Judge Dredd: Death of a Judge
- Annie Parkhouse (Letterer)
- Chris Blythe (Colourer)
- John Wagner (Writer)
- Mike Perkins (Artist)
A Judge falls, an era ends, but not the one I thought. Mike Perkins and Chris Blythe have a way of depicting Mega-City 1 that looks like every industrial back street I’ve ever been on. It’s not just the towering, majestic lunacy of the blocks and the sheer size of the city, it’s the volume of the information the city is transmitting at all times, in every direction, forever. It reminds me of how Victoriocity deals with the terror of London and it’s one of the most interesting ways of depicting the city I’ve seen. Parkhouse is in lockstep too, balancing the exhausted urban patter of the city with Dredd’s granite precise timbre.
Nothing that happens here is a surprise, but everything is. As John Wagner seemingly signs off on Dredd, we get Dredd signing off, at last, on robotic Judges. Ronald’s death is nasty and in turn enables Dredd executing a perp in one of the most brutal ways we’ve seen in a long, long time. Wagner cuts that petroleum slick violence with emotional growth for Dredd, accepting the robots have a place in the city and on the force. It’s a fascinating beat to end the story and the era on, one that feels like it earns the ‘NOTHING WILL EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN’ banner it chooses not to go use. Fascinating, complex, resonant stuff.
Herne & Shuck: Power Trip
- Annie Parkhouse (Letterer)
- Gary Caldwell (Colourer)
- David Barnett (Writer)
- Lee Milmore (Artist)
Herne continues to sprint through a massive story by focusing on little moments. The Lore Explore podcast lads, who have the worst time here, are enormous fun precisely because they’re sincerely terrified by the fact SHUCK IS IN THE ROOM AND IS TALKING TO THEM. Elsewhere the memorable body horror of Director Bord (a joke I only just got) makes its debut and everything starts to converge on the secret society, St. Michael. I always knew M&S were wrong ‘uns.
But what really works here is the scene with Herne and his mum. Barnett’s a sparkling writer but the quiet, honest love of this scene is as touching as it is sweet. I also love that Herne gets a Mum pep talk. He’s not thick, he’s just pushed. Now, with his feet under him, he’s something else: dangerous. Sunshine precise colours from Caldwell, belting letters from Parkhouse and more quiet uncanniness from Milmore make this another winner.
Judge Dee
- Simon Bowland (Letterer)
- Simon Coleby (Artist)
- Jack Davies (Colourer)
- Ben Wheatley (Writer)
Dee uncovers the truth about her boss’ death in the first mild stumble in the series for me. Not that it’s bad, it’s really not. Coleby’s got this great open sense that means three panels of Dee waking up are tense rather than empty and the fact her hair has altered and her helmet’s off tells us something is wrong long before we know what it is. Wheatley’s got a great eye for comics and this is full of natural character development and physicality. Davies and Bowland are on top form too, with the slightly subdued colours and wildly different human and demon fonts all working perfectly. Plus the batshit action sequence that closes this episode is incredibly good fun. Dee punches a tooth out of an enormous demonic mouth! What’s not to love?!
One thing: continuity. The reveal here is enormous if you’ve read the story it’s referencing. If you haven’t, it’s not ‘huh’ but is definitely ‘oh’ when it should be ‘OH!’. Still great but not as new reader friendly as it’s been.
Tharg’s 3rillers Present: Money Shot: High Stakes
- Kek-W (Writer)
- Rob Steen (Letterer)
- Rob Richardson (Artist)
Excuse me for a moment?
I KNEW IT! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Thank you.
But before we get there, this final part is a nicely handled car chase and a slightly abrupt wrap for this three act story that’s actually the first act of a larger story. I’m not mad about that at all, Kek-W obviously has a plan here with the arrival of notable 2000AD stalwarts Brigand Doom (Horseback vengeance ghost!) and the Persons in Black of Vector 13 (See previously mentioned I KNEW IT!). Brigand Doom doesn’t really do anything for the story but it’s fun to see him and this is so clearly a question raised now and answered later you don’t mind so much. Carla’s a cheerfully practical, ruthless lead too and while the ending here isn’t a surprise, her reaction to it is. It’s so refreshing to get a character pull the phone off the wall to answer the call for adventure and Kek-W writes this sort of stuff very well. Plus Steen’s letters give everything a nicely spooky feel and the two color schemes trick Richardson pulls off is still great. I look forward to answers in future volumes.
The Discarded
- Peter Milligan (Writer)
- Simon Bowland (Letterer)
- Jim Boswell (Colourer)
- Kieran McKeown (Artist)
The latest band of characters to rescue Veera shortly before getting horrifically killed show up. Only this time, it kind of works. Finally pausing long enough to make some points about just who gets imprisoned (‘The cops just didn’t like the way I look’ is a hell of a line in 2026), this finally feels like the series being given room to breathe a little. It’s only a little, as a contractually obliged fight hits in the last few pages but this is the most I’ve liked the series, and Veera, so far. The realisation her fight with her father is two-sided is neatly played and as a heroic turn for the character it’s right on time. Bowland and Boswell do great work with the fiery action scene in particular and McKeown’s Zoids-esque killer robots are great. This one might be winning me round at last.