Cover: Lee Carter
Published by: Rebellion
Judge Dredd
Writer: Rob Williams
Artist: RM Guera
Colours: Giulia Brusco
Letters: Annie Parkhouse
Into the heart of darkness, Dredd descends, using local guides to pursue the Judge-killer Skowronski upriver, but as Dredd ponders his faith in the law, monstrous river snakes attack the boat. It’s a thrill to see the fauna fight back against Dredd’s campaign.
The approach continues to be tense and punctuated by action, but at the dem hideout, the pace slows down. A tribal warrior stands over a dem, scalping him. It’s a provocative full-page splash bringing to mind stereotypical images of the savage Native American we used to see in early twentieth-century dime Westerns. The warrior looks inhuman, with eyes white and teeth bared. The drawback to the anthology format is that the creators don’t get to expand on an idea before we see NEXT PROG, so I hope to see the native people blossom into three-dimensional characters, rather than stagnate as two-dimensional caricatures, targets for Dredd’s lawgiver.
The Ravilious Pact
Writer: T.C. Eglington
Artist: Steven Austin
Colours: John Charles
Letters: Simon Bowland
In the aftermath of the raid, Jason and Lee deliver the mirror to Todd. Desi was wounded in the op, and Jason visits him in hospital, where they talk out their thoughts on the new boss. On his way out, Jason bumps into Billy, an old coworker, and Jason learns that Billy has cancer. Billy suspects that hosts and couriers get cancer eventually.
Cancer ruins lives and is fertile ground to plant your drama tree, but Jason doesn’t learn about it in a dramatic way; he bumps into Billy, who presents the new information. Jason asks, and Billy answers. They’re not in conflict at all.
I love gangster films and I love the supernatural, but The Ravilious Pact keeps leaving me cold.
Azimuth
Writer: Dan Abnett
Artist: Tazio Bettin
Colours: Matt Soffe
Letters: Jim Campbell
After Dexter wins the fight, Thelema tries to shoot him with Anderson’s gun, which Dredd-heads will know is a bad move. Bettin draws her exploding arm with grisly glee. Thelema’s veil of discs dances with the shockwave as her arm has a rapid, unplanned disassembly.
Towards the end, the cadavatars show up and raid the tent. All the pieces are in place, so it feels like the next part will enter the next act of the story.
Despite the filth, it’s just good, clean, fun, and every cliffhanger leaves me raring for the next part.
Scarlet Traces
Writer: Ian Edginton
Artist: D’Israeli
Letters: Jim Campbell
The ongoing gunfight from last week hits its stride. Bey, Stranks and Penny are alone and have little ammunition. As they take cover behind some barrels, they kneel in creosote, which gives Bey an idea.
Inside, the Germans receive no fire, but flaming barrels roll towards them, explode, and leave most of them burning. All except the captain, who puts them all out of their misery. How horrible. Constable Bey thinks so at least. While Stranks celebrates the bloodshed, Bey is visibly upset by what they were driven to do. It’s a quiet moment of melancholy that adds dimension to Bey.
Another tremendous cliffhanger, too. Bey, Stranks and Penny are not the only ones drawn by the Martian wail…
Nu Earth War Tales
Writer: Gordon Rennie
Artist: Silvia Califano
Colours: Barbara Nosenzo
Letters: Simon Bowland
I must admit, I’m a bit of a Rogue Trooper noob, but Nu Earth War Tales has piqued my interest. I’m sure as the run-up to the Rogue Trooper film progresses, we’ll see a great deal of new-reader-friendly Rogue stories.
The Traitor General reflects on his role in Rogue’s story and seems to justify his actions to himself. The strip recaps the General’s general outlook on the war and the factions thereof, and reads well as a primer to newer fans, of which I am one, so this has tempted me to seek out classic Rogue.
Overall: 6/10
Tony Holdsworth is a comics writer based in Dundee, Scotland, who reviews 2000AD each week.
His comics can be found here: https://tonyholdsworth2.wordpress.com/category/portfolio/
