First off, there's a six-page tribute to Carlos Ezquerra, with reminiscences from numerous people who knew or worked with him. The floppy is entirely dedicated to Carlos's stories, including one in which he came up with the plot. It's a very nice gesture.
There's a front and back cover by Phil Winslade.
There's a decent one-off Dredd story by Alex de Campi and a new and very capable artist called Mark Chater. I'd like to see more from him.
I like this series of Storm Warning; when it finishes I think I'll go back and re-read the first one, in case it's better than I remember.
The Torture Garden is another excellent episode of this series. The Dark Judges are particularly unpleasant to people this month. I prefer them as sadistic bastards instead of as comedy characters.
Saving Blunt and Lawless for later as I don't want to finish the Meg in a day!
(https://i.imgur.com/UaOz8Zh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/vEQ4GIK.jpg)
Great issue with the Meg on top form as usual. Always like the wraparound covers and the ones lately by Winslade and Percival's last month have been top notch!
Good Dredd one off this month with a nice original new look to Dredd (you'll know what I mean when you read it!). Not seen Mack Chater's art before but he has a solid style.
Lawless contnues its widescreen action packed run with some insane battle scenes but I still do long for some more black areas in the art to separate things a bit but this is still a quality strip and has the best looking snow plow I've ever seen!
The Carlos tributes are wonderful and bring a tear to the eye with a great selection of anecdotes and memories from top talent, past and present. I particularly liked Garth Ennis' recollections. The floppy this month is a nice selection as well and great to see the original idea for the Judge Dredd logo.
The Torture Garden has the Dark Judges living up to their name with some gruesome deaths all delivered by Nick Percival's wonderful painted art. So atmospheric and great use of colours and lighting. Also interesting to get a take on Judge Death philosophy behind killing and hints at a bit more substance to the motives of the Dark Judges.
Just need to read Blunt and Storm Warning (which looks ace) but I've been told I have to return to finish watching I'm A Celebrity. Drokk!!
Grand story in Dredd this month- but surely everything pales in light of Lawless...
[spoiler][Pedant] In Dredd, since when can a face-change machine alter the shape of your eyes? Dredd's are square- due to being artificial [/Pedant][/spoiler]
The prog continues to soar and the meg stumbles a bit...
I really didn't like seeing Dredd's face, I know, I know...it wasn't 'really' and we've had this Face-ache stuff before BUT his bandages could have stayed on the whole time non?
Sorry dragged away from the keyboard there :-X
The salute to King Carlos is excellent both in the meg and in the Floppie.
No great surprises in Dredd just glad the Chief Warden wasn't bent... had my fill of bent judges these days.
Blunt seemed to be a classic 'the planet hates us' sort of thing, while Storm warning seemed out of place and could easily been in Misty, surprisingly I enjoyed The Three Stooges outing in Torture Garden, where there's been a bit depth added, no doubt that will end soon ;)
Lawless again the best thing in the Meg, whose money is on the Townsfolk getting their hands on that megakilldozer?
Great Meg
Loved the new artists on Dredd
Lawless keeps the standard high
The Torture Garden good story complemented by Percivals great "death" art
The only let down is Blunt. I am not a fan of Cooks art and the story is just average
Good bye Carlos :'(, great floppie for a great man. The stories selected really shows us the greatness of the man
Quote from: Proudhuff on 20 November, 2018, 03:26:34 PM
([spoiler]Dredd's[/spoiler]) bandages could have stayed on the whole time non?
Don't see why not. Could recent difficulties between Dredd and Hershey be unresolved sexual tension?
(https://i.imgur.com/7licruH.png?2)
Has anyone else got a copy of the Meg with a bunch of the back pages mangled and big chunks of the corners torn off? It was sealed in a bag and there's nothing wrong with the Carlos tribute floppy that was in front of it, so I presume it happened at the printers and just wondered if it was a one-off.
Another fine, fine comic.
Of course the main thing to highlight is the great tribute to Carlos in both the text piece where many of comics finest all share thought and stories on the man. Also in the floppies wonderful collection of shorts is a great nice.
Possibly though the best way to remember the man is to place all this alongside such a fine issue of the comic he's had such an impact on. There's a really effective Dredd, while Alex De Campi is relatively new Tharg's house I've not seem artist Mack Chater before (as I recall) and they do a fine, fine job.
Elsewhere Blunt continues to be a fun exciting ride, Storm Warning while taking its time does move thing on in an intriguing way and Torture Garden continues to be chilling and superb.
All of those stories pale before the continues might of Lawless. While it is probably the finest of the numerous supreme stories that Dabnett is writing at the moment (I think its better than Brink but when we're talking about stories of this quality does it matter!). Phil Winslade however some how still managers to steal the show. He seems to be having his own personal battle to make each episode more intricate and thrilling than the last. The level of detail this episode is simply breathtaking, page after page of battle action with hundreds of moving characters and the simple quantity of stuff being shown somehow doesn't detract from the kinetic, high energy he imbues the scenes with. Just brilliant.
Great Meg.
I honestly don't know how those huge Lawless frames make any sense visually, but they do, and it's wonderful.
Quote from: wedgeski on 22 November, 2018, 09:14:21 AM
I honestly don't know how those huge Lawless frames make any sense visually, but they do, and it's wonderful.
They're particularly good on the digital prog where you can zoom in on the detail and zoom out for the insanely massive scale of it all!
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 22 November, 2018, 06:34:30 AM
I've not seem artist Mack Chater before
He did SIX for 451 (written by Andi (Freeway Fighter) Ewington from a plot by George Pelecanos) and Briggs Land and Sword Daughter for Image (both written by Brian Wood). Worth following on Twitter if you do such things.
Quote from: Professor Bear on 21 November, 2018, 10:22:55 PM
Has anyone else got a copy of the Meg with a bunch of the back pages mangled and big chunks of the corners torn off? It was sealed in a bag and there's nothing wrong with the Carlos tribute floppy that was in front of it, so I presume it happened at the printers and just wondered if it was a one-off.
mine had a chunk out of the side of it before packaging by the look of it
Not since I was a mere nipper gazing for ages at the O'Neill droids work on Nemesis have I poured over comic pages for so long in awe at the level of imagination and detail. :o
Phil Winslade, I salute you, that is classic comics indeed.
Quote from: DrJomster on 22 November, 2018, 11:10:08 PM
Quote from: wedgeski on 22 November, 2018, 09:14:21 AM
I honestly don't know how those huge Lawless frames make any sense visually, but they do, and it's wonderful.
They're particularly good on the digital prog where you can zoom in on the detail and zoom out for the insanely massive scale of it all!
I do love my paper prog/meg, but that sounds great. Why don't they offer a dual subscription?
Quote from: James Stacey on 23 November, 2018, 12:58:03 PM
Quote from: Professor Bear on 21 November, 2018, 10:22:55 PM
Has anyone else got a copy of the Meg with a bunch of the back pages mangled and big chunks of the corners torn off? It was sealed in a bag and there's nothing wrong with the Carlos tribute floppy that was in front of it, so I presume it happened at the printers and just wondered if it was a one-off.
mine had a chunk out of the side of it before packaging by the look of it
...and the tribute floppy with mine has a small tear at the bottom of the first few pages. Definitely something gone wrong somewhere.
Quote from: M.I.K. on 27 November, 2018, 10:18:19 PM
Quote from: James Stacey on 23 November, 2018, 12:58:03 PM
Quote from: Professor Bear on 21 November, 2018, 10:22:55 PM
Has anyone else got a copy of the Meg with a bunch of the back pages mangled and big chunks of the corners torn off? It was sealed in a bag and there's nothing wrong with the Carlos tribute floppy that was in front of it, so I presume it happened at the printers and just wondered if it was a one-off.
mine had a chunk out of the side of it before packaging by the look of it
...and the tribute floppy with mine has a small tear at the bottom of the first few pages. Definitely something gone wrong somewhere.
The infamous jagged edge effect, innit?
Quote from: Bolt-01 on 20 November, 2018, 02:04:23 PM
Grand story in Dredd this month- but surely everything pales in light of Lawless...
Must have watched too much TV to get square eyes like that ;-)
Quote from: DrJomster on 22 November, 2018, 11:10:08 PM
Quote from: wedgeski on 22 November, 2018, 09:14:21 AM
I honestly don't know how those huge Lawless frames make any sense visually, but they do, and it's wonderful.
They're particularly good on the digital prog where you can zoom in on the detail and zoom out for the insanely massive scale of it all!
Even speaking as a digital reader, paper has an answer for that? :eh: :thumbsup:
In fact, the full wraparound cover is hidden, digitally. That was a bummer.
You take Lawless out of the Meg and it's slim pickings, for me. Though Broxton's art is nice. Thank Grud for Phil Winslade... glorious.