2000AD #2201 REVIEW

Writers: Rob Williams; Arthur Wyatt; Ian Edginton; James Peaty; Alec Worley
Artists: Boo Cook; D’Israeli; Paul Marshall; Tiernen Trevallion; Leigh Gallagher
Letters: Annie Parkhouse; Jim Campbell; Simon Bowland
Publisher: Rebellion
 

2000AD has a history of predicting the future whilst satirising the present. As American voters begin to question whether their local police force really need to purchase second-hand armoured vehicles from the military, and whether armed police officers are the best option when a confused citizen is in distress, Judge Dredd: Carry the Nine is here.

Judge Maitland’s epiphany that Mega City life can better be improved through educating the citizen rather than stomping on them is put on hold this week, as Maitland waivers over how to gain support for the radical idea to #defundthepolice. It’s a quiet little episode after last week’s explosion-fest, building Maitland as a character whilst hinting at a bigger conspiracy.

Two weeks in and Carry the Nine has at least four interwoven plot strands, yet still makes time for the details of character. Dredd himself only makes a brief appearance, wonderfully realised by Boo Cook as an overbearing symbol of the system, whose weakness as a man is suggested as he manages further damage his relationship with his colleague whilst trying to show support.

After last weeks long awaited revelation of Stickleback’s true history, this week’s Stickleback: New Jerusalem also tones it down a bit, with our heroes taking a tour of a secret society and enjoying some delicious mushrooms. Ian Edginton fantastically demonstrates how to provide a large amount of exposition without slowing things down.

In Skiptracer: Hyperballad, Nolan is introduced to his new mission and has a short lived fight in a by-the-numbers instigating incident. Skiptracer has never grabbed my attention, mixing sci-fi tropes to create an unexciting soup.  There's nothing particuarly wrong with it, but Skiptracer isn't all that interesting or exciting.

A British lieutenant travels to Eastern Europe to discover the true history of the vampire in Fiends of the Eastern Front: Constanta. A whole world has been built from the original 1980s Fiends, where a division of vampires battled in the trenches of the Great War. Here through we dip into the ancient past to discover the vampires origins. A traveller coming abut a bar populated by Eastern European stereotypes might be a bit on the nose, but Fiends builds dimensions in it’s characters quickly.

Last week’s Hookjaw revival had a strange twist, when uncle Kenver was bitten in half by the legendary shark whilst walking around inland. Strange things are afoot, and Jack is on a mission to find out. This week’s Hookjaw again hints at magical goings on, whilst introducing a bad guy who definitely deserves to be eaten and ending up with another splash of gore violence. Hookjaw is shaping up well.

Altogether a quieter prog than last week, as stories reel back the action to add a bit more character.