Prog 1863: Mutant Massacre

[Batman's Superior Cousin]

Unexpectedly got this through the post today!!! The date for this prog is 08 Jan 2014!!

Cover: Dylan Teague pic showing the mutants fighting!!!

Droid Life: Entertaining, as usual!!

Judge Dredd: Titan: Some final flashbacks (showing the bigger picture), and a nice nod/reference to [spoiler]Judgement Day[/spoiler]. Standard cliffhanger ending!!

Ulysses Sweet, Maniac for Hire: Centred: Another hilariously bonkers strip, very entertaining!!!

ABC Warriors: Return to Mars: Doesn't interest me in the slightest, though there is an explanation  for [spoiler]Happy Shrapnel's return[/spoiler], and a reference/nod to the [spoiler]Roadkill[/spoiler] story from 1999!!

Grey Area: Did you pack your own luggage?: New story, with the consequences of the [spoiler]alien diplomat's death[/spoiler] biting them hard and fast Aliens-style!!! Now I think I know why DAbnett wrote the Grey Area Christmas tale!!

Strontium Dog: Dogs of War: It's all kicking off now, looks like the Second Mutant War is about to end soon with the [spoiler]Norm Brotherhood led by Dad Nabbett[/spoiler] being the [spoiler]Government's last line of defense[/spoiler] around [spoiler]London[/spoiler]!!!

[Mattofthespurs]

Mine arrived this morning too, a pleasant surprise.
Thought Dredd, ABC Warriors and Strontium Dog were all superb.
Not a great fan of Ulysses or Grey Area but still enjoyed the work on both.
Nice Slaine star scan too.

Tharg has got those droids working on full for the start of 2014.

[James Stacey]

How great does ABC warriors look. ABC is the only thing I really like Clint's computer stylings on, it works so well without the distracting human faces. It's good however to be reminded he can knock it out of the park with pen and ink though.

[Mattofthespurs]

I thought it was excellent work from the Langley droid on ABC Warriors.
I agree that the 'photo' human faces on previous work was distracting. I am not a fan. Takes me back to the bad old days of photo comic strips.

[Eamonn Clarke]

very pleasant surprise when i got home last night.
Agree about Dredd, Strontium Dog and the Artwork on ABC Warriors

[IronGraham]

Artistically I really liked this issue tho I had some troubles with Mr Ezquerra's art I'd say it wasn't his best don't know if maybe he had to use this chapter or what.

[Ghost MacRoth]

When Langley produces work like this, it does make one wonder why he bothers with the photostrip pish??  A good prog overall. Hoping the 'Titan' storyline will be a full fledged 'epic' of sorts, and not wrapped up in 6 episodes or so.

[Mabs]

When Langley produces work like this, it does make one wonder why he bothers with the photostrip pish??  A good prog overall. Hoping the 'Titan' storyline will be a full fledged 'epic' of sorts, and not wrapped up in 6 episodes or so.

It's scheduled for eight episodes, and on this early evidence I wish it was longer!

[Ghost MacRoth]

Bugger, ah well, at least it's not dispensed with in 4!

[Link Prime]

It's scheduled for eight episodes, and on this early evidence I wish it was longer!

Two months of Flint Dredd?

I'll take it.

[JUDGE BURNS]

8 weeks of Fint on Dredd....not long enough to call it an 'epic' story then.

Yes a pleasant surprise to see my sub copy had made it through the wind and rain intact for a change.

Cover is average with a Dylan Teague view of some mutants running away from being slaughtered.

DREDD : Titan pt 2: Still on a slow burner but I can envisage plenty of carnage to follow on as soon as Dredd & co make landfall on titan.

ABC Warriors:  looks like Happy Shrapnel is given a new lease of life by Medusa ( Mars ), and tries to stop the zombies from eating the hitchhikers.  Cint Langleys art is superb in black & white.

STRONTIUM DOG: Just seems to be more and more of the same shoot to kill ....boring!

Ulysses Sweet and Grey Area:  NOt a fan of these at all.

Droid life : hilarious as ever.

Star scan of Slaine in warp spasm by Clint Langley

overall 6/10

[Mattofthespurs]

Got to add; Thought the Dredd was superb. Great mix of back story and superb cliff hanger. Can't wait for next week (which, I suspect, is going to be a day longer, thanks to the Friday delivery...Not that I'm complaining).

[IndigoPrime]

Cover: not a big fan. Seems a bit dull and doesn't really stand out.

Dredd: Enjoying this so far. Great art and a solid script that properly feels like Dredd.

Ulysses Sweet: I wasn't too fussed with the "Sugar tits" thing recently—the issue isn't whether a character is sexist but whether a strip or publication is, and this doesn't seem to be. However, part three and I'm sadly starting to find the whole thing tiresome. Perhaps I'm just not in the right mood for this at the moment, but the humour's just grating rather than making me shudder with mirth.

ABC Warriors: I just don't care. The art's OK in a Bisleyesque way, but like someone else mentioned on here, it's like the warriors are becoming a single being, losing their individuality.

Grey Area: It's perhaps unfair, but I always think of this one as solid filler, and this episode seems suitable well-footed. The twist was amusing and it's a decent enough read that picked up the Prog after the post-Dredd lull.

Strontium Dog: Not sure where this is heading, which is good; but I'm not sure whether I really care any more about Alpha and co., which isn't.

Despite the griping, I didn't think this was a bad Prog, and that people are liking different bits showcases the advantages of the format if nothing else.

[Colin YNWA]

I can see exactly why people who don't like one strip or another. I in many ways I share their issues BUT I think we're on blinding form at the minute precisely because all the strips are a little different and as IndigoPrime says its a fine showcase for what the Prog does best, throws a little something of everything at you and therefore makes you consume stuff your diet might not normally include and more often than not you find something to like there.

Firstly you have your stonewall classic moving in new directions. Strontium Dog feels different, its the same strip, it does the same things it normally does you just don't quite know where its heading and that's a very powerful thing. This is great stuff.

Then you got your stonewall classic doing what it always does and being a safe pair of hands. I'm not sure Pat Mills would appreciate that description of ABC Warriors but that's what it is. Its comfortable and safe and not at all bad for that.

Then you got the young upstart, rocking the boat, pulling things around, maybe a little too much but I'm really enjoying Ulysses Sweet. What its having a go at isn't exactly new but it has a vicious energy I like and there were some great lines in it. Its also starting to develop a little more intrigue rather than showcasing a character with limitations at just the right time. The comparisons to Big Dave are in your face, but I enjoyed Big Dave even if I wasn't sure it belonged in the Prog.

Then you got you young contender, as safe and reliable as ABC Warriors  but fresh enough that its not an issue. Grey Area is so very Dan Abnett, it could almost be Sinister Dexter, a good re-cap to get you up to date while moving things forward long term and setting up the short term. Really liked this one.

Finally you got Dredd at his best and no mistake. This is fine, fine Dredd, a great example of why you can wait for Wagner all you like but you're missing a treat if you don't pay attention to the stuff what fills the gap. This is bloomin' superb stuff and near perfect comics.

So yeah 2000ad is like your five a day, you might not always want to eat ya Broccoli but when its all served up in such a nice heady mix of other lovely favours you chump it down and find that it adds to the meal as a whole... uh stretch that metaphor why don't ya.

[JamesC]

Good prog overall.

Dredd was good fun and feels something like Con Air in space at the moment.

Ulysses Sweet is being skipped. Just one look at him with that dolphin on his head tells me this strip really isn't for me.

ABC Warriors was as enjoyable as ever. I like Langley's pen and ink art but I'm also a really big fan of the photoshop stuff - I think he's just a great talent overall.

Grey Area is my favourite of the current line up. I love this strip and want to see more from the world that Abnett has created. Anyone know if this is scheduled for a trade?

Strontium Dog was good again this week but it doesn't have the same exciting feel of the classic era. A solid adventure.

The Star Scan was really nice - I'm glad someone's gone for a warped Slaine.

Droid Life was another laboured pun *yawn*