Mark Allen reviews 2000 AD Prog #2000…
It’s a miracle for any publication to reach its 2,000th issue, let alone a cult British sci-fi anthology known for its weird sense of humour and pulpy six-pager Future Shocks. Most superhero comics undergo dozens of reboots, renumberings and reproduction of new fans just to keep up interest in the books. Yet here we are, and 2000 AD Prog 2000 is a sterling example of why the comic’s outlasted its competitors.
This prog is a bumper-sized monster featuring writers and artists from across the book’s history, including Dave Gibbons, Brian Bolland, John Higgins and Carlos Ezquerra returning to fan-favourite characters. We get a duo of Mega-City One stories with Judge Dredd and Anderson: Psi Division in which both lawbringers are dragged into mind-bending situations.
Anderson’s story is beautifully executed in elegant black and white, although the story – a sleep-pod-inspired nightmare featuring Judge Death – leaves something to be desired. Dredd’s adventure, on the other hand, ramps up the insanity by including time travel, deranged clothes and men with heads for knees and still manages to wrap up its century-spanning tale in fewer than ten pages.
The prog is broken up by single black and white pages drawn by guest artists in which the magazine’s editor and top Betelgeusian delves into 2000 AD’s history with characters (and unfortunate ’90s experiments). These are diverting and give a welcome primer for inexperienced readers who might not be familiar with mysterious duo Sinister Dexter or loopy space opera Nemesis.
The latter sees spine-tingling linework and terrifying imagery from The League of Extraordinary Gentleman’s Kevin O’Neill, and that’s not the only shiver-inducing story on offer. No prog would be complete without a disturbing does of violence and pessimistic wartime philosophising, both of which can be found in a particularly grim episode of Rogue Trooper. It’s all fun and games until someone guns down a group of soldiers with a laser gun, eh?
Rounding off the prog is first episode in a new story from Peter Milligan and Rufus Dayglo: Counterfeit Girl, a dystopian, cyberpunk-inflected piece about identity switching and flicking a two-fingered salute to the authorities. We can only hope that 2000 AD continues in this grand tradition for at least another 2,000 zarjaz progs. Splundig vur thrigg indeed!
Rating: 9/10
Mark Allen
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Originally published September 29, 2016. Updated April 14, 2018.
