Proteus Vex Is The Most Exciting (And Weirdest) Comic I've Read In Years
Classic British sci-fi comic 2000 AD turns 45 years old this year. You've almost certainly heard of future cop Judge Dredd, its flagship character, but unless you're a regular reader you're probably less familiar with a more recent addition to the roster. Proteus Vex was created by veteran Dredd writer Michael Carroll, first appearing in 2000 AD in 2019, and he's the titular star of one of the most exciting stories I've read in a comic in years.
Proteus Vex is a weird, wildly imaginative space opera inspired by Carroll's love of pulpy sci-fi stories by authors like Edgar Rice Burroughs, C.L. Moore, and Ray Bradbury. It's sci-fi where the fiction always takes priority over the science, with an offbeat, surreal approach to the genre that borders on the psychedelic. The art and world-building are magnificent too, reminiscent of the idiosyncratic sci-fi worlds drawn by Jean 'Moebius' Giraud.
Related: It's About Time Someone Made A Great Judge Dredd Game
Set after a devastating 1,400-year intergalactic war, Vex is an agent for the winners of the conflict, the Imperium Ascendent—until he discovers a dark secret. He learns that the Imperium secured its victory by sacrificing billions of innocent lives, teleporting a dying star into the enemy's home system and wiping it out. Vex makes it his mission to expose the Imperium's war crimes and becomes the most wanted man in the universe as a result.
Adding an extra layer of strangeness to Proteus Vex is the fact its protagonist has a symbiotic relationship with a so-called flesh pilot. These tiny humanoid creatures live inside people, heightening their instincts, blocking pain, and sharing memories from previous hosts. The Imperium is offering bounties for their capture, claiming
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