Sleeze ‘N’ Ryder

By Garth Ennis and Nick Percival

Review by Luke Williams

Rebellion continues to release old and mostly uncollected material from the 2000AD and Judge Dredd Megazine archives. Some of this work are forgotten classics, whereas  some maybe examples of work that creators  may wish to have had kept locked away and never to be seen again.

First published in volume 2 of the then fortnightly ‘Meg “Sleeze ‘N Ryder” is an early strip from bad taste powerhouse and single handed reviver of war comics Garth Ennis  and current  Dark Judges artist Nick Percival. Hot headed and surly Sleeze and unflappable perma -shaded Ryder are two bikers who leave MC1 on a seemingly foolhardy Cursed Earth road trip to nowhere.

Along the way they encounter grotesque and barely house trained mutants, dinosaurs, the brains of reanimated US Presidents in android bodies and their robotic guardians, and of course a nuclear arsenal.

As you’d expect from the description and the title, this is a bawdy, violent, often puerile recreation of Dredd’s trip across the Cursed Earth.  This being is “Herogasm” Ennis, rather than “Punisher Max” Ennis, there is no subtlety or nuance here, expect toilet humour and gratuitous violence.

A very different Nick Percival draws the strip, far from the moody and atmospheric work of his most recent Meg’ and 2000AD output. This is more esoteric, bright and freewheeling,  probably better suited to the late lamented Deadline than the Meg’, but has a cartoony quality that suits the humour of the strip.

£7.99 seems a bit pricey for such a short , digital release, possibly better off as a floppy with the Meg’? Despite that, this is a fun knockabout romp that doesn’t take itself seriously, and nor should the reader.

Fun fact : Volume 68 of the Judge Dredd Mega Collection has this,  Tony Lee & Jackademus’  “Citi Def” strip and “Helltrekkers” by Grant, Wagner, the genius that is Jose Ortiz, & Lalia. That might be a worthier investment of your creds.