Reviewer: Will Cooling
Editor: Matt Smith
Publisher: Rebellion
Quick word about last week, very sorry I didn’t review 2000AD but last week was very messed up for me. Nothing terrible or major but little things kept putting me in a bad/unproductive mood whenever I had set my mind to do my review. Staying up till 4.30am four nights in a row to watch the RNC probably didn’t help my mood during the day.
Secondly, for those who are wondering where the hell The Nexus’ new British comics column, Across The Pond, is…well we’ve been having a bit of trouble getting the art onto the site but it will be up this week…promise.
Finally Eriksson still sucks (Jamie Carragher! WHAT THE FU**!?!)
Judge Dredd
Story Title: (This Is Not A) Mega-City Love Story # 1: Callista
Written by: Gordon Rennie
Art by: Ben Wilsher
Coloured by: Gary Caldwell
Lettered by: Tom Frame
Seymour Sassoon was just another ordinary Mega-City One citizen until he got his dream first job as a shop-window dummy after two years of trying with poise and muscle control classes and an advance clothes-wearing diploma from Mega-U. However, his job and his life soon turns sour as he becomes increasingly besotted with Callista, the shop-window dummy of the store opposite with disastrous results.
Heh, heh I like this. Rennie excels at this quirky six-page comedy tales and this is no exception with a neat premise delivered with aplomb. The central storyline is cute with a good if predictable twist but there’s plenty hanged onto it with some excellent satire of “Mickey Mouse degrees” and the Mega-City One jobs market. Wilsher’s art is good as well with a jagged, Risso-lite look similar to the likes of Ben Oliver and Laurence Campbell with the colours of Caldwell giving it a smooth and developed texture.
A.B.C Warriors
Story Title: Shadow Warriors: Book 2 ~ Pt. 5
Written by: Pat Mills
Art by: Henry Flint
Lettered by: Tom Frame
The last two weeks have saw the plot move aplenty, firstly with the unveiling of the final two Shadow Warriors in Warmonger and Mr Lovebomb, one is vicious battle robot free of the Emotional Empathy Buffers that constrain the A.B.C Warriors whilst Mr Lovebomb is a robot with such an extreme reputation that even the President of the Martian Confederation hesitates to use him. We have also seen our first glimpse of Juanita, his suitably Lady Macbeth wife (its is Pat Mills script after all lol) who is quickly shown to be the power behind the throne. Finally we saw Deadlock and Doc Maniacus square up and Deadlock place a tracer on his adversary. Now the A.B.C Warriors are in pursuit unaware that they are heading for a trap…
An excellent close to what has been a fantastic story with all the ingredients that made the first five parts so thrilling. The main story is thrilling with the action sequences and the character interaction being excellent as Mek-Quake witters on like only he can whilst Deadlock tries to concentrate. The meta-content that has so annoyed this story’s critics but so delighted me is more than present with some great sci-fi ideas contained in the production of Neuropetide “A” and presented expertly by Mills in stark and interesting manner. Then there are the bad guys, who with all of them now introduced look a delicious challenge for the Warriors. Finally, there is the art of Henry Flint, which just kicks so many asses in so many different ways. Add all these different elements up and you have an excellent part that finishes in a way that makes you scream when you realise you won’t see the third book until next year…
A promised myself I wasn’t going to cry…
Tharg’s Future Shocks
Story Title: Opiate of the Masses
Written by: Chris Blythe
Art by: Steve Yeowell
Coloured by: Chris Blythe
Lettered by: Annie Parkhouse
Infamous right-wing polemicist Peter Hitchens once said that allowing your toddler to watch TV unsupervised was as dangerous as giving them nit (is that how you spell it-I don’t know as I don’t drink) gin. Well Chris Blythe suggests the same with a look at what happens when the TV go off for a brief period.
Another good Future Shock from Chris Blythe with this being a welcome deviation from the stock disaster Future Shock in that it doesn’t focus on nuclear weapons or global warming destroying the Earth. Whilst the idea of mankind broadening their minds without TV has been done before this is still a very effective rendition even if Blythe has to force the story back into the conventions of a Future Shock to give it a slightly unsatisfying if visually stark ending. Steve Yeowell’s art is very effective with his tight, detailed and subdued linework perfectly capturing the sombre tone of the strip.
Caballistics Inc.
Title: Creepshow: Pt. 5
Written by: Gordon Rennie
Art by: Dom Reardon
Lettered by: Ellie De Ville
The last two weeks saw Hannah Chapter escape from one Ludgate horror film set in revolutionary Paris only to encounter Brand in another one, this time as Professor Quintermen in The Quintermen Xperiment. Now the two of them are flung into a third Ludgate film this time the “Empire of Crimson” that is based on the premise of a Europe ruled by Emperor Vlad Tepes I after his defeat of the Turks. Now they must battle for their lives and convince the hunky Turkish warrior of his true self.
This so rules with great action, movie spoofs aplenty, cute character moments and a thrilling change of scenery to move exotic locations then we’re use to with this ever-excellent series. There really isn’t much to say other than that Dom Reardon’s art is terrific managing to convey both epic scale and the nasty, squalid battles. Simply awesome!
The Final Word: Yes it rules and yes you should be buying it instead of whatever rubbish X-Men spin off Marvel is putting out this week…go on…treat yourself.
