1362 - Is This The Worst Prog Ever?

Matt · 14 October, 2003, 03:22:32 PM

Has anyone else read the start of the Autumn Offensive yet? What a load of rubbish. I had to force myself to finish reading the prog after only the first two strips. I'm not sure about a good jumping on prog for new readers, but it's definately a good jumping off point for long term ones!

First off, Judge Dredd - even by future shock standards this was bad. It even felt like a future shock showhorned into a Dredd story. I can't quite believe it was written by John Wagner. Must have being having a bad hair day when he wrote this one. Ormstons art was reminescent of the period in the nineties when Tharg lost his marbles and started printing shite. More Harke & Buur than Raptaur.

Dead Men Walking - utter tripe. I can't believe they've run this at the same time as reprinting Harry Twenty in the Meg which seems to be doing the same thing but with much more style. After the woeful Asylum I didn't think I'd have to read such shite again.

Synnamon - not sure I spelt that right but then who cares, it was dire, dire, dire and I won't be picking it up again.

Durham Red - now I like the direction Red is taking and although this episode wasn't bad it didn't do much for me either. I'll reserve judgement and see what happens when the series kicks off.

Cover art - rubbish

The only saving grace was the ad for Cabballistics Inc next prog. Roll on Prog 2004!

Rio De Fideldo · 14 October, 2003, 04:10:34 PM

No. But its up/down there.

Dudley · 14 October, 2003, 05:17:56 PM

No, it isn't - it's just a prog with only new characters in (and Durham Red who you thought was dead already, which practically makes her a new character, if you see what I mean).

So, on the DrX scale, you're geared up for lots of tales with amazing backstories - and the writers can't provide them yet. Give it time, give it time...

Slippery PD · 14 October, 2003, 05:27:26 PM

I agree that it isnt BUT it is a bad peice of scheduling. Two brand new stories and a character that has returned from the dead. Personally I think if Red had started next week with Caballistics this week, the balamce may have been a little better. With all these new stories coming about, it makes it difficult without an established character except Dredd (Im ignoring Red as she seemed to die at the end of teh last book:))

Lets give it a chance, its been brillaint these last 12 months, a slightdrop in quality is to be expected occasionally.

Yer Slips

Queen Firey-Bou · 14 October, 2003, 05:28:54 PM

dunno mines not arrived ! eeek

Dudley · 14 October, 2003, 05:37:42 PM

How's the light concussion, Bou?

Rio De Fideldo · 14 October, 2003, 05:58:30 PM

Here are my views about Prog 1362

To begin, ever since the Autumn Offensive line up was announced I?ve been dreading it. I think that the strength of Tooth is the variety of the stories contained within.

I may be generalising but out of the four strips three seem to star stereotypical ?strong? women in dull generic futuristic settings and the other is a below par Dredd.

There doesn?t seem to be a sense of fun about any of them and it feels like we?ve all seen these strips hundreds of times already. The fact that the three Riot Grrl (?) strips are confusingly peppered with the obligatory techno gobbledegook and contain situations and character we?re unfamiliar with doesn?t help. Neither does the fact that the thrill power has been so strong this year (Leviathan, From Grace, Strontium Dog, Rogue Trooper, Lobster Random). Perhaps if only two of these strips had been run together with a Lobster Random story or ABC warriors there would have been a bit more variety and this wouldn?t have felt like such a let down. Hopefully Tharg won?t do this with Steve Moore?s Valkyries or Steve Parkhouse?s Tiger Sun, Dragon Moon. There has to be a mix of old and new.

Cover

Nicely drawn. I?d rather see this than yet another Simon Davies Sinister Dexter stock pose. Or worse another ?Bec & Kawl? cover. Shudder. BUT it?s not very exciting or even eye-catching. This is something which seems to plague many recent covers. The characters are just plonked on the page and that?s that. I?d rather see something a little different. Covers that stand out such as the Lobster Random anatomy cover (1349), the From Grace ?before and after? type thing (1357) and the Leviathan skull head ship (1360) are what we should be seeing from the GGC. Different not familiar.

Dredd

I didn?t like this. To me it felt like one of the awful Heavy Metal Dredd strips written specifically (?) for Bisley during the nineties. The story was nasty and the twist was obvious. On top of that the art was dull and lifeless. The muddy paint resulted in the figures looking static. Plus I thought I?d seen the last of those Bisley patented ?Dredd in profile? shots after Charles Gillespie/David Millgate drew their last Dredd?s for the Meg. I?d forgotten all about Ormston. Harke and Burr still sends a shiver up my spine and for all the wrong reasons. Rubbish!

Dead Man Walking

Yet another David Bishop story which although its only episode one I feel I?m not going to be able to empathise or relate to the main protagonist. I?m sure he?s well meaning but after the Strait Jacket Fits, Soul Sisters, Repo Mex, B.L.A.I.R. 1 and the Space Girls I wish he?d stick to articles.

Regarding the art I think that Boo Cook needs to be given a story, which will allow him to concentrate on learning more about actual human anatomy and perspective as there?s just something about his art which doesn?t look realistic. This is something, which is imperative when most of the cast is alien and fantastical in appearance. IMO he had the same problem with Asylum. It was hard to believe in the characters because although they?re made up designs they didn?t look ?real?.
For an example of where this works are the aliens in Dr and Quinch i.e. the entire cast. It only worked because Alan Davies knew how to draw every day items.

Synnaman

Harmony Krieg/Rose O?Rion etc. Nameless organisation. Space. Computer sidekick. Boring.

Durham Red

I can?t remember what happened in the previous two books and now we have a third which seems to be referring back to these. I wish we could have a Durham Red story in the new rebooted Strontium Dog mythos starring Johnny Alpha.

Overall a very poor nineties style prog. Perhaps we?ll have a Mark Millar written Dredd next week drawn by Siku about a serial killer robot who eats babies as a tribute to a dark god who is about to destroy the world. Or something.

Roll on Prog 2004.

W. R. Logan · 14 October, 2003, 06:53:42 PM

Maybe it?s the onset of S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) but the autumn offensive just left me cold.

http://www.2000adonline.com/covers/2000ad/thumbnails/1362thumb.jpg>
This has got to be one of the worst covers in recent times and its gotta be close to the http://www.2000adonline.com//index.php3?zone=covers&page=thrillsuckers>Thrillsucker section of the !

Matt · 14 October, 2003, 07:06:07 PM

Logan, do you have any insider knowledge on when Wagner penned that particular Dredd tale? It just felt so dated, more Heavy Metal Dredd than any of his more recent strips. Did Tharg find it down the back of an old filing cabinet from Kings Tower Reach? Let's hope we start getting more quality Dredd tales to coincide with the release of DvD, this weeks tale would have quickly turned off any new potential readers.

The Monarch · 14 October, 2003, 07:09:29 PM

Geez say it ain't so i thought that whole "printing duff strips that other editors commishioned" phase died out!

W. R. Logan · 14 October, 2003, 07:42:49 PM

>Dredd
>I didn?t like this. To me it felt like one of the awful Heavy Metal Dredd strips written specifically (?) for Bisley during the nineties. The story was nasty and the twist was obvious.

No fan of the Biz but liked the Heavy Metal Dredd tales. Dont wanna read them every week but gory tales with a crap joke are definately worth some space from time to time.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

W. R. Logan · 14 October, 2003, 07:46:03 PM

did a very lengthy post but fopr some reason it didnt come out.

Proudhuff · 14 October, 2003, 07:55:48 PM

I thought it was just me, in the middle of rebuilding a house and yet another restructure at work, I thought 'techno babble and busy artwork bah, can't be bothered getting into this'

Anyway Fat Barsteard with a supository (?) wasn't that Austin Powers II?

The Caball Inc ad is good

Huffee

JTurner · 14 October, 2003, 07:56:26 PM

I stand by my point that supernatural Dredds seem to strangely coincide with the release of Dredd vs Death. Make your own conclusion.

Not the worst prog, but given the recent surge in quality, it really fely like the clock had been turned back by about 3 years or so.

WoD · 14 October, 2003, 09:12:06 PM

I agree with JT, I thought the Dredd story was a nod to the direciton of the D vs D game.
As for the rest;
Female Harry Twenty story, not very impressed;
Synnamon - not very impressed;
Durham Red - I can't believe this 'story' is still dragging on this far past its sell by date. And the 'whats the name of this planet....Oh it's Earth' line - AAARRRRGGGGHHHHH NO, STOP IT, DO NOT PASS GO AND DO NOT COLLECT YOUR ?200!