Judge Dredd Megazine 262 - 18 Sept 07

Cover by Cliff Robinson

Richmond Clements: Cliff Robinson does Dredd. Gorgeously illustrated, but somehow at the same time uninspiring as covers go. 

The Gingerbread Man - Part 2 Script: John Wagner Art: Henry Flint Colours: Len O Grady Letters:Annie Parkhouse

Maybe stays ahead of Dredd ...

Synopsis: Dredd views the latest crime scene, where PJ Maybe had injected two citizens with lethal lizard venom and left the usual "gingerbread man" calling card. However, he mis-spelled the name, which reminds Dredd of the presumed-dead Maybe. The murder was specifically done to attract the judges - and even more specifically Judge Park (who had previously identified Maybe's love-droid) - to the scene. With Park in view, Maybe launches a hidden droid at him and blows his head off - keeping his secret safe. Canadia and Maybe start to plan for the Mayoral election - but it's still 26 months away...

RC: I dunno, but am I the only one who’s thinking that this is one PJ Maybe strip too many? I for one am close to being bored with his exploits. I am prepared to believe that Wagner, being the writer that he is, will be able to pull a brilliant curve ball that sends this strip in an direction opposite to the one it seems to be going in (that’s the exact same direction every other PJ Maybe tale).

The scene with Park’s head exploding might well have been fun to write and draw, but to me it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

And then there’s Henry Flint. He’s good. More than that - he’s bloody good. But for my money, he’s not the second coming that some folk seem to see him as. When I look at his stuff, I still see him wearing his influences on his sleeve, with dollops of O’Neill and MacMahon - particularly on the oddly posed first page. 

Big Robots - Part 6 Script: Alan Grant Art: Dave Taylor Letters: Ellie De Ville

Kev takes a fall...

Synopsis: Mirandah sends a message telling the judges that she believes that the city will come alive and defend itself if attacked - hence her reason for setting loose the robotic city blocks. As the judges bring down one of the city blocks, Anderson tracks down Mirandah - only to discover that she has hanged herself.

RC: I’m still loving this. Yeah it might be too slow etc etc, but that’s neither the fault of the creators or the editor. We’ve got the strip in the format we’ve got it in, so why not just suck it in and enjoy it? And what’s not to enjoy I ask you? City blocks coming alive as giant robots, and you complain it’s plodding??

‘Kev O’Neill is going down’ indeed…

Glorious strip, and I think that eventually the naysayers will be eating their words when they get a chance to read this all in one Thrill Powered burst! 

Blood of Satanus 3 - The Tenth Circle 6: Injustice Day Script: Pat Mills Art: Hicklenton Letters: Simon Bowland

The main event...

Synopsis: Dredd and the others reach the fifth circle - corruption - where they head for city hall. As the fight starts, the doctor has a spontaneous emission of Dark Matter that kills all the demons. Satanus arrives while the judges place the anti-matter charges on city hall and he and Dredd face off...

RC: And so it rumbles on. There is, as the cliché says, a fine line between genius and madness. I think that Mills and Hicklenton have crossed that line. It’s a weird one alright. In an astonishing twist, this episode is actually good. That is, the story is not only intelligible in places, but also seems to be moving the plot forward.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Just as I expect Wagner to lift The Gingerbread Man out from its mediocrity, I expect this one to return to it’s impenetrable and painful usual self next month.

I’m still loving Hicklenton’s art. I really do think he’s up there with O’Neill (Ohhh, that’s three strips in a row I’ve managed to mention him!) in being able to go toe to toe with Mills in lunacy. 

Before They Wuz Dead - Part 5 Script: Simon Spurrier Art: Steve Roberts Letters: Ellie De Ville

Link to the rescue ...

Synopsis: Digiback manages to best Link just as the rest of the Angel Gang discover a hidden room at the centre of the Gila nest. There, Dil Grimczi is in a cage, kept alive but in agony by the Gilas. Digiback turns up on the scene with the war robot and turns out to be Grimczi's son. He rescues his Pa from the cage but the badly wounded Link arrives just in time to knock him out. Pa kills Grimczi, uses the robot to collect the bounty on all the dead goons killed by the gilas and he and Link enjoy a father-son torturing of Grimczi's son...

RC: Well, I for one didn’t see that coming. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t expecting there to be a twist that the one here came as such a pleasant surprise.

Whatever the reason, this story has been delightful from start to finish. That is, if ‘delightful’ is a word that can be rightly used for such a story.

As I’m sure I’ve said before, Spurrier is one of those writers that I can be ambivalent about. I’m in the Love Jack Point/hate Beck and Kawl camp. What’s really good about this though is how Spurrier has managed to flesh out a group of characters that were essentially a series of jokes. Or in the case of Link, he has actually created a character where one did not exist previously.

Roberts’ art is stupendous, in turn detailed, cartoony, funny and horrific.

And the good news is- it’s coming back for more!

Reprint: Ro Jaws Robo Tale
Feature - Panzer Attack
Comic Auteurs - Garth Ennis
New Books
Small Press - Lights Out
Dredd Files
New Movies

RC: As with every other month, we have a mixed bag of articles. An interesting but short article on Commando comics. A long well informed but ultimately pointless essay about Garth Ennis. Film reviews I can accept, but a two page review of a book that I’d bet none of us is going to buy is a real waste of space. Nice reprint, and very good Small Press. We sat with the Monkeyboys at the Eagle Awards, and they’re a lovely brace of chaps.

RC: Though I griped throughout this review, this is still a good solid Meg.  

Best story: The Angel Gang