The Monthly Megazine Issue 443: Goya’s Getting Fungicidal

The Monthly Megazine – doing just what it says, taking you through the latest goings-on in the sister monthly to 2000 AD, 30+ years and still going strong!

Inside the April Megazine we have the continuations of everything we saw last month. But that’s no problem – five stunningly good strips await!

It’s the conclusion to the latest Dredd, where Rory McConville and Staz Johnson continue with their political thriller in Pan-African Profundia. And we get the latest twists and turns in Death Cap, Diamond Dogs, and Surfer, plus we finally get to find out just who won the Badrock election in Lawless (not a spoiler… not good for Lawson).

And rounding it all out, the fourth episode of Garth Ennis and Henry Flint’s Hawk The Slayer sequel.

Judge Dredd The Megazine #443 is out wherever great comics are sold on Wednesday 20th April.

JUDGE DREDD: PRAISE ZORT! – PART 4 – FINAL PART – Rory McConville, Staz Johnson, colours by Chris Blythe, letters by Annie Parkhouse

The final part of what’s been just the latest in a series of excellent McConville Dredds, with some great artwork from Staz Johnson.

The pro-freedom, anti-Zort rebels are at the gates, but Dredd and his team are busy trying to get there crappy mission of ensuring they capture the Profundian vote in the Assembly of Nations, all needed to get MC-1 off the hook for those Project Providence future tech cock-ups. And while Dredd deals with the enemies at the gates, Judge Staples is with the Ambassador and the higher-ups in the Church of Zort and things really aren’t going well for her at all.

It’s been McConville playing politics once more, something he’s really good at, this time playing out the sort of Cold War intrigues as MC-1 and the Sovs fight things out via proxy players in the Pan-African backwater.

And that ending? Well, no spoilers from me but I’m ever so glad to see that this ongoing storyline is one that McConville’s obviously planning on pursuing and we’ll very likely be seeing more of Zort’s plans sometime soon.

DEATH CAP – PART 5 – TC Eglington, Boo Cook, letters by Simon Bowland

As ex-Texas City Judge Goya follows in the trail of those who killed everyone she loved, she’s finding it impossible to ignore the effects of Grubb’s Fungus that the gang brought with them. all of it, of course, brought to hideously magnificent life by Boo Cook’s artwork here…

It’s all pointing to a final showdown, perfect Western style, in an old military base. Although, right now it’s seemingly only a question of whether Goya’s going to die at the hands of the gang or from the fungal infection.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering what happens when a Judge’s palm print gets infected and changed by a fungal infection, wonder no more. Eglington and Cook are really determined to put poor Goya through the mill in Death Cap.

DIAMOND DOGS: BOOK THREE – PART 5 – James Peaty, Warren Pleece, letters by Simon Bowland

It was always a series where you couldn’t trust anyone, but Peaty and Pleece really are outdoing themselves here with the levels of cross and double-cross, the betrayals, the selling out, the not sure who’s on what side.

So, we’ve got young Nia, her new handler Armitage, the corrupt Judge Harding, Nia’s gang, and the Silver Apples crime syndicate in the mix now… and it’s all coming down to the wire, with Nia, as always, caught right in the middle of things.

It’s possibly the best of the three Diamond Dogs, most likely because we’re reaching the endgame now in this final series. And where Peaty and Pleece are taking us is looking increasingly doom-laden for Nia Jones.

LAWLESS: BALLOTS OVER BADROCK – PART 5 – Dan Abnett, Phil Winslade, letters by Jim Campbell

Well, the results are in for the Badrock Mayoral elections and it’s not a good result for former Marshall Metta Lawson. But, by the end of this one, losing the election seems the least of her worries, what with Abnett taking her down and down and down, probably along with Badrock itself whilst he’s at it.

So, while the fix was obviously in, Brotherly and the SJS move in, Nerys has concerns over the organised crime she’s uncovered, and that’s nothing to what might be happening as regards Mr Fugly. Nope, just when Badrock thought it was getting on its feet… Abnett comes along and takes the town’s legs out from under it.

And all this, but of course, beautifully rendered by the pen of Phil Winslade who really, really doesn’t like to leave any part of Lawless looking spare. And long may he continue.

SURFER: PART ONE – PART 5 – John Wagner, Colin MacNeil, colours by Chris Blythe, letters by Annie Parkhouse

Well, Zane Perks has realised by now that the whole Chopper movie was not exactly legit, what with the dead and injured stunt surfers everywhere and the number of Judges chasing him down.

This episode, nothing but Zane desperately trying to get away from the pursuit.

But, that nothing happens to look like this…

Damn, that’s some beautiful page of panels from Colin MacNeil, who’s really been delivering moments like this all the way through.

Where might Surfer is going? How many parts? I’ve not a clue. You could easily dismiss it as Wagner underwriting a series… but that’s the point, he’s written exactly what needs writing to let MacNeil loose on all that spectacular artwork, and it’s brilliant because of it.

HAWK THE SLAYER #4 – Garth Ennis, Henry Flint, letters by Rob Steen.

Four issues in and it’s all going pretty much exactly the way you’d expect and certainly the way you’d want if you’re a fan of the original film.

It’s Hawk and co versus Voltan and the black wizards who gave Voltan his power… except this time, Voltan has his own plans and needs Hawk to do his dirty work for him.

Oh, it’s great fun, exactly the sort of fabulous sword and sorcery, going completely over the top in the very best way and all with Henry Flint doing such great, great work.