Cover: Simon Davis
Publisher: Rebellion
Judge Dredd
Script: Rob Williams & Arthur Wyatt
Art: Henry Flint
Letters: Annie Parkhouse
The New Future issue their demands, which fall on deaf ears as the Judges track down the leader, Myron Fuller, or so they think, but they find a medical mannequin instead, prompting The New Future to kick off a countdown for an attack. We find out that Roth found the location of Glenn and Hernandez’s liaison. Mega Sec chases him away.
It’s a tense chapter, and it’s elegant in how it handles a city-wide emergency, stitching together half a dozen scenes with captions. Flint’s control of time makes the story feel claustrophobic at the Hall of Justice, with two pages filled with small vertical panels followed by the page which begins with large, horizontal panels. Flint’s panelling on the last page is staggering too. Glenn’s hologram has been hijacked by the New Future, and by showing the countdown in a stack of panels alongside a tall panel of the hologram, we never lose a sense of scale. At that point, we feel like we’re in the crowd, watching the new future approach.
Dredd consistently delivers Thrillpower, and this chapter does not disappoint.
Ghosted
Script: Guy Adams
Art: Megan Huang
Letters: Simon Bowland
Acksley (I thought the woman’s name was Acksley, so I apologise for that error) and Benu, his carrier, happen across some Europa soldiers. Against her will, she kills them. The woman loses the last of her humanity.
I’m enjoying the cartooning of Megan Huang and the colour palette. Each character looks distinct, and their acting is great.
I would like to see Benu fight back against the alien control a bit more. I understand that she has been through an ordeal, but if the main character of the story has given up, I can’t be excited to read about her.
Durham Red
Script: Alec Worley
Art: Ben Willsher
Letters: Simon Bowland
Red is ambushed by the Japanese gang with only her stolen gun to fight with, but it blows up in her hand, blinding her, and she’s forced to fight without sight. A gangster gets away, and she pursues.
In another action-packed chapter of Durham Red, Red shows off her fighting ability, improvising with everything you can find in a club, including a bar stool and a DJ. Though the action is clear and exciting, I don’t feel invested in Red enough to be thrilled. As far as I know, Coltt is in no danger, Red can heal from most wounds, and there’s no deadline, so what are the stakes here?
Azimuth
Script: Dan Abnett
Art: Tazio Bettin
Colours: Matt Soffe
Letters: Rob Steen
The Hronir release Dexter, Suzi and Anderson on the understanding that they will abandon their plan to use Lilith, the AI in Dexter’s head, but it was a lie, and Venus Bluegenes begins pursuing them.
Again, it’s conflict that plays out on a non-physical level, but because we move between environments, it gives us the feeling of progression. The trio are on their way to Dunning-Krugerr and in earnest now, approaching their objective and moving away from the threat of Venus, so this is moving along at a good clip.
Though we’ve only seen a few pages of Funderland, Bettin puts in so much detail and background life that we’ve got a firm foundation to build on. Let’s hope we get to see more of it before Anicca turns up!
Herne & Shuck
Script: David Barnett
Art: Lee Milmore
Colours: Quinton Winter
Letters: Annie Parkhouse
Herne and the gang rock up to Stonehenge while Moloch prepares beneath.
I am convinced that St Michael would have set up an ambush at Stonehenge, so Herne and Shuck getting there with no resistance is something I do not believe. This part is entirely taken up by preparation with no impediment to it, no conflict, so I was bored by it. I also find the art to be a mixed bag. Alex is inconsistently drawn, and so are the background goons of St Michael. That being said, the last page was impressively drawn and coloured.
Regular readers of mine (thanks for reading my reviews!) will know that Herne & Shuck is not my cup of tea, so I’ll not carry on flogging a dead horse.
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/
