In Review: 2000AD 2066

By John Freeman on February 1, 2018

I’ve been thrown off course this week by unexpected events both professional and family related, but just a quick plug for this week’s 2000AD, on sale now in all good newsagents and comic shops, and various digital platforms.

Top thrill? Action wise it’s a toss up between another prison break-building episode of “Judge Dredd” and the dramatic, moving developments in “Brass Sun“, which might just prompt a lump in your throat. (Or it might simply be your porridge getting stuck in your gullet. Yes, that’s definitely it. No way writer Ian Edginton and artist INJ Culbard,who also delivers this week’s cover, could provoke an emotional response with just one frame, right? Wrong!)

While there’s quite a lot of moralising and exposition to this week’s “Savage” (and “A.B.C. Warriors”, too), there’s a creeping horror to the machinations of Howard Quartz that has its own drama, and things really aren’t looking good for the strip’s eponymous hero. Great stuff from Pat Mills and Patrick Goddard.

Oh, and “Bad Company” rightfully gets bumped to second strip in the Prog this issue. Peter Milligan and Rufus Dayglo deliver full on action and craziness, with some great twists. Knock out,

Episodes include:

Judge Dredd » The Shroud (Part 2)

Mega-City One, 2140 AD. Home to over 72 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America. Crime is rampant, and only the zero-tolerance Judges — empowered to dispense instant justice — can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law! After crashing in the Siberian wastes, he’s been picked up by scavengers, who have sold him on to slavers…

Bad Company » Terrorists (Part 6)

It has been a decade since man fought the Krool on the planet Ararat. Danny Franks was just a raw recruit until he was drafted into the guerrilla unit known as BAD COMPANY. Kano, Fly-Trap, Mad Tommy and Thrax were living in a veterans’ compound, dosed in psyche-chem to keep the memories at bay, when they realised the truth about the war had been hidden from them. They busted out, and are now enemies of the state…

Savage » The Thousand Year Stare (Part 6)

In 1999, Britain was invaded by the Volgans, and lorry driver BILL SAVAGE’s family were killed. He led the resistance to victory in 2010, when the enemy surrendered. Now, in 2015, Savage has been stationed in Volgan-occupied Berlin under the guise of bar owner Herr Wilder, but his hatred of Volgans caused him to go on killing sprees. He has teamed up with Volgan police officer Nika Volodina to investigate Volgan experiments…

Brass Sun » Engine Summer (Part 6)

The Orrery is a clockwork solar system, a clutch of planets orbiting a vast BRASS SUN, but the outer worlds are freezing as the sun dies. Young Wren must find the elements of the key that will restart the sun, and has embarked on an epic quest with conductor novice Septimus. An aspect of the Blind Watchmaker, The Orrery’s creator, was implanted in Wren’s head, and she’s now transferred it to Arthur, a robot assassin…

A.B.C. Warriors » Fallout (Part 6)

Mars, the far future. War droids created for a conflict that ended centuries ago, the ABC WARRIORS are resistant to Atomic, Bacterial and Chemical warfare. Charged with bringing peace to the civil war-ravaged frontier colonies on the Red Planet, the Mek-nificent Seven have recently recruited the mechanic Tubal Caine, who was once Happy Shrapnel. Now, they’re determined to take down the villainous Howard Quartz…

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.