On this day, 17 September 1988: 2000AD (Prog 592)
As Crisis – ‘designed for the older model of Earthlet’ – was launched as part of former 2000AD editor Steve MacManus’ ‘Casa Mac’ development of the Fleetway Publications comics list, 2000AD itself was quietly ripening into a title suitable for just such a market. This issue, complete with a free Crisis poster, brings us an early episode of the PJ Maybe saga – one of the darkest, tightest, deliciously perverted murder arcs in Judge Dredd’s history – an instalment from Phase II of Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s louche and dimension-warping superhero tale, Zenith, and a scene from Nemesis the Warlock in which Torquemada goes clubbing, viscerally drawn by the amazing John Hicklenton. ‘They flaunt their deviancy openly!’ splutters the cosmic inquisitor. Torque is right: 2000AD isn’t really for kids any more. This is the comic that grew up with its readers, which is why it’s still here with us today.