Rage against the machine

This ran in Progs 1453-1464 and 1555-1566 back in 2005 and 2007 respectively. Sergeant Nate Slaughterhouse returns to Mega-City One with his family after been horribly injured in an off-world conflict, but he is not the man he was. Most of him has been replaced by advanced military prosthetics so that he has become the Mandroid of the title. When his wife disappears and his son is brutally murdered he decides to take the law into his own artificial hands.

Once again Dredd is largely a peripheral character in this story with Slaughterhouse's drama taking centre stage as he kills his way towards the truth of happened to his wife and son. Dredd's conversations with Nate are mostly sympathetic although he is much harsher with his junior colleagues here, particularly with a Judge Wittle whose screw ups allow Slaughterhouse to escape from the iso-cubes. Yes, Wagner has to arrange another break out from the ultimate prison and while the medical details of the escape seem somewhat improbable it does allow the Mandroid to return for a second chapter after presumably being a big hit on his first outing.

Dredd's relationship with machines and technology is interesting. In his early appearances other characters would speculate that he appeared to be more robot than man. And of course he famously influenced the Robocop movie, but for a science fiction character he is notoriously distrustful of machines. Obviously he relies on his lawmaster and lawgiver, although he often seems to prefer his daystick and boot knife, and he uses the various other bits of tech that allow him to do his job. However his distrust rises when dealing with machines that are designed to replace humans in some way. This is most obvious in his longstanding opposition to the Mechanismo program of robot Judges which turn up briefly in the second story here. Dredd places his faith in human decisions, particularly those made by well trained Judges, he does not believe those decisions should be delegated to machines.

Early in the Day of Chaos epic the council of five ordered a remote drone strike on the rogue Sov judges' bunker, Dredd wanted to put troops on the ground instead but was outvoted with disastrous consequences. Dredd's decision to trust humans over machines could have prevented the decimation of his city. I wonder if that other cybernetic Judge Gerhart will take that into account if he ever succeeds in bringing Dredd to trial.

Of course by this stage of his career Dredd himself is partly bionic although he regards his implants as just tools to allow him to dispense justice. And here he comes face to face with a man who has had to have most of his body replaced with machinery. Slaughterhouse is bitterly unhappy about his replacement parts, and spends time debating whether he is still a man. This philosophical debate as to how much of us we can replace before we are no longer ourselves is fascinating, and how great to find it in a weekly throwaway comic (I don't really throw them away, honest). So it is perhaps not too surprising when Dredd meets what he could become himself that he empathises with Nate to some extent. Of course there can only be one winner, although the way Dredd handles the final showdown is calm and unexpected.

I can't get enough of Wagner's writing when the standard is as high as this. He so thoroughly understands Dredd's character by this stage that he is just turning out gems every time he returns to the character he is most closely linked too. Here he mixes Dredd's detective work, a vengence vendetta, and a political conspiracy thriller but the thing that shines out is the human element of Nate's terrible plight. It seems to me that as Wagner has gotten older his interest in the ordinary citizens of his future city has grown and he has portrayed them in a more sympathetic light.

The art is split between Kev Walker, Simon Coleby and Carl Critchlow and they are all top notch. I'm hard pressed to chose between them but Walker's work on the first chapter just edges it. This is the first complete story by Walker that I've read and it's lovely stuff. I'd like to see more of this in the prog. The only bad thing about Mandroid is that I missed it when it first came out, this is one of those stories that I would have really enjoyed to read on a weekly basis. Another top thrill from the house of Tharg and I'm really digging my journey through the Dredd trades available on the iPad app.

2000AD Retro Review - Prog 242

Here from December 1981 is another slice of golden age goodness courtesy of the back issue bins at Orbital comics.

Cover is by Brian Bolland and its another beauty. The dynamic posture of Orlok and his red jumpsuit fit perfectly against the yellow and blues of the backgrounds. This one would have leapt off the shelves for me in 1981 just like it did in Orbital.

The Nerve centre has a few moans and niggles from readers about Ace Trucking Co, whether Dredd should remove his helmet, and reporting that 2000AD is popular down under.

Ace Trucking Co by John Wagner, Alan Grant, Ian Gibson and Tony Jacobs

I'm not used to seeing Gibson handle the art on Ace, it's a change from Belardinelli but Gibson can draw really whacky aliens so it's not too much of a shift.. Ace and Feek are about to be impaled by some belligerent Yaaga so GBH releases concentrated Macmac vapour which intoxicates the aliens and allows GBH to launch a rescue bid. It's fun stuff as Ace Trucking always was back in the day. Entertaining kids' comics.

The Mean Arena by Tom Tully, Mike White and Pete Knight

First time I've read a Mean arena in a long time. Mixing a sport strip with some futuristic war elements must have seemed like a sure winner for the editorial team. Matt Tallon takes on the Roy Race role and scores a perfect volley portrayed in classic British footie comic style. It's like Rollerball but played on the mean streets of Edinburgh.

Tharg's Future Shocks. Love Thy Neighbour by Kelvin Gosnell, Jesus Redondo and Steve Potter

A grumpy old git invents a machine to stop his neighbours annoying him with all their electronic gadgets. But there is typical twist in the tale and it's probably a good job he wasn't around once we all got smartphones.

Judge Dredd. Block Mania by John Wagner, Alan Grant, Steve Dillon and Tom Frame

Orlok the assassin is caught dumping the block mania toxin into the water supply and the chase is on. More golden age stuff as the Judges close in on the deadly Orlok and his floating robot Sattelat. Dillon's sequentials are brilliant and really deliver the high intensity of the hunt. I wont give away a 33 years old spoiler but one of Dredd's supporting cast dies at the end of the episode. Thrill-powered stuff of the highest order.

Tharg's Future Shocks. Mister, could you use a Squonge? by Alan Moore. Ron Tinner and Tim Skomski.

A space probe returns with a weird bunch of self-replicating space sponges which when worn on the head seem to boost intelligence, but there is a classic Moore twist when he reveals that they are not quite the good idea they seem to be. Wonder whatever happened to that Moore guy?

Rogue Trooper by Gerry Finlay-Day, Mike Dorey and Bill Nuttall

A brief Rogue story where he takes out a Nort ship before collapsing apparently poisoned and he is supposed to be immune to all poisons. It's a bit of a throwaway story that is over in a couple of pages. Not vintage Rogue Trooper.

The back cover has a Star Lord scan, not sure who is the artist is, and neither is Barney. Anyone?

Pick of the prog is clearly that moment from a great Dredd epic and the Whittle circular panel count is 3

2000AD - Prog 1880

Cover by Simon Davis. What a beautiful piece of art by a lovely chap who I have met and if I meet him again I will ask him to sign this for me, but although it would not look out of place on an art gallery wall is it a comic book cover? I honestly can't make up my mind. Part of me thinks that Tharg should push at the boundaries with interesting art and design, but I also want to see Slaine with a big axe because I think that would look better on the shelves and sell more copies. I'm going to have to stare at this for a while before I decide whether it will make my top covers of the year list.

Judge Dredd. Shooter's Night part 2 by John Wagner, John McCrea, Chris Blythe and Annie Parkhouse
Wagner gives us some good detective work by Dredd as he works his way towards the shooters club and McCrea's art does the job nicely, it's cartoony but that is no bad thing. Interesting to see a human psychiatrist in a very old world office filled with books and papers, not a computer or iPad in sight. I don't understand the last panel though, whose door has Dredd turned up at, and why are all those pictures or mirrors on the wall? A bit of a jump there, but presumably all will be explained next week.

As ever Wagner can probably write this stuff in his sleep by now. And while it hasn't got the same tension as the Mega-City Confidential story this one has a more human angle which strikes a chord with me.

Indigo Prime. Perfect Day part 1 by John Smith, Lee Carter and Simon Bowland.
I have a problem with 2000AD stories where I wasn't there at the beginning, and I wasn't there at the start of Indigo Prime. I know that they have to fix problems in alternate realities but apart from that I'm a bit confused, and it doesn't help that in this first episode it is not immediately clear who the central characters are, and whose adventure I am supposed to be following.

The story certainly starts with some arresting images of the crucifixion, the sort of thing that used to get comics banned, and it gets even weirder with the Planet of the Apes style stuffed bodies in Buckingham palace. The last page reveal is perhaps less surprising as everybody wants to tell an alternate history story where the Nazis won the war, and we all knew they were really giant lizards anyway, at least we did if we watched Wogan back in the 80s. Anyway there is enough here to keep me intrigued and reading for now.

Slaine. A Simple Killing part 7 by Pat Mills, Simon Davis and Ellie De Ville
The Giant's Causeway turns out to be exactly that as all manner of monsters cross from the island (or to the island?). Davis' art is absolutely stunning in this episode, the image on the fifth page of Slaine riding away from the camera and his eyes in the sky is particularly breath-taking and might have made a better cover than Sinead's profile.

Meanwhile this story is proving to be anything but the simple killing of the title. Episode 7 and we still haven't got Slaine to the island yet? Oh well, just look at the lovely pictures.

Tharg's 3rillers. Colony part 1 by Kek-W, Vince Locke, Adam Brown and Ellie De Ville
One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich meets the colour from space. Better dead than red as they used to say in the last century, but in case they will probably end up being both. If I hadn't read the Solzhenitsyn novel I might be more interested. The dud of the issue for me.

Outlier part 7 by T.C.Eglington, Karl Richardson and Annie Parkhouse.
Bit of a talky episode this week and Richardson's art is mostly static as well. The character of Carcer still seems underused to me and I'm disappointed that we haven't seen more of his enhanced optic abilities as this has gone on. The world of Outlier hasn't been fully explored yet and I found this confusing rather than compelling this week.

Pick of the Prog is almost Indigo Prime which is a surprise but goes to the ever reliable Dredd yet again.

2000AD Prog 1879

Cover is by Phil Winslade and after last week's muted browns Mr Winslade goes for the whole Skittles rainbow. Psychedelic!

Judge Dredd: Shooters Night part 1 by John Wagner, John McCrea, Chris Blythe and Annie Parkhouse

Wagner brings the horrors of Columbine and Sandy Hook to the big Meg and does it in such a way that we really feel the pain of the victims, their families and friends. It's grim and nasty, as is Dredd's simple dispatch of the lone gunman, standard execution round - dead. But there's more to it than that and Dredd has his suspicions.

What a treat to have two Wagner stories back to back, and with McCrea's art I wonder if we'll see a black horse anywhere.

Outlier part 6 by T.C.Eglington, Karl Richardson and Annie Parkhouse

We learn a bit more about what the head woman is prepared to do to capture Caul. Karl Richardson's art does tend to make all his big, hard blokes look alike but at least the story takes a leap forward here towards a conclusion which can't be far away.

Slaine: A Simple Killing part 6 by Pat Mills, Simon Davis and Ellie De Ville

Poor old Sinead. That's nasty stuff when you're transformed into a water breathing snake demon. Still not much happening in each issue though, but it looks lovely.

Sinister Dexter: The Generican Dream part 6 by Dan Abnett, Smudge and Ellie De Ville

Is this nearly done yet? Kill them off in a hail of bullets Butch and Sundance style. Get Simon Fraser or Colin MacNeil to do an elegiac cover and end it in glory.

Jaegir: Strigoi part 6 by Gordon Rennie, Simon Coleby, Len O'Grady and Simon Bowland

Jaegir ends with a fairly satisfying moment between Atalia and Grigoru. Just one military quibble which has probably already been mentioned on the podcast. I'm sure a real sniper would be using some form of support, or the prone position rather than the stand up and twist shot that he takes here.

Jaegir has convinced me with the characters and setting so finally it gets the Pick of the Prog from me and I look forward to its soon return.

Dredd versus Things with Teeth

Here are two Dredd collections linked by the rather toothy nature of the monsters he is up against, and by artist Henry Flint.

First up is The Hunting Party by John Wagner with art by Flint, Sean Philips, Trevor Hairsine, Jason Brashill, David Bircham and Callum Alexander Watt. It originally ran in 2000AD progs 1014-1049 back in 1996. The story seems like an interesting midway point between some of the early epics from the 1980s and the more gritty story lines we have come to expect from later Dredd. After an attack on the Mega-City wall by ferocious Dune Sharks the Chief Judge details Dredd and DeMarco to take a group of cadets out on a Hotdog run to hunt down and destroy the sharks in their cursed earth lair. Along the way they will have the usual run-ins with mutants, madmen and crazed militia.

Henry Flint draws the opening episodes and then returns to do the finale. This was his first work on Dredd and he's already head and shoulders above the other artists in this book. The only piece of original 2000AD art I own is a colour page from the first part of this story which Flint signed for me at Thought Bubble, and it hangs framed on my wall as I write this. The next artist in the book is Sean Philips who was also fairly early on in his career at this point and his art is some way from the brilliant noir stuff he produced in Ed Brubaker's Criminal.

A cadet hotdog run is always good fun although this is not vintage Wagner. It feels much nearer to those weird and wonderful stories from the early days of the comic. Dredd's assessments of the cadets is interesting and surprisingly lenient, something that the 2012 movie got right, Dredd will make exceptions if he thinks cadets show potential. Apart from that the best thing here is the Henry Flint art.

Next is Judge Dredd vs Aliens: Incubus by John Wagner, Andy Diggle and Mr Flint again, with colours by Chris Blythe and letters by Tom Frame. This one ran in progs 1322-1335 in 2003. The story is a version of the second Aliens movie set in the bowels of Mega-City One. All the usual tropes turn up, face-huggers and chest bursters, acidic blood, a Queen alien, and eggs, lots of eggs. There is even a Ripley and Newt like connection between Dredd and a rookie Judge although I don't believe he would descend down into the Queen's lair to try and rescue her. I think Dredd would be far more likely to seal the hole and then nuke the whole site, just to be sure.

Minor quibbles aside this is fun stuff, who doesn't want to see Dredd face off against a fully grown Alien, or fighting off waves of face-huggers all intent on getting him to take off that helmet. The supporting characters of the rookie Judge Sanchez, and a group of vermin exterminators who want revenge for their fallen colleagues are well done and add a nice human element to the battle between the Justice department and the alien invaders. Once again Dredd makes allowances for Sanchez because he sees her potential. There's an introduction written by Simon Pegg who discusses Dredd as a substitute father figure and there is something interesting about the mentoring role he takes on in these two books.

Henry Flint's art is, as ever, sublime, he is right up there with the top Dredd artists of all time. Along with the Simon Pegg intro this book also has a short piece by Andy Diggle about the origins of the story, and there are a couple of pages of sketches by Flint. An introduction and some extras in a Rebellion trade, what a great idea. More please.

Overall the Aliens book is probably the pick of the bunch but there's plenty of entertainment and great art in both of them.

Free Comic Book Day 2014

A quick posting and some pictures from yesterday's Free Comic Book Day. Like last year I took Tom Waits' Downtown Train (well it was on my iPod anyway) to London and got in the queue for Orbital Comics. A bigger line this year but a cheerful crowd was kept amused by a comedy Deadpool cosplayer who sang Tom Jones songs. We were also kept Bat-safe by sixties Batman who clearly knows you should never go out without a vest until after May.

The advantage of queuing for Orbital is that they let you pick which free comic book day issues you want so I was able to pick up the 2000AD Prog, a Bleeding Cool issue, and the lovely looking hardback Mouseguard which will soon be on its way to Canada for my nephew Ruairi.

From there to Forbidden Planet who hand out lucky dip bags of free comics (nothing particularly of interest to me) where I was first in the queue for the 2000AD droids signing. This year we had Tharg himself Matt Smith (no, not that one), top Dredd artist Henry Flint and Tiernen Trevaillion who draws the fantastic Absalom.

I got two copies of the Prog signed as well as a couple of trades. I'm hoping to get some more signatures including John Wagner's at the Lawgiver event on Monday and then one of the Progs and a trade will be up on eBay as charity auctions for Cancer Research UK.

After that I went back to do some back issue browsing in a slightly quieter Orbital and picked up my usual handful of early 2000ADs some of which will show up as Retro Reviews here later. I also walked over to Gosh comics in Soho and picked up a couple of comics for my daughter. Most of the FCBD mayhem had died down there but they still had artists painting comic characters on the windows, and a big table full of pens and paper where kids were making their own comics. Brilliant stuff from Gosh.

Another grand day out and look at all these lovely comics.

2000AD - Prog 1878

Cover by Simon Coleby and Len O'Grady. The figure of the Strigoi gives me a nice Hammer horror feel which I like. However the colours are a bit dull and it probably won't trouble the scorers much when it comes time to vote for cover of the year.

Judge Dredd: Mega-City Confidential part 5 by John Wagner, Colin MacNeil, Chris Blythe and Annie Parkhouse

And the grim secret of Section 7 is revealed to be a total surveillance project which causes yet more rioting in the streets. Interestingly Dredd is opposed to the project and his thoughts as he attempts to clear up the loose ends are perhaps the most interesting thing about this whole episode. There's been frequent mentions of Dredd's "woolgathering" in recent story lines, as he becomes a more thoughtful and interesting character.

The way that Blixen reveals the truth is a bit weird. To prove that the Judges are breaching citizens' privacy he does exactly the same by revealing secrets about a number of individuals on an international broadcast. Not exactly the actions of a declared liberal.

The cost of the Section 7 project bothers me as well. I'm not sure how the Justice department could afford to install all the hidden surveillance equipment when the blocks were being rebuilt after Chaos day. In fact the economics of Mega-City One are a bit of a mystery. With 90% of the population on welfare how do they generate any revenue at all?

Anyhow Wagner hits the reset button at the end of this tale but it has been good stuff. MacNeil's art has been great throughout with superb colour work from Chris Blythe. Top thrill.

Outlier part 5 by T.C.Eglington, Karl Richardson and Annie Parkhouse.

The grim and nasty science fiction revenge thriller gets grimmer and nastier. There is some talk on the forums as to whether the alien torture scene goes too far for a comic book. Eglington and Richardson want us to know that the Hurde are something completely alien and terrible and eventually they have to show us something to prove that, and we are left in no doubt after the flashback sequence in this Prog.

The question is where does this go from here? Caul appears completely indestructible and Carcer the investigator with the bionic eyes has not really been given any further character development. I'm not sure if this is going to be recurring story for 2000AD or if there is a definite ending approaching, but it still has me hooked.

Slaine A Simple Killing part 5 by Pat Mills, Simon Davis and Ellie De Ville
Quite a lot of standing around talking before Sinead demonstrates why you should be careful about what you do with your piercings. The painted art still looks lovely but my interest is waning.

Sinister Dexter: The Generican Dream part 5 by Dan Abnett, Smudge and Ellie De Ville
Nope, still not doing it. Five stories in every Prog and one is a dud. Still good value at £2.45 though.

Jaegir: Strigoi part 5 by Gordon Rennie, Simon Coleby, Len O'Grady and Simon Bowland
The Hammer theme continues with more flashbacks and glimpses of the creepy castle on the hill before the ending gives the plot a new twist. If Wagner and MacNeil were not dominating proceedings with Dredd then this would be the best thing in the comic at the moment. Lovely colours and a great atmosphere in the slowly building story.

What about the prog as a whole? The cover is muted, Judge Dredd and Jaegir are both on top form but Slaine and Sinister Dexter are idling, and there is the unpleasantness in Outlier which leaves me feeling that this Prog was good but not great.

Pick of the Prog: Dredd wins again but next week the first team take to the bench and the subs get a chance to shine.