Comics

2000 AD #1762-1763

• Judge Dredd Day of Chaos: The Assassination List, Parts 4-5 by John Wagner & Leigh Gallagher
• Sinister Dexter Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Parts Two - Three by Dan Abnett & Anthony Williams
• Indigo Prime Anthropocalypse, Parts Seven - Eight by John Smith & Edmund Bagwell
• Angel Zero Parts 12-13 by Kek-W & John Burns

The end-of-2011 issues, meaning Indigo Prime and Angel Zero both wrap up. Can't say I'll miss either, though Indigo Prime will be back. Dredd has a solid cliffhanger, which must have made for an irritating four or five week break at the time. As for me, well, I'll be on to Prog.1764 in no time. But before that...


2000 AD #2012

...the bumper-length Christmas 2011 issue. A mix of standalones and new stories being kicked off. I only made a start on it today, including:

• Judge Dredd Choose Your Own Xmas by Al Ewing & John Higgins
• Absalom Sick Leave by Gordon Rennie & Tiernen Trevallion
• Nikolai Dante The Wedding of Jena Makarov, Part 1 by Robbie Morrison & Simon Fraser

The Dredd tale is all kinds of excellence, working as both a read-it-through-in-order and jump-to-a-panel choose-your-own-adventure story. Very clever, Mr Ewing, very clever indeed.

As for the others, Nikolai Dante was running (possibly even starting) when I first bought 2000 AD many, many moons ago. I wasn't too fond of it then; here, it seems quite fun... but is starting mid-story, really, so I've barely a clue what's going on. Same can be said for Absalom. I appreciate these things are paying off long-term readers, but you can see how it puts off newcomers. No wonder comics readership is dwindling across the board when they all seek to pay off people who are aware of years/decades of continuity.