4 out of 5

What I find fun about the specials is that, just like the FCBDs have their focus on classic strips, and more generally the magazine has a slightly different vibe than the progs, the summer / winter / sci-fi one-offs have, of late, consistently featured certain characters who seem to only show up in these specials – like Ace Trucking, Rogue Trooper, and Robo-Hunter.  This certainly makes it easier to promote the books as continuity free (and this friendly to new readers), but it also makes that “special” tag feel like the real deal, and not just a gimmick.  So: Many happy seasonal returns to those characters / strips mentioned.

This particular summer edition is entertaining from cover to cover, with some notable highlights.  McCarthy on Dredd is a rarity, and brings a nice visual quirk – like the recent D’israeli Dredd strip in the progs – to a standard but fine “crime doesn’t pay except when it does” MC1 story by the reliable Mr. Wagner.  Eddie Robson steps out of his usual Tharg’s 3rillers role to give us a quick and humorous Ace Trucking, and Guy Adams delivers a classic feeling Rogue Trooper that has RT executing an op with interesting improvisations.  Jimmy Broxton’s art in particular has a wonderfully old-school flair to it.  Alec Worley’s Robo feels a little clunky for the sake of a joke strip, bit on the whole its harmless fun, with Ian Gibson-like art from Mark Simmons.  And Abnett and Tom Frame to another quick jig with Sinister Dexter; nothing new from the assassin duo, but fantastic art and, like the Dredd strip, reliable.

It’s an all around crowd-pleaser.  The only thing I could ask for would be a bit more variation in tone, as every entry has the same badass-who-makes-jokey-one-liners vibe, and it would’ve been cool to show new readers that there’s much more than that.

But what do I know about marketing?  (Everything, actually, but I’m playing it cool foe the ladies.)