Judge Dredd: The Finder of Lost Things
- Annie Parkhouse (Letterer)
- Kenneth Niemand (Writer)
- Rob Richardson (Artist)
Dredd, keen to keep his eye in after the events of Death of a Judge, does a routine check up on Lana Locke. A Judge washout and very low level Psionic, Lana has one talent; finding lost things. Whether they want to be or not.
Following Death of a Judge is a big ask but Niemand, Richardson and Parkhouse are more than up to the task. Richardson’s slightly rounded, friendlier style fits this smaller scale (or is it?) character piece very well. This Mega-City 1 is all John Wick hues and lived in, on, over and under spaces.
Lana is instantly likable and there are fewer underdogs more under than a washout Psi-Judge. Richardson gives her a rounded physicality which is the polar opposite of the sharp angles of Dredd and the pissy, judgmenal Psi he’s working with. Richardson’s MC-1 is shot through with John Wick hues and people clinging to their individuality like it’s a living space and not a life raft. Parkhouse’s lettering gets it, giving Lana a slightly hesitant rhythm and Dredd the boundless confidence and capital letters of Justice.
This is so good it feels like a one-off introducing a major new character. The fact it’s Part 1 is an enormously pleasant surprise. Much more of this please.
Herne & Shuck: Power Trip
- Annie Parkhouse (Letterer)
- Gary Caldwell (Colourer)
- David Barnett (Writer)
- Lee Milmore (Artist)
Herne’s next test is against Muir and all he has to do is beat her in an open swim.
Herne coming into these stories with the same ‘…Okayyyyyy…’ as we do is really sweet. He’s got just enough education to perform, and just enough to know that the game is never just the game. Muir is his most interesting opponent so far, and the nature of the task tells us a lot about the nature of the world. Herne has been getting through this by assuming the gods are in control. They’re not, they’re tied to the story just like he is.
This one benefits enormously from being a single plotline, and benefits more from the coastal location. Caldwell’s stark, daytime colouring is great, Parkhouse is excellent as always and Milmore draws the coast and lighthouses in a way that makes me ache for both. Barnett and co are very, very good at this and this strip is a highlight of 2026AD so far.
Judge Dee
- Simon Bowland (Letterer)
- Simon Coleby (Artist)
- Jack Davies (Colourer)
- Ben Wheatley (Writer)
There are three things going in this episode and two of them are really interesting. The first is the reveal that Dee’s business relationship with her passenger isn’t unique. I know Dredd’s played with the supernatural a lot in the past, and it’s pretty much Psi Division’s bread and butter. But the occult reimagined as an arms race? That’s a fun concept and one that’s both in keeping with the world and pushing it somewhere new.
The second fun thing? The Sovs! Dredd’s world is at its best, and worst, when it holds a mirror up to the present moment (As God is my witness I never, ever need to see another thinly veiled ’90s politician cameo again. Ever.) and depressing as it is, having the Sovs resurgent makes a ton of sense. And they’re fun! And chunky! And threatening! And Coleby draws them really well! And their demon can beat up Dee’s demon!
What doesn’t work, for me, is the continuity. This is a direct sequel to a story I’ve never read. If you have, this is massive. If you haven’t, continuity gets in the way of the story you’re actually reading. Which, I know I know, problem of all long-form storytelling, but still. Fun, but not as fun now it’s in service to a bigger piece. Odd given the opening strip is too and I loved that.
Future Shocks: Once Upon A Hollyworld
- Rob Steen (Letterer)
- Ed Whiting (Writer)
- Peter Clinton (Artist)
Think of a Hollywood joke, it’s in here along with most other things. Whiting’s script is breakneck speed, throwing ten jokes out a page and landing about two of them but oh boy when they land. The lead character yelling about how he won a ‘Statham’ for his work in ‘O What A Lovely Intergalactic War’ feels like a joke made exclusively for me and I really appreciate it.
But that’s all this is, an extended bit. The head of the studio is a floating head. Our hapless lead is called Maverick O’Tour. There’s some really fun stuff here but there isn’t a story, or at least not one that makes you care in the same way any of the others do. Clinton’s clean lines look great, Steen’s letters are excellent and when this fires it really fires. But for me, this show doesn’t quite business.
The Discarded
- Peter Milligan (Writer)
- Simon Bowland (Letterer)
- Jim Boswell (Colourer)
- Kieran McKeown (Artist)
Chain gets asked for one last job, and Veera finds her last job coming back to haunt her. Another fun episode! The perspective shift to Chain is great, and long overdue, as we finally get a sense of the island outside Veera and her dad’s ongoing feud with one another. A feud that is hinted may be way more two-way than Veera’s thought. It’s a nice beat, positioning Axxon and Veera in the same ethical No Man’s Land and hurtling past each other. Probably guns blazing when the time comes.
The return to Veera and the pirates is fun too, especially Veera’s enthusiastic law enforcement past finally coming home to roost. It’s still so fast but for the second time in a row, The Departed feels like it’s got things to say. The art continues to be great, McKeown’s having a blast getting even more cyberpunk-y and we’re two for two on me having a good time with this one. Hurray!