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[Dredd]

Dredd Without entering the Kenny Who? debate (..oops  ) I would just say this is one of the best Dredd's I've read in a while with a script so sharp you could get paper cuts reading it.

Anderson Excellent cover -but inside the artwork is disappointingly cartoony (also unclear as to precisely going on) with a slightly muddled script.

Used to really look forward to Anderson, but it seems an age now since she has been in a story worthy of her character - she really needs a new meaningful long arc -rather than constantly chipping away at her with these forgettable  one off stories that seem to go nowhere

For twice the price too

Foisting essentially a kiddie comic on your loyal readership was not on.

If this was sold separately fine, good idea, but posting it out to a readership they know was not in this demographic was not cool.

Prog 2130 - Please don't do that again.

Ever.

Rant over.

P.S Seriously -Ever.

Okay, I've been patient but we've not seen Rico for quite a while now ...tapping foot   

Would be good to see him back and what has happened to Dolman (..and fill in the blanks regarding the 'seven'). Too much for a nerd to ask  ?

I'll be forever grateful to Ron Smith, like Carlos he played a role in a happy childhood by firing my imagination.

He brought Mega City One and it's ordinary citizenry to life, making the city, as so many have said before, a real character on it's own. He put flesh on that character, perhaps more than any other artist, by producing such an amazing quantity of work filled with such an incredible amount of detail and phenomenal design work. I also loved the crystal clear quality of Ron Smith's work

I think the Black Plague showed in microcosm, what he did for Mega City One over many years. In just a few pages he brought the small town of Atom Gultch and its inhabitants to life, with such wondrous detail and individual expression of its mutant people. it blew my away at the time.

Pirates of the Black Atlantic did later. Such detail, such incredible design work (yes I'll say it again, Ron's work is filled with it) it  was a joy to read.

So many more to mention, Sob Story, the Graveyard Shift, Blood of Satanus, Chopper, the list could go on. Special mention to the Daily Dredd's though which made me buy the Daily Star with my pocket money for many a year.

Thanks for everything Ron Smith RIP.

[The Torture Garden]

The Torture Garden As much as I love Deadworld this is better. Nick Percival's exquisite art lifts it higher (is it just me or does the art in Deadworld make it a bit hard to tell who's who?) and it's a cracking story.

Lawless Mmmm on the fence with this one. Not with the art that's for sure, superlative stuff as many have said. Nor with the story so far, really enjoyed it. Take on its own, this episode is really well done as well. But if this is how it ends well.......like I say on the fence.....hope it swings in another direction next week.

I wish SMF would obey spoiler tags properly!

Try again:

That's what we thought when Dredd [spoiler]blew up the Judda hideout[/spoiler], but a year or so later we got  [spoiler]Kraken[/spoiler] showing up.

it did actually say in the original story that a few Judda who attacked the Grand Hall were captured....just saying.

[Now]

One last thing -the death of Blondel Dupre was casually thrown in as amongst those assassinated by Smiley (as authorised by the CJ at the time), this also irked.

Dupre was the former leader of the democratic movement -(and quite an important character in Dredd history) . Dredd freed her before his long walk, becoming the Dead Man before returning to end Necropolis.

In the aftermath (Better the Devil you Know) Dredd pushes for an election mandate for the Judges, with support from McGruder and Hershey against Dupre and the democratic factions. Of course Dredd wins (substantive threat of democrats over).

Now it's casually thrown in either McGruder or Hershey (who sided with Dredd) agreed to have Dupre killed anyway  What? Also several judges (why not send them to Titan? or are just bad opinions good enough to kill even judges -apparently so now).

To me it was yet another, 'look at this' moment that was ill-thought out. I normally really love  RM's work but this, despite great potential really doesn't work. I hope some of these glaring holes are pasted over via better explanation in the future.

This final part makes it explicit that it is just Dredd's hunch that Smiley covered up the Sovs plans - Smiley isnt that clever  is he?  A quick "well I told Griffin, but no one was interested / could do anything" and Dredd looks like a right sap.

Exactly -plot hole #22 . Pity really there was potential in the story, but it opted for 'oh look there's a Klegg, or Frank' etc too often.

[Dredd]

Dredd Got to agree with Leigh that The Small House really doesn't make a lot of sense, far too many plot-holes for me to enjoy it (although the art was excellent).

As for the ending, that was a full face palm. Smiley explanation 1/ The city needed culling  Wtf!? What sense does that make? It was powerful because of its size.2/ War game scenarios predicted 90% chance of winning. What? In what reality? Even less sense.

The Dredd/Hershey tap dance did end satisfactorily either -just the oft repeated lecture Dredd gives to CJ's down the years, without anything new, so again, disappointing for me.

Quite bemused by this thread, some saying Alan Moore is owed an apology, himself saying it's not what he intended for his character.

Eeeerhemmmm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Girls

Pot calling kettle black, you receiving over?

As for Carlos and Durham Red, it was a commission for character he established, so what?

Neither were for the mass market. Both fall well within the boundaries of freedom of speech and expression- some folk need to get over themselves, Mary Whitehouse redux we don't need.

I'm certain he said it before, in Trifecta or Bullet to King Four, but I can't remember what it means.

Did Dredd covertly take a photo? That little flash on his glove made me think it was a camera flash. (Although flash photography doesn't seem very discreet so I could be very wrong.)

Interesting -I just took it as Dredd cracking his knuckles after being called essentially a 'thickie'.

A bit confused myself here as to what on earth is going on  . I'm sure  will be revealed.

Andy that is gobsmakingly brilliant! Kudos to you.

Thanks Shaolin for your post, enjoyed reading that. I met Carlos at the Dredd con at Preston a few years back, I was nervous, stumbling, he was a pure gent, patient and kind. He signed everything I asked, including my Dredd DVD cover (as did the equally lovely, funny and gracious John Wagner) and posed for photos.

At the Q&A later I managed to ask a question -'How do you come up with all your great design work you include in your art?' (I had always found it incredible the costumes, spaceships and aliens he came up with)

The reply was one word, 'Weed'.

The room broke into laughter. Pure Carlos, God love him.

A great idea All-Father, happy to donate.