Comics

Judge Dredd Megazine #312

I decided that 32 pages of 2000 AD a week just wasn't providing enough Thrill-power for me (how behind I've got put paid to that theory, eh... but shh! I've got this now!), so I started picking up the Megazine too. (Well, I subscribed to both, but shh again!) Not as neat a jumping-on point as Prog 1740's (and 1750's) all-new stories... but, as has been widely noted amongst Squaxx dek Thargo (oh yeah, I'm totally gettin' the lingo at this point), that wasn't that great a starting point either: though 1740's stories were all Part Ones, most built on preceding arcs. So having worked out what was going on for the sake of that, I felt sure I could manage for the Megazine too.

And it works out OK: the Dredd story begins this issue, so that's no problem; another strip is only on part two and easy to pick up; another is on part seven but could be just beginning for all I can tell (I really don't see what it's done for six parts if it's all been this story); and the final tale, on its fourth instalment, has a nice little recap that gets me completely up to speed. And all the articles are, of course, self-contained. Dandy.

Plus, the Megazine comes with a free reprint graphic novel every issue! Never mind what came with this one, the next issue's (and three after that, all of which have been published now) collects a strip I remember from when I used to read 2000 AD some time in my past (10, 15 years ago?) So that's kinda awesome.