Judge Dredd 34 (August 1986)

Judge Dredd #34 It’s an excellent issue about a vigilante hitting various organized crime guys in Mega-City One. Does it make any sense for there to be mobsters above the Judges? No. It’s sort of weird and has something of a retro vibe–like it doesn’t really star Judge Dredd but his training officer.

Nice art from Ezquerra and Ian Gibson. There’s a lot of precise action in the story–Dredd is sure the vigilante has been trained as a Judge and the vigilante has a couple intricate plans to execute. The art on those sequences is real strong and would be surprisingly ambitious if Ezquerra and Gibson didn’t also take a very grand approach to Dredd himself this story.

It’s big and awesome.

The backup has Dredd fighting a giant ape robot. Ezquerra’s art is inventive, Malcolm Shaw’s script is short and goofy.

That lead story is rather good Judge Dredd.

CREDITS

Writers, John Wagner, Alan Grant and Malcolm Shaw; artists, Ian Gibson and Carlos Ezquerra; letterers, Tom Frame and Stan Richardson; editor, Nick Landau; publisher, Quality Periodicals.

2000 AD 24 (6 August 1977)

144914 A not bad issue.

Invasion doesn’t have the best script, but Carlos Pino’s art is really good. Finley-Day’s definitely not writing for the deep thinker–the evil Volgs have these expensive missiles for hitting one target (one human target) a piece. Dumb but fine.

Heroes is mean-spirited but at least about the Aeroball game.

Belardinelli does an awful job on M.A.C.H. 1. Real bad. Roy Preston’s script is more adventure oriented than espionage, which does work better.

Then there’s Kevin O’Neill doing a story about a kid meeting Tharg, the editor of 2000 A.D., and being a little brainwashed into buying more comics. Cool art. The story’s not the point, but the writing’s fine too.

Cruddy art from Arancio on Shako ruins it. The strange Ratched-like nurse flops, but the writers are at least trying.

And then Dredd has a decent case; Malcolm Shaw’s writing is good.

CREDITS

Invasion, Hadrian’s Wall; writer, Gerry Finley-Day; artist, Carlos Pino; letterer, Jack Potter. Harlem Heroes, Part Twenty-four; writer, Tom Tully; artist and letterer, Dave Gibbons. M.A.C.H. 1, King Karat; writer, Roy Preston; artist, Massimo Belardinelli; letterer, Tony Jacob. Tharg the Mighty, Tharg and the Intruder; writer and artist, Kevin O’Neill; letterer, Peter Knight. Shako, Part Five; writers, Pat Mills and John Wagner; artist, Arancio; letterer, Jack Potter. Judge Dredd, The Wreath Murders; writer, Malcolm Shaw; artist, Mike McMahon; letterer, John Aldrich. Editor, Kelvin Gosnell; publisher, IPC.

2000 AD 7 (9 April 1977)

144897 1 Poor Judge Dredd. Even with a great page or two from McMahon–he does better with full scenes, not trying to summarize–the story ends on a lame pun from Shaw. Worse, there were some obvious better ones.

Invasion has decent art from Sarompas, Flesh has a possibly good setup for the next issue (at least in terms of giving Sola something interesting to draw) and Harlem Heroes is lame. There’s a disconnect between Tully’s interest in the game play and how Gibbons draws it.

Kelvin Gosnell’s pacing on Dan Dare is a surprise. He rushes through the showdown with the big alien queen. It doesn’t make the story any better, but it does make the badness read faster.

And M.A.C.H. 1 is its usual terrible, this time with Mills giving the super spy a Bolivian sidekick who talks like Speedy Gonzales.

The issue’s lacking any gems.

CREDITS

Invasion, Train Story; writer, Pat Mills; artist, Sarompas; letterer, John Aldrich. Flesh, Book One, Part Seven; writer, Kelvin Gosnell; artist, Ramon Sola; letterer, Jack Potter. Harlem Heroes, Part Seven; writer, Tom Tully; artist and letterer, Dave Gibbons. Dan Dare, Part Seven; writer, Kelvin Gosnell; artist, Massimo Belardinelli; letterer, Potter. M.A.C.H. 1, Bolivia; writer, Pat Mills; artist, Enio; letterer, Bill Nuttall. Judge Dredd, The Statue of Judgement; writer, Malcolm Shaw; artist, Mike McMahon; letterer, Aldrich. Publisher, IPC.

2000 AD 6 (2 April 1977)

144896 More hard going this issue, even though the art’s much better overall.

Invasion has decent Ian Kennedy art and a not bad idea from Finley-Day, his execution is just weak. He doesn’t plot it for his page count.

Sola does a small dinosaur versus cowboy battle in Flesh. Not a lot of opportunity for the art, but it’s competent. Story’s lame though.

Harlem Heroes is rushed and trying. I keep waiting for Gibbons to impress me on this one and he never really does.

Dan Dare is awful. Mike Dorey’s art on M.A.C.H. 1 helps the story a lot. Much like Invasion this issue, Mills just paces the M.A.C.H. story all wrong.

As usual, Dredd proves the best. Malcolm Shaw has a good finish for the story–nice little moments throughout too–and McMahon has some nice panels. He’s appropriately conveying the humor.

CREDITS

Invasion, Wembley; writer, Gerry Finley-Day; artist, Ian Kennedy; letterer, Bill Nuttall. Flesh, Book One, Part Six; writer, Kelvin Gosnell; artist, Ramon Sola; letterer, Jack Potter. Harlem Heroes, Part Six; writer, Tom Tully; artist and letterer, Dave Gibbons. Dan Six, Part Three; writer, Gosnell; artist, Massimo Belardinelli; letterer, Potter. M.A.C.H. 1, Himmler’s Gold; writer, Pat Mills; artist, Mike Dorey; letterer, Potter. Judge Dredd, Frankenstein II; writer, Malcolm Shaw; artist, Mike McMahon; letterer, Tony Jacob. Publisher, IPC.

2000 AD 5 (26 March 1977)

144895 It’s a distressingly tepid issue. Even with Judge Dredd fighting a giant robot gorilla–or maybe because of that emphasis on absurd bigness. The Dredd story does look good though–Carlos Ezquerra bakes dry humor into every panel.

The opening Invasion story is a bore. Finley-Day’s just writing dialogue for action scenes and he’s not particularly good at it. Sarompas’s art on the story is lacking.

At least the art on Flesh is good. Nothing happens in the story except dinosaur rampage (including raptors before anyone knew to call them raptors). Sola’s artwork is beautiful, which makes up for a lot. But it’s still pointless.

Harlem Heroes finishes the first game and then Tully speeds up the overall plot. The plot’s more interesting than the game coverage, but not much.

Dan Dare and M.A.C.H. 1 are both lame, but M.A.C.H. 1 is much worse. It’s exceptionally bad this programme.

CREDITS

Invasion, The Resistance, Part Five; writer, Gerry Finley-Day; artist, Sarompas; letterer, John Aldrich. Flesh, Book One, Part Five; writer, Studio Giolitti; artist, Ramon Sola; letterer, Bill Nuttall. Harlem Heroes, Part Five; writer, Tom Tully; artist and letterer, Dave Gibbons. Dan Dare, Part Five; writer, Kelvin Gosnell; artist, Massimo Belardinelli; letterer, Jack Potter. M.A.C.H. 1, Probesnatch; writer, Nick Allen; artist, John Cooper; letterer, Jack Potter. Judge Dredd, Krong; writer, Malcolm Shaw; artist, Carlos Ezquerra; letterer, S. Richardson. Publisher, IPC.

2000 AD 4 (19 March 1977)

144894 Pat Wright takes over the art on Invasion and it’s immediately less interesting. Gerry Finley-Day’s writing isn’t terrible, but without dynamic art, the cracks show a lot clearer.

Flesh still has great art from Sola. Ken Armstrong’s writing is even worse than usual, especially the dialogue. And they rip off Westworld whole sale. It’s a chore when dinosaurs aren’t on page.

Gibbons has a great opening splash page for Harlem Heroes. Tully concentrates on making the game seem real; while not exciting, the dedication to the concept is something. They could have cut a lot of corners and they don’t.

Dan Dare is lame. I guess Belardinelli does do well with gross alien creatures. Not a lot of space shots either.

Pat Mills is back writing M.A.C.H. 1. Artist Enio’s apparently scared to make the Arab villains look too Arab. It’s awful.

Dredd’s fun. McMahon compacts his visuals well.

CREDITS

Invasion, The Resistance, Part Four; writer, Gerry Finley-Day; artist, Pat Wright; letterer, Tom Frame. Flesh, Book One, Part Four; writer, Ken Armstrong; artist, Ramon Sola; letterer, Bill Nuttall. Harlem Heroes, Part Four; writer, Tom Tully; artist and letterer, Dave Gibbons. Dan Dare, Part Four; writer, Kelvin Gosnell; artist, Massimo Belardinelli; letterer, Jack Potter. M.A.C.H. 1, To Kill a President; writer, Pat Mills; artist, Enio; letterer, John Aldrich. Judge Dredd, The Brotherhood of Darkness; writer, Malcolm Shaw; artist, Mike McMahon; letterer, Nuttall. Publisher, IPC.