explorers whose lead scout is highly suspicious. Despite his getting on everyone’s nerves he is as humoured as he is highly specialised. However when he discovers a planet with almost unlimited bounty they ignore his warnings about it being the 13th planet in the particular solar system and go on regardless and…well, I’m sure you can guess the rest.
Still, despite its highly traditional and predictable nature, this is, all things consider not bad. The writing by Dows and Clayton is tight and combines efficient characterisation and plotting with a suitably brisk pace.
The art of Burrows is also impressive, if similarly traditional with a very simple and clear style that combines solid, slightly cartooney linework with sound storytelling.
Overall an enjoyable Future Shock if nothing special.
Sinister Dexter
Story Title: Just Business: Pt. 2
Written by: Dan Abnett
Art by: Andy Clarke
Lettered by: Ellie De Ville
Last week, Sin-Dex’s disaffected protégé, Kal, rebelled against his mentors upon learning that their next intended target was the woman exploring his tonsils. Before you could say, “Man thinks with dick!†he had grabbed Isobel and was running out the club where he was meant to meet Sin-Dex. This week, he carjacks a limo to make good his escape only to be caught in a high speed car chase with, you’ve guessed it, Sin-Dex.
Dan Abnett has really returned to form these past few months after a shaky 2003 with the excellent Book III of VCs and now this, which sees everyone’s favourite gun sharks return to form. Where as often this series becomes silly , here he writes a full on action script with a thrilling car chase complimented by some breezy characterisation. Abnett utilises the buddy dynamic between Sinister and Dexter to full effect. In addition, he does give them characterisation beyond puns ‘n’ gore as he effectively captures their world-weary irritation at Kal for going with the women.
However, as last week the star of this story has to be Clarke’s art as with his Quietly-as-inked-by-Quentin-Tarantino style he imbues Abnett’s script with the visual panache that it needs to work.
This was a very enjoyable piece of gangster action fun that marks a welcome return to form for this series.
Valkyries
Story Title: Untitled: Pt. 4
Written by: Steve Moore
Art by: John Lucas
Coloured by: Len O’Grady
Lettered by: Ellie De Ville
Last week, after escaping the clutches of an enemy ship, Kara decides to head for their planet of Hel with hopes to infiltrate them and stop their conspiracy to annex the Ring. This week, we see her disguised as a man trying to lay a trap for her enemy. This is really running out of steam, which makes me sooo glad it’s ending next week.
When it started it had an enjoyable line in a decadent farce, but Moore is devoting more and more time to developing the plot, which due to his tongue-in-cheek characterisation and plotting holds very little interest. Worst still is the fact that the plot is a very complicated one (my summary is very heavily abbreviated), which defies common sense as something this cheesy and disposable shouldn’t force its readers to think.
Still, the art by Lucas has an enjoyably cartooney style and the action scenes aren’t bad so put it under “readable but nothing excellent.â€
Rogue Trooper
Written by: Gordon Rennie
Art by: P.J Holden
Lettered by: Tom Frame
Last week, we saw the Officer Corp of the Nort army give the Souther Rogue Trooper an offer he couldn’t refuse; assassinate the Nort War Marshal and so end his all-or-nothing assault on Nu Earth that will result in the all the Southers being wiped off its surface.
This week, Rogue attempts to figure out more of his situation especially in regard to his health, which was weakening in the last series. What had often hurt this series since its return had been its failure to establish a tone all that different from the one that Gerry Finley-Day had established in the 1980s, thereby consigning it into nostalgia hell. This time round it has a more modern feel to it. Rennie’s writing places Rogue in a greyer area than his usual “kill Nort scum fare,†something that his dialogue driven approach draws attention to.
P.J Holden compliments this approach with his detailed and (photo?) realistic linework giving the story a look that is far removed from the clear lines of David Gibbons. Together they produce a story that has a nastier more claustrophobic feel to it with Rennie’s characterisation of Rogue being tighter and meaner than usual whilst the reintroduction of the War Marshal’s special bodyguard Arkhan cranks up the tension another notch. This is shaping up to be an intense and rewarding future war/espionage thriller that finally brings Rogue Trooper up to date.
