We’ve got three new stories inside this issue – first off there’s a complete Judge Dredd thriller by Mike Carroll and Nicolo Assirelli; secondly, we head back over forty years to the early days of the future metropolis for another retro Mega-City 2099 tale, once again crafted by Ken Niemand and Conor Boyle; and third, we have the start of Brian Ruckley and Alberto Ponticelli’s sadly short-lived 2014 Rogue Trooper series for IDW, the only other 2000 AD ongoing featuring original material that they put out besides Dredd. In addition to that, we have the latest instalments of Spector, Lawless, Dreadnoughts and Johnny Red, plus a trio of interviews: John Stokes discusses his wide-ranging career ahead of next month’s new Thirteenth Floor collection, Steve Sampson talks mid-nineties Psi-Judge Anderson, and writer Geoffrey D. Wessel reveals his in-roads to being published in the Galaxy’s Greatest. Indeed, the Wessel droid will be appearing in Prog 2350, a special Battle Action crossover issue, and we’ll be seeing some of that war drama infiltrating Meg 460 as Battle characters get Dreddworld reinventions. Be here in thirty, creeps, for new twists on old favourites! Cover: Dylan Teague Judge Dredd - Fitting the Description (Mike Carrol - Nicolo Assirelli) Mega-City One, 2145 AD. This vast urban hell on the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America is home to over 200 million citizens, with the irradiated Cursed Earth to the west and the toxic Black Atlantic to the east. Crime is rampant, and stemming the tide of chaos are the Judges. Toughest of them all is Judge Dredd – he is the Law! Spector - Incorruptible (Part 5) (John Wagner - Dan Cornwell) In a near-future US city, corruption within the branches of government has reached unsustainable levels. City Hall is rotten to the core, and the police force is equally on the take. To that end, Spector is created, a robot detective – beyond bribery and untainted by potential malfeasance – charged with rooting out criminal elements. But the android inspector is making many enemies… Mega-City 2099 - The Thin Blue Line (Ken Niemand - Conor Boyle) Mega-City One, 2099 AD. Before the Judges took complete control of the metropolis, there were two strands of law enforcement – regular uniformed cops did much of the day-to-day policing, while the helmeted Judges were called upon to pass judgement on certain criminals, their vested powers giving them the ability to dispense on-the-spot sentences… Lawless - Most Wanted (Part 4) (Dan Abnett - Phil Winslade) Colonial Marshal Metta Lawson was appointed to the frontier township of Badrock on the planet 43 Rega, intent on stamping her authority on the colony. But in doing so, Lawson made many enemies, including Munce, Inc., the mega-corporation that funded Badrock. Now, having been thrown off the force, and becoming a vigilante, she’s turned to organised crime… Dreadnoughts - The March of Progress (Part 5) (Mike Carroll - John Higgins) USA, 2035 AD. The new Justice Department is still in its early years, with Judges working alongside the police. It’s proving an explosive transition, with many citizens – and more than a few cops – unhappy with these helmeted officers taking to the streets. Judge Veranda Glover is a recent transfer to Boulder, Colorado, where a drugs cartel is striking back at the law… The Thirteenth Floor (John Wagner & Alan Grant - Jose Ortiz) Maxwell Tower is a state-of-the art tower block: a bold, experimental council tenement, run by an A.I. called Max. As building superintendent, Max’s primary function is the welfare of his tenants, a duty which he takes very very seriously. If anyone threatens his precious residents or the building itself, they can expect a visit to the thirteenth floor… A place where nightmare and reality become one! Rogue Trooper - Part 1 (Brian Buckley - Alberto Ponticelli) Nu-Earth, just another planet ravaged by a galaxy-wide war, its atmosphere poisoned by chemical weapons. Created to fight in such conditions were the G.I.s – genetically engineered infantrymen. But now only one remains, the man known as… Rogue Trooper! Johnny Red - Part 4 (Mike Carroll - John Higgins) Legendary British fighter ace, Johnny ‘Red’ Redburn, returns once more as the commander of the Falcons – a Russian fighter squadron battling the Nazis in the skies over Stalingrad. But dogfighting Messerschmitts is about to become the least of his troubles when the NVKD – the notorious Soviet secret police – come calling!
