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Spoilers => Megazine => Topic started by: Richard on 11 February, 2017, 03:00:31 PM

Title: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Richard on 11 February, 2017, 03:00:31 PM
Michael Carroll's latest Dredd story ends on a very interesting note! [spoiler]No spoilers here -- you have to see it for yourself![/spoiler]

There's a full list of the stories in the 40th birthday special, and TPO finishes.

There's a Tale From the Black Museum, which is alright if a bit longer than it needed to be. Pretty good art by Staz Johnson, and I'd like to see more from him.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: A.Cow on 11 February, 2017, 06:56:35 PM
Quote from: Richard on 11 February, 2017, 03:00:31 PM
Michael Carroll's latest Dredd story ends on a very interesting note!

WOAH!!!

I've not let out an exclamation like that since Dredd uttered the words "Hello, Vienna".

Top work, Mr Carroll.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Trent on 11 February, 2017, 09:30:00 PM
Did NOT see that coming at all!

Suspect it is just a one off as much of the story has been covered elsewhere in the Prog.

Still great fun and a brilliant moment as 2000AD does so well.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: scrotnig on 11 February, 2017, 09:46:44 PM
Loved the Adrian Salmon interview.

I remember Karyn with fondness. I really liked the style, which at the time was unusual and quite divisive.

I wish he would ocme back to us.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: SALMON63 on 12 February, 2017, 04:25:57 PM
It's nice to hear somebody remembers my work so I'm glad you enjoyed the interview. Nobody has asked me back in years but maybe somebody could whisper in Tharg's pointy ear?  ;)

Cheers!

Adrian
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Eamonn Clarke on 13 February, 2017, 08:37:05 AM
Judge Dredd: Michael Carroll and Ben Willsher and Blimey, O'Reilly!
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Eamonn Clarke on 13 February, 2017, 08:58:53 AM
Busy weekend with the 40th and all the eBay listings to be done yesterday so I hope you will forgive the combined image from the 2000AD Fb and Twitter droids.

(http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r182/Caliban_photos/Progmeg_zps5awsmtxq.jpg)
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: DarkDaysBish-OP on 13 February, 2017, 03:30:16 PM
Quote from: SALMON63 on 12 February, 2017, 04:25:57 PM
It's nice to hear somebody remembers my work so I'm glad you enjoyed the interview. Nobody has asked me back in years but maybe somebody could whisper in Tharg's pointy ear?  ;)

Cheers!

Adrian

Hi Adrian, were you at the 40th event in Hammersmith? Keep thinking I saw you but wasn't sure - and didn't want to accost some random punter!
Title: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: James Stacey on 13 February, 2017, 10:42:05 PM
Quote from: Eamonn Clarke on 13 February, 2017, 08:37:05 AM
Judge Dredd: Michael Carroll and Ben Willsher and Blimey, O'Reilly!
He's a cheeky fellah that Mr Carroll. Well played sir.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: SALMON63 on 14 February, 2017, 03:15:49 AM
Hi Adrian, were you at the 40th event in Hammersmith? Keep thinking I saw you but wasn't sure - and didn't want to accost some random punter >>

Hi David - No I wasn't so you saved yourself some embarrassment! I didn't get an invite but I'll get over it. I'm hoping to make the Glasgow Con this year if I can wrangle an invite.:)
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: JUDGE BURNS on 14 February, 2017, 03:13:35 PM
 My subs copy arrived today and when I read the final panel of this tale I almost jumped out of my chair.

Hats off to the script droid, Michael Carroll for this mind blowing event .

I look forward to see how this develops into The future of Dredd's world. !!!!
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: The Monarch on 15 February, 2017, 03:47:29 AM
Adrian may i also say i loved your work not only in the meg but also on doctor who magazine and some of the early covers of the uk x men reprints before they went to keeping american covers its a shame they did away with new covers i guess it was a cost thing
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: SALMON63 on 15 February, 2017, 10:20:38 AM
Thankyou Monarch. When Disney swallowed up Marvel the edict came down that Panini were no longer allowed to create new content - strips or covers but only use American reprints. A sad day which lost many  British creators their jobs.I did enjoy drawing those covers whilst driving a newspaper delivery van by day - that was until I crashed the vehicle due to lack of sleep.:)

Adrian
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: sheridan on 16 February, 2017, 01:18:29 AM
Rubicon.  Wow!  Didn't see it coming (though I've often thought about how we're getting much closer to the pivotal event of that other series than, say, the Apocalypse War in Dredd).
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Smith on 16 February, 2017, 07:27:05 AM
Quote from: sheridan on 16 February, 2017, 01:18:29 AM
Rubicon.  Wow!  Didn't see it coming (though I've often thought about how we're getting much closer to the pivotal event of that other series than, say, the Apocalypse War in Dredd).
My thoughts exactly.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Magnetica on 16 February, 2017, 07:49:16 AM
I'm in two minds about that reveal.


I know it has been said many times that [spoiler]the Strontium Dog world is a possible future for Dredd's world, but I don't really want the strip to move more towards that. I have taken the view to date that the Dredd - Alpha cross-overs we have had so far were just a way of shoe horning the two characters into the same story, just because it would be a bit of fun*. I have never really taken them as canon.**[/spoiler]

*[spoiler]yeah I know "Judgement Day" and "fun" isn't necessarily a combination most would think of.[/spoiler]

**[spoiler]yeah I know #2: can-opened type situation risked.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Bolt-01 on 16 February, 2017, 07:57:19 AM
[spoiler]Actually just because this has happened in the Meg it doesn't mean that the events from Alpha's past are going to be happening in Dredds world. After all, in the 'world' of S/D there are no mentions of Mega-cities so I doubt events are going to be put into place to wipe out M-C-1.

I personally think that Alpha's future is still a 'possible' future for Dredd, but this doesn't make it any more than that.[/spoiler]

The whole post is spoilered as it relates very heavily on the events in the latest Dredd in the Meg. If you click it- Don't say you weren't warned.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Proudhuff on 16 February, 2017, 10:03:18 AM
Loved that reveal, well done the Car-Roll Droid! said as much in person at the fortieth but this is another great bit of shoehorning(in a good way!)
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: James Stacey on 16 February, 2017, 10:54:26 AM
Quote from: Bolt-01 on 16 February, 2017, 07:57:19 AM
[spoiler]Actually just because this has happened in the Meg it doesn't mean that the events from Alpha's past are going to be happening in Dredds world. After all, in the 'world' of S/D there are no mentions of Mega-cities so I doubt events are going to be put into place to wipe out M-C-1.

I personally think that Alpha's future is still a 'possible' future for Dredd, but this doesn't make it any more than that.[/spoiler]
Very much this [spoiler]Dredds world can very much career of into the other trouser leg of time whilst still having these links and commonalities. You can even have fun with what causes these differences. Bunkie is on Dredds radar [/spoiler]
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Prodigal2 on 16 February, 2017, 11:00:03 AM
Back buying the meg-loved Dredd and that ending.

I found Adrian Salmon's article insightful and interesting and was nodding my head vigorously at his predilection for searching out old youthful comforts in times of adversity. Lovely stuff.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: I, Cosh on 16 February, 2017, 12:06:43 PM
This week's Dredd epitomises everything I find wrong with Carroll's take on the story. Everything needs to tie back to something else rather than just being something new. It would be perfectly fine as a throwaway reference in an episode which the reader can either take at face value or consider as the writer's joke. Hinging a whole two part story on it forces you to treat it as An Important Revelation. Which sucks for people who either aren't versed in forty years of history or who think existing crossovers are fine for a laugh but the links really don't need to be pursued or nailed down.

Fortunately, Lawless was there to take the bad taste away. Great episode with more great crowd scenes from Marvellous Mr Winslade.

Anderson was fun enough. Quite like Marshall's take on her too.

Haven't read TotBM yet.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Magnetica on 16 February, 2017, 01:21:11 PM
Quote from: I, Cosh on 16 February, 2017, 12:06:43 PM
This week's Dredd epitomises everything I find wrong with Carroll's take on the story....

..Hinging a whole two part story on it forces you to treat it as An Important Revelation.

Now I do generally like Carroll's Dredd, but I agree with you on the "hinging the whole two part story on it". There was nothing in this story or indeed previous Carroll Dredd's to give any clue about it - it was just plucked from the ether at random as far as I am concerned.

I am going to chose to follow Bolt's advice and treat it as as just a one off for now and not read anymore into it (until such time as Michael Carroll follows it up I guess).
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Frank on 16 February, 2017, 02:08:08 PM
Quote from: I, Cosh on 16 February, 2017, 12:06:43 PM
It would be perfectly fine as a throwaway reference ... (but) sucks for people who think existing crossovers are fine for a laugh but the links really don't need to be pursued or nailed down.

I'm not a fan of Avalanches (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLrnkK2YEcE)-style story construction either, but the reaction here and the other 2000ad shaped recesses of the internet has been 100% awe and appreciation. Comic readers love them some continuity.


Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Steve Green on 16 February, 2017, 02:47:58 PM
A nice bit of fun, enjoyable without knowing who NBK is + I don't think everything needs to be spoonfed to the reader.

I only got a fraction of the references in some of the LOEG strips, it was just as much fun finding out afterwards.

Shame someone posted the image on facebook in a couple of places a few days before the regular Meg shipped.

Will it amount to anything? Who knows, Bunky could end up in a similar position to Angel in the Angelic strip.

MC-1 managed to avoid City of the Damned after all.

I'm more bothered that we've got two (presumably separate) secret factions by different writers on the go at the same time.

Might be an idea to put at least one of them to rest soonish.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Proudhuff on 16 February, 2017, 03:17:45 PM
Don't think the whole story hung on it, just a nice nod at the end.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Richard on 16 February, 2017, 03:39:19 PM
A new reader who doesn't know who [spoiler]Kreelman[/spoiler] is wouldn't even know that this was a nod to another story, so they wouldn't be put off by it. They literally wouldn't know that they had missed anything. They would think that the final panel was introducing a new character (which as far as Dredd is concerned is exactly what did happen). So I think Cosh's criticism is misplaced here.

I liked it.

And I don't think it means that [spoiler]Dredd's world is any closer to Strontium Dog's than it was already. We still don't know if the war of 2150 is still going to happen, or if the events of Judgement Day changed the course of history.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Frank on 16 February, 2017, 05:39:56 PM
Quote from: Richard on 16 February, 2017, 03:39:19 PM
We still don't know if the [spoiler]war[/spoiler] of [spoiler]2150[/spoiler] is still going to happen, or if the events of [spoiler]Judgement Day[/spoiler] changed the course of history.

On the understanding that it's all just a bit of fun, fiction doesn't have to obey the precepts of physics, and that none of us are Niels Bohr ...

I think if Judgement Day had altered Dredd's timeline in a way that meant Johnny Alpha no longer needed a special prescription from Vision Express, we'd already know about it. In their most recent encounter (http://i.imgur.com/h49hsE8.jpg) [1], Alpha clearly remembers and is on friendly terms with Dredd.

If Judgement Day had altered the timeline in a way that meant the war of 2150 never happened, John Kreelman would no longer be a mutant nor (presumably) a bounty hunter [2]. He and Dredd would never have met on Judgement Day.

If Tharg was planning to split the Dredd/Alpha timeline, he'd need to do so sometime in the next decade. After such a split, the Stronty Dog timeline would still feature Dredd in its history, but our Dredd's future would no longer feature the war of 2150 or a mutant called Johnny Alpha.


[1] By Private Contract, Wagner & Ezquerra (prog 2000)

[2] It would take a massive coincidence for the John Kreelman of that alternate, nuke-free post-2015 timeline to also have Rogue Trooper eyes, be friends with a guy called McNulty (who's attached lumps to his head and hacked off his own arm), and team up with the two Stix (http://i.imgur.com/NLjx4b1.jpg) from current Strontium Dog continuity. This alternate Alpha, from a non-nuked post-2050, would also have needed to travel back in time and meet Dredd before, since he already knows Dredd in By Private Contract. He would need to have done so in some other story we've never seen.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Richard on 16 February, 2017, 05:53:37 PM
Nobody is saying that the events of Judgement Day changed Alpha's past, only that it might have changed Dredd's future and sent it off into a parallel timeline. That needn't prevent Dredd and Alpha from meeting again in stories like By Private Contract. (Well maybe it should, but comics.)
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Jim_Campbell on 16 February, 2017, 06:19:24 PM
Quote from: Richard on 16 February, 2017, 05:53:37 PM
Nobody is saying that the events of Judgement Day changed Alpha's past, only that it might have changed Dredd's future and sent it off into a parallel timeline. That needn't prevent Dredd and Alpha from meeting again in stories like By Private Contract. (Well maybe it should, but comics.)

Yeah. I banged on about this at some length in a post I can't be arsed to google up, but, specifically supported by the way that time travel/paradoxes seem to work in the Dredd universe, it's entirely possible for Dredd's world to exist as part of Alpha's past, without Alpha's world having to exist as Dredd's definitive future. The timelines can diverge at any point after any of their currently documented meetings without implications for either timeline. In fact, Dredd could visit Alpha's future, but assuming a divergent timeline, he would need both time travel and a D-Jump to do it.

Al Ewing has already introduced the idea that Justice Dept has a dossier on what little they know about Alpha's future. It's possible that there is a plan being hatched (in-fictional-universe) somewhere to ensure that the timelines diverge, since ending up in Alpha's future requires the complete end of the Judges and, by implication, the Mega-Cities.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Frank on 16 February, 2017, 07:40:05 PM
Quote from: Richard on 16 February, 2017, 05:53:37 PM
Nobody is saying that the events of Judgement Day changed Alpha's past, only that it might have changed Dredd's future

Our Alpha's past is Our Dredd's future, Richey Baby.

Whatever happens to change Our Dredd's future is the cut-off point beyond which Our Alpha can no longer visit Our Dredd. Our Alpha could still go back and visit His Dredd (in a past where 2150 still happens), but he could no longer visit Our Dredd (to whom 2150 will pass without incident).

If something in Our Dredd and Our Alpha's shared past changed during Judgement Day (that means the war of 2150 will no longer happen), that's the point beyond which Our Alpha can no longer visit (not 2150 itself).


* According to The Exterminator (926), the timeline can absorb small changes like the timing of death for the childless passengers of the Pan Astra, but Our Dredd can no longer travel back in time and visit the survivors of the Pan Astra in the version of the past where they lived to spread the virus - just as Our Dredd can't go back and visit the Owen Krysler who went on to become The Mutant at a point beyond when Our Dredd travelled back in time (from 2120) and killed Krysler. Those versions of Our Dredd's past are no longer accessible to Our Dredd, just as none of Our Dredd's past after the timelines diverge would be accessible to Our Alpha. Our Alpha can only visit Our Dredd at a point before the timelines diverge.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Richard on 16 February, 2017, 08:14:12 PM
Logically you're right, but the way time travel has worked in Strontim Dog stories before has never been logical.

In fact, according to your logic, it shouldn't even have been possible for Alpha to return to his own time after Judgement Day and find himself in the same timeline he left, one in which Judgement Day didn't happen. He should have found himself in a new future in which Judgement Day did happen, and nobody remembers sending him back to 2114 to prevent it.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Colin YNWA on 16 February, 2017, 08:47:48 PM
Fuckity fuckity fuck how the hell does Lawless keep getting better. I mean its always been good, no belting, no mind melting superb BUT still this episode gets to be the best yet. How the chuff do Abnett and Winslade manage that... huh HOW I asks ya. What demon now has their very souls, sold so they could produce the best comic strip this side of... well this side if NAFF ALLcos its just THE BEST COMIC STRIP...

... I'm getting over excited aren't I...

... but it bloody well deserves it!

Elsewhere everything is fine. I defo take Cosh's point about the end of Dredd, but I just took it as a cute nod to the fans and nowt more. A fun story with a nice little bite at the end... I'd prefer if it went nowhere.

Black Museum was kinda fun and looked great, as was Anderson... well actually I really enjoyed Anderson but nothing, NOTHING will survive the white heat of glory that is Lawless. Its blown my tiny comic mind.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Frank on 16 February, 2017, 08:53:47 PM
Quote from: Richard on 16 February, 2017, 08:14:12 PM
it shouldn't even have been possible for Alpha to return to his own time after Judgement Day and find himself in the same timeline he left

Interesting. Maybe he didn't.


Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Leigh S on 16 February, 2017, 09:18:43 PM
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 16 February, 2017, 06:19:24 PMIn fact, Dredd could visit Alpha's future, but assuming a divergent timeline, he would need both time travel and a D-Jump to do it.


Yep, time travel and dimensional travel are inextricably linked in Dredd world stories - look at the Greg staples Death story, ot the Batman crossovers as prim examples = a d-Jump will almost as likely take you through time as well as dimensions. Heck - if we view City of the Damned as a primer, Dredd muct have visited an aternate MC1, though it was only alternate after tehy returned and made it so by killing Krysler again.

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 16 February, 2017, 06:19:24 PM
Al Ewing has already introduced the idea that Justice Dept has a dossier on what little they know about Alpha's future. It's possible that there is a plan being hatched (in-fictional-universe) somewhere to ensure that the timelines diverge, since ending up in Alpha's future requires the complete end of the Judges and, by implication, the Mega-Cities.



Yeah - theres some meat in exploring this if done well, with Dredd having to divorce the time lines in some epic of the future.  I'm not fussed about it either way - if they do do it, I just hope it is done classy like!
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Jim_Campbell on 16 February, 2017, 09:20:03 PM
Quote from: Richard on 16 February, 2017, 08:14:12 PM
In fact, according to your logic, it shouldn't even have been possible for Alpha to return to his own time after Judgement Day and find himself in the same timeline he left, one in which Judgement Day didn't happen. He should have found himself in a new future in which Judgement Day did happen, and nobody remembers sending him back to 2114 to prevent it.

He'd need to do a dimension jump as well as. Time jump to get him back to 2160 (or whatever it was) which, as you note, would now be the 2160 of Dredd's future, then a d-jump to get him to his version of 2160. Dimension-hopping and time travel are both far more common in the SD universe, so I don't have any trouble imagining a two-stage journey of this kind...
Title: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: James Stacey on 16 February, 2017, 10:48:41 PM
A space wizard did it.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Richard on 16 February, 2017, 11:00:28 PM
A Stone Wizard did it.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: JayzusB.Christ on 16 February, 2017, 11:07:21 PM
Quote from: James Stacey on 16 February, 2017, 10:48:41 PM
A space wizard did it.

:lol:

Also, the SD universe is full of space wizards.  (And the Gronk and Feral didn't kill an entire race of them either; that was all in a young Garth Ennis's fevered imagination.)

I liked that Dredd reveal, me.  Just when you thought Al Ewing did an outstanding job of tying things up with The Americans, Mike Carroll throws another spanner in the works.  But greater minds than mine on the board have already discussed the workings of the timeline in far greater detail than I have.

Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: sheridan on 16 February, 2017, 11:38:52 PM
Have we ever visited North America in Strontium Dog?  In fact, Earth was pretty much off-limits - there was a visit to Antartic City, but the only other visits I can recall involved Stonehenge, Milton Keynes and not much else - which only suggests that Brit-Cit won't survive in its current (largely unexplored) state.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: sheridan on 16 February, 2017, 11:44:20 PM
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 16 February, 2017, 11:07:21 PM
Quote from: James Stacey on 16 February, 2017, 10:48:41 PM
A space wizard did it.

:lol:

Also, the SD universe is full of space wizards.  (And the Gronk and Feral didn't kill an entire race of them either; that was all in a young Garth Ennis's fevered imagination.)

I liked that Dredd reveal, me.  Just when you thought Al Ewing did an outstanding job of tying things up with The Americans, Mike Carroll throws another spanner in the works.  But greater minds than mine on the board have already discussed the workings of the timeline in far greater detail than I have.

And Durham Red will go in to suspended animation and wake up in the far future, either before or after, or in another region of space to where Nemesis is fighting the Terminators.  And the ABC Warriors will be flying around in there somewhere as well, but possibly in the past also.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: I, Cosh on 17 February, 2017, 12:03:31 AM
Quote from: Richard on 16 February, 2017, 03:39:19 PM
A new reader who doesn't know who [spoiler]Kreelman[/spoiler] is wouldn't even know that this was a nod to another story, so they wouldn't be put off by it.
Maybe not "put off" but the last panel of the story is the reveal of a hitherto anonymous character's identity. As a new reader, you don't have to know who he is, but you have to assume that this is significant, otherwise the whole story is a waste of time.

As an old reader, I have no time for the existing crossovers. They happened. They were shit. Please don't expend any mental energy trying to go beyond everybody thought it would be cool if Johnny and Joe could go toe to toe. The dimension jump explanation was always good enough for me

Aargh. I can't believe I'm making myself angry by thinking too much about what what other people think too much about the minutiae of comics. Time to turn off the iPad.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Magnetica on 17 February, 2017, 06:33:14 AM
Quote from: Steve Green on 16 February, 2017, 02:47:58 PM

I'm more bothered that we've got two (presumably separate) secret factions by different writers on the go at the same time.

Might be an idea to put at least one of them to rest soonish.

Sorry for being thick - so we have Sector Zero in the Michael Carroll stories, but what is the other secret faction you are referring to? (And which writer?)
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Frank on 17 February, 2017, 07:06:49 AM
Quote from: Magnetica on 17 February, 2017, 06:33:14 AM
Quote from: Steve Green on 16 February, 2017, 02:47:58 PM
I'm more bothered that we've got two (presumably separate) secret factions by different writers on the go at the same time. Might be an idea to put at least one of them to rest soonish.

Sorry for being thick - so we have Sector Zero in the Michael Carroll stories, but what is the other secret faction you are referring to? (And which writer?)

Smiley's been running his own invisible ninja academy (Act Of Grud, Williams & Flint, 2004-2006 (http://i.imgur.com/tKJCPnl.jpg?2)). We still don't know if Smiley was always in on Trifecta or if he's just decided to make an opportunistic power grab as a response to MC1's weakened state.

I remember Williams and Carroll agreeing they should coordinate their storylines more, now they're the only two writers on the Dredd strip with big, continuing storylines. Maybe Sector Zero and whatever Smiley's up to will turn out to be two facets of the same organisation.


Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Tjm86 on 17 February, 2017, 07:38:19 AM
Quote from: Leigh S on 16 February, 2017, 09:18:43 PM

Yep, time travel and dimensional travel are inextricably linked in Dredd world stories -


I guess the question is are they the same time lines or parallel time lines in parallel dimensions.  By that I mean are we dealing with the same individual or a dimensional alternate.  Although going down this line of thinking is potentially head ache inducing it does open up a wonderful realm of possibilities for story telling.  I'd like to think that with the calibre of writers we have (even with some of the weaknesses they sometimes have) that there is going to be a bit more to this than the standard fan boy wet dream of predictable story telling.

That said, I may possibly be influenced in my thinking here by a recent read of Baxter's Proxima and Ultima that play with these ideas.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: JayzusB.Christ on 17 February, 2017, 07:49:28 AM
I've just got to thinking - isn't [spoiler]Nelson Bunker Kreelman[/spoiler] the absolute perfect name for a despotic dictator?  Hats off to Wagner and Grant; naming characters has always been a strong suit.

Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: A.Cow on 17 February, 2017, 11:36:45 AM
Quote from: Frank on 17 February, 2017, 07:06:49 AM
Maybe Sector Zero and whatever Smiley's up to will turn out to be two facets of the same organisation.

Personally, I'd love to see the opposite: Sector Zero going head-to-head against Smiley's Gang.

The idea of two secret underground organisations, each unaware of the other, clashing as they try to hit a target at the same time ... well, that smacks of old-school Future Shock and is very 2000 AD.

Perhaps the Carroll & Williams droids are already conspiring together, in the darkened corner of a pub somewhere...?
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Steve Green on 17 February, 2017, 11:47:53 AM
Quote from: sheridan on 16 February, 2017, 11:38:52 PM
Have we ever visited North America in Strontium Dog?  In fact, Earth was pretty much off-limits - there was a visit to Antartic City, but the only other visits I can recall involved Stonehenge, Milton Keynes and not much else - which only suggests that Brit-Cit won't survive in its current (largely unexplored) state.

A couple of times.

I think his sister and her family had settled in America in an early story, McCarthy/Gibson art?.

And I'm pretty sure in the Mork Whisperer, Galactico's estate was in North America

Then the american far right mercenaries turned up in Dogs of War. (I was half expecting them to be some kind of future/alternate judges, when they talked about the Americans)

I thought Sharpesville in Journey into Hell might have been the US, but I don't think that one is definite.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Richard on 17 February, 2017, 01:23:19 PM
We saw the President in the White House in Dogs of War.

That could of course be a rebuilt White House and not necessarily on the east coast.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Mardroid on 17 February, 2017, 01:47:26 PM
I do remember Brit-cit featuring in one of the modern Strontium Dog stories, so I guess one Megacity is alive and running. That being said, didn't I read somewhere that London is just a crater in the SD continuity? That would suggest Brit-cit is smaller than it's Dredd-era counterpart.

Anyhow, I enjoyed the [spoiler]Kreelman gag,[/spoiler] although I wouldn't read too much into it... although it's fun.  :lol:

A decent prog all round, I think. I was a bit puzzled with the Pause character in Kingdom being referred to as a 'hybrid' as i thought all the Aux were essentially hybrids. I know the main aux, personified by Gene and co, are based on canine DNA, but as they are bipedal and essentially humanoid, I figured there was human DNA in the mix as well. I guess the gene wizards (no pun intended) might have found a way to alter the canine genome to give them human characteristics (i.e. main body shape, hands and bipedal) without splicing in human DNA, but I got the impression Pause may be using the word 'hybrid' in a different context here.

This doesn't ruin the story, it's still good. Just gives me something to think about, as I'm easily fascinated like that.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Magnetica on 17 February, 2017, 01:54:09 PM
Quote from: Mardroid on 17 February, 2017, 01:47:26 PM
A decent prog all round, I think. I was a bit puzzled with the Pause character in Kingdom.....

Er, this is the Meg thread. :lol: :lol: :lol:

It's all this talk about Strontium Dog....
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Mardroid on 17 February, 2017, 03:59:15 PM
Whoops! Your right!

My silly brain...

Anyhow. This was good to...

I've yet to read the VCs.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Mardroid on 17 February, 2017, 04:02:37 PM
Or 'you're right' even. I'm blaming the phone. (Edit capability, has gone in the past message.)
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Pegasus P Artichoke on 17 February, 2017, 07:59:21 PM
Wow

That Dredd story was a corker, fantastic stuff and hopefully an introduction to an interesting recurring character, but an absolute belter of a strip. A+ go to the top of the class

Tales From The Black Museum I do enjoy when they appear as they remind me of the Tales From The Crypt I used to love reading and watching on the telly

Anderson was a good one this week no complaints

Lawless is its usual faultless self for me

Just need to read the floppy now 
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Magnetica on 17 February, 2017, 08:46:01 PM
Quote from: Pegasus P Artichoke on 17 February, 2017, 07:59:21 PM
That Dredd story was a corker, fantastic stuff and hopefully an introduction to an interesting recurring character

Ok...so is someone going to tell him, or do I have to? Seems like your territory Frank.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Colin YNWA on 17 February, 2017, 08:50:12 PM
Quote from: Pegasus P Artichoke on 17 February, 2017, 07:59:21 PM

Lawless is its usual faultless self for me


Yeah in all this over excited conjecture about a cute little ending to a Dredd tale and people are losing sight of the fact that it matters nowt 'cos everything pales in the shadow of the burning glory that is Lawless.

All hail Lawless!
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Frank on 17 February, 2017, 08:56:06 PM
Quote from: Magnetica on 17 February, 2017, 08:46:01 PM
Seems like your territory, Frank

I'm not rostered for Board Killjoy this weekend. I swapped shifts with Sheridan.


Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Hawkmumbler on 17 February, 2017, 10:35:54 PM
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 16 February, 2017, 08:47:48 PM
Fuckity fuckity fuck how the hell does Lawless keep getting better. I mean its always been good, no belting, no mind melting superb BUT still this episode gets to be the best yet. How the chuff do Abnett and Winslade manage that... huh HOW I asks ya. What demon now has their very souls, sold so they could produce the best comic strip this side of... well this side if NAFF ALLcos its just THE BEST COMIC STRIP...

... I'm getting over excited aren't I...

... but it bloody well deserves it!

Elsewhere everything is fine. I defo take Cosh's point about the end of Dredd, but I just took it as a cute nod to the fans and nowt more. A fun story with a nice little bite at the end... I'd prefer if it went nowhere.

Black Museum was kinda fun and looked great, as was Anderson... well actually I really enjoyed Anderson but nothing, NOTHING will survive the white heat of glory that is Lawless. Its blown my tiny comic mind.
Yeah pretty much this. An absolutely scortching Meg, what good times to ve reading the fold.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Proudhuff on 18 February, 2017, 11:39:22 AM
Quote from: Frank on 17 February, 2017, 08:56:06 PM
Quote from: Magnetica on 17 February, 2017, 08:46:01 PM
Seems like your territory, Frank

I'm not rostered for Board Killjoy this weekend. I swapped shifts with Sheridan.

Shirley its Jim's turn?
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Robin Low on 18 February, 2017, 07:55:13 PM
Quote from: Mardroid on 17 February, 2017, 01:47:26 PM
I do remember Brit-cit featuring in one of the modern Strontium Dog stories, so I guess one Megacity is alive and running. That being said, didn't I read somewhere that London is just a crater in the SD continuity? That would suggest Brit-cit is smaller than it's Dredd-era counterpart.

You know, the reason why all the humans move to the coast in Robo-Hunter, leaving the robots to run the place, is to limit the casualties of the war the Brit-Cit authorities know is coming...

No... no... must resist...

Regards,

Robin
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: sheridan on 19 February, 2017, 01:10:20 AM
Quote from: Pegasus P Artichoke on 17 February, 2017, 07:59:21 PM
Wow

That Dredd story was a corker, fantastic stuff and hopefully an introduction to an interesting recurring character, but an absolute belter of a strip. A+ go to the top of the class

Glad you liked the Dredd story - and it shows that those who say you need to be familiar with forty years of 2000AD continuity to have enjoyed it were wrong!  The reason for that is because Bunky is [spoiler]Nelson Bunker Kreelman - a character who first appeared around Prog 200 (200, not 2000) and is the father of Johnny Alpha, and we found out about in Portrait of a Mutant (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strontium-Dog-Search-destroy-Agency/dp/1905437293/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487466230&sr=1-1&keywords=search+destroy+files&linkCode=ll1&tag=thewildewood-21&linkId=451974b5322519a97d02449f9bbd68ee).  The collection I linked to also has a follow-up story which I won't say anything about.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: sheridan on 19 February, 2017, 01:11:38 AM
Quote from: sheridan on 19 February, 2017, 01:10:20 AM
Quote from: Pegasus P Artichoke on 17 February, 2017, 07:59:21 PM
Wow

That Dredd story was a corker, fantastic stuff and hopefully an introduction to an interesting recurring character, but an absolute belter of a strip. A+ go to the top of the class

Glad you liked the Dredd story - and it shows that those who say you need to be familiar with forty years of 2000AD continuity to have enjoyed it were wrong!  The reason for that is because Bunky is [spoiler]Nelson Bunker Kreelman - a character who first appeared around Prog 200 (200, not 2000) and is the father of Johnny Alpha, and we found out about in Portrait of a Mutant.  The collection I linked to also has a follow-up story which I won't say anything about.[/spoiler]

So - you can't post links in spoilers then (and I haven't been given any option to edit).
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Magnetica on 19 February, 2017, 10:09:46 PM
Time to agree with Colin again - Lawless is great.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: CalHab on 20 February, 2017, 07:24:36 AM
The inscrutable oriental gentleman with the wispy moustache jarred a bit in Anderson. It seemed an unnecessary stereotype. I'm not sure why this bothered me, given that it was in a story about a future cop fighting psychic dragons conjured by mutants, but it did.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Pegasus P Artichoke on 20 February, 2017, 07:30:17 AM
Quote from: sheridan on 19 February, 2017, 01:11:38 AM
Quote from: sheridan on 19 February, 2017, 01:10:20 AM
Quote from: Pegasus P Artichoke on 17 February, 2017, 07:59:21 PM
Wow

That Dredd story was a corker, fantastic stuff and hopefully an introduction to an interesting recurring character, but an absolute belter of a strip. A+ go to the top of the class

Glad you liked the Dredd story - and it shows that those who say you need to be familiar with forty years of 2000AD continuity to have enjoyed it were wrong!  The reason for that is because Bunky is [spoiler]Nelson Bunker Kreelman - a character who first appeared around Prog 200 (200, not 2000) and is the father of Johnny Alpha, and we found out about in Portrait of a Mutant.  The collection I linked to also has a follow-up story which I won't say anything about.[/spoiler]

So - you can't post links in spoilers then (and I haven't been given any option to edit).

Ah, thank you for taking the time to explain that to me Sheridan much appreciated
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Proudhuff on 20 February, 2017, 06:19:06 PM
Shirley Owen Chrysler predicted all this? :think:
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Jacqusie on 11 July, 2017, 10:40:04 PM
Just catching up on the pile of Megs, I though Anderson was the stand out and I like Marshalls take on her, It works much better than some of her recent sojourns anyhoo.

As for the Dredd / SD thing? Carrols Dredd is now becoming a rather silly parody that seems to want to use any connection going to create a story.

When's Ace Trucking going to get involved that's what I want to know... it wouldn't suprise me!
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Steve Green on 12 July, 2017, 08:35:47 PM
Al did the same in The Americans, John has done it twice + a Rogue Trooper story.

Then you've got Pat doing his bit with ABC Warriors and Savage, and Ian doing his Edgeverse thing.

I think it's unfair to single out Mike if you dislike that sort of thing.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: Richard on 12 July, 2017, 10:32:44 PM
Indeed. And I like that kind of thing anyway.
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: sheridan on 13 July, 2017, 03:30:58 PM
Quote from: Jacqusie on 11 July, 2017, 10:40:04 PM
As for the Dredd / SD thing? Carrols Dredd is now becoming a rather silly parody that seems to want to use any connection going to create a story.

First, I like that kind of thing too (especially as it's just using connections that already exist) and secondly, on what other occassions have SD characters appeared in Carroll's Dredd?
Title: Re: Meg 381 - Scales of Justice!
Post by: A.Cow on 13 July, 2017, 07:15:50 PM
Quote from: sheridan on 13 July, 2017, 03:30:58 PM
Quote from: Jacqusie on 11 July, 2017, 10:40:04 PM
As for the Dredd / SD thing? Carrols Dredd is now becoming a rather silly parody that seems to want to use any connection going to create a story.
... on what other occassions have SD characters appeared in Carroll's Dredd?

I'm not sure he means just SD characters -- recent "stunt" cameos by Armitage & Koburn come to mind too.  And Joyce & Dolman are more defined by their relationship to Dredd history than by their own personalities.

However, to play devil's advocate, he's created lots of original characters like Pax and Oswin.

I guess there's always a fanboy tendency to want to tie things to existing continuity.  Personally, I loved the Kreelman reference.  Michael Carroll possibly just needs to rein that kind of thing in somewhat, to keep it special.