Krazy and Ignatz Volume Four – Howling Among the Halls of Night (1989, Eclipse Books/Turtle Island Foundation) ****

W/A: George Herriman.

Eclipse’s fourth volume contains the Sundays from 1919 and a rare treat they are. Herriman had more than hit his stride by this time and the strips are only let down by some poor reproduction.

Gregory II: Herman Vermin’s Very Own Best-Selling & Critically Acclaimed Book with Gregory In It (1992, DC Comics/Piranha Press) ***1/2

W/A: Mark Hempel.

More of the same from Hempel, with (as the title suggests) more of an emphasis on the abrasive rat Herman Vermin.  The puns are sillier than the first outing, but the art is bolder and more inventive.  God features in a cameo.

Gregory III (1993, DC Comics/Piranha Press) ****

W/A: Mark Hempel.

The further adventures of the diminutive lunatic.  Perhaps the best volume in the series features the wonders of Gregory-vison, and some truly startling artwork in the final story: “Out”. 

Ammo Armageddon (1993, Atomeka Press) **

Mixed anthology is long on violence and action but short on sense and plot.  However, the art is of a consistently high standard and Warren Ellis’ tale of modular genitals provokes a wry chuckle.

Judge Dredd: America (2008, Rebellion/2000AD) ****

W: John Wagner A: Colin MacNeil.

A successful singer meets the girl he had loved as a child, only to learn that she is involved with a terrorist organisation.

Thoughtful, hard-hitting account of growing up and apart is succesfully transplanted into Mega-City One.  Wagner’s surprising script twists in the least expected ways, without losing sight of the humanity at its core.  Last page is like a punch in the stomach.  Colin MacNeil’s vivid painted art is among the best of his career.

Originally serialised in the Judge Dredd Megazine.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2002, America’s Best Comics/Wildstorm/DC Comics) ****

W: Alan Moore A: Kevin O’Neill.

Allan Quartermain, Mina Harker, Captain Nemo, The Invisible Man and Jekyll & Hyde are brought together to save the British Empire from its greatest threat.

Rip-roaring adventure yarn is set in a world where all of fiction has existed and balances on O’Neill’s exquisite and expressive art.  Moore populates cast with familiar figure from Victorian literature without bringing story to a halt, and work succeeds on its wit.  Recommended.

Madman Adventures (1995, Kitchen Sink Press) ***

W/A: Mike Allred.

Friendly superhero Frank Einstein, AKA Madman, is sent back in time and meets an alien in these tales of high weirdness.

Bright, breezy adventure superheroics told with a love of disposable pop culture and dollops of irony.  Allred’s attractive art make slight story into something very much more, and elevates this above masses.

Introduction by Allred.

Zenith Book Five (1990, Titan Books) ****

W: Grant Morrison A: Steve Yeowell.

The various heroes of multiple dimension face the Lloiger, but where is Zenith when the final battle commences?

Conclusion of “War in Heaven” (Phase III) storyline is somewhat subdued, hinting at future events. Story is as smart as ever, with a genuinely surprising and fitting final twist to proceedings.  Yeowell’s art is again exceptional.  Followed by the uncollected conclusion “Phase IV”.

Originally serialised in 2000AD.

Zenith Book Four (1990, Titan Books) ****1/2

W: Grant Morrison A: Steve Yeowell.

The Zenith saga sprawls across multiple worlds as the lloiger attack the multiverse.

Morrison and Yeowell’s superhero satire is at its peak here, while remaining an affecting and effective story in its own right.  Fans of British comics will delight in supporting cast of classic heroes, both from IPC and other companies.  Yeowell’s black and white art is superlative, bringing a solid reality to proceedings without ever giving up his distinctive line.

Originally serialised in 2000AD.

Young Death: Boyhood of a Superfiend (2003, Rebellion Books) ***

W: John Wagner A: Peter Docherty.

In Mega-City one, Judge Death recounts his origin to a terrified journalist.

Funny squib of a story strips some of the mystery away from popular Judge Dredd villain, and adds unnecessary comedic elements to what had been a horror character.  None the less, succeeds in what it sets out to do.  Docherty’s art is grisly in places, but pleasing.  Bit player Mrs Gunderson has since become regular supporting player in the series.

Originally serialised in the Judge Dredd Megazine.  Wagner wrote this under the pen-name of Brian Skuter, the journalist in the comic.