The End Is Nigh is a British publication which bills itself as “The Official Magazine of the Apocalypse.”

The magazine is edited by Michael Molcher, and has been published sporadically since then. As implied by its name, the magazine explores theories and prophecies about the end of the world.

The first three issues of the magazine were themed, that is they each dealt with a different type of apocalyptic scenario. However, this fourth entry into the series is more all-encompassing, dealing with many different doomsday scenarios and end of the world prophecies.

Cover by Leigh Gallagher

The first things that is immediately noticeable about this issue of The End is Nigh is the incredibly intense cover image by Leigh Gallagher. It’s kind of jumps out at you doesn’t it. I just love this cover with all of it’s flu infected beasties ready to contaminate the reader with their vile sputum. I’m never going to the petting zoo again!!

As The End is Nigh is a magazine, it contains many different articles by a variety of writers and artists. I have decided for this review to do a short paragraph on each of the pieces in the magazine, with an overall summary of the whole package at the end. If you don’t want to read the run down, I’d skip to the end now!

• The Apocalypse in Numbers

This opening piece is a rather startling examination of numbers tied to the apocalypse. Not numbers like 666, of course, but rather numbers like the average increase in global temperature, global population increase, carbon emissions, the end date of the Mayan calender… It’s a rather clever little presentation, all set against some rather interesting graphics that make it look like one of those posters one often found on the walls of geography classrooms. As a bonus you could even cut out the whole double-spread and pin it up in your cubical, thus keeping away your Swine Flue infected co-workers and avoid having to get the untested and unregulated vacinee. Sounds like a plan to me!

• Obamageddon

by Michael Molcher and The Emperor

This rather controversially titled article is actually an examination of the strange phenomenon of many hardlin conservatives and republicans in the states, and in some cases internationally believing that Barack Obama is actually the Anti-Christ, and his being elected President of the United states of America is actually a sign of the end times. The article looks at the various theories being bandied around by apocalypse watchers, and holds them up to the light, examining the evidence, and coming to a logical if somewhat predictable conclusion. It’s a brilliantly put together article, that is never dismissive of the theorists, but rather takes a serious look at their evidence to see if any of them hold water.

• Mary Bateman’s Hen

Story: Pádraig ó Méloid
Art: Al Nolan

Mary Bateman’s Hen is a comic strip that tells the the story of the woman known infamously as ‘The Yorkshire Witch’. Mary Bateman gained notoriety in 1806 when she claimed to be in possession of a hen that laid eggs upon which were written messages of the coming of the the end.

This is a great little tale that I remember from my childhood (I’m a Yorkshire man) , and Pádraig ó Méloid does a great job of making the story into an interesting narrative, rather than just a regurgitated encyclopedia entry. The accompanying artwork by Al Nolan is equally impressive, and I’d quite like to see more of his work

• Whoops Aporkalypse

by Michael Molcher

In this article Michael Molcher examines the origins of swine flu, and the reasons it became an overnight global pandemic. Michael also takes a look at the media circus and scaremongering that surrounded the escalation of the virus, and the disturbing trend that mankind has of jumping the gun and proclaiming the end of the world.

• So Who’s Next

By Michael Molcher

A follow-up to the above article on swine flu, predicting the next pandemic that will arise from Viruses jumping from animals into the human population. As a trained microbiology and virologist I can tell you that it’s only a matter of time until this happens again, it’s happened many times in the past, as Michael points out in this article, and it is sure to happen again.

• Rise of the Machines

by Luke Dormehl

This article examines the history of robots rebelling against their human masters in science fiction, and proposes the most likely ways in which this eventuality may actually come to fruition. I was so frightened by this article that I’m selling all my technology and going to live in a cave!

• End Trumps

‘End trumps’ is a game for two or more players. The object is to win all the cards, each of which depicts an apocalypse scenario along with a list of five values. The magazine even includes cards that readers can cut out and play with.

Why? Well, the apocalypse is inevitable isn’t it, so you might as well do something fun which you’re waiting for Doomsday to arrive!

• By Fire or by Ice

by The Emperor

Inspired by Robert Frost’s 1920 apocalyptic poem, Fire and Ice, the Emperor looks at our Changing Climate and asks which of these environmental fates awaits Mankind?

• Nukewatch

This is another presentation that documents the largest caches of nuclear weapons around the world, and tracks news items to do with the nuclear armament, enrichment and proliferation.

• Viewpoint: Benny Pieser

by John Reppion

This feature is a Q&A conducted by John Reppion with Benny Peiser, a lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, about his research into the end of the world, why our future is in our hands, and what it’s like having an asteroid named after you.

This is a fantastic Q&A piece, with Benny Pieser giving some incredibly interesting and thorough answers to John Reppion’s insightful questions.

• Apocalypse in Suburbia

by Michael Molcher, with contributions by Alan Moore and Iain Sinclair

This piece starts off a a mini-essay about J.G. Ballard’s obsession with apocalyptic tales in his early science fiction days, prior to the release of The Atrocity Exhibition, where things would take a different turn altogether. The piece then passes over to Alan Moore, who talks about the influence that Ballard has had on his writing career over the years, before it then passes over to Iain Sinclair, who does likewise.

I am a huge J.G. Ballard fan, and love every book he has ever written, from The Winds from Nowhere to Kingdom Come. I’m also a huge fan of Alan Moore, so reading Alan Moore’s thoughts on the works of Ballard was a real treat for me. No offense to anyone else involved in this article, but Alan Moore kind of co-opted the piece a bit

• Stranger Than Fiction

by PD Smith

This interesting article looks at the rise of superweapons, and how mankind came very close to the brink of extinction during the cold war. The article is filled with reference to Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Drop the Bomb, and points out that the events of the moie, and novel before it, were not that unrealistic.

• 1,000 Days Till the End

by The Emperor and Michael Molcher

This article is an astute analysis of the current trend in apocalypse watching, which is the assumption that because Mayan calendar end on August 11th, 2012 this means that this is the date of the end of the world.

• Brandy of the Damned

by Ed Berridge

This article is a wry look at the trend of religious fanatics to label certain types of as Satanic, from the backwards lyrics on Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven to to the claims that The Beatles were ‘a joint enterprise of British military intelligence and Satanic cults.

• The Last Word…

By Michael Molcher

Editor Micheal Molcher closes up the issue by asking, “when’s it going to be? eh?”

In Summary

The End is Nigh #4 is a brilliantly put together piece of work, full of insightful, thought provoking pieces that look not only look at the coming of the end times, but also why mankind has always been so eager to predict the end of days. Michael Molcher has put together a fantastic group of writers and artists for this issue of the magazine, and does a top-notch job of putting the whole package together into a fantastic, professional looking publication that is befitting of the extraordinary content between its covers.

The End Is Nigh #4 rings in at a massive 52 pages, and is packed full of articles, interviews, comic strips, facts & figures, and even an apocalypse card game! There should be enough content within the pages of this prophetical publication to keep you going till at least the next apocalypse, or maybe the one after that!

The End is Nigh #4 the best issue so far of this series, and is without a doubt the best magazine about the apocalypse that you will ever read. If you take one magazine with you on the final day, make sure that it is The End is Nigh #4!

Rating:

For more information of The End is Nigh, and to order this issue of the magazine make sure to check out http://www.endisnigh.co.uk/, where you can also download issue #2 compltely free of charge

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