2000AD #1897 Review

There’s no change in the lineup, but that doesn’t mean 2000AD #1897 hasn’t got anything to offer. This week we have more from Judge Dredd, Aquila, Brass Sun, Black Shuck and Jaegir. Let’s take a closer inspection.

First up is Judge Dredd and, after last week’s cliff hanger, Michael Carroll brings in a strong sense of urgency and drama. This issue only builds it up more, teasing a plot that could deliver a lot in the upcoming weeks. Alongside this, we have some decent visuals from Paul Marshall’s pencils and Gary Caldwell’s colors.

After this is more Aquila. Gordon Rennie offers another script that is as slow as it is ambiguous. It seems to add plenty, but offer little revelations. The little build-up there is seems to be for the long-term plan, meaning this issue continues to suffer from a sense of immediate interest. Visually, Leigh Gallagher brings some fine pencils, with some gritty colors from Dylan Teague.

Next is more Brass Sun. Ian Edginton continues to showcase his talent for jumping from cliffhanger to cliffhanger, offering new developments and perspectives wherever possible. Combined with the simple yet brilliant artistic style of Inj Culbard and it’s easy to see why this title continues to be such a strong contender.

Black Shuck also offers plenty of development, although it takes a while to get going. Leah Moore and John Rippon tease more action that this issue delivers and end on a cliffhanger that will please many, but outright confuse a lot of people. Artistically, Steve Yeowell’s lines are fluid and dynamic, but Chris Blythe can only do so much with a limited color palette.

Finally, we round this issue off with more Jaegir. Gordon Rennie starts off strong but, by the end, this issue feels like its building up to a climax, but somewhat padding itself along the way. It’s not bad, it just doesn’t feel completely natural. That said, I still enjoyed the art from Simon Coleby, with grim colors courtesy of Len O’Grady