2000AD - Prog 1875

Can the Prog keep the momentum going from 1874 and start to compete with the Meg for quality?

Cover is by Karl Richardson and I like it. Dark and creepy. If I saw that on the shelf I'd buy it but I still might be unsure as to which publication this is. At least leave one of the logos clear, Tharg, or has someone already said that?

Judge Dredd: Mega-City Confidential part 2 by John Wagner, Colin MacNeil, Chris Blythe and Annie Parkhouse

The plot thickens as Erika goes on the run with whatever piece of evidence she has stolen from the mysterious Section 7. Wagner plays the slow build cards with his usual skill. Tapping away at us with suggestions of what is to come.

MacNeil produces some lovely artistic touches, particularly Dredd reflected in the Section chief's glasses. The panel layouts, the bike headlights, and the silhouette of Dredd parked on the bridge in the last panel are all great stuff.

Personally I suspect that either the Mega-City Confidential host or the old geezer are going to turn out to be undercover Wallly squad but I'm probably wrong.

Outlier part 2 by T.C.Eglington, Karl Richardson and Annie Parkhouse.

This is excellent. I love a bit of science fiction detective work and this feels like something by the late lamented Iain M Banks. While Wagner keeps his cards hidden Eglington is showing us a lot quite quickly so there must be loads to come as we learn more about the Hurde.

Slaine The Brutania Chronicles part 2 by Pat Mills, Simon Davis and Ellie De Ville

A man walks intro a bar and hears a tall tale and then he's off on a D&D style quest. I don't know if Slaine's stream of consciousness narration had been a feature before but I quite like it here. And the Davis artwork is still lovely to behold.

Sinister Dexter: The Generican Dream part 2 by Dan Abnett, Smudge and Ellie De Ville.

There must be Sinister Dexter fans out there and it's time for them to do some reviews and tell us what we're missing. I'll tell you one thing, I bet S&D end up playing one side off against the other in classic Fistful of Dollars style.

Jaegir: Strigoi part 2 by Gordon Rennie, Simon Coleby, Len O'Grady and Simon Bowland

The Nazi Fatherland parallel is pushed even further as we learn about a thinly disguised version of Zyklon B which killed Jaegir's mother. Then she learns more about her mission and teams up with a Human League tribute act.

I'm a bit confused as to when and why the troops need to wear the chem masks, and why some veterans have various physical modifications and other don't. But the story still has me on board and the art is great.

Another four solid stories and just one duffer in this issue. Pick of the Prog is still Dredd but I'm hooked on Outlier and Jaegir as well. The weekly is back in the groove.