2000 AD 24 (6 August 1977)

144914A 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 11 (7 May 1977)

144901It’s another less than impressive outing.

Ramon Sola does the art for both Invasion and Flesh, so those strips look good. Invasion’s really boring; I suppose Flesh would be too, except writer Kelvin Gosnell tasks Sola with drawing hundreds of dinosaurs. They make up for it.

Wagner’s Judge Dredd story isn’t bad (it’s the issue’s best), but Ron Turner’s art is a little weak. It’s not a hard story to tell–the robots go nuts and attack humans–but Turner is weak on the details. It’s never interesting looking.

Dan Dare finishes up its first storyline and threatens a second. It’s probably the best strip so far, but only because it promises to be over (then takes that promise away, unfortunately).

M.A.C.H. 1 is dumb, involving a fast car trip. Barry Mitchell’s art isn’t bad, but there are continuity gaffs throughout.

Terrible Harlem Heroes. Tully’s scripts are getting worse.

CREDITS

Invasion, Dartmoor, Part Two; writer, Kelvin Gosnell; artist, Ramon Sola; letterer, Peter Knight. Flesh, Book One, Part Eleven; writer, Gosnell; artist, Sola; letterer, Knight. Judge Dredd, Robot Wars, Part Two; writer, John Wagner; artist, Ron Turner; letterer, Bill Nuttall. Dan Dare, Part Eleven; writer, Gosnell; artist, Massimo Belardinelli; letterer, Knight. M.A.C.H. 1, Operation Death-Drive!; writer, Roy Preston; artist, Barry Mitchell; letterer, Jack Potter. Harlem Heroes, Part Eleven; writer, Tom Tully; artist and letterer, Dave Gibbons. Editor, Pat Mills; publisher, IPC.