comics

An epic page-turner about Waterloo, one of the greatest land battles in British history, rich in dramatic human detail and grounded in first class research.The bloodbath at Waterloo ended a war that had engulfed the world for over twenty years. It also finished the career of the charismatic Napoleon Bonaparte. It ensured the final liberation of Germany and the restoration of the old European monarchies, and it represented one of very few defeats for the glorious French army, most of whose soldiers remained devoted to their Emperor until the very end. Extraordinary though it may seem much about the Battle of Waterloo has remained uncertain, with many major features of the campaign hotly debated. Most histories have depended heavily on the evidence of British officers that were gathered about twenty years after the battle. But the recent publication of an abundance of fresh first-hand accounts from soldiers of all the participating armies has illuminated important episodes and enabled radical reappraisal of the course of the campaign. What emerges is a darker, muddier story, no longer biased by notions of regimental honour, but a tapestry of irony, accident, courage, horror and human frailty.An epic page turner, rich in dramatic human detail and grounded in first-class scholarly research, Waterloo is the real inside story of the greatest land battle in British history, the defining showdown of the age of muskets, bayonets, cavalry and cannon.

I'm lukewarm on this Metal Gear Solid omnibus... but not for the reasons you might expect.Ashley Wood is a fantastic artist, let's get that out of the way. His erratic, sketchy style embodies the best of modernist pop art, a crude mixture of hyper-realism and abstract minimalism. It's absolutely striking in its simplicity and elegance, and, where Metal Gear Solid's comic adaptions fail as comic books, they succeed as art books. Fantastic, inspiring work, and if you're on the fence about whether or not a comic adaptation of a pair of videogames you've already played are worth reading, let Ashley Wood's art kick you to the "yes" side.Sadly, as I said, it does so often fail as a comic book. In particular in the first adaptation. It follows Metal Gear Solid's plot to the letter: special agent Solid Snake, a bizarre mix of Hollywood tropes and icons from Snake Pliskin to James Bond, infiltrates the island facility Shadow Moses. The videogames, for those who don't know, are stealth games; sneaking missions, where avoiding conflict and combat are key to survival, as Snake, while skilled in firearms and CQC, is as weak as... well, a man.But that's not what the games are, actually. What they really are is a demented loveletter to American filmmaking and Japanese quasi-sci-fi. Hideo Kojima, designer and writer of the Metal Gear series, is a crazy person who doesn't understand the meaning of the phrase "coherent plot". Part of the joy of Metal Gear Solid is seeing all the crazy, stupid, insane things that happen with a bleak pseudo-seriousness. The games hinge on a illogical madness that is intrinsically fascinating, with extended cutscenes that, in later games, last literally hours at a time. So Metal Gear Solid's comic retains a lot of what makes, to many fans, Metal Gear Solid so damn twisted and special. It has all the same bizarre, stupid plot nosedives, reveals and set-pieces. It still retains a team of madly designed enemy characters which engage in "boss battles" as Snake tries to exploit a clearly telegraphed weakness. And it's still got the prose of a writer who is in desperate need of a thesaurus, or a dictionary, or a backspace key. This sheer amount of non-stop, babbling crazy, combined with Ashley Wood's frenetic artwork which absolutely fails to provide a clear sequential narrative, makes this first Metal Gear Solid story a ton of fun, even if it is consistently confusing, bordering on outright unreadable. That's not why I'm lukewarm on this omnibus, though. No, I'm lukewarm on it because of the adaptation Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.Metal Gear Solid 2 was one of the most anticipated videogame sequels of all time. Sony stood behind it as a launch game for their new console, the PlayStation 2. It was Konami's first blockbuster, a huge deal for everyone involved. But the game wasn't a rousing follow-up to a classic action game. It wasn't more explosive, bigger, badder and better. Instead it was... Metal Gear Solid, again, but slightly worse. And this was absolutely intentional.With a one-word prompt, "memes," Kojima had designed a game that meticulously mocks and criticizes the idea of videogame sequels. It offered near-identical circumstances and scenarios, but worse. Instead of sneaking around a base and feeling like an awesome soldier, players were greeted with walking around as some blonde kid who wasn't Snake, defusing bombs with bug spray and escorting very slow girls around the giant facility. Plot contrivances, reveal upon reveal upon reveal resulting in what could well be the most dense finale to any piece of media created by a person - it was a sheer metatextual nightmare that seemed to have been birthed by a demented, cackling goon who held his fans in utter disregard. And it's one of my favourite games ever.You see, I love Metal Gear Solid 2 for being such an obvious, hamfisted "piece". So when I read a Metal Gear Solid 2 comic adaptation, I expect to find a comic that is identical to the Metal Gear Solid adaptation but slightly worse. What I don't expect to find is an adaptation that improves on plot details of the game. An adaptation that cements over tiny holes, one in which Ashley Wood's art is improved thanks to layouts by Rufus Dayglo; an adaptation that is a marked improvement on both its predecessor and its source material. It is a great comic adventure; tense, exciting, well-paced and interesting to both look at and read. And I consider it a failure for it.Indeed, a Metal Gear Sold 2 comic shouldn't be allowed to be so good. So I'm lukewarm on this omnibus because it doesn't do for Metal Gear Solid 2 what I'd've hoped. I love it as a comic, I think it provides all the thrills and suspense that you would expect from a high-class videogame tie-in. The art is stellar as usual, with Wood's proficiency in sequential art markedly improving, and the script is tightened up from the game it's based on. And this is exactly the problem: it is a fantastic comic adaptation... just not of Metal Gear Solid 2.So, this omnibus is actually quite great. Fantastic art and a comprehensive retelling of Metal Gear Solid's first two entries. It's just that the sequel isn't bad enough for me to consider it worthy of sharing Metal Gear Solid 2's name.

Far future lawman Judge Dredd has been a mainstay of the British comics scene for almost thirty years and now you can follow his earliest cases in this vast collection of graphic novels.This second volume features the very first Dredd epic The Cursed Earth, written by comic legends Pat Mills (Sláine) and John Wagner (A History of Violence) and featuring the art of Mike McMahon (ABC Warriors) and Brian Bolland (Batman: The Killing Joke).

Celtic warrior Slaine faces his greatest adventure. He must overcome the Formian Sea-Demons that threaten the Earth goddess and the very existence of the land of Tir Nan Og. Fully-painted color art from Judgement on Gotham/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles artist Simon Bisley.The warrior barbarian Slaine, master of the warp spasm, wielder of the mighty axe Brainbiter, Celtic warrior king - faces his greatest challenge: the existence of his world is at stake as he prepares to follow the ways of the Horned God. It is a path that can give him control over nature itself or unleash a new age of witchcraft and dark forces. A premium hardcover editon of the classic book.

The law at war! Judge Dredd rides into action in this fifth volume collecting together some of his most exciting cases. Arch-nemesis Judge Death rises from the grave once again in 'Judge Death Lives', citizen is pitted against citizen in 'Block Mania' and the apocalypse comes to Mega-City One in the all-time classic Dredd epic, 'The Apocalypse War'.Featuring art by such comic legends as Carlos Ezquerra (Strontium Dog), Brian Bolland (Batman: The Killing Joke) and Mike McMahon (The Last American) and written by John Wagner (A History of Violence) and Alan Grant (Lobo) this tome is a worthy addition to any Thrill-seeker's library!

The war between the Norts and the Southers chemically poisoned the entire atmosphere of Nu-Earth, so the Southers created the Genetic Infantrymen: blue-skinned soldiers who could breathe the toxic air, equipped with bio-chips to record their personalities in their final moments, for eventual re-corporation. But a Souther traitor sold the G.I.s. out, and all but one were slaughtered. Now this survivor stalks Nu-Earth on a mission of revenge, aided by his dead friends now "living" in his gun, helmet and backpack. He is the last G.I.--the Rogue Trooper! Suggested For Mature Readers.

In Mega-City One crime doesn't pay!Judge Dredd - the future lawman with the powers of judge, jury and executioner at his disposal - faces some of his most challenging cases yet in this fourth volume of his earliest adventures. From the all-time classic Judge Child saga to the first appearance of legendary perp Chopper in Un-American Graffiti this collection is heaving with thrills and action-packed entertainment!

Zenith Phase 3, Grant Morrison's comics masterpeice with unforgetable art by Steve Yeowell, has been unavailable to trade for twenty years, but part three is published again here in a stunning new hardback edition.After saving London from the supernazi Masterman and a nuclear missile strike, the shallow superhuman popstar Zenith has found that his fifteen minutes of fame are almost up. With his career on the downturn, he agrees to go to Alternative 23 where another version of the WWII superhero, Maximan, is gathering an army of superhuman beings from alternate Earths to take part in a multidimensional battle for survival. With the fate of all reality in the balance, will Zenith be able to drop the sarcasm and take things seriously for once? It’s doubtful...

A book of journeys, setting forth into the foggy underculture of the South Downs Way in search of an alternate vision of English identity.In The Old Weird Albion, American writer and artist Justin Hopper sets forth into the foggy underculture of the South Downs Way in search of an alternate version of English identity. Taking in urban spaces, suburbs and sweeping landscapes in the Sussex homeland of his ancestors, Hopper s debut will attempt to reconnect with the land and the self.

Where did she go? Out. What did she do? Everything. 2000 AD and DC Comics are proud to present Alan Moore and Ian Gibsons all-time classic feminist space opera, THE BALLAD OF HALO JONES. When Halo Jones grows bored with her life in The Hoop, a futuristic world where jobs are scarce and excitement is nonexistent, she sets out to see the galaxy any way she can. But can she survive the highs and lows that lie in her path, including an extended period of shipboard servitude and a tour of duty in a terrifying war that defies the physics of space and time?

In Mega-City One, the Judges are the law -acting as judge, jury, and often executioner. But how do the citizens of Mega-City One really feel about a system where they are powerless? This classic, chilling look at the impact of the Judges, twisting and turning through both warm passion and cold betrayal, is finally back in print - and now includes the never-before-reprinted return to America's story! America Jara and Bennett Beeny grow up as best friends, living a fairly trouble-free life in a dangerous city... bar the odd encounter with a Judge. Time draws them apart, and when they are brought back together, Beeny is a successful singer... and America has become involved with a terrorist organisation - with the Judges in its sights!

In Mega-City One the streets are awash with danger, whether it be rampaging giant alligators or crazed perps with murder in mind. Keeping order in this crimeridden metropolis are the Judges, stern guardians of the peace with the power of judge, jury and executioner at their disposal. The most fearsome is Judge Dredd and these are his greatest cases. This bumper volume of Thrill Power includes such classic tales as 'Dredd Angel', 'The Wally Squad' and 'City of the Damned'.Collects:- Many Unhappy Returns (Prog #376) - Dredd Angel (Progs #377-#383)- Gator (Progs #384-#386)- Question of Judgement (Prog #387)- Error of Judgement (Prog #388)- A Case for Treatment (Prog #389)- The Wally Squad (Progs #390-#392)- City of the Damned (Progs #393-#406)- The Hunters Club (Progs #407-#411)- Monsteroso (Prog #412)- Spugbug (Prog #413)- Juve's Eyes (Progs #414-#415)- Sunday Night Fever (Progs #416-#418)- Hagatha Smeld (Prog #419)- Aftermath Ron Reagan (Prog #420)- Thirteenth Assessment (Prog #421)- Casey's Day Out (Prog #422)- 99 Red (Prog #423)

One of my favourite characters, and who couldn't love a comic where the aliens and monsters are the good guys and the humans - with the exception of a courageous few who resist the prejudiced and genocidal majority - are all evil? Led by none other than Torquemada with the slogal "Be pure, be vigilant, behave!" there is not a moment of dullness here, though the characters may not be really deep. Kevin O'Neill's art is utter genius, the kind you can lose yourself in as you unpick the intricacies and details of it. And I love the Victorian glory and stupidity of the gothic empire, from before steam punk went twee.

Third in the excellent series reprinting every Dredd story, this covers progs 116 to 154, published between 1979 and 1980 (both in 2000AD and the annual). Focussing this time more on self-contained stories (there are two small series, one being “Father Earth”, the other the first appearance of “Judge Death” - which is excellent), the bulk of the stories are written by Wagner (often as John Howard), with Pat Mills also contributing and the artwork is superb, especially that of Brian Bolland (naturally), Ron Smith (who drew a lot more of my childhood/teenage reading than I’d remembered), Ian Gibson, Mike McMahon, Barry Mitchell (who I’m sure drew “Twisty” for Bullet) and the excellent John Cooper amongst others. Wagner, in some stories, also manages to predict events that would happen a few years beyond his writing (and get worse thirty years later - the gap I re-read these at), with reality TV shows such as “Sob Story”, so I hope he wasn’t as prescient elsewhere. The bulk of the stories work (I’m not so keen on Walter), some of them are brutal, some amusing, most are clever and occasionally you get flashes of anger from the writer, especially in one where a mad scientist is going to unleash the common cold. Great fun, with top notch writing and artwork, superbly reproduced and iconic to the core, I’d highly recommend this.

Featuring classic stories from Mega-City, this collection gives readers the chance to rediscover the adventures of Judge Dredd.- Collects:- Meka-City 2 (Progs 271-272)- The League of Fatties (Progs 273-274)- Fungus (Progs 275-277)- The Game Show Show (Progs 278-279)- Gunge (Prog 280)- Destiny's Angels (Progs 281 to 288)- Rabid (Prog 289)- Blobs (Prog 290)- The Executioner (Progs 291-294)- Jimps (Prog 295)- The Night of the Rad-Beast (Progs 296-297)- The Last Invader (Progs 298-299)- Shanty Town (Progs 300-303)- Prezzel Logic (Prog 304)- Trapper Hag (Progs 305-307)- The Prankster (Prog 308)- Starborn Thing (Progs 309-314)- King of the Road (Prog 315)- The Stupid Gun (Progs 316 to 318)- Condo (Progs 319-321)

The Cursed Earth is an amazing invention in the formative years of the Judge Dredd strip, before the hardness of the eponymous character was laid down. It is full of strangeness and promise, something brought on in spades in the first/second mega epic in series canon. Without the character being pinned down, Dredd feels like a generic stoic hero character in this storyline. More exasperating is the excessive tweeness of certain moments that ruin any sense of suspense. For me, what makes the Cursed Earth storyline so interesting is the concept itself and what comes immediately after - “The Day The Law Died”.

Another bumper crop of cases for Dredd in this action-packed volume, collecting together some of the very best in 2000 AD thrills! Stories include the full-blooded horror of Cry of The Werewolf, illustrated by comic legend Steve Dillon (Preacher) and the return of the fatties in Requiem For A Heavyweight, illustrated by Dredd co-creator Carlos Ezquerra.- Collects: - Cry of the Werewolf (Progs 322-328)- The Weather Man (Progs 329-330)- Requiem for a Heavyweight (Progs 331-334)- The Graveyard Shift (Progs 335-341)- The Suspect (Prog 342)- Rumble in the Jungle (Progs 343-345)- Bob & Carol & Ted & Ringo (Progs 346-349)- Pieromania (Prog 350)- The Highwaymen (Prog 353)- Are You Tired of Being Mugged? (Prog 354)- Bob's Law (Prog 355)- Citizen Snork (Progs 356-358)- The Haunting of Sector House 9 (Progs 359-363)- High Society (Prog 364)- The House on Runner's Walk (Prog 365)- Portrait of a Politician (Progs 366-368)- The Switch 1 episode (Prog 369)- Superbowl (Progs 370-371)- Bingo (Prog 372)- The Making of a Judge (Prog 373)- The Wreckers (Progs 374-375)