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Prog 2060 - Fighting Torc!

Started by Colin YNWA, 04 December, 2017, 08:36:41 PM

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Colin YNWA

Bloomin' heck 8.30pm and I bag the Prog thread... I take it it wasn't just me who missed out on Saturday...

... not that we missed much to be honest.

The Dredd was been a story I've enjoyed, up to this part. I love the dog surfing... but the meteor, the letting Dredd go (kinda) it felt a little weak if I'd honest. Liked the last panel abut over all poor ending. Still these landing are hard to pull off.

As the 3riller shows... well the middle part was good at least but this failed to deliver the ending flat with a kinda twist and characters that just didn't gem in the end.

And Slaine doesn't so much land the ending as belly flop in a big messy splash. Damn that was disappointing, Slaine get the double page feature and wastes it with a limp, indulgent ending at least 4 pages too long.

So thank Tharg for Absolam, a bit of piss and vinegar, to two assembled and splashed in front of us and a tense promise of the conflicit to come. Now that's the way to land an ending.

Richard

I liked the 3riller ending. Reminded me of Tales of Telguuth.

James Stacey

the Norwichmas Threeler didnt do it for me sorry. A twist like that only works if you didn't see it coming but should have. It was just stuff that happened.
How did Slaine [spoiler]defeat the Archons? Was it just with a quip. Felt a bit odd, lets just talk a bit then we'll flash forward to it being over[/spoiler]. As always beautiful art but the story, what there was of it took ages to get anywhere, then needn't have bothered. Seemed it was just an excuse to shoe horn a trademark uncle Pat rant against religion. I'm not a huge fan of Absolom either so not a great prog for me. Dredd was alright though. :D Looking forward to the next batch of thrills now.

IndigoPrime

Sláine was never particularly subtle when it came to religion, but this series felt like a angry internet troll. RELIGION IS BAD ALL CAPS RANT OVER SEVERAL PROGS. The absolute nadir of the strip, for me. And that after what I felt was a proper return to form in the first book.

As for Dredd, that doesn't look like an ending to me – more of a comma or a semi-colon, judging by that final frame.


Magnetica

Well I guess it is a good thing it's the Xmas Prog next week, because I found that a bit flat.

Dredd was ok but that last panel doesn't make much sense if this was the last part.

I hate to say it as it has been one of my favourites over the years, but it is time to wrap Slaine up. This just feels totally flat to me and I'm just tuning out the rants / "message". Slaine personally just looks so tired and old as well. And it might well not be popular opinion but I don't think Simon Davis suits this. Get him back on Sinister Dexter.

I think the 3hriller format isn't working. It's too long to be punchy like a future shock but not long enough for much character development. This particular story was all about the twist at the end and would have been so much better as a one parter IMHO.

Absalom was the best thing this week.

Woolly

Is it the last episode of this Dredd story though? Doesn't look like it to me.
I'm betting 2 Dredds in the Xmas prog...

Quote from: Magnetica on 06 December, 2017, 01:17:18 PM
I hate to say it as it has been one of my favourites over the years, but it is time to wrap Slaine up. This just feels totally flat to me and I'm just tuning out the rants / "message". Slaine personally just looks so tired and old as well. And it might well not be popular opinion but I don't think Simon Davis suits this.

I agree that this current Slaine tale isn't doing much for me, and this latest episode feels somewhat rushed, but I don't think it's time to wrap Slaine up just yet.
A story about him being feeling old and tired could be awesome, and just the change the strip needs.
That said, the few pages of set-up for the next book look interesting - 'Dragontamer'? Yes please!

I remember calling the Books of Invasion 'a load of old Mollochs' back in the day, but in hindsight the complete tale reads superbly and I now consider it another classic Slaine story. Maybe I'll look upon Brutania similarly one day...

I do agree that Simon Davies, brilliant as he is, isn't the best fit for Slaine. I can't really put my finger on it to be honest, and I'd certainly never want to criticise his work as it's awesome, but it just isn't working for me here.
Maybe if it was pen and inks instead of paints? I dunno.
Maybe I'm just missing Ukko   :'(

Proudhuff

Cover: That strap line only works in a mockney accent, if you pronounce your Rs it doesn't make sense... Like  Winston's Jaw jaw/War War thing. otherwise nice use of white space
but the promise of Slaine's final battle fair cheered me up  :D :D :D

Damage Report: CyerberMatt's a droid, why would he need a free lunch?  :lol:

This Dredd was  a story I've enjoyed, and looking forward to a rematch, still that last panel is curious.

As the 3riller
shows... that's a harder gig that a five pager..

And Slaine ... dont stones come from the earth too so are part of the mother too? no final battle, a tacked on 'and next time' which looks like a GoT rip off right from the first frame  :(


So thank Tharg for Absolam, a bit of piss splashed in front of us and a tense promise of the conflict to come. Now that's the way to doit! Best in prog for weeks IMHO.
DDT did a job on me

Magnetica

Quote from: Woolly on 06 December, 2017, 06:17:48 PM
Is it the last episode of this Dredd story though? Doesn't look like it to me.
I'm betting 2 Dredds in the Xmas prog...

Just had a quick look on the Tooth website at the blurb about next week's Dredd.
There is only one strip and it is the first part of a new story, with art by Colin MacNeil.*
But...it is a continuation of this story...at least it starts off that way...so that final panel is actually fine.

Phew...glad that's sorted.


* it was the description in the back of this week's Prog that made me think it was a new story....And yes it is a different artist...but it's same writer.

So yes this could be another of t

Magnetica

hmm pressed the wrong button and that posted it self  :'(

And just when you need it, the modify button is no where to be seen.

I was going to say this looks like another of the modern way of doing epics, i.e. multiple interlinked stories.

Dan Banks

There's a fair amount of criticism for Slaine here and I'd like to echo some of it but my biggest issue with it has got to be the lettering. Doesn't it bother anyone else? Particularly in this issue, the bubbles for the goddess and yaldaboath just don't gel with Simon Davis's exquisite paintings. It's just such an odd clash.

I'd like to stick up for Slaine a little though, even if it is just as an artists show case and token "fantasy" adventure, it does serve to add some variety to the prog and Pat can still make me chuckle every few episodes.

Do we know if SD will be returning for the next run? Or will it be someone else's chance to take on the big job?

Magnetica

There has been plenty of criticism of the lettering on Slaine on here over the last few weeks. Yes the lettering this week was hard to read, but for me the issues with the strip are far deeper than that. It used to be a fast paced exciting strip full of ideas. Now it seems ponderous and unexciting (to me anyway). I am also not on board with the so called "message" and don't need it repeated so often.

I don't think a comic strip should ever solely be a showcase for the art work. As Dave Gibbons has said, the art is there to tell the story.

When the story grinds to a halt, I think it is time to call it quits.

Tiplodocus

Mrs Tips has lost the charging cable for my tablet so I am progless. The brilliance of digital technology undone by the tyranny of cables.

Be excellent to each other. And party on!

James Stacey

Quote from: Dan Banks on 07 December, 2017, 05:45:30 AM
There's a fair amount of criticism for Slaine here and I'd like to echo some of it but my biggest issue with it has got to be the lettering. Doesn't it bother anyone else? Particularly in this issue, the bubbles for the goddess and yaldaboath just don't gel with Simon Davis's exquisite paintings. It's just such an odd clash.
It almost amounts to vandalism to have such poor font choice matched with such good art.

Steve Green

I don't often chip in on criticising these days, but I'm going to make an exception to the God lettering on Slaine and why I think it doesn't work at all.

Hand letterers like Tom Frame, Steve Potter, Dave Gibbons were very restrained in the use of non-standard lettering for special cases, such as the Dark Judges, Spirit Torquemada, Aliens, and the Biochips.

The heavy lifting is done by the style of the balloons, whether it's the dripping Dark Judges, twisted Torque or the scalloped balloons of the biochips, the type rarely changes.

Even in the case of the Dark Judges, dripping type is reserved for when it's needed and drops back to more regular lettering for the rest of the strip.

Examples.




Dark Judges drippy


but not for the rest




There just needs to be more attention paid as to why things worked in the past.

Just my two cents.