2000 AD #1814

Prog 1814 of 2000 AD arrives in January 2013 with a wonderfully deadpan cover by Simon Davis: a sharply suited human figure — identified by the headline as Ampney — shakes tentacles with a towering, tentacled alien ambassador decked out in vivid red and gold ceremonial dress, the whole scene playing out with the composed civility of a diplomatic reception. The cover blurb promises "The Martian Monocles," and Davis's painterly rendering makes the interspecies handshake feel both absurd and perfectly matter-of-fact. Inside, Robbie Morrison and Peter Doherty continue "Heller's Last Stand Part Two," with lettering by Annie Parkhouse rounding out a strong creative lineup for this mid-winter edition of Britain's beloved weekly anthology.