Cover by Laurence Campbell & Eva De La Cruz

JA: An OK Savage cover which, although very striking in its use of red and yellow, lacks a bit of detail and impact. Passable but doesn’t convey any of the best aspects of the story. Rather like Savage, it’s a little lacking in subtlety.

Judgement - Part 6 Script: Gordon Rennie Art: Ian Gibson Letters: Annie Parkhouse

Anderson pulls the plug ...

Synopsis: Anderson battles Edek's ecto-phantasms while Dredd and his back-up fight Judgement. Dredd uses Psy Division's Exorcist rounds against Judgement and they have an effect on the spirit. In defence it fires off a couple of guiltseekers, but they pass harmlessly through Dredd and take down one of his back-up (whom Dredd recommends SJS investigate). Anderson finally beats back the phantasms and deactivates Edek's cryo suspension. Dredd tries to talk Judgement down, but the spirit of Kenner realises that he's now a killer and uses his own gun to kill himself. Dredd officially records Kenner's time of death.

JA: God I want Origins back!!! Just as I was in Dredd heaven it all comes to an abrupt halt. The first filler, in what seems ages ago, was pretty nondescript but Judgement has a bit more substance to it. Plus Gibson’s art adds a rather classic tinge to the quite ingenious story that doesn’t come across as one dimensional as it might have in lesser hands. Good Dredd stories can still fall on poor or sloppy artwork but thankfully this does not fall into that bracket. It all ends rather touchingly this week and if this hadn’t been a stand-in for Origins then it would have been looked on a little more favourably instead of readers wishing it would end so the main act would come back on stage.

Double Yellow - Part 3 Script: Pat Mills Art: Charlie Adlard Letters: Ellie De Ville

Savage gets some therapy ...

Synopsis: Bill and the others get into an ambulance hidden in the garage and use it to escape past the oncoming troops - blowing up their building behind them. They break through the barricade, taking a few Volgs with them and escape to safety.

Outside of the city they are given their new ID by Mike, except for Bill who decides to "make his own arrangements". Cassie confides in Mike that Bill always used to be a bad seed, and only his wife Sheena managed to sort him out. With her gone, he's becoming worse than before.

Savage goes back to Mr Granville who gives him three names who were responsible for Tom's death: Darren Knight - something of a psychopath, Deacon - the technical mind behind the operation, and "Miss Green". Granville tells Savage to be discreet...

JA: Book 3 of Savage is losing a little of its impact. The first and part of the second book had a real zip to it with its vision of an occupied Britain with all of its analogies to events in the world today. I rather feel that this and the concept of this story is facing the danger of stalling, which would be a shame as it has many good qualities. It has a nice continuity in the artwork so this story has a real feel to it and we’re more familiar with the characters. But, it has some of the same old set-piece “Volgans dying” and Savage being almost indestructible and able to escape almost at will. Hopefully I will be wrong and the story will gather some momentum without falling into the clichés that bedevil Mill’s work after a while.

Casino Royal Script: Alan Grant Art: Ian Gibson Letters: Simon Bowland

Samantha gets on top of things...

Synopsis: Hoagy and Stogie fail to break into the casino so they try to call Sam instead. They warn her that it might be a death trap, but Samantha isn't so sure. However, the person she's tracking, Pecks, is identified as a droid by the casino's bouncers. It tries to escape, but Samantha stops him, only for its head to explode before it can tell her anything. While Hoagy and Stogie try to find another route into the club, Samantha starts to play cards again, only to find the 5 of spades, the robo-card that appears to be helping her to cheat, in her hand...

JA: Oh God… Apart from Ian Gibson’s art and the wonderful caricature of a certain Hollywood star (am I the only one who thinks Top Gun is rubbish?) this holds very little attention. I ran a cursory glance over this as I’ve given up years ago on the whole Robo-hunter franchise. It was good once but this is a very poor horse that 2000AD is shamefully still flogging. It is mildly amusing at best, lazy unfunny filler at worst.

The Last Thing I do: Part 1 Script: Dan Abnett Art: Simon Davis Letters: Ellie De Ville

Kutter gets in Tushman's face...

Synopsis: Sinister's Lawyer, Clayton Tushman, has just come from a meeting with his client. Sinister has given him a task to do. He sets up a contract on the fact totem for Cal Kutter. Kutter meets with him and is not happy, but Tushman reminds Kutter that he "owes" Sinister. He gives Kutter the location of Maybach, who he says Kutter is to take to the police. Kutter is shocked, realising what would happen if Maybach was found by this partner or boss , but he takes the contract. Next, Tushman speaks to Tracey Weld...

JA: I could rehash one of previous reviews about Sinister and Dexter as not much has changed with this series. It’s still loved and loathed and you often wonder why it hasn’t been killed off. But, it’s still around and thankfully this series has Simon Davis at the helm so at least the art makes up for the plodding plot and convoluted never ending saga. I thought that some of the plot ends would have been wrapped up now but it seems that this might be building up to one of those story shifts that this series under-goes every-so-often. Hopefully Dan Abnett won’t drag this out and get on with it. I’d just like to see some closure on some of the loose ends or if possible close this story off once and for all while its reputation is still in tact.

Hellfire - Part 2 Script: Robbie Morrison Art: Simon Fraser Letters: Annie Parkhouse Colours: Gary Caldwell

Dante actually playing the good cop ...

Synopsis: Dante surveys the wreckage of the Abramovich while Jena tells him that there's nothing he could do. The Tsar warns Jena not to get involved with Dante as they both know his service is not going to last. Meanwhile, Dante and The Lord Protector catch up with Luther Emmanuel, a psychic who had once failed to bring Dante into custody. Dante says that Emmanuel was due to go on the Abramovich but had left at the last moment - Dante believes that he used his abilities to get Lulu's people on board. Emmanuel fights back, but the Lord Protector knocks out him just as he discovers who the Protector really is using his abilities.

Later, the Protector has Emmanuel in chains and proceeds to torture him for information on Lulu. Dante protests, but the protector continues anyway while Dante goes outside to throw up and wonder what he's doing...

JA: After an exceedingly lacklustre couple of years for Dante we’re finally out of the doldrums and back on form. Thankfully Dante is displaying its darker side and therefore rather than being frivolous shallow fare, this is the best story this week. I like Simon Fraser’s art and it really has a mood to the script. It doesn’t exactly pull any punches this week as poor Emmanuel gets pulverised and then tortured in rather graphic fashion and though Dante’s concern may seem a little contrived, we have learnt that under that bravado and macho posturing, there is a far more complex character that we first encountered all of them years ago. This is shaping up to be the best Dante series for a long time.

JA: It was a case of very good to very poor this week, Dante and Dredd shone while Robo-hunter propped up an average Savage & Sinister/Dexter. With Origins back next week I’m think we’ll be back to quality out weighing the average.

Best Story: Nikolai Dante