TWO NEW STORIES START THIS ISSUE, FEATURING CREATORS MAKING THEIR MEGAZINE DEBUT – Cover star Psi-Judge Anderson is back in a new Cursed Earth adventure, The Dead Run, scripted by Maura McHugh and with art from Patrick Goddard; and Mega-City private investigator Galen DeMarco returns with Laura Bailey on writing duties, and pencils and inks courtesy of Paul Williams.
With Anderson now starring in her own strips both here and currently over in 2000 AD (Emma Beeby and Spanish artist Aneke are handling Cass’s caseload in the prog), we thought we’d make it an Anderson-focused month by reprinting some of her most recent stories in the back-up GN, including Maura’s first spin with the character from last year’s Sci-Fi Special.
The Irish writer also chats about her work with Karl Stock this issue, as does Aneke and two other creators new to the Galaxy’s Greatest, Brian Corcoran and Erica Schultz. Add to that interviews with The Kitchen writer Ollie Masters and Speed’s Barrie Tomlinson, plus the second thrilling instalments of Judge Dredd: The Red Queen’s Gambit,Diamond Dogs and The Returners:Chandhu, and you’ve got another packed Meg. Enjoy!
Judge Dredd Megazine #410 is now available from all good comic book shops and newsagents – as well as 2000 AD’s webshop and apps. It can be ordered from comic book stores via Diamond Distribution using code JAN192059.
Don’t forget that if you buy this issue in print direct from our webshop within the next month you’ll not pay a penny in postage fees in the UK! And if you subscribe to the Megazine you’ll get a FREE print of each month’s cover with each issue!
Arhtur Wyatt (w) Jake Lynch (a) John Charles (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Mega-City One, 2141 AD. This vast urban hell on the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America is home to over 130 million citizens. Crime is rampant and stemming the tide of chaos are the Judges, empowered to dispense instant justice. Toughest of all is Judge Dredd – he is the Law! Now, Dredd’s travelled to the Mediterranean Free States to gain info on a Euro-Cit crime outfit…
DEMARCO, P.I. // AN EYE…
Laura Bailey (w) Paul Williams (a) Ellie De Ville (l)
Mega-City One, 2141 AD. Galen DeMarco was once a Judge, a rising star operating out of the corrupt dumping ground that was Sector House 301. But she quit the force after one romantic indiscretion too many and set herself up as a private investigator. Although the heir to a fortune, she lost much of her cash in one of her last cases, so is keen to take on any client…
DIAMOND DOGS // PART ONE
James Peaty (w) Warren Pleece Simon Bowland (l)
Brit-Cit, 2141 AD. The remnants of old Britain still exist alongside the twenty-second century Mega-City, and these ruins are fought over by the Brit-Cit street gangs, who see them as valuable territory. Jimmy Slick’s Diamond Dogs is one such outfit, making a name for themselves in the criminal underworld. But Jimmy’s lieutenant, Nia Jones, is an informant for the Judges…
THE RETURNERS // CHANDHU
Si Spencer (w) Nicolo Assirello (a) Eva De La Cruz (c) Simon Bowland (l)
Ciudad Barranquilla, 2141 AD. Four different people – academic Barrancourt, ex-Judge Mineiro, gangbanger Correira, and transgender street-walker Chavez – all awoke from neardeath experiences, and as a consequence are capable of dealing with the supernatural. Now, they’ve been tasked with rescuing a Sino citizen from the Mongolian Free Zone…
Mega-City One, 2141 AD. Psi-Division is a section of Justice Department that specialises in Judges with accentuated psychic talents – from precognition to exorcism, projection to pyrokineticism, it is at the forefront in the war against supernatural crime. Cassandra Anderson is the division’s top telepath, and one of its most experienced operatives…
Written by Skip Tracer’s James Peaty and drawn by Warren Pleece, artist on Dandridge and Second City Blues, the series is set in the underbelly of Brit-Cit and focuses on Nia, a Brit-Cit girl who’s part of the Diamond Dogs, a street gang with ideas of expansion.
Nia’s caught up in more trouble than she knows how to get out of in a world that’s part-Clockwork Orange and part-Quadrophenia with a touch of old skool hip hop and New Romantic Blitz kid chic!
Richard Bruton caught up with Peaty and Pleece to talk about the latest Dreddworld series for their Megazine…
Diamond Dogs begins in the Judge DreddMegazine #409 – can you give us some idea of what to expect from the strip?
James Peaty:Diamond Dogs is the story of Nia Jones, a young woman living in the Nu East End of Brit-Cit. But Nia’s no ordinary citizen. She’s got a dangerous double life as both member of a street gang, the titular Diamond Dogs, and also as an informer for an undercover street Judge. When we meet Nia she’s been in this situation for a couple of years and she’s at something of a crossroads. With the Diamond Dogs rising up the criminal food chain and her handler, Judge Magellan, pressing her for even more information, Nia can’t see a way out of her predicament. That is until an old friend reappears out of the blue with a possible way for Nia to escape Brit-Cit forever. Unlike my series for the Prog, Skip Tracer, I’d say Diamond Dogs is less of an action adventure strip and more of a character led thriller, which seems in keeping with The Megazine.
So, is it that classic idea of a youngster who’s found her way into crime and then finds herself beholden to the cops? Is that the sort of vibe we’ll be seeing in Diamond Dogs?
JP: Actually, it’s the other way round.She’s running with the gang because of her connection to the Judges. Why is that the case? Well, you’ll have to read the story and find out.
I’m assuming that the title, Diamond Dogs, refers to the Bowie song? Are you both fans?
JP: Yeah, I’m a fan. Who isn’t?
WP: Maybe not a fan in the true sense… an admirer, definitely. You can’t underestimate his importance to modern music.
Is it something that has any more connotations for the strip than just being a very cool name for the street gang?
JP: Well, it IS a cool name. Let’s not pretend otherwise! It’s why Bowie went for it himself. But yeah, the connotations do go deeper than that. The Diamond Dogs album (and the track itself), sort of fuse Bowie’s Orwell/1984 obsession with his love of A Clockwork Orange and that was very much at the front of my thinking when I was putting the series together. The influence of the Kubrick film on both Bowie and the early punk era always feels of a piece with the birth of 2000 AD, so in my head Brit-Cit is very much a part of that. There’s a lot of London pop, punk and post-punk culture peppered throughout the series. And I’m from London –specifically East London – so that all filters in too.
How would you describe the character of Nia in the strip? Is she going to be joining the growing group of wonderful female characters of 2000 AD?
JP: Well, one would hope she joins that group! That’d be great. How would I describe Nia? I’d say she’s clever, tough, honourable, but also desperate. She’s very much trapped as the strip opens. How she tries to change those circumstances forms the spine of this initial story.
When it came to Skip Tracer, the world was yours to develop and create, alongside Paul Marshall. But, here with Diamond Dogs, you’re working within not just an existing world but an existing city. How does this affect the way you write/design a new series?
JP: It’s different from Skip Tracer as you’re dealing with a pre-existing world that builds upon our world. It’s easier than Skip Tracer in a sense as that’s set in outer space hundreds of years in the future, so you have a blank piece of paper and have to define the rules of that world yourself. With this you don’t have to do that, but at the same time you have to be consistent with what’s come before and yet still try to be surprising. They’re both tricky to be honest. World building is probably the most important part of science fiction and fantasy storytelling as the world defines both character and story. So the world absolutely affects the way you approach the story. A Diamond Dogs story is different to a Skip Tracer story, which is different to a Nemesis story or a Sinister Dexter story. All of them grow from the world.
Over the years, we’ve had so many tales from Mega-City One, but Brit-Cit is a (relatively) unknown/unrealised part of the world. Most recently we’ve seen Tom Palmer and James Broxton’s version of Brit-Cit in Storm Warning, where the scenery was definitely more down at heel and old fashioned than that of MC-1. How do you see your take on Brit-Cit? What makes it different and interesting?
Warren Pleece: I’ve played up a ’70s brutalist feel for the background architecture in the Nu East End, just occasionally glimpsing a slightly shinier Brit-Cit, faded in the background.
JP: I think Jimmy and Tom’s work on Storm Warning has been great, but this is a very different strip to that series. We’re trying to portray a slightly more grounded version of Brit Cit than perhaps those strips have attempted.
James, when you say this Brit Cit will be a little more grounded – is it that Diamond Dogs is set more from the level of the cits on the ground, with the Judges looking down from on high?
JP: That’s right. In fact, the Judges barely feature in the story. They’re glimpsed and Judge Magellan (Nia’s handler) is an important character, but this is primarily a story about the citizens of Brit-Cit – and specifically the Nu East End – trying to survive and live their lives in the shadow of the Judges.
Warren, it’s been a while since you’ve graced the pages of the Prog. Am I right in thinking Dandridge was the last time?
WP: Probably!
So, what is it that brings you back?
WP: Working with James again; we worked on a 13th Doctor episode for Titan’s Doctor Who series and that was a lot of fun. Also, any chance to work on something new and different for 2000 AD or the Megazine. It’s the first time I’ve drawn something in the Dreddverse, so that’s a big factor too.
When it comes to something like this, working in the lesser known environs of Brit-Cit and with a completely new set of characters, how have you gone about the design process for both Nia, the Diamond Dogs, and Brit-Cit itself, as I’d imagine the city plays a role here just as it does over in Dredd?
WP: James gave me a lot of pointers towards ’60s, ’70s and ’80s UK pop culture for the gangs, everything from A Clockwork Orange, Quadrophenia, old skool hip hop and a touch of New Romantic Blitz kid chic for Nia’s gang.
What sort of design cues are you working from when it comes to your Brit-Cit?
WP: I’ve taken a little license as the story is mostly set in the Nu East End, a forgotten armpit of the main city, so I’ve made it look neglected and knackered, almost bombed out, next to the slightly less knackered, more futuristic backdrop of Brit-Cit proper. Think ’60s and ’70s brutalist living gone way past its sell by date.
I’m assuming it’s in colour and also assuming you’re colouring your own work? In which case, can you take us through a little of your process of constructing the strip?
WP: I still draw in the old school traditional way, pencils, lightboxed inks on Bristol board, then scanned in and coloured in Photoshop. I’m looking to change the way I work in the future with some new personal stuff; just wanting to change the process a little, shake it up and try out some new/ old things. Too many screens these days!
You’ve worked together before on Doctor Who, so how does the collaboration work with you, and has it been any different on Diamond Dogs?
WP: James’ scripts have everything there, really. He’s also one of those writers who is always happy to follow up stuff and make suggestions for character design etc which makes my job a lot easier and enjoyable.
Is Diamond Dogs something that you’ve planned as a finite series, or is there possibility, should Tharg deem it so, to continue the story past this first series?
JP: We’ve not talked about a second series yet, although there’s certainly the possibility for more. I’ve certainly enjoyed writing the series a hell of a lot and I do have some ideas about where we could take it next. But whether we do any more…well, ultimately that’s down to Tharg! What it has done is given me an appetite to do a bit more in Dredd’s world. I’d definitely love to have a crack at the Big Guy eventually. If Tharg’ll let me!
Diamond Dogs begins in Judge Dredd Megazine #409, which is out now!
Two series reach their finales this issue as the current arc for Lawless comes to a close – fear not though, Dan Abnett and Phil Winslade will be back in time for Christmas, Lawson fans! There’s also an explosive climax to David Hine and Nick Percival’s gruesome Dark Judges epic The Torture Garden!
We’ve also got three zarjaz new stories starting too Earthlets…
Firstly, Arthur Wyatt and Jake Lynch reunite as Dredd prepares to take on the Euro crime syndicate La Reine Rouge in The Red Queen’s Gambit. Secondly, near-death survivors The Returners are back, courtesy of Si Spencer and Nicolo Assirelli, as they’re tasked with investigating another case in Chandhu. Finally, we head over to the crime-ridden streets of Brit-Cit for brand-new strip Diamond Dogs by James Peaty and Warren Pleece as warring gangs battle for territory!
It’s a busy month for there are also two specials deserving your attention. This year’s 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special is a tribute to the late artist Carlos Ezquerra, featuring the opening chapters of his and John Wagner’s robot detective series Spector, and girls’ titles Tammy and Jinty are reinvented for the 21st century by a whole host of creators. Don’t miss ’em!
Judge Dredd Megazine #408 is now available from all good comic book shops and newsagents – as well as 2000 AD‘s webshop and apps. It can be ordered from comic book stores via Diamond Distribution using code JAN192059.
Don’t forget that if you buy this issue in print direct from our webshop within the next month you’ll not pay a penny in postage fees in the UK! And if you subscribe to the Megazine you’ll get a FREE print of each month’s cover with each issue!
Arhtur Wyatt (w) Jake Lynch (a) John Charles (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Mega-City One, 2141 AD. This vast urban hell on the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America is home to over 130 million citizens. Crime is rampant and stemming the tide of chaos are the Judges, empowered to dispense instant justice. Toughest of all is Judge Dredd – he is the Law! After past encounters with La Reine Rouge, Dredd’s ready to take on the Euro crime syndicate…
LAWLESS // ASHES TO ASHES
Dan Abnett (w) Phil Winslade (a) Ellie De Ville (l)
Colonial Marshal Metta Lawson was appointed to the frontier township of Badrock on the planet 43 Rega, intent on stamping her authority on the colony. But in doing so, Lawson made many enemies, including Munce, Inc., the mega-corporation that funds Badrock. Now, Justice Department has flown in back-up, saving the town from being obliterated by Munce…
DIAMOND DOGS // PART ONE
James Peaty (w) Warren Pleece Simon Bowland (l)
Brit-Cit, 2141 AD. The remnants of old Britain still exist alongside the twenty-second century Mega-City, and these ruins are fought over by the Brit-Cit street gangs, who see them as valuable territory. Jimmy Slick’s Diamond Dogs is one such outfit, making a name for themselves in the criminal underworld. But Jimmy’s lieutenant, Nia Jones, is not all she seems…
THE RETURNERS // CHANDHU
Si Spencer (w) Nicolo Assirello (a) Eva De La Cruz (c) Simon Bowland (l)
Ciudad Barranquilla, 2141 AD. Four different people – academic Barrancourt, ex-Judge Mineiro, gangbanger Correira, and transgender street-walker Chavez – all awoke from neardeath experiences, and as a consequence are capable of dealing with the supernatural. They’ve also been cursed with immortality, but not, however, invulnerability…
THE DARK JUDGES // THE TORTURE GARDEN
David Hine (w) Nick Percival (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
After the events on the Mayflower, the cargo ship the Solips discovered the Dark Judges Death, Fire and Mortis floating in space, and the alien superfiends murdered the crew. Landing on a remote Mega-City colony world called Dominion, Death and co used their powers to decimate the population. Now, Mega-City marines must rescue the survivors and destroy Dominion…
Who is the Red Queen? What connection to Dredd’s past does she have? And how is she planning to extend her criminal empire outside of Euro-City? An attempted takeover on Krong Island, the recent incursion into Mega-City One – all of this feeds into the epic new storyline, The Red Queen’s Gambit, which starts in Judge Dredd Megazine #309 – out this week!
Writer Arthur Wyatt and artist Jake Lynch talked to Richard Bruton all about their new series for the Megazine, a family of villainy, and creating continuity for Dredd…
The set-up for ‘The Red Queen’s Gambit’ has been long in the gestation, With the Red Prince first appearing in Krong Island and, most recently, alongside mommy, the mysterious Red Queen, in ‘The Red Prince Diaries’ in Megazine #404. It seems that you’ve been ramping things up, setting the pieces in place for something bigger… so, can you fill us in on what to expect in the forthcoming series, ‘The Red Queen’s Gambit’?
Arthur Wyatt: All the usual fun and excitement! Space, monkeys, a Dreddworld setting I don’t think we’ve seen since 2002, and lots of explosions! Also there’s some fantastic vehicle design going on from Jake, who introduces a new craft in Justice Department’s collection of diplomatic vessels.
Jake Lynch: It’ll be running to four episodes, but I think there may be some more that comes from it.
We first met The Red Prince in your Krong Island, where you introduced the mysterious young man manipulating all things monkey, before we, finally, met his mother, the equally mysterious Red Queen. That final quote from the Red Prince, alluding to his family history and the scar that made him look more like his father only served to deepen the mystery. Did anyone make the connection between the Red Prince and his father at that point?
JL: Not as far as I’m aware, but I was very pleased when I read the script!
AW: I think a fair few did, probably helped if they’d read some of my previous stories with Jake over in the Prog. I hope anyone who didn’t catch it hasn’t been too annoyed waiting for the follow up to that cliffhanger to tell them who it was, and that people who caught that story in the Nobody Apes the Lawtrade are intrigued enough to find out – might have come a bit out of the blue for readers of that.
And exactly how does the Red Queen figure into all of this?
AW: One of the benefits of having written flashback set in earlier eras of Dredd is you get to pretend the things you’ve introduced in them have always been there, so here I get to reference my own continuity and say that the Red Queen has been around since at least the days of Dredd’s cursed earth trek, consolidating her grip on the Euro-City criminal underground, riding out the ebbs and flow of history until now, when she’s seeking to consolidate her grip on power by seizing territory outside of Euro City. The attempted coup on Krong Island was just the start.
JL: She’s a callback to a strip that Arthur and I did quite a long time ago in 2000 AD. I’m really glad to see her back (love that hairstyle!). She a really sinister character and I imagine that any offspring of hers couldn’t have turned out any other way – casually cruel and indifferent, she is the boss of her criminal empire and the real puppet-master.
The reveal of the Red Prince’s father is made at the end of Megazine #404, we’ll just call him The Red King… it’s a character you’ve both rather taken on over the last few years, going back into his history and looking at his background. Any more plans to go back through his adventures, and do more of the super-spy type tales?
JL: I’d love to do another series but I’m not sure it would ever happen. Arthur once told me his plans for the next one and it had me chomping at the bit. I’d also like to revisit it as I’m a little more seasoned now and loved the darker tone.
AW: Should Tharg be willing, it’s something I’d totally do more of. Those stories hooking into the opposing side of Dreddworld history were super fun to work on.
Or, is it something that, given he’s meant to be dead, you’re planning on simply continuing through the legacy of Red Queen and Red Prince?
JL: I think Arthur may have another story up his sleeve on that one…
AW: I think there’s quite a bit of mileage there as well. Jake and I seem to be building up quite the cast of characters, and checking in on them again is always a lot of fun.
Arthur, when you talked to 2000 AD about the ‘Krong Island’ story, you mentioned how you should really look at doing your “own big space epic sometime or something, since I’ve done a lot of noodling around in the Dredd world” – I have to ask, is The Red Queen’s Gambit, The Red Prince, and the familial connection the big epic you were thinking of?
AW: Well, right now I’m working on more Intestinauts with Simon Parr, so you could say my big thing outside of Judge Dredd is intestinal parasites! I’ve also been scheming with PJ Holden to do a big project at some point – will this be the year that drops? Maybe so.
As for the The Red Queen stories, I think Red Queen’s Gambit is a nice evolution of Krong Island and Eurozoned, and it’s nice having all the elements set up that you then pull in to tell a bigger story with. The Red Prince even gets in a nice little mention of the villain from The Cube Root of Evil, another story I did with Jake. And of course it’s all happening within Dredd’s world as a whole, with Wagner’s contributions being the central spine of that but we also pull in some characters from other writers – look for a favorite of Al and Rob’s in episode one of Gambit.
Jake, we talked, previously, about influences and you mentioned a huge love of Mike McMahon. I don’t think I’m wrong in saying it’s definitely something we can see in your Dredd (you definitely do a damn fine chin, and some great boots!) There’s an angularity and sense of unusual yet interesting perspective in some of your work that’s great to see, and marks you out as a different looking artist – hopefully that’s something you’d agree with? How has your artwork developed over the years? Has it been a case of slowly growing into a style or was there ever a point where you made a deliberate decision to push your art in a certain direction?
JL: Thank you, that’s a kind way of putting it! I never bother to look, but suspect I’m the Marmite of comic artists!! I think I’m growing into a style. I noticed a change during the first Heston story and I made conscious choice to explore it more. That was a few years ago and I think I’m only just starting to get the hang of it. I like to be instinctive when possible, but appreciate that that can be a rocky road. There is so much in storytelling that I don’t think I’ll EVER stop learning and that’s both exciting and fine by me.
One of the things I admire about McMahon is his changing styles. I’ll never be in his league, but am aware that, how I draw at this moment in time, will not be how I draw in a few years. My motto from when learning to draw was, ‘the best piece is the next piece’. All these years later, I’m pleased to say it still is.
Welcome, Terrans, to issue #408 of the mighty Judge Dredd Megazine, which has been stuffed full with the best stories to well and truly get your Thrill-nodes going!
This week includes the finale of Judge Dredd: The Crazy, as well as the penultimate instalments of Lawless: Ashes to Ashes and The Dark Judges: The Torture Garden, as well as more Storm Warning and a brand new Black Museum story!
We’ve also got interrogations with art-droids Geoff Senior and Abigail Bulmer, and the first half of classic Starlord strip: Mind Wars!
Judge Dredd Megazine #408 is now available from all good comic book shops and newsagents – as well as 2000 AD‘s webshop and apps. It can be ordered from comic book stores via Diamond Distribution using code JAN192059.
Don’t forget that if you buy this issue in print direct from our webshop within the next month you’ll not pay a penny in postage fees in the UK! And if you subscribe to the Megazine you’ll get a FREE print of each month’s cover with each issue!
Kenneth Niemand (w) Nick Dyer (a) John Charles (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Mega-City One, 2141 AD. This vast urban hell on the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America is home to over 130 million citizens. Crime is rampant and stemming the tide of chaos are the Judges, empowered to dispense instant justice. Toughest of all is Judge Dredd – he is the Law! Now, he’s confronting ex-Judge Harrigan, who’s been broadcasting conspiracy theories…
LAWLESS // ASHES TO ASHES
Dan Abnett (w) Phil Winslade (a) Ellie De Ville (l)
Colonial Marshal Metta Lawson was appointed to the frontier township of Badrock on the planet 43 Rega, intent on stamping her authority on the colony. But in doing so, Lawson made many enemies, including Munce, Inc., the mega-corporation that funds Badrock. Now, Justice Department has flown in back-up, saving the town from being obliterated by Munce…
STORM WARNING // GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND
Leah Moore & John Reppion (w) Tom Foster (a) Eva De La Cruz (c) Simon Bowland (l)
Brit-Cit, 2141 AD. Much like its Mega-City counterpart, Brit-Cit Justice Department has its various divisions, from Tek to plainclothes, Tactical to Psi, and one of its more prickly operatives in the latter is Lillian Storm, who has the ability to talk to the dead, and is often accompanied by her ghostly helpers. Now, she’s investigating a spate of mysterious murders…
BLACK MUSEUM // JUST BUSINESS
Rory McConville (w) Neil Googe (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Mega-City One, 2141 AD. Deep in the heart of the Grand Hall of Justice lies the Black Museum, Justice Department’s permanent exhibition of the relics from bygone crimes. Whether it’s a notorious serial killer’s trophies or the weapons of the Dark Judges, the violent history of the Big Meg is laid bare here. Let undead guide Henry Dubble show you around…
THE DARK JUDGES // THE TORTURE GARDEN
David Hine (w) Nick Percival (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
After the events on the Mayflower, the cargo ship the Solips discovered the Dark Judges Death, Fire and Mortis floating in space, and the alien superfiends murdered the crew. Landing on a remote Mega-City colony world called Dominion, Death and co used their powers to decimate the population. Now, Mega-City marines must rescue the survivors and destroy Dominion…
Welcome, Earthlets, to the April issue of the mighty Judge Dredd Megazine, filled to the brim with stupendous stories guaranteed to sate your comic hunger!
There’s a brand new Judge Dredd story, with Dredd heading out in to the Cursed Earth to track down the source of some troubling radio-traffic. We’ve also got the latest thrilling instalments of Lawless, Blunt II, Storm Warning, and more Dark Judges action!
Elsewhere, there’s features about Michael Carroll’s series of three novellas about corrupt clone-twin Rico Dredd, as well as features about our exciting upcoming Cor!! & Buster and Villains Takeover specials!
Judge Dredd Megazine #407 is now available from all good comic book shops and newsagents – as well as 2000 AD’s webshop and apps. It can be ordered from comic book stores via Diamond Distribution using code JAN192059.
Don’t forget that if you buy this issue in print direct from our webshop within the next month you’ll not pay a penny in postage fees in the UK! And if you subscribe to the Megazine you’ll get a FREE print of each month’s cover with each issue!
Kenneth Niemand (w) Nick Dyer (a) John Charles (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Mega-City One, 2141 AD. This vast urban hell on the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America is home to over 130 million citizens. With the populace crammed into giant city-blocks, tensions are on a knife-edge. Crime is rampant and stemming the tide of chaos are the Judges, future law-enforcers empowered to dispense instant justice. Toughest of all is Judge Dredd – he is the Law!
LAWLESS // ASHES TO ASHES
Dan Abnett (w) Phil Winslade (a) Ellie De Ville (l)
Colonial Marshal Metta Lawson was appointed to the frontier township of Badrock on the planet 43 Rega, intent on stamping her authority on the colony. But in doing so, Lawson made many enemies, including Munce, Inc., the mega-corporation that funds Badrock. Now, as Munce attempts to obliterate the town, Lawson appeals to the alien Zhind for help…
STORM WARNING GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND
Leah Moore & John Reppion (w) Tom Foster (a) Eva De La Cruz (c) Simon Bowland (l)
Brit-Cit, 2141 AD. Much like its Mega-City counterpart, Brit-Cit Justice Department has its various divisions, from Tek to plainclothes, Tactical to Psi, and one of its more prickly operatives in the latter is Lillian Storm, who has the ability to talk to the dead, and is often accompanied by her ghostly helpers. Now, she’s investigating a spate of mysterious murders…
BLUNT II // PART SEVEN
T.C Eglington (w) Boo Cook (a) Simon Bowland (l)
The Mega-City One colony Getri-1, 2138 AD. On this remote outpost, Earth colonists have been attempting to make a new home on the planet, cataloguing and exploring its unusual flora and fauna, but they’ve discovered that the world’s eco-system is bonded by a psi-network that is hostile to outsiders. Now, the colonists are now trying to repel the Zhind…
THE DARK JUDGES // THE TORTURE GARDEN
David Hine (w) Nick Percival (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
After the events on the Mayflower, the cargo ship the Solips discovered the Dark Judges Death, Fire and Mortis floating in space, and the alien superfiends murdered the crew. Landing on a remote Mega-City colony world called Dominion, Death and co used their powers to decimate the population. Now, Mega-City marines must rescue the survivors and destroy Dominion…
Welcome to the March issue of the Mighty Judge Dredd Megazine, which launches head-first in to Spring with a set of stunning of stories!
Judge Dredd’s tangle with homicidal vegetation comes to its climax in the finale of Planted, plus more instalments of Lawless, Storm Warning, Blunt, and The Torture Garden.
Elsewhere, we catch up with writer Dan Watters and artist Caspar Wjingaard – two young Brit creators making a name for themselves in US comics – and investigate Gryyym, a new croundfunded French anthology that takes inspiration from 2000 AD!
Also, as the Treasury of British Comics imprint releases the collected Fran of the Floods this month – a topical climate-change thriller from the pages of girls’ comic Jinty – we take a look at the phenomenon of Tammy, Sandie and the rest, and examine how their storytelling techniques spearheaded by the likes of Pat Mills and Gerry Finley-Day still stand up today.
Blogger Jenni Scott points out that when these titles stopped being published, the stories simply vanished, not getting the reprints afforded to 2000 AD or Battle. Now, that’s being corrected as various strips finally see the light of day once more, properly credited to their creators.
Judge Dredd Megazine #405 is now available from all good comic book shops and newsagents – as well as 2000 AD‘s webshop and apps. It can be ordered from comic book stores via Diamond Distribution using code JAN192059.
Don’t forget that if you buy this issue in print direct from our webshop within the next month you’ll not pay a penny in postage fees in the UK! And if you subscribe to the Megazine you’ll get a FREE print of each month’s cover with each issue!
Rory McConville (w) Dan Cornwell (a) Jim Boswell (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Mega-City One, 2141 AD. This vast urban hell on the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America is home to over 130 million citizens. Crime is rampant and stemming the tide of chaos are the Judges, future law-enforcers empowered to dispense instant justice. Toughest of them all is Judge Dredd – he is the Law! Now, plant creatures have broken free from an experimental laboratory…
LAWLESS // ASHES TO ASHES
Dan Abnett (w) Phil Winslade (a) Ellie De Ville (l)
Colonial Marshal Metta Lawson was appointed to the frontier township of Badrock on the planet 43 Rega, intent on stamping her authority on the colony. But in doing so, Lawson made many enemies, including Munce, Inc., the mega-corporation that funds Badrock. Now, an older Lawson is the last one left, and speaks to the alien Zhind before 43 Rega’s nuked…
STORM WARNING // GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND
Leah Moore & John Reppion (w) Tom Foster (a) Eva De La Cruz (c) Simon Bowland (l)
Brit-Cit, 2141 AD. Much like its Mega-City counterpart, Brit-Cit Justice Department has its various divisions, from Tek to plainclothes, Tactical to Psi, and one of its more prickly operatives in the latter is Lillian Storm, who has the ability to talk to the dead, and is often accompanied by her ghostly helpers. Now, she’s investigating a spate of mysterious murders…
BLUNT II PART SEVEN
T.C Eglington (w) Boo Cook (a) Simon Bowland (l)
The Mega-City One colony Getri-1, 2138 AD. On this remote outpost, Earth colonists have been attempting to make a new home on the planet, cataloguing and exploring its unusual flora and fauna. But a shuttle crash led to a desperate rescue mission, headed by the halfape Blunt, and upon their return they found the colonists had been kidnapped…
THE DARK JUDGES // THE TORTURE GARDEN
David Hine (w) Nick Percival (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
After the events on the Mayflower, the cargo ship the Solips discovered the Dark Judges Death, Fire and Mortis floating in space, and the alien superfiends murdered the crew. Landing on a remote Mega-City colony world called Dominion, Death and co used their powers to decimate the population. Now, as marines prepare to engage, it’s emerged that Fear has escaped…
If comics are visual meals then prepare to well and truly gorge yourselves on the latest Judge Dredd Megazine!
With the main course of Judge Dredd, Lawless, Blunt, Storm Warning, and The Dark Judges, then you’ll want to settle back and enjoy feasting on the second volume of the first English translation of the critically-acclaimed best-selling French graphic novel series, Operation: Overlord.
Elsewhere, we pay tribute to art droid Ron Smith, there’s an interview with IDW Judge Dredd sries writer Paul Jenkins, and we take a look at a new release from Osprey, Judge Dredd: The Cursed Earth, the exciting new card game that sees Ol’ Stoney-Face head into the atomic wasteland along with Anderson and Giant on a perilous quest. With brand-new art from Dan Cornwell and Rufus Dayglo, old-school fans will want to check this out!
Judge Dredd Megazine #405 is now available from all good comic book shops and newsagents – as well as 2000 AD’s webshop and apps. It can be ordered from comic book stores via Diamond Distribution using code DEC182016.
Don’t forget that if you buy this issue in print direct from our webshop within the next month you’ll not pay a penny in postage fees in the UK! And if you subscribe to the Megazine you’ll get a FREE print of each month’s cover with each issue!
JUDGE DREDD // PLANTED by Rory McConville (w) Dan Cornwell (a) Jim Boswell (c) Annie Parkhouse (l) Mega-City One, 2140 AD. This vast urban hell on the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America is home to over 100 million citizens. Unemployment is rife, boredom universal, and crime is rampant. Stemming the tide of chaos are the Judges, future law-enforcers empowered to dispense instant justice. Toughest of them all is Judge Dredd – he is the Law!
LAWLESS // ASHES TO ASHES by Dan Abnett (w) Phil Winslade (a) Ellie De Ville (l) Colonial Marshal Metta Lawson was appointed to the frontier township of Badrock on the planet 43 Rega, intent on stamping her authority on the colony. But in doing so, Lawson made many enemies, including Munce, Inc., the mega-corporation that funds Badrock. Now, an older Lawson is the last one left, and the planet is going to be nuked…
STORM WARNING // GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND by Leah Moore, John Reppion (w) Tom Foster (a) Eva De La Cruz (c) Simon Bowland (l) Brit-Cit, 2140 AD. Much like its Mega-City counterpart, Brit-Cit Justice Department has its various departments, from Tek to plainclothes, Tactical to Psi-Division, and one of its more prickly operatives in the latter is Lillian Storm, a psychically powerful Judge with the ability to talk to the dead, and is often accompanied by her ghostly helpers. Now, she’s investigating the mysterious murder of three people…
BLUNT II by TC Eglington (w) Boo Cook (a) Simion Bowland (l) The Mega-City One colony Getri-1, 2138 AD. On this remote outpost, Earth colonists have been attempting to make a new home on the planet, cataloguing and exploring its unusual flora and fauna. But a shuttle crash led to a desperate rescue mission, headed by the halfape Blunt, and upon their return they found the colonists had been kidnapped…
THE DARK JUDGES // THE TORTURE GARDEN by David Hine (w) Nick Percival (a) Annie Parkhouse (l) After the events on the Mayflower, the cargo ship the Solips discovered the Dark Judges Death, Fire and Mortis floating in space, and the alien superfiends murdered the crew. Landing on a remote Mega-City colony world called Dominion, Death and co used their powers to decimate the population. Now, it’s been discovered that Judge Fear has been freed from his cell…
Arthur Wyatt and Jake Lynch reunite for the complete Judge Dredd thriller ‘The Red Prince Diaries’, which picks up some plot threads from last year’s Krong Island, and will continue in a few months’ time in ‘The Red Queen’s Gambit’.
Writing duo Leah Moore and John Reppion team up once again with artist Tom Foster for the next Storm Warning series, ‘Green and Pleasant Land’.
Elsewhere, we ahve more edge-of-the-seat excitement in Lawless, Blunt and The Torture Garden, plus a look at what you should be keeping your eyes out for this year, both in terms of new creators to watch and graphic novels that should be taking pride of place on your bookshelves as Rebellion digs deep into its Treasury of British Comics archive.
Don’t miss the Operation: Overlord mini-trade bagged with this issue, either – the first of four English translations of Editions Glénat’s bestselling D-Day GNs, presented under the ‘Battle Presents’ banner.
Judge Dredd Megazine #404 is now available from all good comic book shops and newsagents – as well as 2000 AD’s webshop and apps. It can be ordered from comic book stores via Diamond Distribution using code NOV181943.
Don’t forget that if you buy this issue in print direct from our webshop within the next month you’ll not pay a penny in postage fees in the UK! And if you subscribe to the Megazine you’ll get a FREE print of each month’s cover with each issue!
JUDGE DREDD // THE RED PRINCE DIARIES by Arthur Wyatt (w) Jake Lynch (a) John Charles (c) Annie Parkhouse (l) Mega-City One, 2140 AD. This vast urban hell on the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America is home to over 100 million citizens. Unemployment is rife, boredom universal, and crime is rampant. Stemming the tide of chaos are the Judges, future law-enforcers empowered to dispense instant justice. Toughest of them all is Judge Dredd – he is the Law!
LAWLESS // ASHES TO ASHES by Dan Abnett (w) Phil Winslade (a) Ellie De Ville (l) Colonial Marshal Metta Lawson was appointed to the frontier township of Badrock on the planet 43 Rega, intent on stamping her authority on the colony. But in doing so, Lawson made many enemies, including Munce, Inc., the mega-corporation that funds Badrock. Now, Munce is planning to dispose of Badrock once and for all, and is laying siege to the town…
STORM WARNING // GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND by Leah Moore, John Reppion (w) Tom Foster (a) Eva De La Cruz (c) Simon Bowland (l) Brit-Cit, 2140 AD. Much like its Mega-City counterpart, Brit-Cit Justice Department has its various departments, from Tek to plainclothes, Tactical to Psi-Division, and one of its more prickly operatives in the latter is Lillian Storm, a psychically powerful Judge with the ability to talk to the dead, and is often accompanied by her ghostly helpers. Now, she’s investigating the mysterious murder of three people…
BLUNT II by TC Eglington (w) Boo Cook (a) Simion Bowland (l) The Mega-City One colony Getri-1, 2138 AD. On this remote outpost, Earth colonists have been attempting to make a new home on the planet, cataloguing and exploring its unusual flora and fauna. But a shuttle crash led to a desperate rescue mission, headed by the halfape Blunt, and upon their return they found the colonists had been kidnapped…
THE DARK JUDGES // THE TORTURE GARDEN by David Hine (w) Nick Percival (a) Annie Parkhouse (l) After the events on the Mayflower, the cargo ship the Solips discovered the Dark Judges Death, Fire and Mortis floating in space, and the alien superfiends murdered the crew. Landing on a remote Mega-City colony world called Dominion, Death and co used their powers to decimate the population and create an army of zombies. Few survivors remain, and now a team of marines is being sent from MC-1…
Rebellion Publishing is proud to present the international best-selling French graphic novel series Operation: Overlord for the first time in English – under the banner of Battle, one of the UK’s most cherished comic book properties.
Written by Michaël Le Galli and with fantastic art by Star Wars and Hellblazer artist Davide Fabbri, part one of the series set in World War Two is being published with this month’s Judge Dredd Megazine.
The series is being published under the new ‘Battle presents…’ banner, reviving the name of one of the greatest comic books in UK publishing history.
The acclaimed bandee desinee series tells four extraordinary tales of heroism set during the Normandy landings on D-Day, June 6th 1944, and is being reprinted in a series of reprint editions bagged with the Megazine. Each 48-page issue is a stand-alone story, set in separate locations such as Saint-Mere-Eglise, Merville, and of course Omaha Beach.
Part one comes with Judge Dredd Megazine #404, on sale in newsagents, comic book stores and online on 16th January.
Launched in 1975, Battle Picture Weekly was the groundbreaking war comic from IPC that published series such as Rat Pack, Major Eazy, Johnny Red, El Mestizo, Fighting Mann, and the critically-acclaimed World War One epic Charley’s War. Lauded for its no-nonsense heroes and gritty action, Battle fundamentally altered the comics landscape – readers lapped up its modern sensibilities and no-holds-barred attitude, and it led to the creation of both the ill-fated Action and global industry game-changer 2000 AD.
Rebellion graphic novel editor Oliver Pickles said: “It’s a great feeling to be able to publish Operation: Overlord under the Battle banner, much like the recent Sniper Elite series, and helps bring back the spirit of that classic British war comic title but with a modern sensibility.
“I am really looking forward to bringing Operation: Overlord to an Anglophone audience for the first time. The series has been hugely popular in France, with each book focusing on a different event of the D-Day landings, for instance there is a whole 48 page issue dedicated to the Omaha Beach assault by Easy Company. And the whole series has been drawn by Davide Fabbri, who comic readers will know from his Star Wars comics for Dark Horse, and more recently his Hellblazer run at DC Comics.”
The further volumes of Operation: Overlord will be collected with Judge Dredd Megazine numbers 405 (on sale 20th February), 406 (on sale 20th March) and 407 (on sale 17th April)
