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Prog 2021 - Weapon of Master Destruction!

Started by Richard, 04 March, 2017, 01:30:33 PM

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Richard

This week's cover is for Kingdom, and quite right too. I turned to this story first, which is something I almost never do because I usually start with Dredd, but after last week's cliffhanger I had to see what happened next. This week's episode didn't disappoint! This is a brilliant series, and might be the best thing Dan Abnett has ever done. Looking forward to seeing how it all ends (not just the current book but Kingdom generally).

Going back to the proper reading order, the Judge Dredd story ended well. I thought this was a good, old-fashioned romp. I like that Dredd is a bit of an arsehole in this story, like he is in the Daily Dredds of the '80s.

There's a one-off Sinister Dexter story exploring the aftermath of that whole Moses storyline, which might not be altogether clear to new readers, but otherwise works quite well.

Kingmaker was mostly predictable, but was redeemed by one excellent panel where something important and tragic happened and yet wasn't highlighted or spoon-fed to us, the writer trusting the reader to figure it out for him/herself. I really liked it.

The Order has one of those clichéd scenes in which somebody delivers a long monologue to his enemy instead of actually fighting. Maybe he'll do something next week.

A very good prog this week, and Scarlet Traces will be back in prog 2023.


Colin YNWA

The Progs still excellent.

Dredd finishes off quite satisfactorially. Its not a particularly great story but a perfectly effective 2 parter done well.

Sinister Dexter is superb this week. A strangely haunting and sad tale of the consequences of Ray and Finny starting afresh. They blightly return to Bar None, former home from home and Rocky is there to greet them, from his perspective for the first time... and the shift in relationship is fantastic and I hope foreshadows things to come. All wonderfully crafted in both script and art. Top, top stuff BUT only Dan Adnett's second best strip this week!

Kingmaker continues to be fantastic with a powerful moment Richard mentions and a smacking final panel. Brilliant series.

The Order likewise continues on its path to greatness with a completely blistering episode with a well timed beginning, middle and end (loved the cut away panel) setting up what I can only imagine will be a fantastic final part to this story. Very please to see the up coming trade of the series has a 1 on the spine, implying more to come. Can't wait as its top, top stuff.

All of which fantastic comicbookery falls by the wayside when compared to Kingdom which is just incredible this week. At the moment with this and Lawless Dabnett is really making a claim to be Tharg's best writer at the moment and that's against some astonishing competition. Some great reveals, some great questions and man and ending leaving me hankering for next week. Absolutely first class.

On a side note I save a picture of Richard Elson on Faciedabook today, he looks just like a Richard Elson drawing... which I found curious... not in a bad way ... but ... well there you go, anyway.

Yeah while its a shame that this line up will be finishing next week, its been an absolute delight with Scarlet Traces and Brink (another fine bit of evidence for elevating Dabnett) following this up I reckon we'll be okay, don't you!

Richard

That's true about Dan Abnett. Can we have him do a Dredd story please? Is like to see what he does with that.

user2000

Bah, no Saturday prog AGAIN for me - last week's prog came on Tuesday.

My sub is up in August and after many many many years subbing I'm sorry to say I will be done with it if things can't get back to "normal".

Magnetica

I hope you will still buy the Prog (?), albeit not as a subscriber.

Jim_Campbell

Quote from: user2000 on 04 March, 2017, 11:46:04 PM
My sub is up in August and after many many many years subbing I'm sorry to say I will be done with it if things can't get back to "normal".

As I've said elsewhere, the dramatic drop-off in service maps fairly directly to the part-privatisation of Royal Mail, at least in my experience. Don't expect any change in that without a change of government, which is beyond even the Mighty One's vast powers, I suspect.

Have you considered a digital sub? Not ideal if you prefer print, obviously, or you could go old school — most newsagents will still reserve a title for you if you ask.
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
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Dandontdare

I'ver actually found that my prog arrives on a Staurday more often now than it used to in the past - as Jim says, the progs leave the warehouse and go into the post at exactly the same time they used to - the rest is down to the postal service.

I hadn't realised just how ubiquitous Dan Abnett is at the moment - 2 in the priog and one in the Meg - I can't remember anyone having so many stories running together since the eraly days when Wagner, Mills & Grant wrote evrything (albeit under several pseudonyms). Normally this would worry me (I get antsy if Pat has more than one strip on the go at once) but as Sin/Dex, Kimngdom and Lawless are just so drokking awesome, I'm happy.

Top prog - this current fine run of quality shows no signs of abating. Adverts include new trades for The Order and KIngdom, plus a teaser for a new MC1 table-top game

user2000

Oh no, I will still buy the prog of course  :D

Just the entire draw of the sub is to get it early - one day early will not do it for me.

And to get it early I put up with bent progs, progs with torn pages at the bottom etc - it's all a far cry from the nice thick white envelopes the prog used to arrive in, always pristine.

OK maybe it will cost a bit more and no freebie t-shirt or such, but at least there will be 99% certainty of having the prog, digital or print, on the Wednesday and I can look forward to that.

I've moaned to the Royal Mail before and as I said somewhere else, they say it is for the sender to take up any delivery timing issues.  I've mentioned it in passing to the new subs droid before when I emailed about missing progs last year, perhaps I will make it more official to see if there is anything that can be chased up at Rebellions end/FP or whoever handles the sub distribution these days.

There is apparently a problem either in the Glasgow main sorting, or the Kilmarnock sub sorting office (from what I gather having fished around myself) before it reaches our local DO.

I took a gift sub out to Viz for my mate who lives a bit closer to Kilmarnock, but only a few miles from me in another town/village (without wanting to exactly divulge my location on a public forum).

Every 5 weekly issue he will get it 2 days before me without fail.  And I have checked with Dennis Publishing - all sub issues leave the warehouse at the same time as in the progs case.

It's a shame as I like the convenience of subbing, plus of course Rebellion get more of the pie for themselves (not to mention the convenience of basically triple dipping sometimes so I can let my boys read entire stories with ease).

I just feel a bit sad about it really, I've been subbing for a lot of years.

Magnetica

Great to hear you will still buy the Prog.

I only subscribed because the Smith's I used to buy it in closed down to make way for cross rail. The first few subscriber Progs I got where bent so I was not too happy, but lately it has been better, so guess my postie had been taking more care with them. Having said that this week's was a bit bent. :'(

JaHawkDroid

We'll not get me started on mY postie's treatment of the Prog...

(Bent over and left in the letterbox, half sticking out. Every week. Without fail.)

Trent

Cannot fault my postie, brings it into the house and puts it in my hand most weeks (and often on a Friday).

Dandontdare

Quote from: Trent on 05 March, 2017, 11:15:59 PM
Cannot fault my postie, brings it into the house and puts it in my hand most weeks (and often on a Friday).

You're having an affair with the postie aren't you?  ;)

Richard

And JaHawkDroid is having an affair with the postman's wife. That explains everything.

JUDGE BURNS

My postal delivery is the worst , some weeks my prog can arrive from a tuesday to a Friday when it used to be the Saturday previous. Its the same with the Megazine. they never seem to arrive on time together now.  I'm in Ayrshire and have contacted the royal mail with no success.