Comic Review - 2000 AD Mega City Five-O

I'm continuing the 2000 AD theme with this next installment: Mega-City Five-0! The great thing about this title is it is a free comic! Purely themed on the world of Judge Dredd. Let us jump straight in.

The cover is a pretty straightforward affair. The main focus is of course Judge Dredd and he can be seen striking a running and shooting pose on the cover. The stories inside are all written by John Wagner, Alan Grant and Al Ewing. We are in for a real treat.

Free to read here - direct link to 2000 AD website

Story: Ten Years On

Script: John Wagner and Alan Grant

Art: Garry Leach

This is a lovely classic tale to open with. Set 10 years after Dredd's opening case (I'm not sure, but I think it's also ten years of real life since his first 2000 AD appearance). Randolph Whitely has escaped Devil's Island and has taken Hostages at the Munce-Co plant, and only Dredd can rescue them.

It's an excellent short tale which plays homage to Dredd's early days before the epic storylines started to take over. The artwork is clean and neat, and the story progresses in a tremendously fluid way. I especially like how Dredd can't remember the guy either.

Story: 10,000,000 is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia.

Script: Alan Grant

Art: Colin MacNeil

This is a cute comedy tale based on a Mo-Pad (mobile house). The family in question are called the Wilbur's and have been driving Cynthia non-stop for close to twelve years. As the KMPH clock ticks close to 10,000,000, a TV crew becomes interested in their story and offers them a free house when they pass the magical number. The only problem facing them and their goal is Dredd. Such a fun story and shows off how crazy MC-1 used to be in the early days. Just imagining living in a mo-pad for twelve years almost drives me mad.

Story: The Mega-Rackets: The Numbers Racket

Script: John Wagner and Alan Grant

Art: Colin Wilson

For this tale, we have a start-to-finish case. Numbers Racket is all about illegally obtaining a company’s computer codes and using them for personal gain. We are introduced to a Racketeer by the name of Lumpty and his gang and how Dredd uses all the resources of the Justice Department to take them down. It's one of the more straight-edged tales, without any real crazy stuff happening. It's also weird how this sort of thing has become a pretty common crime nowadays.

Story: Flood's Thirteen

Script: John Wagner

Art: Chris Blythe

A more recent tale from Judge Dredd Magazine, also the first strip to contain colour in this freebie meg. It seems to be a play on Ocean 11, I think. We have a seasoned robber recently released from the cubes called Johnny Flood. He decides he wants to have some payback on the justice department and plans a heist on the 'Mirage' a tax collecting space vessel, full the brim with wealth. With his team picked, a well-thought-out plan and a teleporter, what could possibly go wrong?

Story: Ten Years

Script: John Wagner

Art: Jock

A pretty sad tale about a boy who had to be kept hidden from the world because he is a mutant. Facing jail time and having her son deported to the Cursed Earth, we watch how far a mother will go to protect her son. And we even see a bit of Dredd's compassionate side, too. Good tale and an excellent filler.

Story: Six

Script: John Wagner

Art: Chris Weston

Again, it is a more modern tale. This time he is one of Dredd's most reoccurring characters. The cheeky PJ Maybe. A psycho from a young age, PJ killed his way to the top and made a lot of money doing it. PJ even managed to convince Dredd that he was dead. Now PJ is back in MC-1 looking for revenge against six people you wronged him as a child. Can this crazed nutter outwit Dredd, or can Dredd foil his plans?

Story: Twenty Years to Midnight

Script: Al Ewing

Art: Henry Flint

The story revolves around a Juve gang leader called Dunbar. As he sits alone, watching his block gang dance the night away, he slowly plots his escape. Fear building in him as the clock counts down to midnight. At midnight, his life ends, as it will be his twentieth birthday, and he will become a 'dult' sworn enemy to his old gang. But just as Dunbar is about to make his move, Dredd walks in.

Story: Mega-City 5000

Script: John Wagner

Art: Bill Ward & Brian Bolland

Now for the final tale. The Mega-City 5000 is a competition held by the rival biker gangs of Mega-City One. Their objective is to travel across MC-1, and the first biker to reach the finish line beacon proves their gang to be number one. The only problem for them is the Judges, the biggest and most challenging gang in Mega-City One. This is an excellent tale as it reintroduces Judge Giant, and we meet Spike Rotten, the future saviour of Mega-City Two.

Opinion

This is a great free magazine. 8 full stories are included inside, featuring some incredible talent from over the years. It contains a bit of everything for newbies and veterans, from the early years of Dredd up to modern stories. It also does a great job of showcasing MC-1's weird and freaky future culture. This comic is a good introduction for newbies, so download it and share it with a friend.