In Review: 2000AD Prog 2068

2000AD 2068 - Cover

Wrapped in a gripping cover by Nick Percival (oh, all right, I’ll leave the jokes for another time), this week’s 2000AD sees the end of Judge Dredd’s sojourn in Siberia – and what a trip that has been.

Michael Carroll and Paul Davidson work seamlessly on this story, and I really enjoyed the way it was brought to a conclusion. There is action aplenty, and Paul’s art is perfect for the story.

Tharg’s revealed Ian “Brass Sun” Edginton and Dave Taylor are telling a Mega City One-set Dredd story next issue, which I’m looking forward to reading. I have to confess a certain favouritism here, having known and worked with Dave myself many years ago at Marvel UK.

Elsewhere in the Prog, it’s all twists and turns for certain characters, especially Howard Quartz, nemesis of both Savage and the A.B.C. Warriors. (By the way, don’t miss out on Issue 13 of the latest 2000AD: The Ultimate Collection, which features some of the robot warriors early adventures – including remastered pages by another favourite artist of mine, Smuzz aka SMS, who I have been working with myself more recently, on the SF comic Crucible which you can read for free on web comic platform Tapas).

Quartz seems to just love annoying people – and betraying them, too. Without giving too much away, I can safely say that he’s up to his old tricks throughout this issue of 2000AD. Once again, Pat Mills presents us with a well rounded and deliciously vile villain, whose motives and modus operandi readers may detest but he is far from the cardboard cut out of many a superhero comic. Both strips, featuring cracking art by Patrick Goddard and Clint Langley respectively, offer a mirror up to our modern world, as SF and 2000AD has always done.

Brass Sun” comes across as a bit of a pause for breath this issue, but INJ Culbard‘s art is, as ever, beautiful to look at. The strip has throughout been wonderfully high concept and beautifully told. I can’t help but feel though, that it’s one of those stories that works better in a collection, rather than told episodically, although there have for me been some genuinely moving moments and unexpected twists to the tale.

Bad Company” is once again quite simply a visceral romp, a joyous, action-packed, bonkers, weird, throwback to “classic 2000AD“. The team are up to necks in trouble, as you can imagine and it doesn’t look like getting any better for them any time soon. Peter Milligan and Rufus Dayglo are just simply for me having just so much fun with this tale, and I’m happily along for the ride.

Don’t forget Judge Dredd Magazine 392 is still on sale – which I talked about in last week’s 2000AD review. Recommended!

2000AD Prog 2068 is on sale now in all good comic shops (including Forbidden Planet) and newsagents (some of which, such as WHSmith Lancaster may even still have last week’s Prog on sale, too, because they have this week!)

Buy 2000AD: The Ultimate Collection from Forbidden Planet (using this link helps support downthetubes, thank you)

Episodes include:

2000AD 2068 - Judge Dredd

Judge Dredd » The Shroud (part 4)
Writer: Michael Carroll Art: Paul Davidson Colour: Chris Blythe Letterer: Annie Parkhouse

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…

2000AD 2068 - ABC Warriors

A.B.C. Warriors » Fallout (part 8)
Writer: Pat Mills Art: Clint Langley Letterer: Annie Parkhouse

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…

2000AD 2068 - Savage

Savage » The Thousand Year Stare (part 8)
Writer: Pat Mills Art: Patrick Goddard Letterer: Ellie de Ville

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…

2000AD 2068 - Brass Sun

Brass Sun » Engine Summer (part 8)
Writer: Ian Edginton Art: INJ Culbard Letterer: Ellie de Ville

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…

2000AD 2068 - Bad Company

Bad Company » Terrorists (part 8)
Writer: Peter Milligan Art: Rufus Dayglo Colour: Dom Regan Letterer: Simon Bowland

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…

 

2000AD Prog 2068 is on sale now in all good comic shops (including Forbidden Planet) and newsagents (some of which, such as WHSmith Lancaster may even still have last week’s Prog on sale, too, because they have this week!)

Buy 2000AD: The Ultimate Collection from Forbidden Planet (using this link helps support downthetubes, thank you)

2000AD: The Ultimate Collection Issue 13 - ABC Warriors



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