2000AD #2207 REVIEW

Writers: Kenneth Niemand; Ian Edginton; James Peaty; Alec Worley
Artists: Steven Austin: D’Israeli; Paul Marshall; Tiernen Trevallion; Leigh Gallagher
Colours: Chris Blyth; Dylan Teague
Letters: Annie Parkhouse; Jim Campbell; Simon Bowland
Publisher: Rebellion

To what extent is unusual behaviour something to be “cured” for the good of society? Should who you are be something subject to change just because society expects something different? Kenneth Neimand’s scripts are always a highlight, but this is something special as the mysterious writer sneaks out another satire on modern society in Judge Dredd: Simply Normal.

In Mega City One, “simps” are a peaceful sub-culture of people who refuse to follow societies norms. As a new company claims to cure simp behaviour, is this a matter of free choice or a cruel form of brainwashing?

Incredibly clever, it points us in the direction of the erosion of LGBTQ+ rights and the treatment of transpeople, the pseudoscience of corrective therapy, the right of peaceful protest and claims of “cancel culture” whenever a company is inconvenienced...all whilst a woman is dressed as a flowerpot.

Part one of Simply Normal is all set up, with Dredd just here to snarl a bit and express his annoyance, whilst supporting the rights of a minority group. It’s all very smart and artist Steven Austin does a fantastic job in portraying the wide and wonderful world of simps.

I have a confession about Stickleback:New Jerusalem. I have no idea who most of these characters are. Also, it doesn’t matter.

Sherlock Holmes, hiding behind a secret identity, battling Lovecraftian Elder Gods using powers derived from English Folklore? A battle between an alien egg and a masked giant who represents the city of London? This is a wonderful madness, and original enough to make you want to pull out the progs from half a decade ago to find out who these characters actually are.

Meanshile, Skiptracer: Hyperballad ends with another ambush which makes ever less sense than the last one. Last episode, Nolan deliberately allowed the villains to escape with a warning, This week, he immediately puts into action a plan to once again corner them, for some reason.

If you like dumb action, then Skiptracer might be for you. No character seems to have clear motivations from one episode to the next, instead driven onwards by the need to create another action sequence.

Fiends of the Eastern Front: Constanta continues to be a feast for the eyes. The plot continues to wander through ancient myth, as the vampire Constanta’s origins are investigated. Every panel looks gorgeous, and this week throws a wonderful Japanese demon into the mix. The slow pace might make this one to read all in one go, though.

Jack finally gets a bit of an explanation as to the strange goings on in Hookjaw. Demonic sharks are trending on Twitter and tourists are swarming the small Cornish town of Porthgawr – and the local monster wants attention as much as it wants blood.

Even exposition can’t stop the gore. As the ghost of a witch delivers backstory, the shark is munching down on youtubers.

This different take on Hookjaw was always going to be a risk. It plays with previous Hookjaw stories, interpreting them as modern re-tellings of an ancient story. Hookjaw begins to cleverly pulls together its strands as it approaches what will no doubt be a bloody climax.