The Forbidden Planet International Blog

In February 2012, for the 35th anniversary of 2000AD, I made a pledge:

“But here’s a deal for you. If you’ll do it, so will I. 2012 will be the year I read 2000AD. 2012 will be the year YOU read 2000AD.”

Another one of those Clint Langley pretty cover things. But bloody hell that’s gorgeous. Seriously, I know I slag off ABC Warriors, and I stand by that, but it’s a ridiculously strong, iconic cover.

Right, slightly different this time, let’s start with the last strip and work sort of backwards for a bit….

Brass Sun. Still just as damn good as always. I’m looking forward with ridiculous expectation to reading this in a collection, just to start appreciating the thing as one contiguous piece rather than the episodic thing it is now. This issue Culbard changes palette completely, suddenly we’ve gone from stark, harsh colours to a really organic, beautiful hue throughout.

ABC Warriors. At last, just a little hint of something interesting here, as Hammerstein’s mission is revealed in full, the political machinations behind it become clearer, and Pat Mills suggests single combat, intellectual and physical, as a solution to all wars and conflicts in the future.

Or the “Two Tribes solution”, as I just can’t help but think of it.

But for some reason, possibly because Mills decided to deliver something of a story, limit the voice-over, get a move on, the scenes of Hammerstein breaking through the robot barriers outside the White House are good, enjoyable things. Fingers crossed the upward trend carries on.

Judge Dredd: Oh my. Oh my word. I don’t even know where to go with this review. I could be mean and spoil it for you, and I know some sites would. But frankly I never think that’s fair. You want spoilers, go somewhere else. You want a great comic experience?  Read this week’s 2000AD.

It’s bloody clever is what it is, and full credit for 2000AD for not blowing their own trumpet about how damnably clever they’re being right now, credit to them for letting the readers discover it for themselves.

So no, I’m not going to spoiler it, why should I be the one to deny you the sheer thrill of realisation that something very special just happened in the pages. So this week, we’ll simply skate over stuff, leave things a little vague, even show a little less detail with the pics than normal. Trust me, you’ll thank me for this.

Suffice to say Dredd is a great thing, but it’s certainly not alone….

The Simping Detective. Great stuff again, as Jack Point’s life goes from bad to worse. Loving the colour effects Coleby is throwing around as well, adds to the whole deranged and damaged feel to Point’s life.

Lowlife: Again, another great little series, made so much better for the direct focus on the genius that is Dirty Frank, and the majesty that is D’Israeli that gets to follow the maniac shark-headed bad-guy building a huge great bloody city on the moon, Luna-2, with extra fishy stuff. Fantastic work from Williams matched every step of the way by his artist collaborator, who as usual supplies an overview to the creation of his pages at his blog.

(Judge Dredd by Al Ewing and Henry Flint)

(The Simping Detective by Si Spurrier and Simon Coleby)

(Lolife by Rob Williams and D’Isralei)

(Brass Sun by Ian Edginton and INJ Culbard)

(ABC Warriors by Pat Mills and Clint Langley)

Best issue so far in my whole 2012 2000AD pledge thing? Well possibly, just because of the simply audacious manner in which the comic foisted the surprise upon me, plus the quality of the strips this issue.

Really, if you’re not actually picking this up every week, why not? There’s such good work going on, a wonderful distillation of a certain type of comic work right now, pushing at the boundaries of intelligent sci-fi at its best.