5 out of 5

All of the middling feelings I had about the returned 2014 edition of this Special have been shushed aside: every entry here is fun, and a winner.  I also have to question my made-up fact about this being a dumping ground for new talent, as I see all returning names here – some on the same titles, granted, but still – excepting the author on the Future Shock, who did a great job and drew the lucky ticket to be paired with a painterly John Higgins.

I do think Tharg / Matt Smith had a better idea of what to accomplish here, giving his creators a theme – film – which seemed to keep them on task.  (I’m not sure how the Sam Slade adventure ties into the theme; perhaps as a “tribute” to Iron Man… but that’s a comic book, innit?)  Each story also feels like a complete thought this time.  Survival Geeks is the only one to pull the “watch out for this plotline in the future!” move, but I love that strip so much (and Neil Googe’s lively, Phillip Bond-y art) I’ll let it pass.  We even get some character depth with the Rogue Trooper bit, the rare appearances of this character being completely owned by Darren Douglas.

Whereas last time, the Special felt like something to hold hungry comic fans over until they could get their grubby paws on the next 2000 AD or Meg, this year’s edition can function as a great intro to the world, the Dredd strip the right flavor of violence and humor, and the rest of the mag giving attention to the various moods the mag can elicit.