Comic Review 44 // Mega-City Undercover Volume 01

It's comic reading time and of course it is 2000 AD! Stepping back into the world of Mega city life, I have decided to delve into a different aspect. Gone are the Judges like Dredd and Heresy, instead we enter the life of the undercover Judge. This comic is all about the special type of Judges that go deep undercover and what can happen to them if they stay under too long.

Title: Mega-City Undercover Volume 01
Writers: Andy Diggle, Rob Williams.
Artists: Henry Flint, Jock, Simon Coleby.
Letterers: Annie Parkhouse, Elie De Ville, Tom Frame.

The cover of this is comic is a classic city landscape with what I believe are the two main characters Lenny Zero and Nixon. It looks like the sun is setting the skyline is portrayed in beautiful orange. It is a beautiful piece by Jock and different from a lot of the classic 2000 AD covers.

Stories

Lenny Zero

Title: Lenny Zero // A classic introduction tale to get us to know the main character. We discover Lenny Zero has been a street Judge for fifteen years (not sure how long undercover). It is also brought to our attention that whilst undercover he has fallen in love with Mona and wants out of the force. In this issue we watch Lenny Zero pull off one of the biggest crimes a Judge could pull. This is a shocking way to introduce a character. I love it!
Highlight: Caesar Piccante's Mob - Run by Little Caesar, a creepy old guy who has been transferred into his third cloned child body (he is in fact 200 years old)! Marv, the muscle named after Multiple Armed Robbery with Violence.

Title: Dead Zero // Lenny is on the run and is hiding out in a fat suit claiming to be Porx of Robo Junk. That is until Trapper Khan arrives on scene. Now Lenny has to pull a stunt that if successful will free him for life.
Highlight: Trapper Khan an off world bounty hunter who is a Man tiger! He has some badass tricks like Spider Bombs.

Title: Wipeout // Lenny's death cover is blown and Little Caesar is after him. All Lenny can do now is wage all out war on the Piccante Mob. Perfect way to end the series.
Highlight: Lenny teleporting Little Caesar off the toilet mid crap.

Low Life

Nixon

Title: Paranoia // Amiee Nixon is an eleven year Wally Squad vet and has been out in the field for over two years working the Low Life streets. Just as her work was about to pay off, Street Judges burst in and kill her informant. Following some rough treatment of a perp Nixon is forced to defend her actions to her Boss Judge Farnsworth.
After a rebuking Nixon is soon back on the streets contacting the Wally Judges for more information on Ragnarok - Turns out Ragnarok is a hardcore punk bar with blood sports acted out for the crowd to bet on. Here Nixon gets into serious trouble and is soon framed for the murder of a local crime boss, worst let someone has deposited money into her account who is setting her up?
Now the story really starts ramping up. Mob bosses across low-life are rapidly turning up dead and to make matters more painful Nixon's Wally Squad members are also seemingly being hunted down. We then reach the dramatic final but I don't want to spoil the surprise so go read the tale yourself.
Highlight: Dirty Frank- 20 plus years in the Wally Division has taken it's toll. Refers to himself in the third person and is viewed as having gone to far into his undercover role. Eye patched and deadlocks this is definitely a character I need to build at some point.

Title: Heavy Duty // Nixon is back and once more Wally Squad members are being targeted and killed. Nixon has to under go body changing technology to become a Fattie and infiltrate Low-Cal Towers Fitness Regimes.
Highlight: There is no crime just a sad state of affairs and what happens when people treat others like crap.

Dirty Frank

Title: Rock and a Hard Place // Rectal Prolapse a Nouveau Punk band has somehow managed to blow up an entire night club and most of a sector block. It falls on Dirty Frank to solve what is going on. But first he has to become the Manager of Kill Kill Kill a dead beat punk band in Low Life.
Highlight: Dirty Frank! After being forced to front the band during a concert, Dirty Frank proceeds to urinate for 21 minutes!! Hahaha so weird.

Title: He's Making a List // The Robert Helpmann Block home to Low Life Orphans is home to possibly 5000 orphans and every year kids go missing around Christmas time. The kids believe it is due to Mr. Claws. Now it is up to Dirty Frank and Nixon to go in undercover and see if it true (dressed as Santa and an Elf).

Highlight: Nixon's past comes to light once more as she bonds with the Orphans. It's these pages that I really enjoy in Dredd themed comics as it remind us the Judges are still human. Only issue is this is normally a fault that leads to a Judge going rogue.

Nixon

Title: Con Artist // Aimee Nixon is going undercover at Hitcon. A yearly meet up of the elite Button men from around the world. Once again Nixon's character is brought into question as she continues to question her life within the Justice System.
Highlight: The Hit-Con, imagine comic-con for highly dangerous criminals. Booths and talks on the art of murder.

Dirty Frank/Eric Coil (Mortal)

Title: Baby Talk // A new medical clinic is offering parents the ability to increase their childs mental abilities. But after a group of babies go rogue and rob an art gallery it is up to Dirty Franks and Mortal to find out what is going on.
Highlight: Ninja babies....yes you read to correct Ninja Babies!

With the end of Baby Talk we reach the end of the graphic novel. I have to say this has been one of the best Dredd verses I have in a while. I love the characters (especially Dirty Frank) and I can't wait to start on volume two.

As always thanks for reading.