Just as the 1980s predicted that all futures were most likely dystopian (Unless they were Star Trek), they also brought the idea that the sheriffs of the future would most likely take those "fascist pig" comments to heart and start modeling themselves as leather-wearing, faceless figures with a love for violence and a distaste for personal freedoms. Anti-authoritarian zeitgeist, or something more sinister? Consider the evidence:

Judge Dredd (1977)
Appears in... The comic strip that's appeared in 2000AD, his own series, and the we-only-wish-we-could-forget-it movie.
Would you describe him as personable? Not exactly. Cloned from a former high-ranking official of Mega-City One, Joe Dredd's life is focused on one thing and one thing only: The Law. And if you're unclear on what that may entail, Dredd - or any number of his fellow Judges - will be happy to help teach you. Preferably by arresting you for ignorance and letting you work it out yourself in jail.
Does he have special weapons or vehicles? Oh yes. Primarily, his suped-up ride the Lawmaker, and his multiple-bullet-firing (including heat-seeking and armor-piercing) Lawgiver gun.
What about a fascistic outfit?

Yes. Although we're not sure about the knee-pads.

Plexus Rangers (1983)
Appears in... Howard Chaykin's wonderful American Flagg comic.
Would you describe them as personable? Definitely - Almost all of Chaykin's corporate cops policing the United States while taking orders from the Mars-based Plex HQ are, in their own ways, charming. Corrupt, selfish and lacking in most redeeming values, yes, but definitely charming.
Does he have special weapons or vehicles? Nope. Use of subliminal advertising and robot cops aside, the Plexus Rangers are pretty old-school. There's a talking cat, though. Does that count?
What about a fascistic outfit?

Yup.

Justice Peace (1986)
Appears in... Various Marvel comics, whenever they need a time-traveling hard-ass from the future.
Would you describe him as personable? Yes - as long as you can prove that you're not a criminal. Coming from the World War VIII-era of Future Earth, Special Agent of the Federal Police Force Peace - regular beat Brooklynopolis - will stop at nothing to get his man. Not even time-travel to make sure that the crime doesn't even happen in the first place.
Does he have special weapons or vehicles? He's got a time-traveling flying bike called the Hopsikyl. That's got to count for something, right?
What about a fascistic outfit?

Um... No? But then again, it's was mid-1980s Marvel Comics.

Robocop (1987)
Appears in... The eponymous movies, comics and cartoon series.
Would you describe him as personable? If it was backwards day, sure. Poor Alex Murphy may have been gunned down in the course of duty on the streets of Detroit, but OCP - clearly fans of The Six Million Dollar Man - had the technology to rebuild him... except for that whole "personality" thing. But are you surprised, considering the four Directives he had, making decisions for him?
Does he have special weapons or vehicles? His whole body is a special weapon.
What about a fascistic outfit?

Not really. It was more functional than stylish, for one thing...

Marshal Law (1987)
Appears in... The comic book.
Would you describe him as personable? Depending on your taste for schizophrenic, sadistic, war-flashbacking psychopaths, potentially. When he's not the unstoppable, S&M-flavored superhero-killer Law, veteran supersoldier Joe Gilmore is almost an upstanding citizen of the wonderfully-named San Futuro. Problem is, he's normally the unstoppable, S&M-flavored superhero killer.
Does he have special weapons or vehicles? Given to carrying around (and using, of course) guns as big as Kevin O'Neill's imagination could make them, the better question may be "does he have any normal weapons?"...
What about a fascistic outfit?

Almost ridiculously so.

It wasn't all doom and gloom - After all, there were some cuddlier examples of future police forces based in older, more optimistic fantasies of tomorrow - but the storm trooper ideal that dominated more than a decade of SF policing remains a strong one (Consider the non-Tom Cruise cops of Minority Report), even if we're more likely to see robots taking over the world than police officers in mainstream SF these days. Here's hoping that those who try and imagine real futures of law enforcement are a bit more imaginative - and a little less enamored of the idea of living in Mega-City One.

For those familiar with some of Chaykin's other work, there are definitely echoes to be found in Flagg - the corny puns, the stocking-and-heels combo fetish, the square-jawed hero out of his depth but somehow still irresistible to all women and able to save the day (despite his complaints) when the situation demands it. But there's enough elsewhere to distract from the Chaykin Formula and turn you into a believer.

In concept, Flagg is very much a product of its times - You can see echoes of the media-led futures of Blade Runner and Max Headroom in here, as well as a Cold War paranoia/parody that wouldn't be imagined today - but the execution is amazing and, at times (specifically in the first storyline, "Hard Times"), almost faultless.

The set-up for the series is that, in the not-so-far future, the US Government and various corporations have fled Earth for Mars, leaving a power vacuum cemented by the fall of the Soviet Union and only partially filled by "The Plex," a new body made up of US officials, corporate heads and former Russian scientists who run things in America from afar. The police force of this new America are called Plexus Rangers (Told you about the puns), and one such Ranger is Rueben Flagg, a former television star replaced by his own CGI stunt double and drafted into service on Chicago's mean streets.

Of course, none of that really explains what the series is actually about, which is a heady mix of political and social satire (Not for nothing is one character called Medea Blitz), old-school action adventure and Chaykin living out his sexual fantasies through his lead character. The intentionally-absurd quality to the stories manages to work, surprisingly - everything happens with a kind of hyper-reality, amped-up and unbelievable but enjoyably so - that leaves the reader breathless by continually pummeling them more and more information to take in.

Helping out considerably with that pummeling is the look of the book. It's not just the artwork, although this is Chaykin at his best and most daring, before he fell into the (admittedly pretty) rut that he's in now of tight close-ups and familiar layouts - His linework, as ever, is crisp and attractive, a distinctive collection of influences from fine art, design and comics blended together to come up with something that seems timeless even now - but the look of the book. As much as Chaykin, Flagg's aesthetic is defined by the stunning lettering of Ken Bruzenak, which goes so far beyond speech balloons and thought bubbles and sound effects that it becomes one of the most memorable things about the book, a visual hook that explains the chaos of the future in a way that seems as much musical as anything else.

The two collections dip in quality towards the end - Chaykin's writing becomes emptier, and other artists take over on the last couple of chapters - but it never becomes dull or a chore to read; when American Flagg is at its best, it's a classic piece of science fiction satire that stands up there with Robocop and Brazil, but even at its worst, it's an enjoyable piece of eye-catching comics that offers a future at once recognizable and distant.

American Flagg is available now and published in the UK by Titan Books and in the US by Dynamite Entertainment.

If You Loved The Denseness Of Watchmen:
From Hell
To my mind, this is Alan Moore's masterpiece (and one we've already recommended - 500+ pages that look behind (and beyond) the legend of Jack the Ripper to offer a dissertation on murder, majesty and London, ably (and atmospherically) illustrated by Eddie Campbell. As full and as deep as Watchmen at its best, but with more subtlety and patience, From Hell offers a rich experience that may not offer as many people in costumes, but may be all the more rewarding for that. [Amazon]

If You Loved The Way The Book Played With The Comic Medium:
Or Else
On the face of it, Kevin Huizenga's work is almost the very opposite of Watchmen; in many cases autobiographical and entirely devoid of superheroes or apocalyptic scenarios. But Huizenga shares a fascination - and desire to experiment - with the language of comics that goes beyond what Moore and Gibbons did in Watchmen, moving into abstract images and wordlessness that takes the medium in directions that Dr. Manhattan would be proud of. The best example - and the place to start - would be Or Else #2, "Gloriana," where a sunset turns into something altogether more unusual and magical.

If You Loved The Adult Approach To Superheroes:
Sleeper
Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips' story of a superpowered secret agent who goes undercover in a criminal organization only to get in way over his head - emotionally and strategically - offers up both the nods to comics' past (Especially in the twisted secret origins that pepper the series) and the "real people who just happen to have superpowers" aspects of Watchmen, but take the latter much further; the characters here aren't the iconic archetypes and stereotypes of Moore and Gibbons' book, but much more genuine, believable, and recognizable as us. Brubaker and Philips' Incognito, which just launched a couple of months ago, is in a similar vein and well worth checking out as well. [Amazon]

If You Loved Dr. Manhattan's Cosmic Perspective:
The Invisibles
Much longer, chaotic and disorganized than Watchmen, Grant Morrison's long-running story of the 1990s The Invisibles crosses time, dimensions and questions the very nature of reality on a regular basis. Ripped off by The Matrix, The Invisibles is a much more individual work (although stealing from multiple sources itself, shamelessly) that wants to change the way you look at the world, if you let it. [Amazon]

If You Loved The Near-Future Setting Of Watchmen:
100%
I've recommended Paul Pope's work here enough to make it clear that I'm a massive fanboy, but that doesn't change the fact that 100% is the ideal follow-on if you liked the small details that made Watchmen's world so similar-but-different to our own. Focusing on the characters allows him to sneak in all manner of alternate-world SFisms without you noticing until it's too late, but this is a beautiful and necessary book that, come to think of it, should be made into a movie of its own. Just keep Zack Snyder away from it. [Amazon]

If You Loved The Cold War World-building of Watchmen:
American Flagg
Howard Chaykin's American Flagg - a 1980s contemporary of Watchmen - takes the Cold War paranoia of Moore and Gibbons in a whole new, satirical, direction and to the world of 2031, where America's government has moved to Mars, turned corporate and taken on a particularly Russian approach to some subjects, allowing former television star and new "Plexus Ranger" Reuben Flagg to try and keep the peace in a future Chicago. Sharing a similar dark humor to Watchmen, it's as much a product of its time, but well worth checking out. [Amazon]

If You Want Cold War World-Building In A Near-Future Setting Complete With An Adult Approach To Superheroes, But Without That High-Brow Shit:
The Dark Knight Returns
Okay, there's really no avoiding this one although, chances are, if you've read Watchmen, you've also read this; Dark Knight, created around the same time as Watchmen, and the book that made Frank Miller into the superstar megalomaniac that he is today, still stands as a singular achievement and the book that Batman stories are still measured against today. And why not? Whether it's the satire of Reagan's appearances, the cynical re-view on Superman or the dystopia of Gotham taken to the Nth degree, there's a lot to admire about this book even twenty years (and countless rip-offs) later. [Amazon]

If You Want To See Where It All Started:
Miracleman
Moore's first series of note - now, sadly, out of print and lost in a legal mess over rights issues - wasn't just the start of his career, but also the the first major deconstructionist superhero work in mainstream American comics. Taking a cloned version of Captain Marvel and pushing him into a more realistic world without entirely undoing everything that came before, Moore rehearsed many of the ideas in Watchmen here, but in a less formal, more human way. One day, this series will hopefully return to bookstores and everyone will see the connections; for now, spend your time in back issue bins and on eBay looking for the original issues or collected editions.

If You Want A More Optimistic Period Piece About Superheroes:
DC: The New Frontier
In many ways, the polar opposite of Watchmen (The cynicism and despair of that book being replaced with a boldness, optimism and strong belief in the inherent goodness of its characters), New Frontier is no less an achievement. Darwyn Cooke's beautiful take on the origins of DC's Silver Age characters (focusing mostly on Green Lantern, but taking in so many more along the way) is, in its own ways, as much a love letter to comics and superheroes as Watchmen is, but simply one that chooses to focus on the happier side of things. And, with Cooke's amazing artwork (presented in a three-panel format for the entire book, in much the same way that Watchmen adheres to a nine-panel format throughout), I have to commit potential heresy and admit that New Frontier looks much, much better than Watchmen. [Amazon]

Unsurprisingly, there aren't that many big-ticket items being released the day before Christmas, but that's not to say that a visit would be entirely without value for any last-minute shoppers; Image Comics are putting out not only a more=beautiful-than-it-has-any-right-to-be Spawn: Book Of The Dead handbook, but also a paperback collection of the first seven issues of classic 1980s SF series American Flagg for the Communist-loving American Imperialist in your life. Marvel, too, are going for the patriotic angle with their Captain America: Theater of War: America First! special and, sadly, that really is the title. More expensive and filled with colorful characters and the least-expected Black Panther ever is the hardcover collection Ultimates 3: Who Killed The Scarlet Witch?, which also manages to spoil its first chapter with that title. Well done, Marvel!
Dark Horse manages to get in on the ideal last-minute present for the geek in your life game with Star Wars: Rise Of The Sith Omnibus, a collection of stories about everyone's favorite abusers of the Force, while aesthetes and noir fans alike will find value in the first issue of Mister X: Condemned, a new series by series creator Dean Motter. If you'd rather relive one of the greatest hours of television ever made in comic book form - and, really, why wouldn't you, aside from that whole "Because it was a great television episode" thing - then IDW release the first issue of a three-part adaptation of the "Smile Time" episode of Angel, but I'd be much more comfortable pointing you in the direction of the first issue of Boom! Studios' Farscape, the official continuation of the TV show by creator Rockne S. O'Bannon that is sure to make many a yuletide bright.

(Of course, if you just can't leave the store without a Christmas-themed comic, there's always Army of Darkness: Ash's Christmas Horror...)

If none of those seem like your flavor of comic candy canes, then check out the complete list of this week's new comic releases to find something that won't seem like a lump of coal... and then the Comic Shop Locator Service will guide you to your closest four color Santa. No need to thank us - We're just elves in the grand world of comics.

More interestingly, DC are also releasing the collected edition of Faker, which deals with that college-age dilemma that we've all gone through at one point or another: "What if one of my friends isn't actually real, but instead a physical manifestation of the collective subconsciousness of my social circle?" Written by Lucifer's Mike Carey with lovely scratchy art by The Losers' and Judge Dredd's Jock, consider it the pick of a crop of DC trade paperbacks that also include the highly enjoyable second volume of 1950s sci-fi tales known as Showcase Presents: The Legion of Super-Heroes, future dystopian superhero hijinks in Wildstorm: Armageddon and Robin Hood-inspired archery in Green Arrow: Year One.

(If you're not picking up the expensive books tomorrow but have a hankering for some alternate world superheroics, DC/Wildstorm: Dream War #1 takes the superheroes-fighting-each-other trope and adds in a boost of "dream logic," which will be coming to a Jamba Juice near you soon.)

For those of you who are looking for some Iron Man action, Robert Downey Jr.'s latest meal-ticket can be found in no less than eight separate titles this week (and maybe more; is Shellhead still appearing in Avengers: The Initiative?). But the two that you really want to look for are Iron Man: Legacy of Doom #1 — which sees Iron Man fighting Doctor Doom for the title of "Biggest Asshole In Armor 2008" - and The Invincible Iron Man Omnibus, a 720-page hardcover collecting the first fifty-one stories of Tony Stark's career from the days when men were men, women were ornaments and communists were undermining life itself with their every breath.

As usual, it falls to other publishers to come up with the truly unmissable goods this week, and I'm not talking about the return of Captain Action — the 1960s action figure who could transform himself into various superheroes including Batman and the Lone Ranger — in Captain Action #0. (Although, really? It looks like fun.) I'm also not talking about Boom! Studios' new Lovecraft-inspired anthology, Cthulhu Tales. No, I'm talking about the much-delayed (by more than three years) American Flagg hardcover, reprinting Howard Chaykin's 1980s SF satire for an audience who have probably never read anything like it ever before — Brash, bold, sex-crazed (Well, it is Chaykin) and shot through with Reagan-era politics, Flagg is a great clash of old school, the origins of new school, and some crazy graphic design tricks that no-one else would dare do these days. It's 2032, and out-of-work TV host Reuben Flagg emigrates from Mars to Chicago, joining the Plexus Rangers, who enforce the law in the corrupt dystopian city. Highly recommended if you can come up with the $80 for the hardcover.

For everyone else, why not take a look at what else you could buy instead, and then find out where to buy it. Or, alternatively, rob a bank so that the American Flagg book could be yours after all. Your choice...