Cover by Anthony Williams

Robert Cornell: I like the image, which works very nicely as a hook for the story, but what’s with the stubby lawgiver? Doesn’t Williams know that real men have BIG guns?

David Page: It's a pretty okay cover. The noose actually keeps it from being a stock Dredd cover although Dredd himself looks a bit odd.

Synopsis: Dredd and Rico arrive at the town of Noose Knot, where a Texas City ambassador and his aide are being hanged for a crime they clearly didn't commit. After a brief fight with the locals, Dredd and Rico take the prisoners away. however, we discover that the Ambassador and his aide almost wiped out an entire town to cover up the ambassador's indiscretions with the mutant prostitutes. Dredd delivers them back there, where they are hanged for the crime they did commit.

Robert Cornell: With a mega-epic on the go, it would be easy for Wagner’s backups to adopt a “six months earlier…” approach but Ewing actively participates with this snappy western pastiche.

There’s a lot to like; the lynching, the sympathetic characterisation of the townsfolk, and the easy banter between Dredd and his considerably more laid back brother; but the obvious highlight is Dredd’s dust-up with The Jury – one of the best muties this side of Strontium Dog – and his special move. Ouch! Do they teach that at the Academy?

All wrapped up with a nice twist.

Goddard does well not to make The Jury look silly and he captures the western vibe nicely.

David Page: A truly fun old school episode which proves yet again that Al Ewing is a good contender as an replacement Dredd writer, if the unthinkable happens and John Wagner takes the long walk. The art is also brilliant and the idea of a jury being a multi-headed mutie is a hoot.

Synopsis: After a car boot sale, Booga is tinkering with some plugs in the tank when he accidentally turns on the machine that gives Tank Girl her orders. She gets the team kitted out and they begin their attack against heavily armed soldiers. However, Tank Girl is experiencing Deja Vu...

Robert Cornell: I was all worked up to give TG another good kicking but credit where it’s due – this is comfortably her best Megazine outing so far. It has plenty of action, none of the baffling in-jokes and an actual tank. Tank Girl in a tank? Imagine that.

(On the other hand, car boot sales are SO Twentieth Century, dear, get some modern targets.)

Dayglo’s artwork is busy and amusing and still the best thing in the strip.

David Page: I can't say enough good things about the absolutely gorgeous art in Tank Girl. It truly is beautiful and it is obvious Rufus has put a lot of love and attention into it.

The problem with this strip for me however is the actual writing I really just can't get into it at all. I really have tried for the past few months, but I just haven't managed it. I really believe it is time to say goodbye to this series and leave it as it should be - a separate book on its own where those who do like it can enjoy it.

Synopsis: Sov Block immigrant Leonid Bereznyak was trying to pull together the money he needed to bribe official back in East Meg 2 so that his daughter could join him in Mega City One. On one of his scavenger hunts, he discovers an abandoned Sov Sentinoid which he restores, hoping to use it to make money. When crooks break into his apartment to steam money, the sentinoid kills them in order to protect him. From then on, Bereznyak uses it to take down criminals in the area and take their money. The local sov crime lord, Zhukov, finds out and forced him to program the sentinoid to obey him instead. Bereznyak does so as Zhukov tells him that his daughter was killed in a purge. Bereznyak attacks Zhukov and is killed, but the robot breaks its programming attacks and kills Zhukov in revenge for its downed master.

Robert Cornell: I’ve never liked the Black Museum – it strikes me as the most filler-ish of the filler one-offs – but this was a neat little tale that reminded me of the “Ro-Jaws Robo-tales” from way, way back.

It’s nice to sympathise with a central character and the story as a whole was really quite touching.

PJH’s artwork is nicely angular and suited the script completely. Not so sure about all the green. It seemed a bit pointless to me. Maybe Tharg didn’t want three B&W strips in one issue. I wouldn’t have minded.

David Page: A nice fun little story with good art ruined slightly by questionable colouring.

Synopsis: Mr Amperduke's latest addition to the town goes awry when some coffee is accidentally spilled into it's incubation bath. It grows to the size of a real child, so Mr Amperduke takes it under his own wing. But things can't last...

Robert Cornell: Is this count as an actual story or an extra? I love the weird world of Mr Amperduke and Byrne’s ingenious stories without words. 2000 AD generally trades in cynicism and irony, so a little simple sentiment made a nice change. It’s also less obtuse and easier on the brain than his Twisted Tales.

(I’ll certainly be buying the new GN.)

David Page: I have never really been a fan of  Bob Byrne before but, I have to admit, I enjoyed this quite a bit. It was dark and disturbing and was pretty much my cup of tea. It is no joke for me to say if this was in a fodderless meg this would be my top story.

Synopsis: Catalonia finds out about Carlito's relationship with Abbadonna and tells him to meet her on a rooftop, after narrowly missing him several times with her sniper rifle. Abbadonna suspects that Carlito is cheating on her and follows her with several of her father's men. A shoot out begins on the rooftop with Abbadonna and Carlito falling off the edge - but miraculously into a cruiser with an open swimming pool full of MC1's most eligible bachelors. Abbadonna is suitably distracted, so Carlito slips away while some strong armed tactics from Catalonia ensure that her father won't get involved....

Robert Cornell: Loco wasn’t on my list of characters I’d like to see return – in fact, I’d forgotten all about him – but this two episode anecdote filled eighteen pages very nicely and did it with humour and considerable style. Loco is a likeable idiot. There’s a fine line between likeable idiot and just plain idiot and Rennie nicely stays the right side of the line.

(I do wonder what the strip gains from being set in MC1: Wouldn’t it work better with a Latino backdrop?)

Nicely dynamic artwork. Good to see that big-busted is still the preferred look in MC1.

David Page: I'm sorry, but for me this really did feel like it was just at the bottom of the pile and just had to be printed. This is no slight against the Rennie droid, as I am usually a fan, but this felt really weak and the art did it no favours.

Cannon Fodder Collection
David Millgate interview
Licensed comics feature
New Comics
New Movies

Robert Cornell: Extra story = fewer articles = happy reader.

As for Canon Fodder, it may be populated with caricatures but I like Canon Fodder’s world and, as C-grade material, we could do a lot worse for a reprint. It's a shame that Canon himself is such a thuggish one-note character. It’s a great showcase for Weston’s first rate artwork, although his Rogue Trooper is a disaster.

David Page: The article on licensed comics was very interesting and while we could have had a bit more on Sonic the Comic and a bit less on that rather crap Marvel Star Wars (and did dark horse suddenly disappear? Or IDW?). It was overall pretty good.

The David Millgate potted history was a bit short and could do more than just plug his stuff but I am of the opinion that these interrogation articles only really work if they have the page space to let them breathe. It seems that only the bigger named creators really get that (which is a shame). The film reviews are a still waste of time, in my opinion.

As for Canon Fodder, what can I say about this without repeating what I said way back last November in the first Canon Fodder mini GN. The art is better, the story is fantastic and it had enough of a hook that it made you want more. Add to this a genuinely unnerving Rogue Trooper as only the Smith and Weston team could do and one of Chris Weston's first ever 2000AD stories and you have a pretty awesome package.

Robert Cornell: From the contents page we could be forgiven for thinking that the only reason for the November Megazine to exist was that something had to come between October and Christmas; so it was a pleasant surprise how entertaining this issue was. The best for quite some time.

I know that a fifth story would be expensive but boy does it make a difference. It’s like reading a totally different product.

Best Story: Judge Dredd

David Page: The Meg has been seriously treading water lately but I have got to say that this month each story had something half-decent about them. Either good writing with odd art choices (Tales, Bato Loco) poor writing and good art choices (Tank Girl). However, add to that two purely good stories (Amperduke and Dredd) plus a damn fine reprint and it becomes a pretty strong Meg in a year where those are becoming a rarity.

Best Story: Judge Dredd