2000AD #2232 Review

Writers: Michael Carroll; TC Eglington; Arthur Wyatt; John Tomlinson; Dan Abnett
Artists: Simon Fraser; Simon Davies; Pye Parr; Steven Austin; Richard Elson
Colours: Gary Caldwell
Letters: Annie Parkhouse; Simon Bowland; Pye Parr; Jim Campbell
Publisher: Rebellion

Adalisa Brown has inherited her family business, and that business is crime in Judge Dredd: Easy Money. The two partner comes to a satisfying but surprising conclusion this prog.

Dredd frequently acts as a secondary character in his own stories. Here, a lovely detail of Simon Fraser’s art even when Dredd does appear, his face is obscured (even more than normal). He’s simply a representative of a system, whilst other multilayered characters take the lead. Hopefully those character will be seen again.

Thistlebone: Poisoned Roots comes to an abrupt and bloody end this prog. Seema has been kidnapped by murderous Malcolm, who revealed that he was working alongside the other survivors of the doomed camping trip. Their mission: to make a blood sacrifice to the dark pagan force of Thistlebone.

A doublecross landed Malcolm in a heap of trouble, and Seema has escaped into the forest, with a couple of bloodthirsty ex-boy scouts on her tail. The ending is incredibly abrupt, and incredibly gory, in-keeping with the Midsommar/Wickerman feel of the whole thing.

The adventurers reach their destination and deal with a final obstacle in their way in Feral & Foe. This continues to be big, beautiful fun. Richard Elson’s colourful, chunky art is perfectly suited to the story, and the script continues to feel like a bunch of fun people taking part in an interesting role-playing session.

I had thought that “Tharg’s 3rillers” was a convoluted title. I was wrong. Tharg's 3rillers: Intestinauts - Symbiotic Love Triangle is how you do convoluted titles.

Beneath this cacophony of words sits an obsoletely gorgeous little tale of nanobots designed to battle infections within the human body. One of these tiny troopers has merged with some shape shifting tech, and explores the world outside the human gut.

Absolutely packed with funny and smart details, Intestinauts is full of charm and absolutely deserving of a regular place in the prog.

Starting a story with a reference to how wealthy property developers have endangered the lives of residents by cutting fire prevention measures has a particular resonance in the UK. In 2017, a tower block in London named Grenfell was destroyed in a fire. Seventy two lives were lost, in large part because property developers had cut cost on building materials, in full knowledge of the dangers. Recently, the UK government decided that whilst other homes with the same problems should be made safe, the residents themselves should ultimately bear the cost. A decision that will destroy lives, whilst ensuring that the wealthiest are inconvenienced the least.

In Terror Tales: Dry Spell, property developers suffer the repercussions of similar actions in the way people only do in fiction. After the initial set up, the story comes with a whole bunch of exposition, as characters explain what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. It’s a nice idea, but doesn’t quite carry the enormous weight of its theme.