2000 AD #214

This May 1981 prog of 2000 AD — featuring Judge Dredd — arrives with a brilliantly absurd cover by Brendan McCarthy, framed as an alien language phrasebook for the "English/Phlondrutian Phrasebook," complete with a reptilian alien figure looming over a gaggle of panicked humans and a swarm of tiny creatures spilling everywhere. The caption — "Idiot!! I asked for 2000 AD — not 2000 elbow scratchers!" — sets the tone perfectly for the anarchic humour the weekly was known for in 1981. Inside, Alan Grant and C. Ezquerra continue their run on "Portrait of a Mutant" with Part 12, making this a satisfying instalment in one of the prog's ongoing serials.