Cover: Jake Lynch
Publisher: Rebellion
Judge…Rico??
Script: Ken Niemand
Art: Jake Lynch
Colours: Emily Roach
Letters: Annie Parkhouse
Lana Locke, failed psi judge, finder of lost things, returns to the prog, hearing strange noises from her neighbour’s apartment. She investigates and finds the neighbour being eaten by her own son, but at the last moment, Joe Fargo appears, saves her and together they set off to find Dredd.
I love Jake Lynch’s style, and Emily Roach’s colour holds on his ink work really well. What results is a lovely, scratchy style, but it’s not abrasive on the eye, and the bold palette sells the feeling of a heightened supernatural reality. It’s good to see these characters come together before setting off on their quest, but seeing Lana again makes me wonder if we really needed the story which set her up. If we read just this episode, we’d be caught up on what she’s all about. Regardless, I’m interested to see what Fargo and Lana’s first stop will be next week.
Brink
Script: Dan Abnett
Art: INJ Culbard
Letters: Simon Bowland
Kurtis uses Thereshare to talk with Gita about the dead BRV 1 crew member, but Cutwell catches her. Meanwhile, Castenada sets off on her mission, with Bowen following her.
Let me get my most petty criticism out of the way. The spelling of Castenada keeps changing. I find it very distracting, but it’s not the end of the world. This part begins with Castenada’s scene, which we see from Bowen’s point of view, who does not know where she’s going, so it makes us curious. That’s followed by Kurtis’ extended scene of her failure to talk with Gita via Thereshare, which I found boring because we’ve had BRV 1 scenes, and we know that the connection is poor, and nothing new is revealed. While Kurtis has a leisurely conversation with Gita, Castenada is out there trying to further the plot.
Silver
Script: Mike Carroll
Art: Joe Currie
Letters: Simon Bowland
Yelena kills her brother Esteban and tears his head off. Meanwhile, Red and Bishop talk about a signal they’ve received which will change everything.
Silver as the strip shifts into high gear with more enjoyable action, but I’m still in the dark about Red’s role in the story. We must be nearing some revelation with him though, so I have faith that it’ll all come together in the end.
Judge Dee
Script: Ben Wheatley
Art: Simon Coleby
Colours: Jack Davies
Letters: Simon Bowland
Judge Dee returns with a bang as everything goes to pot.
Dee and Blavatsky argue over Tamerlain, who aims to wipe every mind of Mega City One. Meanwhile, Klato pilots Borley to rescue Dee.
This must be one of the most accessible part sixes I’ve ever seen. Everything is recapped elegantly before driving onwards, hurtling towards the next act. Beautifully complementing Coleby’s moody art is Jack Davies, who straddles the realistic and the magical expertly. I’m sure that as Judge Dee progresses, he’ll have plenty more madness to colour.
Helium
Script: Ian Edginton
Art: D’Israeli
Letters: Annie Parkhouse
The King reacts to his butler Francis’ death with a feeling akin to relief. No more fancy Francis telling him what to do.
Belowdecks, Hodge, Grimsby and Bloom look for an escape route in the royal garage, where they happen across the royal carriage: a decadent old automobile with weapons, continuous track propulsion and soft toilet paper.
I just can’t get enough. Edginton and D’Israeli somehow find time for the big, bombastic moments, and for the slower-paced dialogue scenes too, all in five pages. The King’s scene works as a recap, but at the same time, it subverts our expectations of the typical funeral scene, showing us that even though Francis was dangerous, the King is even worse, especially now that he’s been freed from Francis’ chains. Next week promises to be action-packed.
Overall: 7/10
P.S. I’m so grateful to anyone who reads these reviews, but if you want to find out if I know what I’m talking about, I’ve got a strip in the newest Zarjaz, prog 7, which is available to pre-order now. Just go to zarjazvol3.blogspot.com and click “Buy Vol 3 Prog 7.” Be sure to let me know what you think!
