Rob Lake reviews 2000 AD Prog 2216...
It's Wednesday and the UK is still in its national lock down. Thankfully Tharg is back with another trip into the Thrillverse, to keep the glimmer of normality alive.
It's much the same this week as we return to the strips that have been part of the Prog since the Christmas special. It is however the finale to Desperadlands this week as Michael Carroll's tale comes to its conclusion. We also get Durham Red still going all Assault on Precinct 13, Hershey being brutal, Sláine being Sláine, and Proteus Vex is still full of galactic weirdness.
Judge Dredd: Desperadlands - Part 4 - Final Part
Desperadlands has had a pretty strong Spaghetti Western vibe running through its four-part run. With the finale Micheal Caroll gives us the Law Vs. Bandit showdown as Dredd and Syan Hegedos face-off against each other.
Dispite all of this deep down Desperadlands has really been a tale of family, as both Meekins and Hegedos fight for Cadet Odessa's future.
You can tell that Caroll has had fun with this one. It's been that classic Dredd tale with Dredd not really being the center piece. That technically falls to Cadet Odessa as she toys with Hegedos's maternal instincts and the ever present Justice system that Dredd and Meekins embody. Oh course getting Will Simpson back in the Prog on art duty is also a great sight. His loose painted style has given a different look to Dredd and I cant wait to see what his next Prog appearance will be.
Durham Red: Served Cold - Part 5
Remember last week when I said that Served Cold feels like Assault on Precinct 13? Well this weeks its still the same. Alec Worley is giving us a nice Vampire Vs. Big Bad, in an under seiged prison action fest. What do they want with Durham? Well we still don't know and much like with Hookjaw, this one feels like it's here for the long run. Is it a bad thing? Well not right now but in a couple of weeks maybe...
Wilsher's art is as crisp as usual, and the mini gun scene was a fantastic use of orange and black. If anything Served Cold is a cinema goers popcorn dream, it looks good, sounds good, but what's underneath?
Proteus Vex: Shadow Chancellor - Part 5
With the Imperium now in possession of a member of the Silent, all thanks to Midnight Indicating Shame, the surviving agents and Vex get a bit of a briefing as to whats next.
Considering what we already know about the Silent it again falls to Midnight Indicating Shame to put it all together. What if the Silent wanted to be caught? After all we know that they travel from place to place quickly and Vex himself has even toyed with the idea of them being shock troopers.
Its yet more questions and more weirdness as Proteus Vex rumbles on. I'm personally a big fan of Micheal Caroll so I'm trusing that Shadow Chancellor will come to some reasonable conclusion. However, will it be as epic as the story seems to be pointing to?
Jake Lynch is also proving to be a brilliant choice to replace series regular Henry Flint. The whole weirdness of Proteus Vex looks great through Lynch's angular, colourful scenes of space goodness.
Sláine Dragontamer - Part 5
Sláine is still being Sláine this week. There's plenty of Dragons, weird kids, mind controlling and the King's wife. With action a-plenty there's plenty here to get lost in.
Do I know what's going on? No. But, Leonardo Manco's art is truly amazing. Every page is a spectacular piece of Sláine being, well...himself and gorgeous scenes full of detail and life. If this really is the end of Sláine then Pat Mills is going out in style, its just a shame that the underlying story has completely gone over my head.
Hershey: The Brutal - Part 5
Frank gets closer to the truth this week as Hershey explains why she brought him back from the dead. The former Chief Judge gives the Wally Squad what he wants then its back to the brutal boxing bouts.
It's great to see Hershey being brutal, and is a far cry from her bureaucratic role as Cheif Judge. Barbara is a changed woman since her "death" and isn't afraid to use her friends as tools to get what she wants. You have to feel sorry for poor Dirty Frank, what with what the former Judge and Wally Squad member has been through. Whilst Hershey is using him as a means to an end, she's getting closer to the grand prize.
Simon Fraser is still delivering on the art. His use of tonal colours on black and white is amazing. There is also some slight tonal shifts too whenever Rob Williams takes us back through Hershey's past. Its subtle but very effective. Speaking of Williams, Hershey is on the slow burn at the moment. It seems that Williams is giving us quite a lot of detail before slapping the pudding on the plate. The mood throughout The Brutal is slowly souring as both Hershey and Frank fight their own battles.
Rating - 8/10
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