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Prog 2135 - Beware the woods...

Started by Colin YNWA, 08 June, 2019, 01:23:23 PM

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Frank

Quote from: IndigoPrime on 12 June, 2019, 01:48:08 PM
Quote from: Frank on 12 June, 2019, 01:29:07 PMJeff Minter Block isn't just a retro-gaming reference, it's been a feature of the extended Dredd universe since the eighties. Wouldn't have known that.

Well, Jeff's been making games since 1981...

I might have misunderstood the point you're making.

The authors of the RPG were obviously referencing Minter. I thought the possibility that Rory McConville was referencing an especially obscure piece of Dredd arcana* was interesting.


* Rather than referencing Minter alone

DrRocka

Absolutely LOVED this week's prog, firing on every cylinder for me.
Anybody else think that Thistlebone looks like a certain adversary of Slaine's.....?
Never ever bloody anything ever

IndigoPrime

On Minter, could be coincidence (if RMcC is a Minter fan) or extreme Dredd geekdom. Either's fine by me. (GRIDRUNNER FOREVER!)

Frank


SmallBlueThing(Reborn)

This week's prog felt like a whole new start, despite seeing the end of one strip and surely nearing the end of another. Such was the impact of Thistlebone, which told a straightforward story in a way that the prog arguably hasn't done for ages.
Print it in black and white, with John Stokes on the art duty, and that could have come from Scream or Eagle in the mid eighties. And I mean that in the best possible way.
I've blown hot and cold on Simon Davis over the years, loving his Sinister Dexter, not enjoying his Slaine at all, but here I'm firmly back onside. It's absolutely beautiful, dripping in atmosphere, full of clarity and character, and already I'm salivating over the possibility of a hardback "European style" collection (if we are still allowed European comics after Halloween).

In the rest of the prog, Scarlet Traces is again the stand out. After losing its way in the last series (which now seems vital to reread to follow the whole story, annoyingly/cleverly) this one has been so far Top Thrill for so many weeks, it seems odd to relegate it to #2. Dredd was okay, a meat and potatoes installment that broke no new ground nor did anything particularly obnoxious. Nice art as well.
And Kingmaker is another one of those surprising strips that I started off resenting but ended up finding myself reading every panel with glee. When it returns, in probably a few years time, no doubt I will dread it from the first "coming soon" mention, then find myself absorbed every week.

And next prog we have Harry back. Joy! Thistlebone, Harry and Scarlet Traces in the same package. I reckon The Mighty One is somehow reading my mind's idle musings when wandering about. Thanks, you creepy green mind reader.

SBT

norton canes

A muddled and unsatisfying Dredd that really only looked like it was trying to piggyback on the impact of Machine Law. Scarlet Traces layering on more intrigue - it's been the unexpected hit of recent weeks for me. A bit of a damp squid of an ending for Kingmaker, despite the final-page twist.

And Thistlebone...

Looks gorgeous. You can't fault the sort of work that the Davis droid has put in here. But - and maybe the excitement over its arrival has unrealistically raised my expectations - I thought story-wise it was a little underwhelming, a touch straightforward. Too much revealed, for an opening installment. I don't always like making comparisons but I've just finished reading Cradlegrave for the first time and there, the tension is ratcheted up for several weeks until the first reveal of anything non-natural. Got a feeling that Thistlebone needed a bit of that sort of suspense. Still, looking forward to seeing how it goes.

Finally... bring on Absalom

Southstreeter

Thank Grud for the upcoming glorious Absalom, I'm not really enjoying this run, though Thistlebone looks promising.

Can someone enlighten me as to who the geezer at the end of Kingmaker is? Have we seen him before? I'm also wondering how I've managed to forget so much of Scarlet Traces - has all this backstory been in the prog? I've an idea that there was another GN (that I haven't read) prior to the prog's run. I also lost interest in the previous run, so I've forgotten what happened to all the bald fellas on Venus (or was it Mars?) who seem to be about to crop up again.

Dredd - nice idea, but McConville never really does it for me.

If that sounds a bit grumpy, well I'm glad some folk are really digging the prog just now!

BPP

Dredd - a no for me on several levels (the artists rendering of judges, the pay off line being highly a un-Wagner stance on Dredd / mechanismos). There is a nice idea there (the anti-robot guys being used as transference guinea pigs) that Wagner / Grant Dredd would have milked for gruesome comic effect but here it's tossed away in a bland script.

Scarlett Traces is just sublime. A five star strip in terms of art and story every week.

Thistlebone - hell yes. Simon Davis draws the last 30 minutes of Kill List? I'm down for that.

Kingmaker - elf orc and Tolkien guff but still I likes it. Taken with its Brass Sun twist am well up for its return.
If I'd known it was harmless I would have killed it myself.

http://futureshockd.wordpress.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/FutureShockd

TordelBack

I quite liked the Dredd, some fresh stylings in the art and nice to see the Mark 8s (?) on the streets in a non-Wagner tale. However, in a world where there's an international terrorist organisation called Rage Against the Megs that recently caused untold damage during Chaos Day, is RatM the wisest name for your group?

TordelBack

Gah, half my post disappeared! Commence laborious retyping...

(Cont. ) I don't think Dredd's closer was out of character: despite his objections, the decision has very definitely been made now, and Joe will uphold the Law without exception - in public at least. Also, he hates bigots of any kind - all potential perps get the same treatment.

Over in the transcendent Scarlet Traces, "what do you mean, 'Ahron Shakespeare approaching?'". Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun... Thrill of the year so far for me, just non-stop payoff.

Thistlebone. That Quilli wasn't long getting a full series, eh readers? Looks absolutely gorgeous, we'll see where it goes (anywhere other than Summerisle or Providence, Rhode Island would be good).

Kingmaker performs an interesting balancing act, will notSauron join the gang now his host Ablard has become a bit redundant?


Eamonn Clarke

Quote from: Southstreeter on 13 June, 2019, 04:17:30 PM

Can someone enlighten me as to who the geezer at the end of Kingmaker is? Have we seen him before?

It's the spirit form of Ichnar the Wraith King, so that's Sauron whose physical body was defeated by the fellowship heroes and now lives on as some sort of ethereal force.

The Enigmatic Dr X

It is with some grumpiness that I must report I still don't have my prog.

I am typically getting my sub on a Friday, six days after everyone else.

This pisses me off.
Lock up your spoons!

Southstreeter

Quote from: Eamonn Clarke on 13 June, 2019, 06:42:24 PM
Quote from: Southstreeter on 13 June, 2019, 04:17:30 PM

Can someone enlighten me as to who the geezer at the end of Kingmaker is? Have we seen him before?

It's the spirit form of Ichnar the Wraith King, so that's Sauron whose physical body was defeated by the fellowship heroes and now lives on as some sort of ethereal force.

Thanks! My aged brain has trouble keeping up sometimes  ;)

Frank


Don't get the extreme reaction to Miranda's art. Some of the poses and anatomy are more Ron Turner than Ron Smith, but his linework and character design are really good.

I'm 100% more interested in seeing what he could do with his own strip than Dredd, but that's true of almost anyone whose name isn't Flint, MacNeil or >sniff< Carlos.

Nice to see the Black Eyed Peas back together:








TordelBack

Can't see anything wrong with it meself. Take a gander at the non-Judge pages to see how solid the work is:  the issue seems to be folk not liking the designs for the uniform, and maybe Dredd himself. I like to see these elwments explored and stretched a bit visually , like Ezquerra with his different-coloured shoulder pads and off centre zip, PJ with his Stallonish collars, McCarthy with his flaring helmets and eable respirators, or Dyer with his belt holsters and Dredd3D collars. Bring it on, I say.