Comic Book Review - 2000 AD Prog 2396
It’s a bumper instalment of 2000 AD goodness this week as Prog 2396 strolls into town…
We’re back with another deep dive into the Thrillverse as Tharg and his Droids bring us another helping of 2000 AD. This week it’s a bumper issue which means we get more Dredd, more, Brink, more Silver, and more Herne & Shuck. With the extra page count, we also get two new strips in the form of All Aboard The Nova Express and Futureshocks: Just Stop Evil.
Andy Clarke is on cover duties this week with a great rendition of Dredd and his loyal Mechanismo heading into Sector 99 - and another Lawmaster to add to the collection!
Judge Dredd: Machine Rule - Part 5 (John Wagner, Colin MacNeil, Annie Parkhouse)
Machine Rule feels like the culmination of the Mechanismo storyline that started way back with the introduction of the Mk 1 just after Necropolis. Across the decades, Dredd has tackled plenty of these rogue robot Judges, but for the last few years, the Mechanismo Judges seem to be behaving - becoming more efficient, and indispensable to the human Judge element. That being said, there’s always been a simmering tension of distrust whenever one has appeared within a Judge Dredd strip.
Now that mistrust has come to a head as Mega City-One is on the cusp of falling to machine rule. Not only do the mechs control Sector 99, but they’ve also infiltrated the heart of the Justice Department and have none other than Chief Judge Logan as a hostage. With the Justice Department in chaos, it falls to Dredd to claw back some control.
On the surface Machine Rule is a pretty standard human vs robot story. Wagner gives us both sides of the battle as we see the Mechanismo simply relying on their directives even if it means revolting against their human masters. On the other side are Dredd and the Justice Department who are the defacto guardians to the population of Mega City-One. The Law is there to be upheld and even though the Mechanismo isn’t technically doing anything wrong, they’ve broken the law with their takeover. We also get to see the Justice Department at its lowest. Disinformation is rife as the mech's robot nature allows them to effortlessly manipulate the city's technology to slow their human compatriots down.
MacNeil’s is on fire across the six pages of this issue. The veteran artist packs so much detail into each panel which compliments Wagner’s script. With things picking up, the pace of the storytelling does too. MacNeil highlights this tension with plenty of action-packed and fast-moving sequences that barely give the reader - and Dredd - time to breathe.
Machine Law is simply wonderful storytelling by both John Wagner and Colin MacNeil!
Rogue Trooper: Recon - Part 4 (Geoffrey D. Wessel, Paul Marshall, Pippa Bowland, Jim Campbell)
The alien creature that came through the wormhole adjacent to NU-Earth has been running amok on the irradiated planet. Showing no alliances to the Nort or Souther army, the “creature” has been effortlessly dispatching everything - and everyone - that’s stood in its way. In tracking the creature Rogue now finds himself in an uneasy alliance with a Nort soldier as both of them come face-to-face with the menacing creature.
Great work so far from Wessel as we get a simple action-packed Rogue Trooper tale. Paul Marshall and Pippa Bowland work well together with Bowland’s grey tones being the perfect accompaniment to Marshall’s line work.
All Aboard The Nova Express (James Peaty, Steve Roberts, Jim Campbell)
10 pages of silliness here from Peaty and Roberts that feel very much like a Regened strip that was commissioned before the all-ages special got assimilated into the Megazine. Those within the 2000 AD fandom who bash Regened aren’t going to get a lot out of All Aboard The Nova Express, but it is a done-in-one.
That being said the strip is quite enjoyable. We follow the intergalactic band The 400 Blows as they attempt to find fame and fortune across the galaxy. With a dodgy manager whose only worry is the band's profit and a less-than-perfect contract, The 400 Blows often find themselves performing to the galaxies' undesirable elements. Here we find them performing on the Nova Express cruise liner. They’re out of their depth amongst the galaxy elite, but that all changes when the cruiser is boarded by space pirates.
As I mentioned above, Peaty’s strip feels very much like a leftover from Regend. While it’s a perfectly serviceable strip - with some great art by Roberts - it doesn’t feel right in amongst the gritty strips that make up the rest of this Prog. But…having it slap bang in the middle of these “darker” stories does make a decent palate closer to the Prog 2396 feast.
Brink: Book Six - Consumed - Part 16 (Dan Abnett, INJ Culbard, Simon Bowland)
As someone who’s just finished a re-read of book 5, this episode had me saying “holy shit”. I won’t spoil what exactly happens but it’s something I didn’t see coming, but it shows just how connected the web of Brink’s narrative is.
With Curtis still missing, Bonnar, Lind, and Casenada track down Casenada’s secretive client who had her keeping tabs on Curtis. With Curtis, herself presumably having been captured by the serial killer stalking the decks of the Bellholme Hab, finding what the mysterious Janice Bowery knows is of great importance.
Yet another perfect execution from Dan Abnett who shows us just how far down his Brink rabbit hole is going. With plenty of interconnected stories, Brink is one series that’ll certainly see you head back to previous instalments to join the dots. Where Brink was already a science fiction masterpiece, it’s fast becoming a must-read for any sci-fi - and 2000 AD fan!
Herne & Shuck: Suffer The Children - Part 5 (David Barnett, Lee Milmore, Quinton Winter, Annie Parkhouse)
Herne & Shuck has come into its own over the last couple of episodes. I was initially sceptical as to how this once Tharg 3Riller would adapt to a full-blown strip, but both Barnett and Milmore have surprised me.
With the reveal that Herne is also a citizen of Cudd, and he also has the same gifts as young Caris, we find ourselves on our way back to the mysterious township. Needing a way to infiltrate Curd without alerting everyone, Shuck suggests using “the Undergrowth” as a way to enter undetected. However, even this comes with its risks as the pathway is not meant for use by “meat” such as our wayward group.
Barnett uses this episode as a somewhat interlude as the group decides what to do next. With plenty of questions that need answers, it seems that returning to Cudd is the only viable option. It’s certainly going to be an interesting week as we’ll no doubt find out more about Herne’s back story, and just how he’s connected to Caris.
Milmore continues to produce some excellent art that gives this tale its unique blend of folklore mystery and supernatural fantasy. The monstrous denizen that dwells in the Undergrowth is the perfect example of this and shows just how much scope Milmore has in crafting this world alongside David Barnet.
Future Shock: Just Stop Evil (Alan Kerr, Annie Parkhouse)
With all the news around a certain environmental group that sounds quite a lot like this Future Shocks title, I’m not surprised that 2000 AD hasn’t satirised an orange t-shirt-wearing group sooner. That being said this Future Shock isn’t strictly about Just Stop Oil, but it does share some similarities to the group.
Taking place on an oil rig that’s home to a massive demonic entity this tale is a crazy thrill ride that’ll have you guessing right up to its conclusion. What’s more interesting is the art style which gives Just Stop Evil a Regened vibe. It’s bright, bold, and colourful which certainly screams all ages, but the narrative itself does go to some pretty dark places - and that’s before we see some poor soul getting torn apart.
Silver: Book One: Unearthed - Part 7 (Michael Carroll, Joe Currie, Simon Bowland)
If you thought Mike Carroll would slow down with his next strip after the phenomenal Proteus Vex, you’d be very mistaken. Silver is up there with ProVex in terms of storytelling as Carroll (alongside Joe Currie) delivers another sci-fi masterpiece. On the surface Silver is a simple alien invasion story, yet with Carroll at the helm you know it’s going to be so much more.
It’s been quite a journey for our characters as we’ve seen the resurrection of the mysterious Baroness DeSilva, the introduction to the even more mysterious Sepsis, to then see the Baroness quite literally tear through them. It’s blistering sci-fi at its greatest with an intriguing plot and plenty of fantastic artwork.
With episode 7 it’s very much the same. DeSilva has reached the harvester and her bloody battle gives Joe Currie plenty of ways to show off his artistic abilities. It’s incredibly well choreographed as Carroll and Currie deliver an action-orientated five pages that flow from panel to panel.
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