2000 AD Prog 2469 Review
- Bobby Campbell
- 35 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Release date: February 11, 2026
Cover Artist: Mike Perkins
Price: $2.99 digital, $5.49 print
Subscription $10.99 Digital, $16.99 print subscription (4-5 issues a month)
How about that cover by Mike Perkins! His work throughout this storyline has been beyond reproach and this is an especially delicious cherry on top. Somewhat reminiscent of Steve Ditko’s great “lifting sequence” from Amazing Spider-Man #33, way back in 1965, though more likely Atlas lifting the weight of the world is the common ancestor of both. In any case, it’s an instant classic, and if we still lived in a world with comics on newsstands, this prog would be flying off of them!
JUDGE DREDD // DEATH OF A JUDGE - PART SIX
Writer: John Wagner
Artist: Mike Perkins
Colorist: Chris Blythe
Letterer: Annie Parkhouse
Delivering exactly what is promised on the tin, “Death of a Judge” ends the only way it possibly could, with fascinating emotional consequences.
Short stories are an interesting medium, because you are kind of obliged to telegraph your endings, at least somewhat, otherwise the payoff will appear unearned.
In Prog 2466, on pages five and six, John Wagner gives us his ending, but of course an ending isn’t just what happens, it’s also the larger context in which it occurs.
Dredd is given a case, which if he can crack it fully, would undermine the premise of his character. It would reveal that his methods create a feedback loop that just generates more terror, the antithesis of his purpose, but of course that can’t happen. Above all else, Judge Dredd is a serialized archetype and must always return to his status quo. Though in the end he does indeed learn an important lesson, it just happens to be the wrong one.
And with an artful masterstroke, both reader and main character alike embrace the lovable machine, as that blurry line between what we should and shouldn’t like about this satire of fascism maintains its ambiguity.
Bravo!
HERNE & SHUCK // POWER TRIP - PART SEVEN
Writer: David Barnett
Artist: Lee Milmore
Colorist: Gary Caldwell
Letterer: Annie Parkhouse
Herne’s journey continues with solid advice from his long lost mother and the King-Without-A-Castle, as Shuck deals with less than scrupulous podcasters, who apparently have been used by a shady politician for nefarious purposes, a premise I wish was merely fictional!
I ended up looking into the mythology of Black Shuck which was very edifying, and makes me suspect other references to deep lore are flying over my head.
Our new breed political antagonist teaming up with a tech industry monster seems just about right.
This slow burn continues to cook nicely!
JUDGE DEE // PART THREE
Writer: Ben Wheatley
Artist: Simon Coleby
Colorist: Jack Davis
Letterer: Simon Bowland
The wordless opening is fantastic and adds a new twist to our buddy cop dynamic.
I loved the psionic version of a police shoot out, where malevolent spiritual manifestations are met with mental concentration and magical gestures, and we get inventive banter about “PAIN BEYOND THE HORIZON OF AGONY,” or witty rejoinders commanding, “BE GONE ABOMINATION!”
I also enjoyed the THARGNOTE advising us to see Progs 359-363. Certainly standard procedure, but I liked that this Psi-Fi tale has deep roots in the Dredd story universe.
Really impressive condensed storytelling to cover this much ground in six pages and create such an effective anticipatory stinger at the end from scratch.
Into Bleeke Mansion we go!
THARG’S 3RILLERS // MONEY SHOT: HIGH STAKES - PART THREE
Writer: Kek-W
Artist: Rob Richardson
Letterer: Rob Steen
Brigand Doom’s long awaited reappearance seems to suggest we’re on the road to something much more monumental than we may have suspected. Given that, as near as I can figure, his last appearance was in Prog 936, way back in 1995, and he promised to return "only when evil once more rears its head in The City." We might wonder what took him so long! But I guess we’ll have to wait and see :)))
The plutocratic urge to build break bulk points helps resolve the vampiric injustice Carla Dietrich sought to adjust, just before she escapes back to very relative normalcy, and an interesting opportunity, presumably to be continued.
This story was billed as self-contained, but I found myself drawn more so to the way it ties into some unknown bigger picture.
THE DISCARDED // PART SEVEN
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Kieran McKeown
Colorist: Jim Boswell
Letterer: Simon Bowland
The blinders continue to fall from the eyes of Veera Banks, just in time to confront the glorious terror of the trash hounds!
McKeown and Boswell put on a virtuoso display of comic cinematography, visually composing a great character development sequence that shows as much as it tells, just before it explodes into perfect action packed absurdity!
Notice any ads? That's because we don't have any because we prefer a clean reading experience. If youd like to support us, head on over to our Kofi page. Every dollar is funneled back towards maintenance costs for the website and the podcast. Thanks for visiting.