Synopsis by Gavin Hanly, Hugh Platt & Alex Frith
1st opinion by Hugh Platt
2nd opinion by Susan Doyle
Summaries and reviews contain spoilers for this issue.

Blackout - Part 2

Famous last words...

Synopsis: Jack Schitt’s gang, the Scum Dogs, have taken control of and are riding out of Sector House 32. Chief Grimshore arms the admin staff and guns down several gang members before being wounded. However, he is determined to carry on fighting.

Meanwhile, Dredd and some judicial reinforcements have ridden to the scene. With the help on an H-wagon, they force the Scum Dogs back inside the sector house. Schitt reveals he was caught trying to set up a huge drug deal, and re-asserts his authority with a pistol-whipping. Grimshore’s attempt to re-take the sector house fails as he collapses from his injuries.

Outside, Dredd requests further reinforcements before creating a diversion for the H-wagon to drop riot judges onto the Sector House roof. Schitt send out the body of Grimshore, blowing it up with a bomb. He then starts executing hostages to try to force Dredd’s hand.

As power slowly begins returning to the sector, Dredd leads a small team of judges – including one he thought had been failed as a rookie – to the rear entrance of the sector house. After cutting their way inside, Dredd has the power cut once again. Using their infra-red visors, the judges have no trouble executing the remaining Scum Dogs in the total darkness.

HP: On the surface, this is a somewhat functional story from John Wagner here, with enough Standard Execution being fired off to mask any subtlety that might be going on. Reading it a bit closely though and all the little asides that elevate a Wagner Dredd script above the pack are there in abundance. Whether it’s rounding the story off with the Judges using the Scum Dogs’ own blackout tactics against them, or the amusing aside where Dredd questions Judge Seevers credentials, there’s enough going on to make this more than a Dredd vs Perps blast-a-thon.

Okay, so I’m still not sure why Dredd’s team were able to cut their way into the Sector House when the Judges from the H-Wagon couldn’t do it without alerting the Scum Dogs. But I’m willing to let it slide.

Cam Kennedy and Chris Blythe come together nicely to show a (literally) darker side to Mega-City One. I found the Judge’s point of view through the infra-red vision a particularly rewarding piece of work to admire.

SD: This story has been a jape from start to finish and has had me groaning with such awful puns, while still laughing because it’s just so bad. ‘Jack Schitt’ gave plenty of room for one liners and what with the humour, the famous last stands of the Sector House Chief and Dredd showing his harder side, ‘No Survivors’ made for an entertaining read.

Bad jokes aside, the story worked well, the characters were amusing and Cam Kennedy’s artwork was uniformly brilliant. I especially liked the infra red visor page – very smart. I wouldn’t say that this was high brow or took Judge Dredd to another level. However there are times when simple and straightforward Dredd is very welcome and when it’s this high quality it just has to be given thumbs up.

The Harder They Come - Part 2

Shimura shows off...

Synopsis: At a press conference, Amber Taoka is detailing the Taoka Corporation’s heavy involvement with the terraforming of the Radlands of Ji back into habitable land. On a nearby rooftop, a sniper takes aim on Amber but is killed by a laser-shuriken thrown by Shimura. As Shimura and Amber are driven from the scene, it is revealed that Shimura has received an unofficial amnesty from the Hondo-City judges, but not a full-pardon. More masked assassins attempt to kill Amber by assaulting their car. As Shimura steps out of the car to deal with them, it becomes obvious that this is just one of many attempts on Amber’s life.

Meanwhile, in the Radlands of Ji, Stan Lee has returned to the Fighting Heart Kwoon – one of the criminal factions that rule the Radlands under threat if the terraforming goes ahead. A team of warriors has been assembled by the various factions, to be led by Lee, for the sole purpose of destroying Amber and the Taoka Corporation.

Back in Hondo City, Inspector Inabi is pursuing a happy slasher at Sakamoto Spaceport. The slasher rides straight into Dredd’s fist – who has arrived as a guest of the Hondo-City authorities…

HP: The semi-regular appearance of Shimura is a welcome return to the Megazine… even it the gathering of a gang of villains out to take out the eponymous hero sounds awfully familiar to another Robbie Morrison story of this year…

Morrison’s use of Happy Slashing is the kind of satirical snippet that the best classic Dredds would slip in. His use of it as a side-note to the overall plot is admirable, when a lesser writer would try to build an entire 6 page Dredd one-off over it. The fact that it gives Colin MacNeil a perfect excuse for a Fist Of Dredd panel just adds to the praise.

The dredging of Dredd and Inaba back into the plot on the last page is a whiff of dependence on older more established characters (the introduction of Amber Taoka was a step in the right direction, but some more regulars wouldn’t go amiss) but with Stan Lee to face off against, Shimura might finally have a foe worthy of him, which has been missing from all his stories since returning to the Meg.

SD: It took me a couple of reads of the first episode to get used to MacNeil’s return to the artwork on this strip. It is not as Oriental in feel as some other artists work but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. One of my all time favourite portraits of Shimura was MacNeil’s and that and his work on Devlin Waugh make me a firm fan. With the use of black and white he can be simplistic and attentive to detail, the two in this case not being mutually exclusive. I particularly like the snake lady and look forward to seeing her slither her stuff.

MacNeil tells Morrison’s tale ably, and with things looking as they are about to go from bad to worse for Shimura, and what with Judge Dredd turning up I am looking forward to the next installment.

Lucid - Part 2

Anderson kicks butt...

Synopsis: Anderson hits the streets pumped up on drugs legal only for judicial use and to stop her from falling asleep and into the clutches of the sisters. She deals with a perp with gymnastic grace before getting a call that there is a disease outbreak in the Uri Gellar block.

Heading to the scene, she discovers the outbreak of something called Blisteria 101 that infected people in the block and also the robot doctor. Anderson is sprayed in secure plasti skin so that she can visit the scene and the first victim - now more pus than human. Searching for what remains of his mind, she sees a scene from hell, with the Sisters of Death and someone else at the head of a parade. Anderson is worried that they've managed to access Mega City One without access to her mind and reports this back to Shenker, who takes her down for a deep thought probe, as the Blisteria plague spreads. The probe reveals more visions of the sisters and Shenker takes her off duty immediately.

Meanwhile, a strange creature appears at the Mike Magee block...

HP: Anderson has felt a little sterile since Half-Life, seeming to take place in an isolated bubble away from the rest of the Dredd continuity. I’d like to think that with the Sisters of Death trying to claw their way out through Anderson’s psyche that may change, but my gut feeling suggests otherwise.

This plot feels oddly reminiscent of the whole Half-Life arc, and the comedy ejector seat on the lawmaster seems at odds with the tone of the rest of the strip. At the moment we’re two months in, and it still feels like it’s simmering gently, rather than being brought up to a bubonic boil.

Let’s get it out of the way now – this looks fupping ace. The beautiful gothic bridge of death is really something else. Dave Taylor is going to have to really produce something special to keep up the standard.

SD: The premise of this story taps into the fact that it’s unsettling the idea of someone or something messing with your head. Couple that with a virulent disease which makes you a loon before it makes you a pile of squishy goo and it sounds like a tale to terrorise and thrill. However this is becoming a well trodden path for Anderson and her colleagues where the link and the explanation to the plot lie buried in Anderson’s subconscious mind. Although I don’t want the dark, moody feel of this strip to be removed I would enjoy a twist in the tale or a novel happening.

The art work as always is stunning and the bridge of bones frame being particularly memorable. Unfortunately the tale to date is less so. I’m hoping that this is just a blip and I will have to eat my words on her next outing.

Petty Crimes - Part 2

Literally, smelling a rat...

Synopsis: Jack Point and Nyssol are about to get eaten by Cliq the Raptaur, when Anne Thrope comes to their rescue. Nyssol then reminds Point that he is still under SJS investigation, and should get back to his task of finding her missing pet.

Point is starting to smell a rat, and his suspicions are confirmed when returns to his apartment only to find an SJS judge - in full uniform this time - waiting for him. Believing this Judge to be the real thing, Point slinks off to work out what the hell is going on.

Whilst looking for Anne, he finds a bunch of rats, all drugged up on A-Dren: a hormone that has caused Cliq to age rapidly to full maturity. Point is now pretty certain that he has been set up, and confronts Nyssol. Nyssol reveals herself not to be SJS, rather she is an ex-Psi Judge who has been manipulating his perceptions. She, Anne and another ex-Judge have been using Point and his pet Raptaur to try to obtain new baby raptaurs. Anne kills Cliq, which causes his larvae to gestate. In the chaos, Point gains the upper hand over the trio, and ensures that Cliq’s larvae are all (?) destroyed. However, he is so entranced by Anne that he lets her and her team go. They are seen being chastised by a hidden employer; plans are afoot for a new mission for this team of ex-judges, but they might need a new recruit...

HP: Don’t get me wrong – month-in, month-out I enjoy Jack Point’s investigations, but I never quite seem to enjoy it as much as other reviewers seem to. But this month is goes above and beyond. The Simp finally seems to have found his (oversized) feet.

Frazer’s art is suitably hard-boiled, with the dashes of occasional colour giving just enough spark to the grim dark of Angeltown. The dripping red ichor of Cliq is particularly welcome, as sometimes the creature can look a bit like an amorphous black blob.

With the secrets of Miss Anne Thrope revealed, and hints at a wider story-arc coming through, the series looks like it’s going to be just as successful in 2006 as it was this year. I’ll admit that I’m a little disheartened that Cliq (well, Son of Cliq) is still gonna be in the strip. He’s always felt a lot like a Get-Out-Of-Jams-Free card for Jack.

SD: This has been my favourite strip in the Meg for some time and this edition isn’t an exception. Frazer Irving’s art continues to amuse and entertain and I haven’t tired of the way in which the text is given its own space between frames. The tongue in cheek quips, the way in which the story twists and turns and keeps you guessing all superb. I enjoyed the use of colour in this noir strip and can’t think of anything negative to say except that it’s a crying shame Cliq. It was a very cool pet for Judge Point to have.

The story continues to enthral and I’m interested in seeing who is behind the rogue judges and whether Judge Point will really cross the line.

The Assizes

Damning evidence ...

Synopsis: Koburn and Bonaventura are holding court in a small Cursed Earth town. Once a year, Koburn visits each settlement to pass judgment on any local grievances. Mostly very petty grievances, but he is happy to participate - especially since disputes are relatively easy to settle when you have a lie detector handy.

Elsewhere in the region, trouble is brewing at the hands of an undead maniac - a victim of Judge Death's recent rampage through the Cursed Earth (see "Judge Death, The Wilderness Days"). He is spreading Death's message, and it can't be long before he attracts Koburn’s attention.

HP: Carlos Ezquerra brings out the Cursed Earth like no other. I see shades of “Just A Pilgrim” in Carlos’ Koburn work, although infinitely superior. Giving him the chance to develop something Dreddverse instead of just having him put out a few workmanlike Dredds was a strong move by Alan Barnes.

Rennie’s script ticks all the right boxes – it’s funny, it’s crammed down to the craw with ideas, and it’s bursting with character. The only thing that’s missing is a sund-mad desert-rock soundtrack.

Tying in with The Wilderness Days makes it seem part of the wider world, and juxtaposing it with a more comedic view of A Day In The Life Of Cursed Earth Patrol makes Koburn a much better character than just a bloke on a bike who shoots stuff. There’s a real feel of the frontier to Koburn’s exploits.

SD: I’ve enjoyed past outings with Koburn and the western style feel of the whole strip. I like the idea of a judge having to adapt to cover such a vast area, so it makes sense to hold an ad hoc court and for this to be entertainment for the yokels. My favourite case was the man asking for a shot gun wedding, especially the face of the prospective groom.

With Koburn sitting drinking bourbon and smoking cigars throughout, it makes for an amusing read and shows a lighter side to Cursed Earth. Bonaventura’s (what a name) dislike for the mundane will soon be tempered when we meet Death’s disciple and all round lunatic.

With regard to the art, what can I say. Nothing really, it's perfect.

Miscellaneous Material inc.

• British Icons: The Tomorrow People
• 15 Years, Creep!
• Heatseekers
• Metro Dredd
  

HP: Charley’s War continues to be the best reprint the Meg has ever had.

15 Years, Creep! Just isn’t interesting me at all, and is a pale cousin of TPO. I can barely remember the 1992 re-make of The Tomorrow People, so this month’s British Icons had limited appeal. As for the Heatseekers, Jonathan Morris seems to have strayed from Cult TV into ultra-obscure-TV territory. Spurrier sounds less student-rant than usual, and his genuine passion for the subject infectiously comes through. I have never read or seen Slaughterhouse 5, but come payday I’m investigating it.

SD: The Megazine – 15 years creep: I’ve enjoyed this history lesson of the Meg, although I sympathise with Mr Bishop having to write in third person. I look forward to finding out just how it survived ‘that film’.

British Icons – The Tomorrow People: Trip down memory lane time. I remember running home from school to watch this (although from the dates stated it must have been re-runs). I also remember the 1980’s revival American version. As I don’t always read these articles it was quite entertaining.

Charley’s War: When this reprinted in the Meg I always save it till last and I’m never disappointed. It is a real classic.

Heatseekers: All good articles, however I must disagree with Jonathan Morris. If women did run the world it wouldn’t be all lipstick lesbians and thigh high boots, it would be serious negotiations every four weeks to prevent Armageddon.

Judge Dredd – Fluffy: A quick lesson in not overfeeding your pet.