The cover by Nick Percival is outstanding. A heavy metal depiction of the mental disintegration Dredd seems to be experiencing inside. And the title and logo stand out clearly against the darkness which should keep the design and marketing guys happy. Another one for the top five short list.
Judge Dredd: Traumatown by Michael Carroll, Nick Percival and Annie Parkhouse.
Let's get details done first, Percival's art is superb and I'm thrilled to see the return of Pax and my feller Joyce. Now then, it would appear that Joe Dredd is seeing things. There was that black horse a while back, and now this fleeing perp and then the dream about Palance. So my big question for the charming Mr Carroll who I met at the Lawgiver convention would be is there going to be some cop out paranormal explanation for these visions, or is the great man really cracking up?
And I'll tell you right now if it's the former I'm going to be disappointed. It's not that I wish ill on old Joe but there's something fascinating about stories looking at the mental state of the top Judges. Cass Anderson has been going through some tough stuff over in the Megazine, and maybe now it's Dredd's turn. I'm looking forward to the next four weeks, and along the way I also want to see Joyce's character bloom (literary joke).
Just a Doctor's thought: Dredd has a long history of ignoring medical advice and putting himself back on the streets when not fully healed. Yet he has advised other Judges to take time off when they need to recover from physical or mental scars. I would expect the Judicial system to have a more senior medical officer who could bench Dredd when he's not fit. Not that he would pay any attention, but where is the chief medical officer?
Slaine: A Simple Killing part 10 by Pat Mills, Simon Davis and Ellie De Ville.
There's a slightly jarring effect of moving straight from Percival's colouring to the Davis palette but that's just juxtaposition for you. Sinead has lost her little mermaid tail but she's still wearing the ridiculous belt bra as she undergoes her demonic possession. And Slaine finds one giant down, six to go. Next week he'll need to get going if this is going to reach a conclusion soon. Chop chop, dear boy.
Indigo Prime: Perfect Day part 4 by John Smith, Lee Carter and Simon Bowland.
While the agents continue to escort the Nazi through his final bucket list it seems that there is someone else interested in him. Danny and Unthur take him to an end of the world party with a cycling fish and Arcade Fire doing a Lou Reed cover, not that it amuses the elderly nazi, they're never satisfied. Should have gone to Butlins, indeed, they always have a whiff of the concentration camp about them. Still looks fantastic and the plot is beginning to thicken. Like it.
Tharg's 3rillers: In Seconds Flat by Eddie Robson, Andrew Currie, Abigail Ryder and Ellie De Ville.
Now this is more like what I want from a 3riller, a nice setup that takes a sudden left turn into science fiction territory and then a lizard creature with a big gun steps out of a lift. Looks good, sounds good, does me good too.
Outlier part 10 by T.C.Eglington, Karl Richardson and Annie Parkhouse.
And so we reach the final curtain and it's the old Star Trek self-destruct trick that shred the bad guys but gives Carcer enough time to escape set up a sequel mission. OK, but let's give him more to do next time. Some promising stuff to begin with but it petered out over the run.
Pick of the Prog is Carroll and Percival's first trip into Dredd's psyche, and that epic cover image.
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