2000 AD Online Forum

Spoilers => Prog => Topic started by: Leigh S on 08 December, 2018, 11:04:23 AM

Title: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Leigh S on 08 December, 2018, 11:04:23 AM
Excellent stuff so far -

Dredd is a great Christmas tale from TC Eglington and Boo Cook, both of whom I find hit and miss, but definite double hit here.

Slaine by Weston is a a bit weird - at is wonderful and it is good to see PAt tell us a bit more about Ukko's origins (as already revealed in the "Kiss My Axe" preview?).  The story is set in "current" continuity, but feels like it could be from the first run (especially Slaine, who looks like he stepped out of the prog 300s!  Preview art for the next Slaine artist - it is indeed Leonardo Manco and it is Biz-tastic looking....

Some early Thargs interviewed between the stories too
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Eamonn Clarke on 08 December, 2018, 01:03:05 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/ic77EAI.jpg)

John "Ho ho ho" Higgins
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Tjm86 on 08 December, 2018, 01:23:16 PM
It's that wonderful bittersweet time of year.  A bumper prog full of delights.  A feast for eyes and minds.  One that has to last us few the longest, darkest nights of the year until the new one comes around.  To binge or eke it out ....
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Tjm86 on 08 December, 2018, 05:02:00 PM
Okay ... binge it is!

Quality stuff that is definitely going to need a re-read but am I detecting a nice little dedication to the late Señor Ezquerra at the end of Durham Red?
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Darren Stephens on 08 December, 2018, 05:30:24 PM
Only read the Dredd tale so far, but it's a cracker ( piss poor pun intended.)
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Dandontdare on 08 December, 2018, 05:49:01 PM
Quote from: Tjm86 on 08 December, 2018, 05:02:00 PM
am I detecting a nice little dedication to the late Señor Ezquerra at the end of Durham Red?

There's one in Dredd as well
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Richard on 08 December, 2018, 07:16:32 PM
I've read most of this and I thought it was very good. An excellent idea for a Dredd story, a fitting end to Caballistics, outstanding art on Slaine by Chris Weston -- have we seen him do black and white before? -- and a good Durham Red one-off. I think Alec Worley has done his best work on Red recently. I liked Ben Willsher's tribute to Carlos. It was a nice gesture but not so in-your-face as to interrupt the story.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Frank on 08 December, 2018, 07:56:49 PM
Quote from: Richard on 08 December, 2018, 07:16:32 PM
... outstanding art on Slaine by Chris Weston -- have we seen him do black and white before?

Not since the days of Gulf War 1 and Adamski:

(https://i.imgur.com/F61zYew.jpg?1)


682, June 1990
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Richard on 08 December, 2018, 10:06:20 PM
Blimey, he was already amazing way back then!
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Geoff on 09 December, 2018, 03:49:12 PM
After a recent run of thrill-powered progs, this xmas prog was more of a whimper than a bang for me...

A reasonable cover...good but not great from an artist as accomplished as Higgins.

I didn't enjoy the Dredd at all, I've never liked Boo Cook's art and the story, which I think was supposed to be amusing, was not, just tired and rather sad.

Difficult to say if Caballistics was any good as I haven't read the previous episodes. 

Enjoyed the Gosnell and Burt-1 interviews. 

Deadworld's not my cup of gore at all.

Skip Tracer, not generally very engaging but readable. 

Slaine drawn by Weston was great! Chris Weston's recent activities in the prog, a few covers and even the odd strip, keep me subbing in the lean times.  Anything drawn by Weston is pretty much great. Mr Mills seems to have written a story for Slaine for the first time in a while too. 

Brink - just brilliant. Completely engrossed in this.  One of the few stories, these days, that I remember from the previous week and don't have to go back and remind my self of what's going on.

The Fiends and Durham Red were pretty enjoyable too...so on second thoughts, whilst it was less than a bang, maybe it was more than a whimper...

Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: matty_ae on 09 December, 2018, 09:02:02 PM
I've re-read it a couple of time but in the interview I found Richard Burton's assessment of Alan Grant bordering on offensive.

"like so many double acts, the talent lay with John, and I'm sure Alan would agree with that."

Really? Well how about a statement from Alan himself to either agree or challenge that opinion.
I think I find it incredibly biased as he has already stated he didn't get on well with Alan.

Just odd given:
a) Alan went on to do incredible runs on Batman, Anderson PSI Division and others
b) Alan is credited with being a great early supporter of everyone from Alan Moore, to Morrison and Millar. Taking the time to give feedback and handwrite replies etc.

Seemed a bit of a sour note to go unchallenged.

Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Frank on 09 December, 2018, 10:36:13 PM
Quote from: matty_ae on 09 December, 2018, 09:02:02 PM
I've re-read it a couple of time but in the interview I found Richard Burton's assessment of Alan Grant bordering on offensive.

"like so many double acts, the talent lay with John, and I'm sure Alan would agree with that."

Really? Well how about a statement from Alan himself to either agree or challenge that opinion.
I think I find it incredibly biased as he has already stated he didn't get on well with Alan.

Just odd given:
a) Alan went on to do incredible runs on Batman, Anderson PSI Division and others
b) Alan is credited with being a great early supporter of everyone from Alan Moore, to Morrison and Millar. Taking the time to give feedback and handwrite replies etc.

Seemed a bit of a sour note to go unchallenged.

To be fair, Alan Grant hasn't held back on his criticism of Burton's professional abilities (https://web.archive.org/web/20050413195746/http://www.2000adreview.co.uk:80/features/interviews/2005/grant/grant6.shtml) (while making it clear they like each other as people):

(https://i.imgur.com/U6B2lRU.png?3)
(https://i.imgur.com/ORykXGq.png?2)


As for underestimating Grant's contribution to the Wagner/Grant partnership, that's something most of us are guilty of, too. While Grant concedes his Dredd is just lacking something (above), Grantless-Wagner eventually proved to be missing the fun, weirdness and invention we loved as kids*

Grant also wrote some incredible Strontium Dog. That tends to get smoothed over in our justification of Wagner bringing the character back at the turn of the century**, but we all know how Wagner and Grant wrote - whoever got his name on the credit box was the one who actually wrote the script.

If Wagner was really the one who wrote Dredd, then Grant was really the one who wrote Stront.


* Wagner's early solo work and latter-day epics more than compensated for that loss by finding different kinds of stories to tell, but there were long stretches during the nineties and early 21st century where Wagner was lost and trying (with varying degrees of success) to recreate TB Grover stories without the magic ingredient that made them work.

** 'Wagner's written Strontium Dog for 40 years, so the character's his to do with as he pleases'
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Dandontdare on 10 December, 2018, 12:52:33 AM
Quote from: Frank on 09 December, 2018, 10:36:13 PMbut we all know how Wagner and Grant wrote - whoever got his name on the credit box was the one who actually wrote the script.

I believe it was whoever typed it up got the credit, but it was impossible to sort out which ideas were whose within each story.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Frank on 10 December, 2018, 07:21:53 AM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 10 December, 2018, 12:52:33 AM
Quote from: Frank on 09 December, 2018, 10:36:13 PMbut we all know how Wagner and Grant wrote - whoever got his name on the credit box was the one who actually wrote the script.

I believe it was whoever typed it up got the credit, but it was impossible to sort out which ideas were whose within each story.

'Whoever did the typing got the cash' (http://homepage.eircom.net/~okku/scifi/jwagner.htm) is their wonderfully dry way of describing their creative process. Might be underselling their individual contributions just a little:

(https://i.imgur.com/JUn7Qgv.png?2)

https://web.archive.org/web/20050412215234/http://www.2000adreview.co.uk:80/features/interviews/2005/grant/grant3.shtml


Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: matty_ae on 10 December, 2018, 01:32:20 PM
Fair enough.

I didn't realise that Alan had publicly been rude about Richard's editorial ability.

Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Proudhuff on 10 December, 2018, 03:25:02 PM
lack of Progage at Huff Masion sur-le-Mer  :'(
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Will Cooling on 10 December, 2018, 05:53:07 PM
Quote from: Frank on 09 December, 2018, 10:36:13 PM
Quote from: matty_ae on 09 December, 2018, 09:02:02 PM
I've re-read it a couple of time but in the interview I found Richard Burton's assessment of Alan Grant bordering on offensive.

"like so many double acts, the talent lay with John, and I'm sure Alan would agree with that."

Really? Well how about a statement from Alan himself to either agree or challenge that opinion.
I think I find it incredibly biased as he has already stated he didn't get on well with Alan.

Just odd given:
a) Alan went on to do incredible runs on Batman, Anderson PSI Division and others
b) Alan is credited with being a great early supporter of everyone from Alan Moore, to Morrison and Millar. Taking the time to give feedback and handwrite replies etc.

Seemed a bit of a sour note to go unchallenged.

To be fair, Alan Grant hasn't held back on his criticism of Burton's professional abilities (https://web.archive.org/web/20050413195746/http://www.2000adreview.co.uk:80/features/interviews/2005/grant/grant6.shtml) (while making it clear they like each other as people):

(https://i.imgur.com/U6B2lRU.png?3)
(https://i.imgur.com/ORykXGq.png?2)


As for underestimating Grant's contribution to the Wagner/Grant partnership, that's something most of us are guilty of, too. While Grant concedes his Dredd is just lacking something (above), Grantless-Wagner eventually proved to be missing the fun, weirdness and invention we loved as kids*

Grant also wrote some incredible Strontium Dog. That tends to get smoothed over in our justification of Wagner bringing the character back at the turn of the century**, but we all know how Wagner and Grant wrote - whoever got his name on the credit box was the one who actually wrote the script.

If Wagner was really the one who wrote Dredd, then Grant was really the one who wrote Stront.


* Wagner's early solo work and latter-day epics more than compensated for that loss by finding different kinds of stories to tell, but there were long stretches during the nineties and early 21st century where Wagner was lost and trying (with varying degrees of success) to recreate TB Grover stories without the magic ingredient that made them work.

** 'Wagner's written Strontium Dog for 40 years, so the character's his to do with as he pleases'


100% Agree that people overlook how different Wagner's Dredd is to Wagner/Grant's take on the character.  But this is part of my broader complaint that people take a character which had many different people contribute to its creation (Ezquerra's design was rejected by Wagner, Mills did a lot of work developing the character whilst Wagner stepped away), and try to give one person sole ownership of it.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Batman's Superior Cousin on 10 December, 2018, 07:53:00 PM
Quote from: Proudhuff on 10 December, 2018, 03:25:02 PM
lack of Progage at Huff Masion sur-le-Mer  :'(

Same here!! :'(
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Daveycandlish on 10 December, 2018, 08:02:34 PM
I too am progless  :(
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: broodblik on 11 December, 2018, 06:31:02 PM
For everyone that is still waiting for their prog (like me), here is a nice preview: http://www.comicon.com/2018/12/11/the-weekly-2000ad-prog-2111-previewed-simply-having-a-zarjaz-scrotnig-christmas-time/ (http://www.comicon.com/2018/12/11/the-weekly-2000ad-prog-2111-previewed-simply-having-a-zarjaz-scrotnig-christmas-time/)

I must say that the preview of Slaine really looks good. The art is by Leonardo Manco and it just looks great (he did an once-off Rogue Trooper in prog 2050).
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Frank on 11 December, 2018, 07:11:29 PM
Quote from: broodblik on 11 December, 2018, 06:31:02 PM
For everyone that is still waiting for their prog (like me), here is a nice preview: http://www.comicon.com/2018/12/11/the-weekly-2000ad-prog-2111-previewed-simply-having-a-zarjaz-scrotnig-christmas-time/ (http://www.comicon.com/2018/12/11/the-weekly-2000ad-prog-2111-previewed-simply-having-a-zarjaz-scrotnig-christmas-time/)

I must say that the preview of Slaine really looks good. The art is by Leonardo Manco and it just looks great (he did an once-off Rogue Trooper in prog 2050).

.. and Manco gave good Dredd in Rory McConville's A Better Class Of Criminal (2091-2099)

(https://i.imgur.com/d3OpqHH.jpg?1)

Colours on that were by Chris Blythe. Hopefully, these images offer a better idea of where Manco will take Slaine than the preview (which, I note, features the Bisley version of the logo):

(https://i.imgur.com/SyF1ACg.png?1) (https://i.imgur.com/Le8JAVz.png?1)


Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Trout on 12 December, 2018, 02:46:03 AM
Such an amazing prog! Black Max was a highlight - I loved this Fiends story. Brink is still superb and I enjoyed everything else in this prog. I'm delighted to see Cabs back and I'll look forward to the collection. Also, this comic includes the first Slaine strip I've found entertaining in years. Fun script from Pat, and Weston can do no wrong!

I've read some really good comics lately, either for work (I review graphic novels for a newspaper) or pleasure. My 2018 highlights have included The Immortal Hulk, Mister Miracle, my first full read-through of Locke and Key, lots of fab indie stuff and tons more, and this Christmas prog is among the best publications this year.

Thanks for making it, people who made it.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Tomwe on 12 December, 2018, 09:29:01 AM
Stellar prog so far - taking my time. Bit confused by Deadworld. Was that supposed to be the backstory of Fear? I wasn't clear what was now and what was in the past...
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Tomwe on 12 December, 2018, 11:12:16 AM
Also: this may have been asked somewhere before, but is this the first time a thrill has continued both before and after the bumper Christmas edition? (Brink)
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Batman's Superior Cousin on 12 December, 2018, 11:34:21 AM
Quote from: Tomwe on 12 December, 2018, 09:29:01 AM
Stellar prog so far - taking my time. Bit confused by Deadworld. Was that supposed to be the backstory of Fear? I wasn't clear what was now and what was in the past...

Nope, just the final fates of Patti & Spike, two Resistance members last seen leaving the Battle of Sector House 13, after seeing an illusion of Judge Fear (who's currently residing their friend/former Resistance laeder, Tucker)!!!
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Proudhuff on 12 December, 2018, 03:03:14 PM
So what's with the numbering...it used to be the year didn't it matron?

Anyway that cover is a bit saucy all pert buttocks and come hither looks, that shadow on Dredd's ammo clip looks like he's got a stiffy!  :-[
Droid life all fun and games til somebody loses an eye

Damage Report: That explains the colouring in D'Eathworld.

Dredd: we that was a great bittersweet Dredd for Dreddmas, Loads of little Easter eggs: from a who's who to Kubrick's Room 237 and carpet

Cab Inc: nice finish and looking forward to the collected works, the interview makes the Grennie droid seem, well almost human  :-X

Deedweed: Trailer trash meet killer robots... on a world where every dies. guess how that ends?

Letterpage!!

Aptly Named: not really hooking me in there

Slaine
:Trailer trash meet killer robots monster... in a world where everybody else dies except our heroes. guess how that ends?

Blink continues to interest and intrigue.... four pages of talking heads and its still wonderful

Fiends Great stuff, nice set up, take down and landing,  art spot in too.

Durham Red sorry gave up halfway through and flicked on to the nice Carlos tribute.

A mixed bag for xmas but enough to satisfy even the most jaded of xmas palates. 




Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: BPP on 12 December, 2018, 05:05:14 PM
Cabs is the absolute highlight even if it closes down the saga. Rennie and Reardon were an absolutely magical aesthetic fit for each other on this. Reardon is really missed in the prog. His art just works for me, it has a vulnerable humanity and decay despite being quite strongly designed monochromeatically.

Cheers for this Gordon, Dom & Tharg.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: broodblik on 12 December, 2018, 06:55:49 PM
I really enjoyed the Christmas Prog although it felt more than a Halloween Prog.

Dredd was a Christmas tale with a little Dredd twist @ the end

Caballistics was enjoyable but to be honest I cannot remember how it ended in 2007 (will have too revisited the whole story).

Deadworld as always was solid with Kendall's art the highlight

Skip Tracer is for me as always enjoyable. Fun fact this is the story that appeared in the most progs this year racking up 19 appearances (excluding Dredd naturally)

I just loved Chris Weston's take on Slaine with nice one-off from Uncle Pat.

Brink continues its slow-burn process. Great writing supplemented by awesome art. Culbard's use of colours continues to carry the tone of each episode.

Fiends, this was for me the best in the prog. Great to see that Rebellion is using the characters they acquired in AD as well [spoiler](Black Max)[/spoiler]

Durham was not bad, but I felt like the story was missing something.

Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Richard on 12 December, 2018, 07:37:17 PM
QuoteSo what's with the numbering...it used to be the year didn't it matron?
That stopped after Prog 2015, when they realised that otherwise there'd be two prog 2016s (progs 2016?) within a few months of each other.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: norton canes on 13 December, 2018, 02:07:10 PM
The bits I've read so far...

Dredd: A decent enough effort, I guess - it can't be easy to come up with new ideas 40 Christmases in. What could have been a throwaway script focusing on the comedic elements does in fact reach for some depth. However I've never really been a huge fan of Boo Cook's art, and I think I've finally worked out why. It's not his drawing ability, which is excellent - it's the shiny, plasticky texture of his finished work, which puts my teeth on edge in a way I can't quite describe. Some sort of weird synesthesia thing happening on my part, I guess. Sorry Boo!

Deadworld: A masterful installment - a powerful script from Kek-W (more than making up for the slightly underwhelming most recent chapter of The Order) complemented by the most wonderful art from Dave Kendal. The way those those luminous skull-eyes pop out the page, I swear they're actually lit by tiny LEDs. And not content with being featured in the most iconic comic panel of all time, Fear now makes a bid to feature in the second best.

Brink: Another layer of intrigue is added to the puzzle, and another slice of awesomeness.

Caballistics, Inc.: The only thing it really develops and resolves is the mystery of the undead soldier. There isn't a lot of character stuff. Short and to the point, and great for what it is. I suppose we were lucky to get any kind of conclusion at all, so I won't complain.


The best thing about the prog so far, though, has been the two interviews. Excellent insights from both Gosnell and Burton on the process and perils of editing the Galaxy's Greatest. I particularly enjoyed the revelation that many Betelgeusian phrases originated from Kelvin Gosnell's days at public school. I love the idea of truculent schoolboys shouting "Splundig Vur Thrigg!" at their perplexed masters.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: JayzusB.Christ on 13 December, 2018, 03:12:39 PM
Enjoyed what I've read so far - the Dredd one was ok though a wee bit derivative of previous Dredds (To Thing With Love, The Haunting of Sector House 9, with a bit of the bad old Ennis days in Dredd's dealing with the perp).

Sláine was enjoyable, which it hasn't been for a while to be frank.  A nice little reminder of earlier short tales (the Shoggey Beast etc) before everything went sprawling and epic.  Not 100 per cent sure about the ending (Baba Yaga is Danu then?) nor Sláine's appearance (played by a fresh-faced 80s Don Johnson) but Weston's art is amazing as always.  The idea of the steam off barbarian dung made me a bit queasy I must say.

Deadworld is great, truly horrible in places. I've only skimmed it and everything else though, I'll get back to it.

Also, and I know I'm being a big nerdy child, I don't really like when articles in the prog treat Tharg as anything other than a real life alien editor. It's a bit of a laugh we've been having for 40-odd years and I love keeping it going.  Even when there's photos of creators in the prog I preferred when the caption pointed out that they were 'in human form for the convention'.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Bolt-01 on 13 December, 2018, 03:29:52 PM
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 13 December, 2018, 03:12:39 PM
I don't really like when articles in the prog treat Tharg as anything other than a real life alien editor. It's a bit of a laugh we've been having for 40-odd years and I love keeping it going.  Even when there's photos of creators in the prog I preferred when the caption pointed out that they were 'in human form for the convention'.

Hear, Hear. I know it's not to everyone's taste, but I love the conceit of Tharg.

Same as for me, the guy (or lady) handing out the bounties on the Doghouse should always be referred to as 'Harvey', regardless of their actual name.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Richard on 13 December, 2018, 05:35:50 PM
Harvey was killed by the Stixes, so I'm not sure it's quite the same.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Frank on 13 December, 2018, 09:40:31 PM

I never want to see Chris Weston's art sullied by superfluous colour again.

What's the point?  This is the best strip art he's ever created for Tharg.


Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Colin Zeal on 13 December, 2018, 11:52:44 PM
I really enjoyed the interview with Richard Burton. When I heard him talk on a panel at the 40th birthday party his time as 2000AD editor seemed to have been just one job he'd had amongst many others (which was surprisingly refreshing to hear) so I'm pleased he was given the opportunity to go into detail about his spell on the galaxies greatest comic.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Andy B on 14 December, 2018, 03:02:22 AM
Quote from: Tomwe on 12 December, 2018, 11:12:16 AM
Also: this may have been asked somewhere before, but is this the first time a thrill has continued both before and after the bumper Christmas edition? (Brink)

I seem to remember "Origins" did that, but definitely unusual. I appreciate that they're letting Dan Abnett take his time with "Brink". Great stuff.

Also very much appreciate the ending to Caballistics. A real treat: and a physical collection too - nice!

Leonardo Manco on Slaine looks awesome. I'm excited for next year!


Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: JayzusB.Christ on 14 December, 2018, 11:05:12 PM
Quote from: Andy B on 14 December, 2018, 03:02:22 AM

Leonardo Manco on Slaine looks awesome. I'm excited for next year!

Me too! Sometimes I think Slaine should have retired years ago, but then I look at the great art it produces and it's enough to keep me interested.

By the way I always love a Christmas Droid Life, and this one was great fun, with the appropriate amount of mercilessly cruel humour and short bursts of colour.  I would be very sad if the Christmas progs stopped doing extra-length Droid Lifes (Lives?).

To return to Deadworld, I really love that Fear is actually scary again.  Not since Mortis stalking the cadets in Necropolis have the Dark Judges been so terrifying.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: JayzusB.Christ on 14 December, 2018, 11:05:49 PM
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 14 December, 2018, 11:05:12 PM
Quote from: Andy B on 14 December, 2018, 03:02:22 AM

Leonardo Manco on Slaine looks awesome. I'm excited for next year!

Me too! Sometimes I think Slaine should have retired years ago, but then I look at the great art it produces and it's enough to keep me interested.

By the way I always love a Christmas Droid Life, and this one was great fun, with the appropriate amount of mercilessly cruel humour and short bursts of colour.  I would be very sad if the Christmas progs stopped doing extra-length Droid Lifes (Lives?).

To return to Deadworld, I really love that Fear is actually scary again.  Not since Mortis stalking the cadets in Necropolis has a Dark Judge been so terrifying.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: JayzusB.Christ on 14 December, 2018, 11:07:02 PM
sorry, accidental double post.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: JayzusB.Christ on 14 December, 2018, 11:08:02 PM
Sorry, accidental double post.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: JayzusB.Christ on 14 December, 2018, 11:08:42 PM
Sorry, accidental double post.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: JayzusB.Christ on 14 December, 2018, 11:09:21 PM
Mods?  Something's up here.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Dandontdare on 15 December, 2018, 12:23:46 AM
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 14 December, 2018, 11:05:12 PM
Sometimes I think Slaine should have retired years ago, but then I look at the great art it produces and it's enough to keep me interested.

Don't worry, it bears repeating. Slaine has bored me for a long time but by goodness it's given us some jaw dropping art from the Langley and Davies droids - for the first time in ages we get a fun story to go with the beautiful art - and Weston delivers that in spades.

Nice story for Dredd, but I'm also not a huge fan of Boo Cooke's style, though I like this much more than Blunt which I find almost indecipherable

I suppose the Cabalistics episode gives us some sort of closure but it doesn't really add anything much - I thought we were getting a final series rather than a final episode, so bit disappointed.

I like the way that Fiends is showing our Romanian protagonists through different European wars, and the clever addition of Black Max justified the extended page count (just)

Good God, is Skip Trace back already? I've tried to be kind, but this could have been written by the Thrillomatic Random Plot Generator 3000 - multiple scifi tropes combined together in a way we've never seen before. Feels like a writer sitting down and thinking "I have to write a scifi story" rather than a writer who had a story they wanted to tell.

Not read Durham Red yet, I'm trying to eke it out a bit!

and I agree that a double size Droid Life is a wonderful thing - I love this strip.


Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Magnetica on 16 December, 2018, 01:00:40 PM
Only read Slaine and Brink so far.

I never would have thought Chris Weston would be good fit for Slaine but this really works. It reminds me of Fabry's Book of Scars episode. Only thing is Slaine looks about 25, which is very odd, especially as Simon Davis's rendition made him look like a tired old man.

Not sure how often I can say Brink is awesome, but it is.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Tjm86 on 16 December, 2018, 02:21:41 PM
Quote from: Magnetica on 16 December, 2018, 01:00:40 PM
Only thing is Slaine looks about 25, which is very odd, especially as Simon Davis's rendition made him look like a tired old man.


Willing to be called out for being wrong but I thought that this was a 'prequel' tale of sorts, back when Slaine and Ukko were just starting out ...
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Magnetica on 16 December, 2018, 02:33:52 PM
The spiel in the Nerve Centre says it follows on from his battle with the Drune Lords on the Isle of Monadh.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: coastguardjackuk on 18 December, 2018, 02:19:41 AM
Every year my wife wraps the Christmas Prog up as soon as it arrives , it's a bit of a ritual. We started it when our son was little, when all the presents have been opened I pretend to be really sad that Santa hasn't got it for me. After a minute of them giggling and nudging each other, my final present is produced, usually followed by whoops of (actual,real) joy, a couple of "aah, you guys!" and me finally declaring this to be the "best Christmas ever!" Even though our son is 19 now,  we still do it. Our son really enjoyed the new series of Fiends recently (He read the collected original one evening during the Summer when the internet was down and thought it was great) so, after returning from University and declaring excitement at the imminent start of a new series. Well that was it, the plastic was straight off. Needless to say, I have now read the entire prog (twice actually), but without that to wrap up I've had to give the missus the Megazine.  My verdict? It's totally zarjaz! Merry Christmas to all Squaxx, and especially to Tharg and his minions for another fantastic year!
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Proudhuff on 18 December, 2018, 12:18:35 PM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 15 December, 2018, 12:23:46 AM
Good God, is Skip Trace back already? I've tried to be kind, but this could have been written by the Thrillomatic Random Plot Generator 3000 - multiple scifi tropes combined together in a way we've never seen before. Feels like a writer sitting down and thinking "I have to write a scifi story" rather than a writer who had a story they wanted to tell.

This ^^^

There is a fair bit of this around elsewhere, well known writers often seem to think ' oh I'll write some  "Sci-Fi"... or a GN, then proceed to churn out multiple scifi tropes which are beyond tired. This IMHO is very much what happens with the American IDW(?)Dredd.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: The Monarch on 19 December, 2018, 09:48:03 AM
it was a treat to see black max being awesome
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Sinx on 19 December, 2018, 11:57:11 AM
Quote from: The Monarch on 19 December, 2018, 09:48:03 AM
it was a treat to see black max being awesome
Tiernen Trevallion's art is outstanding - he captures character better than pretty much any artist I can think of.
Also it's great to see Chris Weston do a B&W Slaine story with the kind of super detailed art that really had me devouring Slaine back in the day.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: SmallBlueThing(Reborn) on 19 December, 2018, 12:35:21 PM
Just picked up the Meg (in fact, am in a cab home as I type) and fantastic to see Matt Soffe's name in the credits.

Any idea when we are likely to get the Mind Wars floppy?

SBT
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: TordelBack on 19 December, 2018, 12:57:14 PM
Less than a week to go.  This is the point at which I start getting twitchy, eyeing up the already-wrapped Christmas Prog and wondring wold anyone notice if I unwrapped it fior a quick read and then did it up again... It's especially bad this year, as we had our main family Christmas dinner yesterday (for reasons), with a full set of wired kids, nieces-and nephew beating me black and blue in indoor Rugby League (literally) and Mario Kart (virtually), even though I tiuimphed at Charades plus a few full-houses in the Insensitive In-Law Bingo. On returning home over-full and contented, I reached for my traditional Chistmas Night read... and it was still a week away.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: broodblik on 19 December, 2018, 01:47:59 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 19 December, 2018, 12:57:14 PM
Less than a week to go.  This is the point at which I start getting twitchy, eyeing up the already-wrapped Christmas Prog and wondring wold anyone notice if I unwrapped it fior a quick read and then did it up again... It's especially bad this year, as we had our main family Christmas dinner yesterday (for reasons), with a full set of wired kids, nieces-and nephew beating me black and blue in indoor Rugby League (literally) and Mario Kart (virtually), even though I tiuimphed at Charades plus a few full-houses in the Insensitive In-Law Bingo. On returning home over-full and contented, I reached for my traditional Chistmas Night read... and it was still a week away.

succumb to the prog side................  :lol: :lol: :lol:
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: The Monarch on 19 December, 2018, 02:49:14 PM
you have more patience than i would no way in hell i would ransom my prog like that xd :lol:
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: SmallBlueThing(Reborn) on 19 December, 2018, 06:02:31 PM
Quote from: SmallBlueThing(Reborn) on 19 December, 2018, 12:35:21 PM
Just picked up the Meg (in fact, am in a cab home as I type) and fantastic to see Matt Soffe's name in the credits.

Any idea when we are likely to get the Mind Wars floppy?

SBT

And that should have gone in thrnMeg thread. Ah well, that'll be because my dad (who I had just bumped into and shared a cab) was talking to the driver about Brexit and I was earwigging. Sigh.

Prog was aces, as I've said elsewhere.

Merry Christmas, all.

SBT
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: broodblik on 19 December, 2018, 06:27:17 PM
@ SmallBlueThing(Reborn) the question you ask is quite valid I would also like to answer
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: DrJomster on 19 December, 2018, 11:20:08 PM
This was rather good!

Very pleased to be treated with so much of Tiernen's art in one go! Just lovely and a great story too. Slaine was very enjoyable, art and story-wise, as was Skip Tracer. The new direction for Durham Red continues to be good, so more of that please. My only slight wobble of late, and I know most people love it, has been Deadworld but I think that's me, not you, so to speak. Overall a great end of year prog indeed!

The only thing I haven't read is Cabs, because I haven't read the previous two stories in the complete collected edition (the reason being I have vol 1 & 2, which don't include those last two stories). But I really want to. I think the answer is to get the complete edition, which will refresh in a couple of months with the last story. I do wonder though whether vol 2 will do the same? Does anyone know the answer to this?

Roll on 2019!
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Max Headroom on 20 December, 2018, 03:54:45 PM
At the end of 'The Brutania Chronicles' it stated that Slaine would return in 'Dragontamer', but the advert in this X-mas Prog suggests it will be 'The Web Of Weird' when we will see him next. Just wondering which it will be?
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Leigh S on 20 December, 2018, 08:59:29 PM
Wasnt the Chris Weston story aabout taming a "dragon"?
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: sheridan on 24 December, 2018, 12:27:00 AM
Quote from: norton canes on 13 December, 2018, 02:07:10 PM
And not content with being featured in the most iconic comic panel of all time, Fear now makes a bid to feature in the second best.


I give up - what's the second best panel of all time? 
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: sheridan on 24 December, 2018, 12:30:22 AM
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 13 December, 2018, 03:12:39 PM
Not 100 per cent sure about the ending (Baba Yaga is Danu then?) 


Both Baba Yaga and Danu are different aspects of the Triple Goddess (Danu would be the mother goddess and Yaga the Crone).  You obviously haven't been revising your comparative religions lately!
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: sheridan on 24 December, 2018, 12:35:31 AM
Quote from: Magnetica on 16 December, 2018, 02:33:52 PM
The spiel in the Nerve Centre says it follows on from his battle with the Drune Lords on the Isle of Monadh.


Also, New Troy and Britannia wouldn't have existed before the flood which occurred in The Horned God.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: sheridan on 24 December, 2018, 12:51:41 AM
Quote from: Andy B on 14 December, 2018, 03:02:22 AM
Quote from: Tomwe on 12 December, 2018, 11:12:16 AM
Also: this may have been asked somewhere before, but is this the first time a thrill has continued both before and after the bumper Christmas edition? (Brink)

I seem to remember "Origins" did that, but definitely unusual. I appreciate that they're letting Dan Abnett take his time with "Brink". Great stuff.


One of the Prog 2010s had Part Three of Judge Dredd: Tour of Duty: Gore City.  One of the Prog 2011s had Part Two of Kingdom: As it is in Heaven.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Mardroid on 25 December, 2018, 02:27:31 PM
Quote from: sheridan on 24 December, 2018, 12:35:31 AM
Quote from: Magnetica on 16 December, 2018, 02:33:52 PM
The spiel in the Nerve Centre says it follows on from his battle with the Drune Lords on the Isle of Monadh.


Also, New Troy and Britannia wouldn't have existed before the flood which occurred in The Horned God.

I thought the flood essentially split Britain from Ireland, so literally creating the Irish Sea, so wouldn't the land masses have still existed back before? That being said, the part that's now Britain wouldn't have gotten its name (Britannia/Brutannia) until the trojans invaded (assuming the region got it's name from Brutus, the mythical Trojan founder of Britain). I think that was post-flood, so you're probably right.

Little off-topic aside:
I remember reading a book based on ancient British mythology, and that pretty much covered Brutus, etc. Before then, I never knew there were myths linking the trojans with Britain, and even founding it's name! It's mythology that strangely doesn't seem all that mainstream in the UK (or maybe those stories just passed me by as a kid). I got a kick out of Pat Mills including it in Slaine, even though I haven't taken to his latter Slaine work that much.

Incidentally, I'm reading Slaine Volume 3 from the Ultimate 2000ad books at the moment. I'm late coming to this stuff, I've pretty much enjoyed most of this early stuff, including the other Slaine volumes.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Colin YNWA on 26 December, 2018, 09:38:17 PM
Well I've saved my festive Prog until X-mas like a good boy and read it over the last couple of nights. Its a mighty beast indeed, I'll give my thoughts before seeing what other folks have been saying here. Left try a count down... though I might regret this.

8. Slaine The Bogatyr - well if this is bottom of the thrill pile we've done okay. Stand Slaine fare with crisp art by the glorious Weston... if anything a little too clean cut for my tastes on the strip but still a joy on the eye.

7. Caballisitics Inc - Good that got an ending but feels a little forced and rushed. 8 pages that feel like a regret that they needed to be done. Still a nice enough read and fantastic art.

6. Skip Tracer: Louder than bombs - Good stuff and now I'm invested in the character hope this series gets me invested in his world. Decent opener but we need to see where this one is going yet.

5. Durham Red: Three Gift - Great little story this one, happy to have Durham used as a flexible friend with stories to suit all occasions and this one works well and look forward to more by this team on the character with any luck.

4. Dredd: Jingle all the way - really enjoyed this neat little one off. My one beef PSi villians seem to be used a lot of late to advance new story ideas as they open a world of possibility and potential. Not this stories fault that is something I'm picking up on (possilby wrongly but I rolled my eyes when we saw it was a PSi villian... who knows if that was reasonably?) and I'm putting stories on watch. This one gets a pass as it was great but...

3. Brink - Maybe not the very best episode of this glorious series - Hence not top spot - but still a blinder. Its weird I find the episodes that drive the plot on most efficently the ones I enjoy least... which is of course relative as it still absolutely brilliant!

2. Fiends of the Western Front - What an opener. What I particularly enjoy is the way Edginton is really keeping the pace up with these stories. The previous one packed in so much of 6 parts. This one packs in so much other 10 pages. It never feels rushed but captures the relentous pace of the original with a mastery that one lacked. Can't wait to see how this develops.

1. The Fall of Deadworld: Running scared - given the quality of the thrill in this issues, there's not a duffer amongst them and from 5 down they all pretty much superb - I highlight faults just to qualify why they aren't all no. 1! Anyway to be #1 in this field is quite something. Just a fantastically chilling short from Deadworld and a glorious examination of the power of Fear (and fear) - mindbending.

So yeah 8 for 8 and the top 5 would grace any Prog. The added bonus of some really nice insightful text pieces with the interviews with Kelvin Gosnell and Richard Burton we get an X-Mas Prog that really sits well alongside post 2100 goodness that Tharg has provided. 2019 bodes well!
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Colin YNWA on 26 December, 2018, 09:53:36 PM
Quote from: Trout on 12 December, 2018, 02:46:03 AM
I've read some really good comics lately, either for work (I review graphic novels for a newspaper) or pleasure. My 2018 highlights have included The Immortal Hulk, Mister Miracle, my first full read-through of Locke and Key, lots of fab indie stuff and tons more, and this Christmas prog is among the best publications this year.

Immortal Hulk is very good but By George Locke and Key can't be raved about enough can it - just brilliant.

Anyway what I really came back here so quickly to say is that I've just skipped through this thread and it always warms my cockles at times like this to see we all loved the Prog. Normally for entirely different reasons and with great variance in what we think is best / worst but we all loved it regardless.

And that folks is what makes Tharg's thrilling organ the most satisfying in the Galaxy!
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Fungus on 30 December, 2018, 06:06:31 PM
I'm 4 of 8 for the Christmas prog and proof again I'm a B & W kid, that it's the mono strips (plus Brink of course) that worked for me. Fiends especially was fantastic, the characterisation Trevallion conjures up is incredible. Also fun to spot the joins in the 20 pages to see where the 5-page episodes ended and began. There was another example recently; it's never greatly jarring in this age of writing for the collection...

The interviews seemed to rehash what we had from previous Thrill-casts, so didn't add much. But I understand why they're in there, some articles to flesh out the bumper prog. The inaccuracies I think we put down to workload, if the Nerve Centre is to be believed.
Title: Re: PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!
Post by: Tiplodocus on 19 January, 2019, 11:45:02 AM
I get the feeling TT enjoyed drawing FIENDS as much as I did looking at his gorgeous artwork. Utterly magnificent stuff.