Have I missed something here - I went looking for this week's prog thread but can't see it anywhere?
Behind a Neil Googe and Gary Caldwell cover there's a quick comp for Realm of the Damned: Signum Draconis before the prog proper.
Judge Dredd: The Booth Conspiracy Part 3 opens with a few one-liners about protests in MC1 before things start hotting up.
Survival Geeks: Slack n' Hash Part Two visits a few slasher film tropes (unsurprisingly) mixed in with a few teen flick elements.
The Order: The New World Part 11 shows us possibly our first glimpse of the Wormrealm, unless I've forgotten something from previous stories.
Mechastopheles: True Faith Part 6 people run about, things get smashed, burning happens.
Adverts for Misty Volume 3 and The Ballad of Halo Jones Volume 3 share a page (I have various editions of Halo, but I'll look forward to Misty - keeps getting released just before my birthday too).
Grey Area: Evidence - things start to converge, loving the dialogue on page four.
Admins - if I've somehow not been able to see the pre-existing prog thread, please merge!
Ha ha, see the "No prog!" Thread sir ;)
(https://i.imgur.com/gpO4Sge.jpg)
All the digital subscribers hoping to bag that first Prog thread will never speak to you again now, sheridan.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 04 September, 2018, 08:41:18 PM
All the digital subscribers hoping to bag that first Prog thread will never speak to you again now, sheridan.
:)
What I don't understand is why they didn't already bag it - what day do they get access?
Quote from: SIP on 04 September, 2018, 08:33:27 PM
Ha ha, see the "No prog!" Thread sir ;)
Yeah, came across that just after starting this thread - probably the only new prog thread I'll ever start (I support my local FCBS so am unlikely to subscribe in the near future).
Hello. It's 7:35 p.m. here in Ontario and I am progged up!
Top monster action in Mechastopheles and The Order, an excellent episode of Dredd and some hearty laughs from Survival Geeks. I'm not into Grey Area but I know others are.
Digi-thrills win this time!
- Trout
Again another solid prog. The cover is a horror classics of yesterday par excellence captured by Neil Googe. He really continues to deliver on cover duty
Mechastopheles and The Order are the top thrills with the Dredd story really good as well.
Quote from: sheridan on 04 September, 2018, 08:58:17 PM
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 04 September, 2018, 08:41:18 PM
All the digital subscribers hoping to bag that first Prog thread will never speak to you again now, sheridan.
:)
What I don't understand is why they didn't already bag it - what day do they get access?
Wednesday morning, just arrived on my iPad.
The digital version is available just after midnight (GMT time). I might be wrong but that is my understanding :P
Am I the first to get his paper prog!?
Glad it's here...but can't say it was worth the wait.
Not keen on the Booth JD storyline and Grey Area, the other strip that was holding my interest, seems to be getting rather bogged down... The rest is just lame.
For me, the prog's been in the doldrums for a few months now, hope the jump-on prog livens things up..
Got the paper prog!
Loving Dredd at the moment, but mainly due to Staz Johnson's art.
The story is a good one, but this episode barely moves the story on - [spoiler]Dredd gave the basic plot for this week in the final panel last week...[/spoiler]
Not much else getting me fired up at the minute, but the prog does look incredibly good! Always a pleasure to skim past Neil Googe's stuff*
*(That wasn't meant to sound offensive - I'm just not the biggest fan of Survival Geeks!)
I didn't like the 3hriller Mechastopheles, but the series is growing on me now - I'll have to give it a read through once it's finished to see how it all holds up.
Little disappointed with the Prog this week. Its small changes and maybe the beginning of an end that might be disappointing.
Dredd is my biggest issue. I've enjoyed the slow build of the Sons of Booth storyline but I'm worried at this point that the end seems to be set up as a simple sting that at this point will lead to a simple, show down. I should of course have more faith that this may have one interesting turn left in it. At this point I'm not sure I see where its coming from... which does of course mean if we do get one this will have been a good set up... if we don't...
Survival Geeks may have had an opening that I really liked but its slipping back into standard fare this week. Again maybe I should have more faith...
Mechrunningaroundidon'treallycareabout just isn't engaging me, I have no faith in this one anymore
Thanks the heavens then for The Order which remains great and particularly Grey Area which is simply superb. The final first half of which starts to develop the plot the second half of which is just a glorious piece of work. The exchange been Resting Bitch Face and Kymn is just an absolute delight.
So yeah a Prog building to big finishes should require quite so much faith to be needed and only two of them actually deliver.
Well I've gotta stick up for this prog. After a lacklustre spell, this week was an improvement.
Dredd - I like this storyline - I always enjoy a justice dept procedural so I liked Dredd' plan. Since when has a 'Dredd's plan works and he busts the perps' resolution been a bad thing? Colin hopes it won't be that "simple" but that kind f thinking leads to invisible ninja judges in the walls. Give me dumb perps getting their comeuppance any day.
Mechistopheles - the 3hriller didn't really stick in my memory and big demon robot fights get boring if you don't care about any of the characters, but I'm with Sheridan - it's groing on me as the individuals are fleshed out.
Survival geeks - good fun (can only identify two of the four weapons though!). I think the prog needs a funny strip and that's always been a minefield of subjectivity, but I think this one fills that gap nicely.
Grey Area - I almost don't want to read on because I can see how horrible this world that Abnett's created is and where it's going to lead the team, but by golly it' some powerful writing and art.
The Order -The Armoured Gideon reveal didn't do much for me but I find if you hang in for the firt few confusing rollercoaster episodes, it doe begin to gel - and then takes a three month break. I don't care as long as I can see John Burns' sumptuous art in the prog.
In summary, strips that left me indifferent are perking up, the funnies are funny and Dredd, as always, just keeps drokkin' on. Pretty much all I can ask of a prog.
Why can't you edit for typos on this thread?
The S on my keyboard keeps sticking!
Quote from: Dandontdare on 05 September, 2018, 11:49:35 PM
Survival geeks - good fun (can only identify two of the four weapons though!). I think the prog needs a funny strip and that's always been a minefield of subjectivity, but I think this one fills that gap nicely.
I've just been listening to the latest Space Spinner 2000 where they've gone from the year of DR & Quinch to the return of Ace Trucking Co so it's definitely good to see the tradition of a humour strip is being continued.
I take it the weapons you refer to are the ones on page 2, last panel? I hadn't realised they were specific items...
Rufus has the Moonbase Alpha Stunner (or is an electronux?) and the gun from The Black Hole, and Simon has Fry's Holophonur (sp?), but what's the steampunky hammer?
Great prog!
What? You wanted more? But it would only be nitpicky. So I'm not going to.
Well, maybe one. I know Boothers are zealots but they seem to fall for the "He's alive!" a little too easily.
But then a proper sting would take half a dozen progs to reel them in. Which makes me think, has Dredd (or any other strip) done a really involved sting over a number of progs?
Quote from: Geoff on 05 September, 2018, 06:53:43 PM
For me, the prog's been in the doldrums for a few months now, hope the jump-on prog livens things up..
Just goes to show different views abound....I think it has been pretty good this year, certainly much better than it was in the last few months before last Xmas.
Quote from: TordelBack on 06 September, 2018, 10:16:04 AM
Rufus has the Moonbase Alpha Stunner (or is an electronux?) and the gun from The Black Hole, and Simon has Fry's Holophonur (sp?), but what's the steampunky hammer?
I knew I'd seen that top n bottom double barrelled pistol design somewhere but the only similar examples I could think of were Marvel's StarLord and cartoon favourite Brave Starr. Now I remember them though - particularly in the shooting range scene.
Quote from: TordelBack on 06 September, 2018, 10:16:04 AM
Rufus has the Moonbase Alpha Stunner (or is an electronux?) and the gun from The Black Hole, and Simon has Fry's Holophonur (sp?), but what's the steampunky hammer?
I really should have got the Holophonur - Futurama is one of my favourite cartoons (including the ones I watched when I was a kid and have nostalgia on their side)
(https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/en.futurama/images/5/5e/Holophonor.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20061012203400)
Quote from: Tiplodocus on 06 September, 2018, 10:41:32 AM
But then a proper sting would take half a dozen progs to reel them in. Which makes me think, has Dredd (or any other strip) done a really involved sting over a number of progs?
The Dredd story starting in Prog 2100 is going to be ten episodes (by Rob Williams and Henry Flint).
Quote from: Magnetica on 06 September, 2018, 10:41:45 AM
Quote from: Geoff on 05 September, 2018, 06:53:43 PM
For me, the prog's been in the doldrums for a few months now, hope the jump-on prog livens things up..
Just goes to show different views abound....I think it has been pretty good this year, certainly much better than it was in the last few months before last Xmas.
I agree with Magnetica that the prog this year was really good. I will even say that recently the prog has been really balanced in its line-up. The progs leading up to Xmas was for me a big dip (that includes the Slaine story). The jump-on prog looks great
I've got to say how much I'm enjoying the recent run for Survival Geeks. It's just clicked with me in the last couple of stories in a way the early stories never did. I'm looking forward to a re-read now!
I agree with Bolt, I also enjoyed the recent and current Survival Geeks stories.
I am also enjoying The Order as never before, which is due to the fact, that in a complete reversal of previous series it is making more sense as it goes on, not less. Now that might be due to the fact I have read the last 4 or 5 Progs in quick succession in a post holiday catch up.
Grey Area has now risen to the top echelon of thrills for me and has the flexibility to do short stories or long ones.
Mechastopheles is fine too. I really like that the knight's helmet looks like a Terminator's from Nemesis book one
I am also enjoying the current Dredd story more than previous Sons of Booth tales.
So yeah a really good Prog this week.
I've never had a problem with Survival Geeks, at its worst it's been short lighthearted runs with magnificent art, but for me too it's really taken off in the last few stories - probably since things wrapped up with Kevin. It's definitely 2000AD's most successful comedy strip in ages, the only obvious competition being Ulysees Sweet and Dandridge (not counting Sinister Dexter), and it's a far more developed creation than either of those.
Quote from: TordelBack on 06 September, 2018, 06:16:44 PM
the only obvious competition being Ulysees Sweet and Dandridge
Well that's no competition at all, really, is it?
Dandridge was great - wish we'd got more of it, but maybe Tharg felt there were enough strips already doing the supernatural detective thing. (If he did, it should've been Ampney Crucis that got the dunt.)
Quote from: Magnetica on 06 September, 2018, 06:58:24 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 06 September, 2018, 06:16:44 PM
the only obvious competition being Ulysees Sweet and Dandridge
Well that's no competition at all, really, is it?
Aw, I liked Ulysees Sweet! It wasn't all brilliant all the time, but it was good OTT fun, and Marshall turned in some of his best ever work on it. Dandridge was good too - wasn't trying to damn SG with faint praise, honest!
Meanwhile,
Mechastopheles continues to hold the attention it earned last week. Some fantastic colouring from Richardson;
Grey Area continues to be stonking stuff with an enjoyably well-defined cast;
The Order is accelerating wonderfully (Armoured Clara!); and
Dredd is a solid procedural - I like the SoB's plan, and hope this isn't the end of them.
Quote from: Greg M. on 06 September, 2018, 07:17:26 PM
Dandridge was great - wish we'd got more of it, but maybe Tharg felt there were enough strips already doing the supernatural detective thing. (If he did, it should've been Ampney Crucis that got the dunt.)
Aye, Dandridge was great, and dissapeared just as it seemed to have ridden out that rough 'settling in' period and was about to really
click. It was funny, inventive and charming in all the ways Ampney Crucis... wasn't.
Quote from: Greg M. on 06 September, 2018, 07:17:26 PM
Dandridge was great - wish we'd got more of it, but maybe Tharg felt there were enough strips already doing the supernatural detective thing. (If he did, it should've been Ampney Crucis that got the dunt.)
And when was the last time we saw sight of Ampney Crucis?
Quote from: TordelBack on 06 September, 2018, 07:32:03 PM
wasn't trying to damn SG with faint praise, honest!
No I know you weren't and sorry if my post implied that in anyway.
All I meant was I didn't really take to Ulysses Sweet (too OTT for me ) or Dandridge (too boring I'm afraid).
Quote from: Taryn Tailz on 06 September, 2018, 07:46:38 PM
And when was the last time we saw sight of Ampney Crucis?
About five years ago? Maybe it in turn was supplanted in the supernatural detective stakes by the infinitely superior Absalom.
Quote from: Greg M. on 06 September, 2018, 07:58:52 PM
Quote from: Taryn Tailz on 06 September, 2018, 07:46:38 PM
And when was the last time we saw sight of Ampney Crucis?
About five years ago?
Curse that Pat Mills and his endless Chronicles.
While the broad 'supernatural investigator' genre is crowded (Devlin, Ampney, Absolom, Madam Vespertine, maybe even Aquila), I would have thought Dandridge had a unique enough comic tone to have a place.
Quote from: Bolt-01 on 06 September, 2018, 04:11:27 PM
I've got to say how much I'm enjoying the recent run for Survival Geeks. It's just clicked with me in the last couple of stories in a way the early stories never did. I'm looking forward to a re-read now!
Me too! Well said.
Quote from: TordelBack on 06 September, 2018, 08:33:48 PM
Quote from: Greg M. on 06 September, 2018, 07:58:52 PM
Quote from: Taryn Tailz on 06 September, 2018, 07:46:38 PM
And when was the last time we saw sight of Ampney Crucis?
About five years ago?
Curse that Pat Mills and his endless Chronicles.
While the broad 'supernatural investigator' genre is crowded (Devlin, Ampney, Absolom, Madam Vespertine, maybe even Aquila), I would have thought Dandridge had a unique enough comic tone to have a place.
I would think there have been a lot more supernatural investigation stories in 2000AD than that. Bix Barton comes most readily to mind, but you could also include Pussyfoot Five and arguably any PSI Judge series (Anderson, Karyn, Janus) plus arguably Indigo Prime.
True, true, but Psi Div stories are sort of their own thing, but I suppose I could have included Storm Warning and Strange & Dark. Pussyfoot 5 aren't really jostling for a place in the current roster - otherwise Wolfie Smith and Carver Hale would have been in there! Demon Nik is another possibility (man, I loved Demon Nik). Let's face it, occult investigator is the next big 2000AD trope after future-fascist bully-boy and killer-for-hire.
Quote from: TordelBack on 07 September, 2018, 10:50:30 AM
Let's face it, occult investigator is the next big 2000AD trope after future-fascist bully-boy and killer-for-hire.
And to think
Judge Dread was originally an occult investigator.
Occult Investigator seems like a perfectly suitable profession for a 2000ad character but why are so many of them pompous dandy-types? Characters who say things like 'dear boy' or 'old chap' all the time always come across as crappy archetypes rather than interesting, three dimensional people.
Quote from: JamesC on 09 September, 2018, 10:27:44 AM
Occult Investigator seems like a perfectly suitable profession for a 2000ad character but why are so many of them pompous dandy-types? Characters who say things like 'dear boy' or 'old chap' all the time always come across as crappy archetypes rather than interesting, three dimensional people.
You've got a point - there's one or two more in the John Constantine mould, but most are as you say.
Quote from: JamesC on 09 September, 2018, 10:27:44 AM
Occult Investigator seems like a perfectly suitable profession for a 2000ad character but why are so many of them pompous dandy-types? Characters who say things like 'dear boy' or 'old chap' all the time always come across as crappy archetypes rather than interesting, three dimensional people.
In the case of Devlin Waugh's mannerisms, Smith was tapping into the reemergence of Oscar Wilde as a figure in pop culture*. The other examples seem to be modelling themselves more closely after previous fictional characters.
As a fan of
Big Dave and
Cradlegrave, I don't subscribe to the argument that there's any kind of story that just doesn't belong in
2000ad, but I'm not sure why there are
so many Scooby Doo strips.
The investigator bit makes sense; as thousands of books and TV shows** prove, the mystery element is an effective way of keeping readers hooked until the end of the story, but why demons and ghosts? Rather than aliens and AIs, I mean.
If it was just the detective thing, you'd expect
2000ad to be bursting with
Rick Random clones.
* Following Morrissey dropping his name and quotes in interviews. I remember Athena selling posters of the young Wilde (http://i.imgur.com/ujvyJ.jpg) looking like a nineties indie kid with the ubiquitous centre-part. Both Athena and the idea of Morrissey as a figure to whom anyone paid attention both seem like very obscure, antique concepts, nowadays.
** Although not so many films, interestingly. Not in modern day cinema, anyway. And the occult investigator genre isn't really a huge thing in mainstream fiction. I suppose Buffy kind of fits the bill, although she wasn't much of a sleuth. Every third episode of X-Files was an occult (or Fortean) investigation, I suppose.
Don't think it's that surprising.
Most famous British detective fiction writers = Agatha Christie & Arthur Conan Doyle, both around at a time when drawing room seances were a thing amongst bored/grieving posh folk, and both of whom incorporated supernatural elements into their stories from time to time.
Quote from: M.I.K. on 09 September, 2018, 03:18:55 PM
Don't think it's that surprising.
Most famous British detective fiction writers = Agatha Christie & Arthur Conan Doyle, both around at a time when drawing room seances were a thing amongst bored/grieving posh folk, and both of whom incorporated supernatural elements into their stories from time to time.
That's true, but Sherlock wasn't a society fop, and neither was Poirot (despite being pompous).
I'd still expect 2000ad to be more Saphire & Steel than Jeeves & Wooster.
Hmmm, are we really just talking about Devlin, Dandridge and Ampney Crucis* in the 'fop' category though, aren't we? (Fair few donnish types in Necronauts and Caballistics Inc too). Unless we include God-smiting Harry Kipling, and I'd be against that. Vespertine is something else again too.
And set against that we have the Anti-Fops of Absalom, Stickleback, Chapter & Verse, Carver Hale (oh-so brief, oh-so long ago and oh-so Constantine) and (possibly) Aquila (although he's more a plaything of unspeakable ancient powers than an investigator).
*Incidentally, I don't think it's fair to say Devlin is a 'crappy archetype' just because of his 'dear boy' tendencies - he was something entirely new, to my mind.
Quote from: TordelBack on 10 September, 2018, 12:58:14 AM
Hmmm, are we really just talking about Devlin, Dandridge and Ampney Crucis* in the 'fop' category though, aren't we? (Fair few donnish types in Necronauts and Caballistics Inc too). Unless we include God-smiting Harry Kipling, and I'd be against that. Vespertine is something else again too.
And set against that we have the Anti-Fops of Absalom, Stickleback, Chapter & Verse, Carver Hale (oh-so brief, oh-so long ago and oh-so Constantine) and (possibly) Aquila (although he's more a plaything of unspeakable ancient powers than an investigator).
*Incidentally, I don't think it's fair to say Devlin is a 'crappy archetype' just because of his 'dear boy' tendencies - he was something entirely new, to my mind.
I was thinking of Bix Barton also, although it's been so long since I've read any that I can't remember it very well.
Also the professor from The Alienist, although he's an actor being controlled by Vespertine.
I think 'crappy archetype' was a bit harsh so apologies for that.
Quote from: JamesC on 10 September, 2018, 01:02:30 PM
I was thinking of Bix Barton also, although it's been so long since I've read any that I can't remember it very well.
I'll see your Bix Barton, and in response I'll raise you a Bec & Cawl.
Quote from: TordelBack on 10 September, 2018, 02:45:18 PM
Quote from: JamesC on 10 September, 2018, 01:02:30 PM
I was thinking of Bix Barton also, although it's been so long since I've read any that I can't remember it very well.
I'll see your Bix Barton, and in response I'll raise you a Bec & Cawl.
In all honesty, all I can remember about Bec and Cawl is that I didn't find it funny and I think there were lots of jokes about smoking weed?
If you say they were occult investigators I'll take your word for it!
Quote from: JamesC on 10 September, 2018, 02:49:23 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 10 September, 2018, 02:45:18 PM
Quote from: JamesC on 10 September, 2018, 01:02:30 PM
I was thinking of Bix Barton also, although it's been so long since I've read any that I can't remember it very well.
I'll see your Bix Barton, and in response I'll raise you a Bec & Cawl.
In all honesty, all I can remember about Bec and Cawl is that I didn't find it funny and I think there were lots of jokes about smoking weed?
If you say they were occult investigators I'll take your word for it!
I thought Bec and Cawl was okay, but can't remember anything about it - including if there was any occult stuff in it!
Steve Roberts art? I liked that. And it did actually make me lol a couple of times... just not enough. Comedy is hard enough. Comedy in comics must be murder!
Quote from: Tiplodocus on 10 September, 2018, 07:58:35 PM
Steve Roberts art? I liked that. And it did actually make me lol a couple of times... just not enough. Comedy is hard enough. Comedy in comics must be murder!
Aye. They weren't investigators but kept stumbling into lots of occult stuff. The first few tries were basically just movie references with nothing else to support them but, by the end, the strip had grown past that and I was enjoying it a lot.