2000 AD is back after a hiatus with its first issue of 2015 and it is pretty good. Prog 1912 sees the continued serialization of four titles, with the introduction of Orlok, Agent of East-Meg One. Though the art was on par with what I expect from this anthology week in and week out, I am not sold on this title. Where The Order managed to grab my attention last week in just one short issue, Orlok sort of made me want to see what comes next, but there was nothing really special about it. This installment was exciting but only insofar as special ops stuff is exciting. It's not unusual that the reader might need a little more time to get hooked into something, but when you're cranking out five stories in 32 pages every week, it's not ideal. I mean, a guy gets shot and another guy is mad about it. Meh.

My other problem with this issue is, I suppose, going to be a problem with issues going forward: I don't really like Savage. I don't want to judge it too harshly, because I've only caught the series before in bits and pieces, but chapters are always either too slow or too fast, and characters often do something that seems clunky and only serves to move the plot along. Last week, the issue dragged along in a hospital, and this week, they won a war in six pages (less, really). The issue then sort of rushes to a cliffhanger.

On a more positive note, The Order is wacky medieval fun, wrapped in the zaniness of modern sci-fi. John Burns' art still stands out, even in a book in which he shares pages with Greg Staples. Having some rustic, old school art gracefully adds to the contrast between the Dark Age setting and the fucking robot head.

Score: 3/5

Writers: Various Artists: Various Publisher: 2000 AD Price: £1.99 (Digital) £2.49 (UK) Release Date: 1/7/15 Format: Anthology, Print/Digital