Well, that didn't take long! Following on from my review of Mega-City Undercover Volume 01 (see yesterday), it's time to head straight back into the wonderful world of the Wally Squad.
Volume 1 was an absolute treat, introducing us to Lenny Zero, Aimee Nixon and, of course, the wonderfully unhinged Dirty Frank. I loved the characters, the artwork and the sheer imagination on display.
So, does Volume 2 keep the momentum going?
Let's find out!
The Cover
The cover showcases three of the stars of the Wally Squad: Aimee Nixon, Dirty Frank and Thora.
There's something about the artwork that reminds me of Tank Girl, particularly the way the characters are drawn and of course Aimee. The subtle blues and yellows make it a really striking cover, and it certainly stands out.
I'm particularly intrigued by why Dirty Frank has a baby strapped to his chest. I'm even more intrigued by why the baby has a gun! I can only assume we're in for another high tale of comedy and adventure.
With the cover covered, let's dive into the stories!
Aimee Nixon
War Without Bloodshed
We kick things off with a much more emotional story for Aimee Nixon.
After sleeping with an informant, Nixon discovers that a pro-democracy group has taken control of a local Low Life docking yard. In an attempt to infiltrate the organisation, she's sent on what amounts to a suicide bombing mission, becoming the group's fall guy.
During the attack, Nixon realises that the organisation is actually a front for Soviet forces attempting to infiltrate Mega-City One. For reasons that become increasingly important, Nixon fails to inform Dredd of what she's discovered. Instead, she heads back to the pro-democracy group, believing her cover to still be intact. Unfortunately, when she returns, the docks are empty and her lover and informant is dead.
What follows is a classic showdown at sea, but the real trouble is that Nixon has trapped herself in a web of lies. She knows about the Soviet smuggling operation, but admitting that knowledge means admitting she knew about it earlier and failed to report it, and that could mean a one-way trip to Titan.
I loved this story. The docklands setting is fantastic, and the grim, dark artwork really suits the subject matter. More importantly, I see this as a real turning point for Nixon. She's becoming increasingly isolated, and I'm beginning to worry about the direction she's heading in. There's something rather tragic about watching an undercover Judge become so entangled in their own lies that there's seemingly no way back.
Dirty Frank
Creation
After a long career serving as a Wally Squad Judge in Low Life, Dirty Frank receives the call he's always feared. Retirement!
He's now expected to train his replacement and accept that his time in the field might finally be coming to an end. But before he can settle into retirement, Frank has another problem to investigate: a strange new drug called Creation that's sweeping through Low Life.
This is a wonderfully weird story. Biblical-themed trails and strange happenings start appearing throughout the area, and I found myself guessing what was going on right up until the end.
It's also great to see Frank facing the possibility that his career might be over. For all his strange behaviour, he's clearly invested in his work, and the thought of losing that purpose is an interesting direction for the character. Thankfully, Frank manages to rescue everyone, and it looks like we haven't seen the last of him in uniform!
Once again, the artwork is stunning. This volume has been absolutely killing it with the black-and-white artwork, and this story is another great example.
Jive Turkey
Looks like we've hit Christmas time in Mega-City One! This is more of a festive filler story involving the various Low Life characters. It's Christmas Day, and everyone is spending time with their undercover friends and criminal associates.
But when Frank fails to show up on Boxing Day, the rest of the crew have to work out what's happened and go looking for him. There's not a great deal more to say about this one. It's a bit of fun, but compared with the other stories in the collection, it feels rather lightweight.
An easy one to skip past if you're looking for the main story developments.
Hostile Takeover
It's been a very Dirty Frank-heavy volume, which is absolutely fine by me! This final story is a much bigger affair, with some far-reaching consequences for the criminal underworld of Low Life.
It appears that the Hondo City Yakuza have taken an interest in the area, and their objective is to take down the Big Man. Exactly why they're interested in Low Life isn't entirely clear to me, but they're certainly not messing around. Yakuza hitmen begin tearing through the criminal organisation, catching the Wally Squad completely flat-footed.
Then things take another turn following the suspicious kidnapping of Judge Nixon. Why have they taken her alive? And why have they kept Frank alive? As the story unfolds, we're left with more and more questions. Why is the Yakuza so interested in Low Life? Just how many Judges are corrupt? Who is going to survive? And, perhaps most importantly, is Nixon actually the Big Man?
It's an epic story to finish the volume, and one that left me genuinely stunned.
The sheer scale of the corruption within Low Life is shocking. All the main characters have been affected, and it looks as though a considerable number of them have met their end.
Dirty Frank remains an amazing character, and I'm now very interested to see just how long he manages to stay in uniform.
As for Nixon, I knew something was coming, but I honestly can't believe she could be the Big Man!
It seems like such a huge leap. Is Aimee really going rogue? Has she become corrupt? Or is there something else happening here?
I need answers!
Final Thoughts
I think it's safe to say that Volume 2 has delivered. It's been a slightly different experience from the first collection. There's a heavier focus on Dirty Frank, which is no bad thing, but we're also seeing a much darker and more complicated side of Aimee Nixon. The artwork continues to be excellent, the characters are fantastic, and the stories have that wonderful 2000 AD ability to mix outrageous humour with genuinely dark subject matter.
Jive Turkey was probably the weakest story for me, feeling more like a bit of festive filler, but the other stories more than make up for it. And that ending! I'm still trying to work out exactly what has happened in Low Life, and I have plenty of questions that need answering. I can't honestly say I believe Nixon could be the Big Man, but I'm certainly intrigued to find out where this is going.
So, naturally, I've already downloaded Volume 3. Hopefully I'll have another review up by the weekend!
Cheers for reading, and I'll see you on the next adventure!
