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I'm sure someone will know this - there was an artist who was hyped up in a Nerve Centre some time around the late 80's, got one Slaine Star-Scan and a Future Shock to his name then was never seen again...

Not sure what to think. Gonna have to give that frame another once-over.


Cover: It's OK, good pose, but the background colours are a bit too similar to AG's colour scheme to make him really stand out.

Dredd: This story's been a cut above. The final frame is good but the opening frame is phenomenal.

The Order: After all the fuss last week, AG's contribution is a bit underwhelming. But then it's only a robot that goes 'ANNIHILATE!' so the I guess possibilities are limited.

Thrill3r: Plodding.

Mechastopheles: If Karl Richardson draws areolae like that again we'll have to rip out his fingernails.

Grey Area: Exquisite art and colouring, though Grell looked a bit sketchy. A pain collar! Sometimes you can't beat a good old-fashioned SF staple.

Hitman and Bear from Gibbons era Dan Dare in an episode of Sinister Dexter as rival/fellow kill team. If Dave Gibbons agreed to draw it, well I'd kiss a skunk

With 'Pilot' Polanski as the getaway driver!

Next week's Armoured Gideon cover by Kei Zama looks the business, but its a missed opportunity that the Jacob Droid wasn't reactivated to draw it

Or that it wasn't John Burns!

Following the shock reappearance this week of [redacted] in [redacted], which other characters from 2000 AD's past should make a shock reappearance in current stories?

I'd quite like to see Rick Random make a shock appearance in Skip Tracer.

Er. Wow. Yeah, as reveals go that was pretty unexpected - especially as The Order is a story that's really forged its own identity over its previous three books, creating a unique world and an extremely individualised tone. Having said that, the idea of a colossal mechanoid patrolling the interdimensional boundaries is very in-keeping with its themes. And it's a phenomenal piece of art from John Burns. Surely there's a cover on the way?

(BTW can anyone remind me which progs contained the AG story where strips from 2000 AD's past became intertwined in the narrative?)

As for the rest of the prog I've only read Dredd and M. Stopheles so far; the former is a great continuation of a fine story while the latter is... well, also a great continuation of a fine story.

Cover: Nice work, but would have preferred something by Dave Kendall.

Dredd: Not quite sure why cits thought being mauled by a huge spider would give them superhuman abilities (yes I get the Spiderman joke) but that aside I'm enjoying the story and like the fact it has a few episodes to build. The profile shot of the gangster with the shark swimming behind him was great.

The Order: Maybe not quite as good as previous books - yet - but a fantastic read all the same.

Grey Area: A really warm come-down from events of the previous two-parter. Special kudos to Mark Harrison here - it's one thing making an action-packed episode featuring enormous alien creatures visually arresting but another, and arguably harder, to do the same with a dialogue-heavy installment like this. I particularly like the range of expressions shown by the officer talking to Bulliet in the bar (forget her name sorry), they really do suggest she's slightly cracking up. Top stuff.

Mechastopheles: Loved the 3riller, loving this already. Obviously a bit of backstory for newcomers but I'm sure from next week it'll be underway in earnest.

Damned: Hmmm... not sure it really needs the Sov involvement; yes, there's a rationale for them taking advantage of the situation but the series has been working perfectly well so far without needing to take a world view. Oh well, we'll see how it goes!

Starlord gave 2000AD Strontium Dog and Ro-busters.

Tornado gave us... a story about a Roman gladiator kidnapped by aliens

Which to be fair, metamorphosed into one of the weirdest and most wonderful (and brilliantly illustrated) series the prog has ever given us. 

I bought the first two editions of Starlord but only two other editions after that so I had a sort of detached attitude to it, since I'd only seen tantalising fragments of the stories. Being ten at the time it was the Ro-Busters stories that grabbed me most with their strong visual impact, adventurous storylines and sly humour.

I did like the 'Star Troopers' aspect and was another proud but skateboard-less member of the Skateboard Strike Force.

Cover: Nice, reminds me of those 1930's travel posters

Dredd: An enjoyable one-shot, tonally a bit different to the usual craziness

The Order: Rattling along brilliantly. Is it me or does John Burns' art look a tiny bit more rushed than in previous books? Even so, gotta love that crooked finger.

Terror Tale: Bit sketchy. Think it should be expanded into a ten-part series so we get more depth.

Deadworld: Exquisite

Grey Area: Haven't read it yet - didn't start on the prog 'till late last night and got a bit sleepy. It'll be brilliant though.

Horrible. Why did he draw it?

Ah yeah, you're right. I thought that was just a shot of the underside of the elevator (even though looking at it now it's completely different). Cheers.

Another great prog. Killer cover by Chris Weston. Shame the monkey isn't actually on Dredd's back, as the caption claims. The episode itself concludes the story in riotous fashion, bit rushed in places but that just adds to the sense of chaos. Still not quite sure where the elevator was actually headed, though..?

The Order is as glorious as ever, John Burns' art endowing it with a timeless quality. Rick Random concludes with a strange and underwhelming installment - with it coming back so soon it's going to be running at the same time as the new series of Brink, isn't it? Hmm. Deadworld spoils us with glimpses of three of the Dark Judges, and Durham Red wraps with a brutal denouement. Tharg, please say Durham Red is coming back real soon, it really needs a run of a few consecutive stories.

And as if all that wasn't enough, stand by for more Grey Area. It's coming home!

That hairstyle change anecdote has been used for ages now and I don't think I've ever seen it contradicted. Prepared to be proved wrong though!

[anything]

Cover: Heh - only a couple of weeks after a discussion over whether a character was bursting through a portal, we get... yeah.

I'm sure no-one catalogs my pet peeves but one of them is that I prefer covers that are drawn by the strip's regular art team. Maybe only a couple out of every ten covers drawn by a guest artist really works (last week's attempt by Brendan McCarthy to capture Deadworld is a case in point). So a Marshall/Teague effort would have been infinitely preferable.

Dredd: Fun, most of the jokes work. The puns are a bit ersatz Abnett is places. The opening exchange concluding with "he don't like anything" is brilliant. Where's the pod actually going? A satellite, or something?

Weston's art is as incredible as ever.   

Skip Tracer: So ridiculously retro, all it needs is a 'THRILL 2' card in the bottom corner of the first page.

The Order: TOP THRILL (let's assume that's the case every week unless specified)

Loving the new automaton's swivelly head.

Durham Red: Yeah, no slight on Lee Carter but Willsher was really flying on art duties. Hope he hasn't like lost any income while he's been laid up unable to draw. Do artists generally have insurance for this sort of thing?

I liked the fleshing out of DR's blood cravings, gives her an added dimension.

Deadworld: Great installment, again.