The Alternative View: The Dredd Files

Grudd I hate this bit of the Meg. It's an analysis of each Dredd story has been since the birth of 2000 AD. Each issue, David Bishop, of Thrill Power Overload fame, details the story in each each Dredd episode, along with the characters introduced and some insights into how Mega City One concepts we know today were developed. It's just not my thing, but Andrew Kaplan of Las Vegas, USA disagrees with me. He wrote to Dreddlines in Meg 222 to stick up for this oft derided section of the Meg. Here's his defence reproduced from that letter:

[Regarding] The Dredd Files... It always seems like the standard history of the Dredd strip reads like 'The character first appeared in the second issue, and there were a bunch of stories establishing his world, including the Robot Revolt one, and then Pat Mills wrote the Cursed Earth mega-saga, which will be the first one we'll discuss in any depth whatsoever.' This is the first time I have seen those early strips given any sort of detailed consideration... Makes a nice change from the usual perspective, and it allows folks like me who weren't there at the beginning to see how things developed. I don't know if it's a series that needs to run indefinitely, but this coverage of the early years is fascinating.

So there you go. Thanks Andrew. Possibly the only person on the planet to enjoy The Dredd Files? Or do you like them too? Tweet me or write a comment. Love to hear your thoughts...

Meg 222 - Hack Jack

(Link on BARNEY)

Great cover! My copy, BTW, is signed by the fabulous Si Spurrier as I had the Meg with me to read on the train home after I had been to the Trifecta signing. He signed it to "Simoon" - because we were laughing about how my name is spelt... Anyway, I'm digressing... I could tell it was Frazer Irving who had drawn it straight away and it's a fabulous action shot of Jack Point versus the Raptaurs. What's a Raptaur? Yeah, that's what I wondered...

...so let's start with the cover star The Simping Detective in the second part of his adventure Crystal Blue. I hadn't quite clocked what the enemy he discovered was last week, but apparently it's called a Raptaur and has previous form in the Dredd universe. Nice to see things crossover like that, not that I had come across them before. But it doesn't matter, you get the hint pretty quickly that these things aren't to be messed with. Another fast-paced story with wonderful art from Irving and I can't wait for the next episode!

The brilliant Judge Dredd story Six finished off this Meg. Big shame. Chris Weston's art was glorious and Wagner's story could have gone on and on as far as I was concerned. Thankfully, the story doesn't feel rushed - and this is probably because of the 14 or so pages in the episode. Nice to see PJ Maybe in the story.

Cursed Earth Koburn continued with the storyline Kuss Hard, and the Cursed Earth judge shows his MC-1 partner just how things work out of the big city when you are on the trail of a perp. Super stuff from Rennie and Ezquerra and thoroughly enjoying this romp.

Having read back the last three reviews, they are kind-of boring. I mean, all I do is say how great they are. But they are really great - I can't emphasise enough how much I am enjoying these stories (or in the case of Six, 'enjoyed', as it is finished). These three are comic book writing at it's best!

Right, before I get a dose of Thrill Power Overload, let's skip on to Anderson: WMD. This made a reasonable start last time, but dipped a little episode. I can't put my finger on why. Perhaps I'm not sure who is who yet - or whether I care enough about what happens to the Judges involved. I like the introduction of the 'Magic' division - a sub department of the Justice Department - and wonder if their role will be significant in the plot as it unfolds. I would hope so, otherwise their introduction is kind-of pointless... And it's not really Anderson. They are in her head, but she's not in it. Or maybe she is. I dunno - perhaps I'm just finding it all a bit confusing!

Black Siddha: Kali Yoga carried on being pretty good. It's not quite at the peak of the first three stories I reviewed, but it's still good. I've no doubt it will divide opinion - with many not taking to it - but the Indian mythology still holds my attention and the motivations and actions of the characters still have some way to develop. Good stuff all round.

In the reprints, Hell Trekkers felt a little bit like a Hell Trek this time. I just didn't get into it and am wondering if the concept is waning. The group passed the halfway marker towards the end of the last Meg and I'm hoping we haven't got loads more episodes before it concludes. It is starting to feel a little formulaic now - trekkers encounter a challenge, some die, move on to the next one. No dinosaurs as well :-(. Charley's War was pretty good still. The tank storyline resolves and new recruits are bought to the frontline. Meanwhile, the Germans are bring in fresh troops of their own. Still a fair way to go if all the story is to be reprinted, but I'm liking it. Gordon Rennie wrote this Meg's Metro Dredd and it showed as the story was much better this time. The art has been iffy at best for my money, but it seemed more in-keeping with the story this time around.

I didn't know it when I got him to sign my Meg, but Si Spurrier was in the Interrogation Cube answering the standard questions. I would have got him to sign that page if I'd have known!

And finally... I'm going to spend a little time on The Dredd Files because I've been very quiet about them. I just don't find them interesting at all. However, in Dreddlines, Andrew Kaplan of Las Vegas, USA stood up for them. Because I hate them, and can't find anyone I know to write a counter-point, I will reproduce the relevant paragraph from his letter in a separate blog posting. Then I can wash my hands of the whole cursed thing and move on!

Link to Meg 222 2000 AD Forum Discussion

Meg 221 - Sleazy Rider

(Link on BARNEY)

He's back! I'm a Koburn fan, as those who read my previous review of his storyline may remember. This is a cracking Rey Carlos cover, with Koburn leaning idly against his pimped up ride. I was expecting a lot from this Meg, and it totally delivered (WARNING: This review is full of over-the-top praise - those who find such things sickening might want to leave now).

Where to start? It's all so good... Let's go with Cursed Earth Koburn in the first part of the story Kuss Hard. Once again, Koburn is in his favourite bar in the Cursed Earth - and once again his 'time off' is interrupted by a Mega City Judge needing his help. Not Dredd this time, but Judge Bonaventura, seeking his help in bringing justice to an organ-legging gang, The Kuss's. Gordon Rennie on script and Rey Carlos Ezquerra on art. It's a joy. I was gripped through the whole thing. I just love this character and can't wait for the next instalment. I'm glad (Sir) Alan Barnes commissioned a Koburn series - well done (Lord) Barnes!

Moving to Dredd we had Wagner and Chris Weston (yay!) on duty for the first part of the series Six. Weston is absolutely one of my favourite artists. The first page vistas of Mega City One are glorious. The detail in each of the buildings is fabulous - it looks like it took him days to draw all those windows! An important investor has arrived in Mega City One, but is he all he seems? Great set up for this story, lots of mystery and intrigue and unanswered questions. Wagner at his best!

With Thrill Meters approaching full, there was more to come! Anderson was back in WMD - with the classic pairing of Grant and Ranson. Now I may be on record as saying that David Roach and Brett Ewins drew the best Anderson for me. Well we haven't really seen much of Ranson's version, but the art is just glorious in all other aspects. Grant has come up with an intriguing story following on from the final episode of Half-Life where Judges are set to enter the mind of Anderson to see if whatever is going on in her head can be stopped and prevented from escaping to the rest of MC1. Again, a great set up...

Still more great stuff in the shape of The Simping Detective in the story Crystal Blue. As I mentioned in my last review, there is much to admire about this Spurrier and Irving character and they continue to excel in this new story line. Jack Point has been warned off a case by his new Chief, which only makes him more curious. But will curiosity kill the cat (or indeed, our simping hero)? I love everything about this strip; the way Spurrier tells the story, the way Irving draws the art, the throw-away remarks, everything. Great stuff!

And then we had Black Siddha. We continue to learn more about the three sets of characters; Rohan and his attempts to be the hero, Rak and his strange cult and the weird goings-on at the youth centre. It's all coming together nicely. Still liking this a lot.

Over in the reprints, Charley's War and Hell Trekkers continue to be of a high standard. It's back over the top again for Charley, but this time with the Mark 1 tank. Will they prove the difference in the Battle of the Somme? And our intrepid pilgrims continue to battle through impossible conditions on their way to a new life away from Mega City One. Enjoying both of these stories still. The Metro Dredd this issue was a little better - but not worthy enough for much more of a review than that.

In the text articles, an interesting interview with Chris Weston in The Interrogation Cube, who is very honest about his shortcomings and the things that make him mad (and there are a lot!). Gordon turned his attention to politics in You're Next, Punk. It wasn't Gordon's finest rant, but I liked it. Do I have to mention The Dredd Files? OK - The Dredd Files...

And finally...phew - that was a great issue. Possibly the best Meg so far. The bar has been raised very high for the next issue...

No thread on the 2000 AD Forum for this Meg.

Meg 220 - How The West Was Won

(Link to BARNEY)

A wrap around cover is always a treat and so is worthy of full appreciation. I say 'always', but John Ridgeway, of such classic stories like The Raggedy Man, is not on his finest form here. It's not the linework I find fault with, it's the colouring. Gah, it's horrible. Looks like it was done in Microsoft Paint. I'm moving on to the stories quickly...

Let's get the Dredd over and done with. We concluded the Damned Ranger story and thank The Maker we did. I got fed up with the Ranger Chief trying to kill himself and kept wishing he would just get on with it so he'd shut up about it. The story seemed stilted, like Wagner was trying to cram 10 episodes worth of action into 1. Didn't like the ending - glad it's over and we start again next issue. And if I never see those weird looking spaceships again it will be too soon!

And now for something completely different. Because it was very good. Young Middenface finished and it ended very well. Although perhaps the sheep in the story might disagree ;-) Anyway, I mourn the loss of this story and hope to see the character return soon. There is plenty of mileage in his adventuring yet. I would like to see more of the Kreelers as we didn't get to see them much. The Kreelers would seem to be the 'norms', i.e. the non-mutants, who are intent on wiping out the muties. Hopefully this strip will return soon.

Staying on last episodes, the Mean Machine story Angel Heart concluded with a complete disaster at the wedding. One of the funniest characters is Mini Mean who would seem to be inspired by the Mini Me character in the Austin Powers films. Mini Mean is part of a cyborg club who gate crash the wedding and get involved in some of the 'high jinks' that occur. His cry of "I'm going up to 4 on ya" whilst butting kneecaps is a highlight. A reasonable story, but glad it has finished and we will see what we get next...

Black Siddha continued to intrigue. Rohan and his friend/enemy Rak finally do battle, but what will happen to our hero. Nothing has happened to change my view of this strip, I like it and I like the artwork. Looking forward to the next instalment.

A new single episode strip called Mega-City Noir caught my eye in this Meg. It features a character called Jack Point, or The Simping Detective, an undercover Judge who makes operates as a private eye. This episode was called Gumshoe and featured Point helping out a lady in distress. I like the nod to old 30's American detective movies, as I loved watching those during the school holidays when I was a kid. A Simp, by the way, is Mega City slang for someone who dresses strangely, usually a clowns costume I think, as Jack does. Why? As Jack puts it "Because my shrink says I need to lighten up". Great story from Si Spurrier, lovely Frazer Irving artwork and I hope we see this character in the Meg again. I'm pretty sure he turns up in the Trifecta story arc from recent times, but as I won't get my TPB for another couple of days cannot confirm this.

Into the reprints and Charley's War continues to please, and challenge and inform as well. Charley and his mate Weeper are on punishment duty and are finding it tough going. Episode after episode this continues to stay in top form. I'm also enjoying Hell Trekkers, where the challenges for the brave pioneers keep coming and getting worse all the time. Wagner and Grant manage to bring a real human element to this story. All the characters are different, have different hopes and dreams and different skills and qualities. With 111 people at the start of the trek they must have had to plan this story pretty thoroughly and it shows through the quality writing. The art also continues to match the story in its quality. I'm not really into the Metro Dredds. I find them a bit dull and don't really like the art.

Text articles had The Dredd Files (oh when will they end...) and Gordon Rennie venting his spleen over the portrayal of religion in 2000 AD. I was left wondering why Christianity always bore the brunt of religious bashing, and I don't think the article really addressed this properly.

And finally...Deddlines' best friend Floyd was back with his views on the Meg. And Rod Henley agrees with me on The Dredd Files. Anyone out there enjoy this series?

More discussion on the Meg 220 2000 AD Forum Thread of old...

Meg 219 - Groom Of Doom

(Link on BARNEY)

Let's start as we always do with the cover. And with the greatest respect to Garry Leach, I didn't like it. Sorry, I prefer more action packed covers. I'll move on...

Might as well start with the cover stars, Mean Machine and Porsha Wuss in Angel Heart. I mentioned last time that this was a creator getting a bit silly with one of their characters and thus it continued in this issue. I don't suppose it is everyone's cup of Rosie Lee but I don't mind it. Mean has been rendered harmless and is marrying his true love, but as we all know, the path of true love rarely runs smoothly... I get a feeling it will all wrap up in the next Meg, and that will be sufficient for this strip.

Part 2 of the Dredd story Damned Ranger wasn't great. It felt a little plodding in places, which surprised me slightly. I was huffing and drifting my way through it, so I don't think it could have been holding my attention too well. John Ridgeway's pens are good, but some of the colouring is a bit off; a little gaudy and unnatural looking. As for the stuck on, weird looking spaceships... Yuck! Possibly this is a design choice, but I don't care for it much. I think I struggle with the mutie-bashing episodes of Dredd a bit. Rounding up families and carting them off to some camp makes me uncomfortable with Dredd and MC1. This, however, is probably the point. Hoping we wrap this one up soon. It has the ingredients for a decent ending, perhaps it was just the tricky middle episode of a trilogy.

Contrast that with Young Middenface which I continue to enjoy very much. Alan Grant, Patrick Goddard and Dylan Teague - take a bow! It's an interesting idea and is full of twists and turns. Our two mutie heroes are about to be the main course in the village's celebrations. Can they escape? I like it not just because it is a good story, but also because it is told from a mutie perspective, often portrayed as the villains of the piece (as I explained in the previous paragraph). Best original new strip in the Meg at the moment.

Black Siddha opened up it's second episode with a few strange scenes with the Kali cult before then picking up the story of Rohan taking on the nasty junkie he was battling last week. I suspect some might think this is moving quite slowly, but I'm happy with the way the story is building an am finding I have more patience than I ever did for Devlin Waugh. Perhaps it's the Indian mythology I like, or the characters, I don't know. I'm liking it.

And we had the return of the strange and fast breeding furry rodents of Mega City One in Whatever Happened To The Gribligs? The what, you might ask! These were creatures brought to MC1 in an early Dredd episode in the Prog and outlawed because of their super fast breeding cycles. Gordon Rennie has a bit of fun with this strip and it is well drawn by Steve Roberts in a style befitting the subject of the story. It was light and fluffy and I laughed a couple of times so it worked for me.

Lots of singing in this Meg. Pretty much every story had a character or characters bursting into song. Coincidence - or are the creators having a bit of a laugh?

In the text articles, Gordon dissects the discomfort 2000 AD fans seem to have with carnal relations in his You're Next Punk column. He concludes that relationships seem to end in murder and misery in the Prog and Meg, so the readers are probably right to feel uncomfortable! The Dredd Files happened...

In the reprints we had quite a few Charley's War, where we discover life away from the front lines isn't the holiday the soldiers were hoping for. And Hell Trekkers is enough to put you off your lunchtime sandwich with those dinosaurs still stalking our intrepid pilgrims. Not content with that, Wagner and Grant threw disease and a thick nuclear smog at them as well. Surely it won't be long before the dude in the Mopad, which is not adapted to the harsh environment, is toast. He seems to be out-living other seemingly hardier souls! Another Metro Dredd was reprinted and it was so-so, a parody of TV talent shows.

There was a free poster Dredd story with this issue, which was sadly missing from my copy :-(

And finally... Matthew Webster in his letter to Dreddlines called for a decent history of Dredd and his world. His wish would be granted only a few short years later in the Origins storyline in the Prog...

Link to the Meg 219 Discussion on 2000 AD Forum

Meg 218 - The Cursed Earth

(Link on BARNEY)

Another Meg with two variant covers, and whilst Alan Barnes stated in his editorial that subscribers got both covers, my old Meg only came with one - the 2100 AD cover. Bah! From what I can tell, only the backgrounds are different - and possibly Henry has aged the Dredd in the 2126 AD cover (that's Henry as in Henry Flint - as in demigod of comic art). Still, I'm grumpy enough to not include both covers on my post... :-)

Onwards and into the Meg. Let's start with the new thrills, shall we, and kick off with the most welcome return of Young Middenface. I stated in my Meg 207 review I wanted more, and I guess others at the time did too! We see the young Scottish mutie on the run from some 'norms' with his buddy Scaly when they find sanctuary in a small village of Brigadoom. But are the inhabitants every thing they seem on the surface? My opinion of this strip has not altered, I still like it. Alan Grant is still writing it, but art duties have passed to Patrick Goddard on pencils and Frazer Irving on inks. I like both artists, and the result is more than pleasing. Looking forward to the next episode of this!

Next up let's talk about Mean Machine in Angel Heart. Everyone's favourite 'nut' job (I thank you) is locked in an iso cube when he is befriended by the sweet Porsha Wuss. Will Mean Machine give up his evil ways and become a reformed character for the love of a good woman? John Wagner is scripting this one, and I hope it doesn't drag on as it has the potential to be a good, punchy story. It was a good set up this edition. I think it has the potential to go a bit silly, but hey, let's see what happens. I'm now starting to understand that some of the creators like to play the 'silly card' with their characters every now and then. Now I've figured that out, I'm not so against it. In a response to a Dreddlines letter, (Arch Duke) Barnes says he likes to have a blend of strips in the Meg - from things that are a bit silly to quite gory and hard hitting (like the Judge Anderson story we had recently). I whole-heartedly support that view now I realise this is intentional, rather than just bad writing... Anyway, I've digressed slightly - the Millgate art droid functions most adequately. It's quite cartoon-y, but that is in-keeping with the story.

And after a number of one-off stories, Dredd is off on an adventure to the the Cursed Earth with Chief Dourney of the Ranger Unit in the new story Damned Ranger. This is another John Wagner story (are we spoilt with all these wonderful writers, or what?!) with John Ridgeway provided lovely art. Again, a good set up and I am itching to dive into the next episode.

Making up the fourth and final new thrill, and it's a big hooray and hurrah from me, it's Black Siddha! Now I learnt the hard way from the last set of stories that these have to be read s-l-o-w-l-e-y and c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y otherwise there is danger of confusion. Pat Mills once again takes on script duties and the return of Simon Davis' painting is most welcome. His style is ideally suited to this story. Rohan has embraced his destiny and is taking on the Black Siddha persona to fight evil. But he feels he needs a bit of practice... First episode finishes on a cliff-hanger, so it will be good to pick this up next time...

The Whatever Happenned To series moved on to Conrad Conn, an old movie star who I didn't recognise. Again, like Cookie, it didn't matter too much. Didn't really like this story much and wasn't too keen on the artwork either. It's got to be the first Gordon Rennie story in a while I didn't like that much. It wasn't terrible, I just didn't really find it that much fun. I don't think the artwork did it any favours either...

In the reprints, Charley's War continued with me starting to hate every bone in Lieutenant Snell's body. A testament to Mills and Colquhoun about how much I care about these characters. Hell Trekkers is set in 2106 AD and follows 110-odd people leaving Mega City One to seek a better life in the New Territories. In these first 6 episodes all sorts get thrown at the group - and I am finding it doubtful any of them will make it! Good story, though. Again, it's old school 2000 AD aimed at children / teens but that doesn't worry me. I quite enjoy these strips. It's Wagner and Grant again, this time under the name F  Martin Candor and Ortiz is on art duty. I haven't seen much of his work before, but his style fits well with the subject matter. Boy can that man draw a dinosaur!

I asked in my Meg 215 whether the Metro Dredds that were being introduced were any good? Well, we got a reprint on one in this Meg Mutie Menace. Difficult to see how it worked over 5 newpapers, but as a one page strip I enjoyed it a lot. I wonder if the Meg will reprint any more?

On the text article front, The Dredd Files perked up a little with the Cursed Earth saga being covered. The emphasis is on 'little' as I skimmed it in about 2 minutes. Gordon Rennie weighed in on the use of illicit substances by comic creators to aid their inspiration in his regular You're Next, Punk column. Good fun as always.

And finally...Tharg decided to advertise his latest wares - mobile phone wallpapers, operator logos and picture messages. That brought back a few memories, when such things were premium items commanding a few quid for each download. My old Nokia 6310i was listed as compatible - good news!

Link to Meg 218 on the 2000 AD Forum

Meg 217 - Wake Up!

(Meg on BARNEY)

Absolutely superb Arthur Ranson cover! It just captures the Anderson story perfectly. I didn't even mind the white space as it acted as a framing which increased the impact. Oohh I love a good cover...

Stepping inside, and Alan Barnes spent his editorial extolling the virtues of the 2000 AD Forum. He pointed out his favourite threads, and then followed it by wondering whether this type of instant Internet gratification was responsible for the decline in letters to Dreddlines. Well, to honour (Sir) Alan's editorial, here are a fine selection of forum threads:

• Cover of the Year: 1979
• Prog 1845 - Mega-City Takedown
• Science is Drokking Fantastic Because...
• Wot I Ate On My Holidays (a personal favourite)

However, I also wonder if the review threads have meant the decline in Dreddlines letters. C'mon people! Write to Dreddlines. Why? Well, as (Lord) Barnes puts it: "..a Dreddline is preserved in stone. Think of future generations of Squaxx del Thargo, and set your thoughts in stone!". And because people like me can poke fun at them a decade later :-)

To the stories, and Anderson Half Life concluded utterly brilliantly. It was definitely a story following on from another - perhaps in the Prog - but it didn't matter because it sent a chill through my bones. I have moaned about 3-4 issue stories finishing too soon, but this felt about right. Any more and it could have dragged on. I already felt Sandra should have taken a more direct route last time, but once she got with the programme and went for it - it was fantastic stuff. I can't really give you a synopsis without ruining a central plot line, but just read it!

Satanus II Dark Matters also wrapped up this issue. I liked the ending. In Dreddlines Paul Glasswell (via email) suggested that Pat Mills was parodying rubbish Dredd writers in bits of this story. In my last review I derided some of the awful dialogue, but if Mills is indeed invoking the spirit of terrible writers past that would make an awful lot of sense. Still not too keen on the art, but I'm being very harsh here, as overall I liked it.

Gordon Rennie was on Dredd duties again with another cracking story Master Moves, assisted on art duties by the D'Israeli droid. An international chess tournament is being hosted in MC1, but with some contestants mysteriously disappearing Dredd suspects something sinister... A good story this, with an interesting ending. Rennie shows another side to his story writing. Regular readers will know I'm a big fan of his action Dredds, but I also enjoyed this detective story too. Rennie is fast becoming a favourite writer of mine...

The series of Whatever Happenned To... continued this issue with some robot chap called Cookie who I'm not familiar with. Still, it didn't matter, as the story was about Cookie being interviewed on a chat show about his past exploits and what he was doing now. It wasn't a bad story at all, and I enjoyed it being told in flashbacks. Si Spurrier was on script duties, and Roger Langridge on art (which was pens with grey wash added). I liked the more comic art style, I think it fitted well with the story.

In the reprints we got a lot of Charley's War which was fantastic news. Another set of 'difficult' episodes for Charley, caught behind enemy lines. The old lump in the throat made a couple of appearances. It really is too good this strip. I just love it, and think it should be compulsory reading for school children studying World War I (and I'm deadly serious in that belief).

We got two Dredds from Annuals (reprinted also in Judge Dredd Restricted Files 02). Ladies Night, set in 2108, sees Dredd requiring 3 judges to go undercover to flush out a gang of thieves and John Brown's Body, set in 2107, sees a rookie leave a perp chained to a fence in the most dangerous street in town! They are both Grant and Wagner stories and they are both pretty good from that era of prolific writing by those two authors. I enjoyed reading them.

We were also treated to a bonus Future Shock Enemy Agent with art by the legendary John Cooper. It's not a bad little story of a secret agent determined to find who has been infiltrating his team. Of course, being 2000 AD, it's not just a simple spy story!

Text articles had David Bishop continue his trawl of the Dredd archives in The Dredd Files (more like The Dead Files if you ask me - dead boring...) and Gordon Rennie's column You're Next Punk where he addresses the belief that all stories seem to be based of the premise of previous stories - i.e. nothing is new! I dunno how he keeps the pace up with these columns. He'll get bored at some point (or cancelled) because he's not doing them in the Meg today - so I'm enjoying them while they last.

The text story, Lazarus, was a little complex but it ended up OK. It raised an awful lot of morality questions about how Dredd conducts himself. I know some people like that, but I'm not so keen myself. Still, it was OK - not bad, not good...

And finally... four new stories next issue! Huzzah! I love it when there is a reshuffle and lots of new stories start. Hoping it will be another cracking issue...

No thread on the forum for this issue :-( Wonder why...