That's the Prog you've been looking for.
As I suspected last week the Prog reachs almost as high as the last run. The new Dredd story Harvey has a solid and enjoyable opener. Dredd plays his cynical role and Hershay asks him to give things a try. Intrigued to see where this goes.
Brink has a blinding episode, the exchange between 'Fil' and Kurtis just sings. Its like the previous series already. Just devine comics.
A great little Future Shock, always great to see Nick Dyer in the Prog.
Scarlet Traces has a cracking and thrilling episode with more great character exchanges .
Deadworld also continues to defy my expectation by being fantastic.
This is all just great stuff. Thanks Tharg.
I concur.
Very good prog this week with no weak spots as far as I'm concerned.
(http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r182/Caliban_photos/C5F821EF-F454-4852-A0C9-48B556D365B5_zpsvkn5bjeh.jpg)
John McCrea and Mike Spicer colours
The dates don't seem to tie up in Brink. It says Yuliya habitat was built 2075AD, but the pilot and two characters at the end were born on Yuliya before then. Or have I missed something?
Good Prog this week.
Dredd some how managed to pull off the trick of being fresh whilst going over ground we've been over a few times before, with a promise that "this time it'll be different."
Brink is just superb and re-enforces the feeling that this is one of the very best of the new generation of thrills. Kurtis' new job made me have a quick look at how Book 1 finished and to my great surprised I discovered a mistake in Barney! Book 1 ended in Prog 1992, not 1993.
Scarlett Traces continues to be surprisingly good to read, given I have take a while to appreciate it. Now that I have - yeah great stuff.
Likewise with Deadworld. Nice flashback / dream sequence.
There were a couple of weak links for me this week - the future shock and droid life.
Not finished the Prog yet (I read it in a weird order, picking and choosing stories) but this week I started with the Future Shock and... didn't get it? Is it just me, or was it very unclear, narratively-speaking? I understood the broader strokes of it, but it feels like a much larger concept that was forced into 4 pages.
So, overall, enjoyed the Prog much more this week than last.
Scarlet Traces is an intriguing little strip, considering I haven't touched the series before now. This second episode was easier to pick up, and makes me want to track down the earlier books. Might be a trip to the comic shop next week... (though I did promise not to buy any more 2000AD Graphic Novels until the new Hachette collection is confirmed or denied, this looks like a promising series)
Brink may just not be for me. I do tend to have a hit/miss relationship with Abnett's writing, sometimes adoring it and sometimes just not clicking at all. I will give this series a solid chance, but it's not won me over yet.
The FutureShock is... well, my comments on that are in the previous post. I like McConville but there's something about this particular strip that didn't sit right.
Deadworld is fascinating. I love the Dark Judges anyway, so exploring their world a bit more is a fun time. Definitely excited to see where this second series goes, and to pick up the first series at some point.
And then to the jewel of the Prog - HARVEY.
I love Dredd, I love Mechanismo, I love Johns Wagner and McCrea, and this does not disappoint. After last week's cracking one-shot, it's good to get something with a bit more meat to it, and I am interested to see how Wagner uses the Mechanismo differently than he has before. It is very easy to fall into the conceits of the concept, so here's to a (hopefully) fantastic story.
Excellent prog.
Deadworld is just what a Dreddverse story should be with cracking art and a detailed examination of a supposedly familiar corner of Dredd's world in a way that would not be possible in the main strip.
Dredd is an odd one since the story so far is as good as 100% retread but I still like it. Presumably Wagner has something to add to his previous tales or it wouldn't exist but 36 pages seems very light to me.
Never been a huge fan of McCrea's art, a bit cartoony etc but I love his work here. I appreciated little touches such as the metallic elements repeated in the drawing of the Mechanismo and the regular judges' uniforms.
Looking forward to see how this pans out and what it adds to the Mechanismo debate.
Quote from: Eamonn Clarke on 25 March, 2017, 03:38:25 PM
(http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r182/Caliban_photos/C5F821EF-F454-4852-A0C9-48B556D365B5_zpsvkn5bjeh.jpg)
John McCrea and Mike Spicer colours
There's something about John McCrae's art that just reminds me of Jim Baikie (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/22/93/aa/2293aae363d076980e432e0ed290b3b8.jpg). Great stuff.
Quote from: Trent on 25 March, 2017, 10:08:38 PM
Presumably Wagner has something to add to his previous tales or it wouldn't exist but 36 pages seems very light to me.
I think that's what Wagner does so good in that he doesn't often go over the same ground without providing further development or some twist on proceedings. I thought the original Mechanismo was quite light on episodes as was the Conspiracy of silence story arc. Wilderlands was a bit rubbish and it didn't help that the prog readers didn't know what the hell was going on.
Maybe Wagner doesn't want to dwell to much on the focus of robot judges - six (?) episodes seems ok for this go round the block with the robots and I'm just glad we have this team back in the prog on Dredd. Great stuff so far. :thumbsup:
Quote from: Trent on 25 March, 2017, 10:08:38 PM
Dredd is an odd one since the story so far is as good as 100% retread but I still like it. Presumably Wagner has something to add to his previous tales or it wouldn't exist [...]
Looking forward to see how this pans out and what it adds to the Mechanismo debate.
That was my thought as well. So far Dredd seems to have the same attitude as before and there seems little to suggest that this is going to change it. As Jacusie says, Wagner has a nice tendency of confounding expectations so I would be more than a little surprised if this was the same as the last few outings.
I'm also wondering about the title. It immediately puts me in mind of the James Stewart film. For me this just adds to the 'what on earth is Wagner up to' thoughts. With that in mind I would say candidates for least likely outcome are: Dredd finally accepts the Mechanismo programme and everyone lives happily ever after; the droid turns out to be as messed up as the rest and Dredd convinces Hershey that the programme should be consigned to the bin forever; Harvey blows away Dredd.
Whatever happens, it's going to be an interesting ride.
It can't be that the robot goes haywire again. I think Dredd will remain opposed until the robot does something heroic and then Dredd accepts them as force auxiliaries, maybe with the concession that they aren't allowed lethal force.
Harvey was named as Wagners favourite film in an annual(?) profile IIRC - that was over 30 years ago mind, but I suspect is is still A favourite.
I haven't got the prog yet, but I read the first episode of 'Harvey' online here, and I must say, I haven't enjoyed an episode of Dredd so much since the bit in Day of Chaos when the Dark Judges appeared. 'Dredd with a rookie' stories are frequently amongst Wagner's best - all the stuff with Giant Jnr, for instance - and this is a great spin on it. A fine balance of the outlandish and the realistic, powered by continuity stretching back decades. Exactly what I want from the series.
Good cover. And Damage report continues the spread of the contagion. :-X
The new Dredd story Harvey has a solid and enjoyable opener. Intrigued to see where this goes.
Brink has a intriguing episode, more hooked than last time round.
A nice little Future Shock, always great to see Nick Dyer in the Prog.
Scarlet Traces has a cracking and thrilling episode .
Deadworld also continues to leave me cold.
This is all goodstuff. Thanks Tharg.
Quote from: CalHab on 25 March, 2017, 03:47:50 PM
The dates don't seem to tie up in Brink. It says Yuliya habitat was built 2075AD, but the pilot and two characters at the end were born on Yuliya before then. Or have I missed something?
I guess families of people working on the construction of the habs lived there before they were opened.
Top proggage
That is all
Quote from: Magnetica on 28 March, 2017, 01:08:01 PM
Quote from: CalHab on 25 March, 2017, 03:47:50 PM
The dates don't seem to tie up in Brink. It says Yuliya habitat was built 2075AD, but the pilot and two characters at the end were born on Yuliya before then. Or have I missed something?
I guess families of people working on the construction of the habs lived there before they were opened.
And that's before we get to Dan Abnett saying that Brink is set a couple of hundred years in the future on the last podcast. All very confusing. But Brink is definitely the top story in the prog at the moment,
Best prog in ages! And considering how good the prog's been recently, that's quite the achievement!
The cover is a superb bit of design, brilliant stuff.
Dredd - Now we're talking. So many different directions this story could take, can't wait to see how it pans out. McCrea's art is sublime, the new Mechanismo unit looks absolutely ace.
Brink continues to be utterly fascinating, and I still think Culbard's art style would be perfect for animation.
Great future shock, if a little compressed. As said, Nick Dyer's art is always a welcome pleasure in the prog.
Scarlet Traces also continues to be fascinating, and I just drown in the colourful majesty of D'Isreali's work.
Deadworld has connected with me in a way the previous series didn't. Can't put my finger on it, but i'm truly adoring every panel at the minute. I really want a sarcastic byke of my own...
9/10. As good as a prog gets :thumbsup:
Quote from: Woolly on 28 March, 2017, 06:00:51 PM
I still think Culbard's art style would be perfect for animation.
I'm pretty sure Ian's background
is in animation.
Harvey is interesting, and I'm very impressed with McRea's art - a nice evolution of style from him.
having read part 2 I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.
The "Harvey" film cover homage is inspired.
Great prog.
Surprised nobody's mentioned Droid Life yet - now that was dark, man.
Cover: Excellent. Old school, gritty. The colours - the white background, the blue shadow and the black logo - work superbly.
Dredd: A Wagner masterclass of storytelling over six pages. A tantalising opener but not a single redundant panel. McCrea's artwork as perfect for the strip mas it was the cover. A great story for lovers of muzzle flashes! Particularly love the laser flashes, like little halos, on the third page. Favourite moment: hand through the wall.
Brink: Those star fields! The colour palette for the space scenes is so deep and lush. Glorious. Like the little artistic touches such as the neon-blue headset thing. A slow-burn episode with plenty of dialogue, not to the story's detriment - it was well-written scene-setting reminiscent perhaps of a Scandi-noir TV series - but the final page was a bit lacking... perhaps a graphic hint of the new death would have helped... I suppose it's inevitable though, that individual episodes of stories will sometimes lack impact when they've really been constructed for the trade paperback.
Future Shock - Family Time: Good, but yes, covered a lot over four (?) pages. Nice bit of misdirection - a time twister where the twist is actually not to do with time travel. Would actually quite like to see a strip rolled out following Olly and his band of feral kids from across the ages, pursued by the temporal authorities. Over to you, Tharg..?
Scarlet Traces: Hmm... still not quite clicking... two very different instalments so far, so let's see how it goes. Going to go out on a limb here and say that perhaps D'Israeli's artwork (though excellent, don't get me wrong) isn't best suited to this strip? It seems more like the sort of retro-styled space opera that someone like John Burns should be tackling. Perhaps.
Deadworld: Great stuff. Contains my favourite panel in the prog, where Jess says something like "Didn't anyone look our for you when you were younger..?" and we just see Fairfax's weary, exhausted face sans dialogue.
How good is Nick Dyer's art on that FS. I could look at it all day, the brilliance of the light, the 3D modelling of the distinctive faces, the use of empty spaces in panels...
In fact, together with McCrea, Brooker, Culbard and Kendall I'd defy anyone to find another comic that has a fresher, more stylistically diverse and utterly gorgeous roster of storyreling art.
Quote from: TordelBack on 30 March, 2017, 12:46:16 PM
How good is Nick Dyer's art on that FS. I could look at it all day, the brilliance of the light, the 3D modelling of the distinctive faces, the use of empty spaces in panels...
In fact, together with McCrea, Brooker, Culbard and Kendall I'd defy anyone to find another comic that has a fresher, more stylistically diverse and utterly gorgeous roster of storyreling art.
Yes, this is the best Nick Dyer art I've seen to date - I think I prefer him in black and white - and also the best McCrea art I've seen. The latter has a touch of Vince Locke and also Frank Miller when he was good, and the 80's letratone effects just elevate it to the sublime. Like I say, top prog.
Quote from: Greg M. on 26 March, 2017, 11:49:25 AM
I haven't got the prog yet, but I read the first episode of 'Harvey' online here, and I must say, I haven't enjoyed an episode of Dredd so much since the bit in Day of Chaos when the Dark Judges appeared. 'Dredd with a rookie' stories are frequently amongst Wagner's best - all the stuff with Giant Jnr, for instance - and this is a great spin on it. A fine balance of the outlandish and the realistic, powered by continuity stretching back decades. Exactly what I want from the series.
That preview episode is a killer - it means instead of having to wait one week until the next episode I have to wait two weeks!
Quote from: CalHab on 25 March, 2017, 03:47:50 PM
The dates don't seem to tie up in Brink. It says Yuliya habitat was built 2075AD, but the pilot and two characters at the end were born on Yuliya before then. Or have I missed something?
I noticed that last week - it could be hand-waved by saying there were a few births on board during the construction period, but we've got two characters of vastly different social classes who seem to have been born in the same situation now...
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 29 March, 2017, 09:00:49 PM
Great prog.
Surprised nobody's mentioned Droid Life yet - now that was dark, man.
Obvious joke, and yet I still fell for it
*groan*.
Quote from: Woolly on 28 March, 2017, 06:00:51 PM
Deadworld has connected with me in a way the previous series didn't. Can't put my finger on it, but i'm truly adoring every panel at the minute. I really want a sarcastic byke of my own...
And picking up the IDW reprint of Cry of the Werewolf, so much like Dredd's Lawmaster used to be.
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 30 March, 2017, 01:05:55 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 30 March, 2017, 12:46:16 PM
How good is Nick Dyer's art on that FS. I could look at it all day, the brilliance of the light, the 3D modelling of the distinctive faces, the use of empty spaces in panels...
In fact, together with McCrea, Brooker, Culbard and Kendall I'd defy anyone to find another comic that has a fresher, more stylistically diverse and utterly gorgeous roster of storyreling art.
Yes, this is the best Nick Dyer art I've seen to date - I think I prefer him in black and white - and also the best McCrea art I've seen. The latter has a touch of Vince Locke and also Frank Miller when he was good, and the 80's letratone effects just elevate it to the sublime. Like I say, top prog.
agreed - Dyer's inking is fantastic - the lighting and shadows are really well done. He just gets better and better.
And those others are pretty darn fine too!
Quote from: sheridan on 30 March, 2017, 01:08:42 PM
Quote from: CalHab on 25 March, 2017, 03:47:50 PM
The dates don't seem to tie up in Brink. It says Yuliya habitat was built 2075AD, but the pilot and two characters at the end were born on Yuliya before then. Or have I missed something?
I noticed that last week - it could be hand-waved by saying there were a few births on board during the construction period, but we've got two characters of vastly different social classes who seem to have been born in the same situation now...
Three this week I think - Ely the shuttle pilot and both local cops. And yet the construction date is so explicitly set out and even reinforced with reference to the abandonment of Earth. I'd be very surprised if such a meticulously constructed strip had this repeated conflict by accident (unlike Zenith Phase I!).
What was the Zenith issue?
Masterman is revived June 23rd 1987 at the start of the story, and after the whole battle at the end a caption reads the same date.
(http://2000adonline.com/assets/pimg/00/15/38.jpg)
Great find Eamonn, so harvey is an imaginary Robo Judge only Dredd can see?
...this gets better & better! :)
Quote from: Dandontdare on 30 March, 2017, 01:11:08 PM
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 30 March, 2017, 01:05:55 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 30 March, 2017, 12:46:16 PM
How good is Nick Dyer's art on that FS. I could look at it all day, the brilliance of the light, the 3D modelling of the distinctive faces, the use of empty spaces in panels...
In fact, together with McCrea, Brooker, Culbard and Kendall I'd defy anyone to find another comic that has a fresher, more stylistically diverse and utterly gorgeous roster of storyreling art.
Yes, this is the best Nick Dyer art I've seen to date - I think I prefer him in black and white - and also the best McCrea art I've seen. The latter has a touch of Vince Locke and also Frank Miller when he was good, and the 80's letratone effects just elevate it to the sublime. Like I say, top prog.
agreed - Dyer's inking is fantastic - the lighting and shadows are really well done. He just gets better and better.
And those others are pretty darn fine too!
Yep, the Dyer droid's star is certainly shining right now.
More Nick Dyer please Tharg!
Quote from: Jacqusie on 30 March, 2017, 05:54:09 PM
Great find Eamonn, so harvey is an imaginary Robo Judge only Dredd can see?
...this gets better & better! :)
Not my find. It's on Pete Wells block's covers uncovered post.
http://2000adonline.com/post/1646
Quote from: Jacqusie on 30 March, 2017, 05:54:09 PM
so harvey is an imaginary Robo Judge only Dredd can see?
Well... perhaps it's a hologram that'as only keyed in to Dredd's brain patters, or something. But the robot's training exercise in this prog would be extremely hard to fake. All the same, why call the robot and the serial 'Harvey' if it doesn't have some connection with the play/film? My guess is that the robot performs flawlessly and even saves Dredd's life, meaning Dredd develops some kind of attachment to it.
Intriguing, though. Should be an enjoyable five weeks finding out!
Although I haven't read the first book of Brink, I'm absolutely loving what I've read of 'Skeleton Life' so far. Those starscapes look absolutely amazing this week.
There's one other genre Harvey that always raises a smile;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coF-opzhXuc
No one got prog 2025 yet ?
All great stuff. All of it.
Re-reading the Dredd over the weekend, I was really struck by how neat McCrea's redesign of Mechanismo is. Never really had him pegged as a techie sort of artist, but that thing really looks like a working killing machine designed by a committee of American fascists. I also liked the splash page, which definitely evoked all those big plaza action pages in the MacNeil run.
Very hard to find fault with a single printed pixel of this prog, it's just humming with raw quality. Grand time to be a squaxx.
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 30 March, 2017, 01:05:55 PM
Yes, this is the best Nick Dyer art I've seen to date - I think I prefer him in black and white - and also the best McCrea art I've seen. The latter has a touch of Vince Locke and also Frank Miller when he was good, and the 80's letratone effects just elevate it to the sublime.
Agree with you regarding the monochrome delights of Dyer, but after a re-read of Harvey (like Greg M, this story instantly grabbed me and I found myself picking the Prog up again today for an encore), I think McCrea was just a
bit sharper on
Mars Attacks Judge Dredd.
Still, I've all the time in the world for his work- it's great stuff.
Overall the new line-up is 5/5 for me.
Interesting that Tharg has retained a slot for Future Shocks in an opening line-up.
I could be wrong, but is this the first time that's happened?
The Future Shocks (and associated one-offs) are usually reserved for the tail end of a run, filling in the gaps before a new set of series start.
Quote from: Link Prime on 03 April, 2017, 08:07:50 PM
Interesting that Tharg has retained a slot for Future Shocks in an opening line-up.
I could be wrong, but is this the first time that's happened?
The Future Shocks (and associated one-offs) are usually reserved for the tail end of a run, filling in the gaps before a new set of series start.
That struck me as well - we're used to seeing Tharg's Shorts at the end of the four-times-a-year jumping-on prog cycle.
or... Maybe this was where Hope was meant to go...
Quote from: Bolt-01 on 04 April, 2017, 02:36:14 PM
or... Maybe this was where Hope was meant to go...
Has there been any word on Hope being delayed, Bolt?
Link, I'm just guessing, same as the rest of us. TMO is the only one who really knows.
For my money there should always be a FS/TT/TTT or at least a 3iller in the Prog, so whatever the cause I'm pleased. Helps my case when they're this good.
Quote from: Bolt-01 on 06 April, 2017, 08:14:52 AM
Link, I'm just guessing, same as the rest of us. TMO is the only one who really knows.
Cheers Bolt.
It would be a shame if this didn't continue, and not just the 'For the Future' arc.
Great script by Adams and simply amazing artwork by Broxton.
I know that Jimmy Broxton is currently lead artist on the new Vampirella* comic- could explain a delay.
*First issue was quite good, will pick up the rest of this run at some stage.
Quote from: TordelBack on 06 April, 2017, 08:19:39 AM
For my money there should always be a FS/TT/TTT or at least a 3iller in the Prog, so whatever the cause I'm pleased. Helps my case when they're this good.
Your money's no good around here- but you're spot on anyway.
Quote from: TordelBack on 06 April, 2017, 08:19:39 AM
For my money there should always be a FS/TT/TTT or at least a 3iller in the Prog, so whatever the cause I'm pleased. Helps my case when they're this good.
There should always be a self-contained story in the prog, at least.