Welcome once more to The Monthly Megazine – doing just what it says, taking you through the latest goings-on in the sister monthly to 2000 AD.
(Unmistakably Nick Percival on the cover there)
Another month, another Megazine, full of 130+ pages of great 2000 AD action, five new strips, three reprints, plus text pieces… what’s not to love?
This month it’s absolutely packed with brilliance, as Dan Abnett and Phil Winslade bring us the brand-new series of Lawless in ‘Most Wanted’. After that, we have more Judge Dredd, more Dark Judges, More Specter, and more of the stunning Dreadnoughts.
As far as the reprints go, we have more of that IDW Judge Anderson, the Treasury of British Comics preview of 10,000 Disasters of Dort, and the first part of the reprint of Johnny Red by Garth Ennis and Keith Burns, originally published by Titan in 2015.
Megazine #456 came out on 17th May. So this is very, very late for a preview. But the thing is, sometimes life just happens and there’s been medical issues going on in Bruton Mansions… well, adjacent to Bruton Mansions but it’s still serious – spare a thought for a brave, battling old lady. So, not only is this preview late, it’s also a bit brief. Normally I like to say a few words in a capsule review style. Not this month, sorry.
JUDGE DREDD: ONE-EYED JACKS – PART 5 – Ken Niemand and Kieran McKeown, colours by Quinton Winter, letters by Annie Parkhouse
It’s Dredd in the future and Jack McBane in the past, Niemand and McKeown’s great time-twisting saga with a nod to the ancient history of Dredd.
It’s a race for both times to save Eartha Fargo, yep, way, way back in Dredd’s bloodline, grandmother of Eustace Fargo, father of the entire Justice system. And just when you think it’s all over… well, no spoilers here.
Anyway, loads of fun, great artwork, great seeing the future and the past of law enforcement coming together.
SPECTER: INCORRUPTIBLE – PART 2 – John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, letters by Jim Campbell
The final bit of new Carlos Ezquerra artwork you’re ever going to see. Damn, that hurts. That really hurts.
Spector is the thing he and Wagner were working on when Carlos passed. He managed to complete the first two episodes – and they are absolutely gorgeous. I’m sure Dan Cornwell, who takes on the art from episode 3, won’t mind me saying that no matter what he does, it’s not going to hold a candle to King Carlos.
As for what it’s about, well it’s Ezquerra and Wagner and a incorruptible robot detective hitting the streets with a mission to clean up the corruption.
Simple concept, brilliant execution, just as you’d expect. Raise a glass one more time to the King…
DARK JUDGES: DEATH METAL PLANET – PART 7 – by David Hine and Nick Percival, letters by Annie Parkhouse
Last episode had Roscoe, poor Roscoe, the survivor of all that’s been thrown at her along these Dark Judges tales, finally face something she couldn’t escape… a dip in those Dead juices.
So, is this the moment Roscoe joins her Dark Judge peers? Or is there a twist to see from this one… Well, let’s just say that it’s Judge Death’s moment to be surprised.
As before, all these Dark Judges by Hine and Percival have just that right mix of chills, thrill, and offbeat giggles going on.
LAWLESS: MOST WANTED – PART 1 – Dan Abnett and Phil Winslade, letters by Simon Bowland
Colonial Marshall Metta Lawson is having a bad, bad time in Badrock right now. Through her time as the frontier town’s Marshall, she made friends, she made more enemies, and she saved the place so many times. Now though, she’s lost the Mayoral election, been thrown off the force, and has turned to organised crime.
Always perfection, always looking beautiful, Lawless is back and it’s going to be great.
DREADNOUGHTS: THE MARCH OF PROGRESS – PART 2 – Michael Carroll and John Higgins, colours by Sally Hurst, letters by Simon Bowland
It burst back into the Meg for the second season with a brilliant crime blitz episode that set up the entire storyline for the season – and it’s stunning work by Carroll and Higgins to bring us the very beginnings of the Justice system.
This time, it’s Verdana going after the cartels…
And now for the reprinted material for this month’s Megazine.
The second part of Anderson: Psi-Division, The King Of The Six Sectors, another IDW reprint. Again, it’s one that fits perfectly in the Meg, with Tharg himself, Matt Smith dishing the words and seen far too rarely art droid Carl Critchlow.
Then there’s Garth Ennis and Keith Burns dishing up some WWII action as the Hurricane takes to the skies again. And finally, there’s the Treasury of British Comics reprint, this month it’s the bizarre yet beautiful 10,000 Disasters of Dort…
ANDERSON: PSI DIVISION: THE KING OF THE SIX SECTORS – PART 2 – Matt Smith and Carl Critchlow, letters by Shawn Lee
JOHNNY RED – PART 1 – By Garth Ennis, Keith Burns, colours by Jason Wordie, letters by Rob Steen
THE 10,000 DISASTERS OF DORT – By Mike Butterworth, art by Luis Bermejo and Jose Ortiz
Welcome once more to The Monthly Megazine – doing just what it says, taking you through the latest goings-on inCOMICONRead More