Right then, here we go…. 2000AD has, for the last year plus, been a regular feature of my week. The trip to the newsagent on Wednesday marks the past the midpoint and on the downhill to the weekend moment of my week. I could do the subscription thing and get it earlier, I could use the digital preview 2000AD send through for us and review that, but both seem like cheating to be honest. So a year plus later I’m settled in nicely, still a little bit of a newbie, some things still jumping out and sending me scuttling to the archives and needing to ask a few questions. But generally having a great time. You should try it too.

This issue… Glenn Fabry’s Anderson cover’s really nice and all, but surely that’s old Anderson, not the Cadet Anderson we’re about to meet? Whatever, nice cover.

Judge Dredd by Michael Carroll and PJ Holden

Part 4 of the Forsaken, and we’ve settled into a pattern of Dredd and Dolman, still looking for their wayward clone brother, a cadet who went missing along with his squad on Chaos Day, finding one of the squad then interrogating and moving on, each time uncovering some horrible moment of the Chaos Day nightmare.

I’m honestly loving this. I just can’t decide right now who amongst the Dredd writers impresses me most, but Carroll’s certainly up there. It’s the quietness of his stories, the contemplation, the cumulative shellshock of Mega-City One that he seems to just get right. He’s also got Dredd just so, that panel above where Dredd takes great offence at the cadet distancing herself from the Justice Department, near incapable of understanding. He’s the immovable object that all of these tales of the city can be placed around. Similarly in the panel below, as Dredd learns of the desperation of the squad, his only reaction is contempt…

Yes, I know that’s how Dredd is, yes, I know that’s how it’s always been. I’m not saying Carroll’s doing anything new, I’m simply saying that he’s doing a bloody great job of delivering a Dredd that feels absolutely right. Meanwhile, his artistic collaborator Holden gets the look of the city just right as well, his chunkier artwork capturing the grime and the chaos that some artists fails to provide. This is a great little storyline, and I’m hoping it plays out long, I want to enjoy the slow build-up of the fun.

Cadet Anderson by Alan Grant and Carlos Ezquerra

Last time we had a Cadet Anderson it was a nothing kind of strip from Grant and Steve Yeowell, average, simple, straightforward and with a really not too great, Scooby Doo worthy everything slots into place all too conveniently ending. It was okay. And okay is …. well, okay.

This time there’s perhaps something else here, I don’t know why, but something grabbed me this time. It may well be Ezquerra’s art, which is always a welcome addition, but I think it’s possibly more the prospect of a well-worked police procedural, with a bit of zip, and a bit of action. Whatever it is, it’s working thus far, although I did say that last time, and that let me down hideously. Fingers, as always, crossed.

Sinister Dexter by Dan Abnett and John Burns

This was one of those I had zero idea of. Last issue’s intro episode did enough to make me read on, and this issue answers my question of where’s the plot? It’s here, conveniently found in the offices where Sinister has found work as a cleaner (which again, is a fine gag, the contract killer, the ‘cleaner’ with a mop and his own handy cleaning cart). That it’s also the offices of the same protection programme that Sinister is part of is just one of those needed for the plot to move on sort of things. Yes, impractical, yes, a bit daft, but hey, let’s move on…

So it wasn’t three people moved to Generica as Sinister thought, but four. And he’s not too happy with the identity of the fourth. Too early to really say yet, but I think I’m going to like where this is going. I’m still ambivalent to Burn’s artwork, like I said last time, for every great vista packed with interest and colour, there’s a static panel which is simply visual beige.

Stickleback: Number Of The Beast by Ian Edginton and D’Israeli

Stickleback really has suffered this time round I reckon, simply because by the time I get to it I’m actually looking forwards to getting to Zombo. I have to slow myself down to enjoy Stickleback, and once I do that there’s a grand joy in luxuriating in the artwork and the relatively slow pace of the storyline.

Stickleback’s been gathering friends and allies, old and new, around himself thus far, and here we have another couple of surprises, faces from the past. Once the reunion is over we’re into the ‘not gonna take it anymore’ moment and the big rush to the climactic showdown. It’s been grand fun, and the prospect of a twist and a betrayal at the end gives it that little extra spice.

Zombo by Al Ewing and Henry Flint

Oh, I’m so going to miss this when it finishes. I’ve come to look forward to a 5-page slice of idiocy each week, where Al Ewing shows a lot of people just how well he can do the whole ridiculously over-the-top and full of gags thing whilst also maintaining a pretty decent storyline. Thing is, even with no story this would have worked, as the tone and the voice is so spot on. How can you dislike anything that starts an episode thus:

“Waaaaah-Hooooo! Come on, Ya dash-tootin’, ever-lovin’ crumb-bums! Who wants to live forever?”
“I do….. AAAGGHH”
“Well, ya can’t it was a rhetorical question!”

Oh yes. And it just keeps going. The stupidly funny solution for Zombo and the Padre using their guns as “some kind of angry jetpack” has the just as obvious, just as stupid, just as funny comedy moment right out of Roadrunner as we see the ammo-less Padre plummet into the waiting fish mouse things about to start playing recreational sports with wet parts of his body.

Meanwhile the Jason Van Satan finds a very simple way to dispatch he pres… although even then the stupidly obvious and convenient plot twist is stupid, obvious, and absolutely fittingly great.

Oh, I’m going to miss it.

Patrick McDonnell – Mondrian homage in a Mutts page (Via Wim)

Philip Bond – an epic Archie cover from UKCAC ’93 (United Kingdom Comic Art Convention)

Graham Annable delivers a little Addams Family:

Ramon Villalobos draws Jack Kirby’s Demon:

Paul Pope Grendel (Destroy Comics)

Tara McPherson Sandman illustration from Illustration Now! Taschen 2005. (Via Bendis)

Toth – oh so beautiful… (Bendis again)

From the 1988 Birmingham Comic Art Show booklet. Zenith by Steve Yeowell. (Via Steven Cook)

Dave Crossland – Dangermouse and Penfold as you’ve never seen them before (Via Lulu Bonanza)

Travis Charest Miracleman (Comics Blah)

Alex Toth pinup from Madman Picture Exhibition #1. (Bendis)

Kyle Baker: Dick Tracey 1990 (Lazy Mercenary)

Blacksad by Juanjo Guarnido - FB Page:

It’s all available over at the My Cardboard Life site, but I’ll tempt you with a few snapshots, starting with Granny telling a younger Pauline and Colin about her adventures in a strange world…

All this talk of adventuring gets to them both and eventually, after much hemming and hawing, they take the plunge, and find the world was right in front of them all along…

The adventures continue every weekday at My Cardboard Life.

“… a huge, sprawling, pretty much non-stop fight scene of a comic, with characters in near constant motion, manga shapes everywhere, manga stylings everywhere. And dammit, it’s lots and lots of energetic, kinetic fun.”

Here’s Nikki to tell you a little of the project:

“My name is Nikki Stu, I am a UK based comic book creator living in Sheffield. For the past five years, I have worked on an ongoing series of comics called “Thank Goodness for Herald Owlett”, and am now working on something new…

Honeydew and Magic follows the story of a girl named Sprout – She doesn’t know too much about her past, though one thing she does know is that she was human until a tree spirit named Treesun came along, who lives in her head. You’ll get to meet Terra and Goji, two other folks she lives with and see their adventures in the strange world they inhabit. Oh, I should also mention that they live in a magic shop selling all kinds of different magic teas. Some of which are explosive.

Currently, I am halfway through inking Honeydew and Magic. However there is still a great amount that needs doing, as this is both my largest single issue at 64 pages, and my first comic to be produced in FULL, EYE-POPPING COLOUR from front to back. Making it my biggest project so far.”

Looks good, yes?

(David Ziggy Greene)

Spring has sprung, and Alternative Press are celebrating by bringing their fair to No Dark Places DIY Music Fetsival on 1st June 2013. Details and news over at the AP site, or facebook here. Entry to the AP Fair and workshops is free.

And from the blog, a few more flyers….

(Carina Martina, Sabba Khan)

(Matt Witt, Max Lockwood)

This time round we have writer Lee Robson, whose most recent project; Babble was described by Zainab thus:

 ”Babble is an intriguing book, one that benefits from Robson’s decision not to drown the text in swathes of characters and plot lines, making for a clear, streamlined tale. The choice of subject raises some thoughts over which to ponder: if language is a cornerstone of civilisation, are we not better for the diversity and richness of various tongues or is the fuel for knowledge and the need for instant blanket communication paramount? Robson and Cole have created a great comic here, with an ending that you’ll have to read to appreciate. Pick it up.”

Robson’s based in the North East and has contributed to various UK publications and anthologies over the years; FutureQuake, Something Wicked and the Accent UK series of anthologies (Robots, Western, Predators, Zombies 2 and the forthcoming Victoriana). Babble was published in 2013 by Com.X to lots of reviews very similar to Zainabs. He has more more work set to appear in upcoming issues of Zarjaz and FutureQuake.

And in a timely co-incidence, his artistic collaborator on Babble, Bryan Coyle, has just been nominated for a prestigious Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award.

Desert Island Comics – Episode 60 – Lee Robson

Asterix & Cleopatra by Goscinny and Uderzo

I’ve owned a hardback copy of this since I was a kid. I can’t remember where I got it or who gave it to me, but I do remember being completely drawn into it in a way that a lot of comics like The Dandy and The Beano et al never had. Uderzo’s art was – and still is – amazing; it’s packed with so much detail, and, even now, I find myself marvelling at it and finding things I’d never noticed. Combined with Goscinny’s script (albeit the English translation from Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge), and all the jokes and silly character names, it’s a book I literally can’t imagine not having in my life.

Transformers UK: Time Wars by Simon Furman and Andrew Wildman

I make no excuses for my love of Transformers UK. The original strips produced for it by Simon Furman, Barry Kitson, Will Simpson, Lee Sullivan, Andrew Wildman and Geoff Senior amongst many, many others, quickly outstripped the US reprints in terms of quality. There’s a lot of great collections available, and, I’ll admit, I was torn between this one and Dinobot Hunt, but Time Wars just pips it. It was the culmination of a lot of UK storylines and had some brilliant moments that kept me on the edge of my seat (I mean, Optimus Prime vs Galvatron as the universe begins to tear itself apart!). This book – in fact, make that the whole series – still stands up as a great example of what can be done with licensed comics when the creators are let loose.

The complete Alan Grant/Norm Breyfogle Detective Comics run

Slight cheat this one, I’ll admit, but, hey if I’m going to be stuck on that island, I can damn well take what I want, and I want to take this run.

This was, for me, the definitive Batman run. The characters presented here encapsulated the whole mythos so perfectly. We had a Batman who was lithe, menacing and almost demonic; a hardboiled and tough as nails Commissioner Gordon, a prim and proper, but deeply caring Alfred and, frankly, some of the best character work on Tim Drake that’s ever been done. It also introduced some brilliant new villains and painted the characters – both good guys and bad guys – with a lot of moral grey areas. It’s a shame DC have never collected any of these issues, though.

Dragon’s Claws by Simon Furman and Geoff Senior

Dragon’s Claws is, basically, awesome. Razor sharp scripting by Simon Furman and hyper kinetic art from Geoff Senior made the whole series read like everything was happening in fast forward. I remember that the Claws’ main rivals in the The Game (an atypical violent future sport), The Evil Dead, were introduced in the second issue and then killed off before it ended and it struck me that this was a comic where literally anything could happen – which was proved when Death’s Head turned up in issue five after being dumped in that timeline by The Doctor (yes, that The Doctor). It was a brilliant series that deserved to run a lot longer than its 10 issues.

Flex Mentallo by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely

If I’m asked, nine times out of ten, I’ll say that Flex Mentallo is my favourite comic series ever. I remember picking up the original comics on a whim for around 50p each from a back issue bin (this was back when no one cared about the series). I knew very little about it, other than something I’d read saying how brilliant it was, so I bought them and read them. And I was completely blown away. I literally had no idea where Grant Morrison was taking the story, but the final page of #3 just made my brain melt and had me clambering for the final issue to see how it was all going to end. For all of Morrison’s trademark weirdness, it was surprising and heartening to see that the story had a sense of hope and magic at its centre – something that seemed absent from a lot of the stuff I was reading at the time.

The Ultimates v1: Super Human & v2: Homeland Security by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch

Confession time: I’ve never been a big fan of The Avengers. The revolving door take on the membership, the endless parade of d-list characters and the mountains of continuity surrounding the team history just turned me off completely. However, Millar and Hitch’s The Ultimates was, to me, everything The Avengers wasn’t: it had new takes on the big name characters, no baggage and some beautiful cinematic storytelling. More importantly, though, it was a damn fun read, and, the two volumes contain a complete story, so I wouldn’t be left wandering around the island trying to second guess what happened next. And I can also forget the horrible Ultimates 3.

Judge Dredd Case Files by John Wagner, Alan Grant, Carlos Ezquerra et al

Again, this is a cheat, I know, but I’d like to take the full series of the Dredd Case Files that have been printed so far (and then see if I can get the new ones dropped in as they go to print). I’ve had a pretty rocky relationship with 2000AD down the years, I’ll admit. There’s been times where I’ve been unable to get enough of it, but also times when I’ve barely been able to muster the enthusiasm to pick it up, but Dredd has been the one constant through it all, the one thing that’s kept me coming back. There’s just so many great storylines and iconic moments from down the years, it’s virtually impossible to list them all, but I’ll be damned if I ever get tired of reading them.

Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen

I mean, really, what more can be said about Warren Ellis and Stuart Immomen’s Nextwave? Pure genius/insanity from start to finish and, unfortunately, a type of comic that Marvel will probably never allow out of their stable again.

Luxury: For this, I’d have to take a TV and DVD player (and some sort of generator) along with the every series of Mad Men and a rack of sharp suits. If I’m going to be alone on that island, then no one can stop me living out my fantasies of being Don Draper…

(Oh, and thanks to Jez Higgins for the link)

This deserves a bit of a preface: The following was by no means meant to be a polished piece of comics reportage– it sprung from my desire to avoid posting one more opinion on one more comment thread about what quickly became a played out topic at the top of last summer. I decide to draw what I had to say instead as a fun little exercise. Both the comic I’m paid to draw, Futurama, and the personal strip I’m collaborating on require mannered, formal cartooning: the test was to see if I could overcome this laboured style of creating comics and simply get my ideas down on paper as quickly and directly as possible.

There’s more at the Comics Journal site.

And Hicks’ new book Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong, written by Prudence Shen, is out in June. You can catch up with it online, but something this good… get the book.

You wouldn’t expect Nate and Charlie to be friends. Charlie’s the laid-back captain of the basketball team, and Nate is the neurotic, scheming president of the robotics club. But they are friends, however unlikely — until Nate declares war on the cheerleaders. At stake is funding that will either cover a robotics competition or new cheerleading uniforms — but not both. 

After both parties are stripped of their funding on grounds of abominable misbehavior, Nate enrolls the club’s robot in a battlebot competition in a desperate bid for prize money. Bad sportsmanship? Sure. Chainsaws? Why not. Running away from home on Thanksgiving to illicitly enter a televised robot death match? Of course! Written by Prudence Shen, with artwork and a cover by Faith Erin Hicks.

Cover by Dan Boultwood. His Haggis and Quail lead the issue off, and it’s a nice, not great start.

You can’t help but think Jamie Smart has some weird plan sort of thing going on, now that we’ve introduced the humans, and there was that whole mysterious thing with Skunky. Or then again, maybe he just had a good idea that stringing a load of gags together with a couple of humans in a cabin would deliver another week’s quality Bunny Vs Monkey. And if that’s the case… spot on…

Meanwhile, Gary’s Garden takes one of its regular sojourns into the plain surreal… stick club:

Silly, silly, silly, but really well done silly. Gary Northfield really manages to put weird and cute together so well.

Corpse Talk shines once more, with Adam Murphy picking some unusual and intriguing guest corpses to chat to. This issue features Mexican modern artist Frida Kahlo. I like the idea of Murphy having done this so long that he’s effectively done all the trad historical figures, and we’re going into the realms of the lesser known, even more interesting folks.

Robert Deas’ Troy Trailblazer returns, this time the adventurer is about to get mixed up with a princess on the run. It’s a straight on action adventure strip, an 80s style cartoon brought to the comic page, although this time round his art has a scaled back feel, less big digital effects, and the simplicity works to focus the eye on the action. Nice start. Other new strip, sort of, is the return of Simon Swift. This is a mere prelude to act 2, a character guide and a two-page “previously” bit. The fantasy saga continues next issue.

I’m definitely veering towards a few old favourites in the Phoenix each week, as frankly there’s rarely a bad strip come out from Mssrs. Smart and Northfield yet. But Murphy’s Corpse Talk is right up there in my affections as well. The comedy and stranger stuff wins over the straight adventure strips right now, but maybe that’s just me at my age. Something like Deas’ Troy Trailblazer would have been great for 7 year old me, Simon Swift for 10 year old me. And that’s where the Phoenix feels like it’s got the mix right.

You can pick up copies of The Phoenix comic each week from a host of great comic shops, including our own, from Waitrose, from a number of other outlets (see here on the Phoenix site) and through subscription.