Rob reviews 2000 AD Prog 2296 [Regened]...
Tharg is back on his holidays this week and as such has handed the helm of "The Galaxy's Greatest" to his nephew Joko-Jargo.
As always, it's five standalone strips that highlight the weird and wonderfulness of the 2000 AD universe. So what does Joko-Jargo have in store?
Cadet Dredd: Two Tribes
We're back into Joe Dredd's early years as the young Cadet heads out on his maiden voyage into the Cursed Earth. Tagging along is Dredd's instructor Judge Meechum who's evaluating Dredd on a simple mapping task. Of course, it's never that simple and before long Dredd is on his own tackling a band of slavers - all in a day's work for a Cadet Judge, eh?
'Two Tribes' is a great slice into what makes Judge Dredd great. The character has such a rich history that it's great to see his earlier years highlighted. Not only does this allow writer James Peaty to loosen the reigns, but he also doesn't have to contend with continuity. What we then get is an action-packed ride that's packed full of Dredd doing what he does best. If there's a list of essential Cadet Dredd reading - then 'Two Tribes' should be on it!
Renk
Renk is an all-new strip that's been brought to life by Paul Starkey, Anna Redman, and Matt Soffe. We're off to the city of Crepuscularia, which happens to not only be the biggest city in the Eastern Region but is also home to fifty thousand beings - fantasy Mega-City One?
In the middle of everything and everyone is the Dwarf Renk - A private detective and all-around nice guy. If you have a problem then Renk will help you - providing you have the coin! Renk's latest job comes from the well-to-do Princess Lementina who needs to find the missing (and presumably kidnapped) King and Queen.
As new strips go, Renk is one that I'd love to see developed further. Starkey and Redman have a lot of fun filling this debut tale with curiosities and bewilderment that all fit the overarching fantasy theme. Where we've seen the likes of 'Pandora Perfect', and 'Department K' enter the more grown-up Prog, I'm hoping Renk gets the same.
Future Shocks: Levelling Up
Sadly this isn't one where the British Government utilise a saying constantly to lie to the population about "levelling up" underprivileged areas...that's real life.
Instead, David Barnett and Steve Roberts introduce us to quintillionaire, Jon Mozes. Realising that he is the world's richest man, Mozes decides to gift everyone one billion dollars. And, well as you can imagine chaos soon ensues.
As the world turns into a dystopia where everyone has money, but no one wants to work, Mozes' good deed soon turns sour.
Barnett is becoming a bit of an old hand at these all-ages strips. Already appearing in Regened with 'Lowborn High' and 'Chopper', it's great to see the writer tackle something silly and one-off. Here, Barnett gives plenty of social commentaries whilst delivering a hectic and chaos-filled story.
Steve Roberts is also a well-known name when it comes to Regened. As the artist behind 'Scooter and Jinx', Roberts brings plenty of bold lines and vibrant colours that make 'Levelling Up' perfect for the target audience.
Department K: Crisis of Infinite Estabons
We're back in the depths of the Justice Department as Tek-Div's Department K sets off on another crazy adventure. Think Cadet Dredd mixed with Doctor Who and Back to the Future and you won't be far off.
Due to dimensional "circumstances," the division is full of random Estabons from other realities. While a group of rogue Mechanismo Judges isn't anything new - they're not THE Estabon. Meanwhile, the chief of Tek-Div is due to visit Department K, and with the matter of funding on the line, the extra Estabons need to be returned home.
I'm glad that Department K is back "home". Don't get me wrong, its appearance in the Prog with 'Cosmic Chaos' was a fun read - it's nice to see that its roots in Regened haven't been forgotten. Joining resident Department K writer Rory McConville is artist Nick Dyer. The interesting thing here is that Dyer is the third artist after both PJ Holden and Dan Cornwell to draw the Department.
While all three artists have made their stamp on the strip, it does also open up the possibility of all three returning in the future for a real-time-jumping, dimension-hopping adventure. Now imagine that!
'Splorers: The Big Splash
For those who don't know, 'Splorers is the spin-off of the main Prog strip Survival Geeks. Gordon Rennie, Emma Beeby, and Neil Googe perfectly ended their series after the final adventure seen in Prog 2182. But after a one-off appearance in Regened Prog 2246 Simon, Sam, and their kids are back for more time-whimsy adventures.
This time out and the family find themselves adventuring inside the family's alien pet - Howard. With clear homages to both Fantastical Voyage and Innerspace, Rennie, Beeby, and Goode have a lot of fun. Here the family have to evade Howard's unique antibodies, a soon-to-be supernova, and Sam's less than subtle distaste, all while delivering a grand adventure.
Whether you were a fan of the original Survival Geeks or not, 'Splorers is a perfect way of carrying the story forward whilst introducing the wonderful world to a whole new audience. From this outing, it's clear that Rennie and Beeby have quite a few ideas for future adventures, and it's going to be fun following the family as they go.
All in all and it's another superb outing for these special Regened Progs. While the all-ages style isn't to everyone's tastes, you have to admit that Rebellion has tapped into an otherwise empty market. With 2000 AD continuing to be the powerhouse behind UK comics, surely getting more readers involved in its universe is a good thing?
Considering that the publisher is also imminently releasing its first "Best of..." volume, there's no better time to be a fan of - or start reading - the "Galaxy's Greatest" comic.
Now to get off my high horse ;)
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Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev
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