Posties early today and he brought the prog to boot - tidy!
Nice cover by Trevallian.
Expo heavy Dredd. Filling in details with an info dump. Marshall does it his usual justice.
Return of the Alienist. Jumping straight in with the mystery and a new antagonist?
Greysuit goes bananas (literally). Higgins' art as ever is a pleasure. In fact it is easy to be bowled over by it. (apologies for that one).
Grey Area is a one off. Bit light hearted. Okay but nowt special.
Rounded out with Hunted. Sorry, not got into this at all. Traitor General is just too one dimensional.
Overall, an okay week. Oh, and Lawless is returning to the meg (yay!)
QuoteExpo heavy Dredd.
True but it was done in an entertaining way.
(http://i.imgur.com/3Uluny7h.jpg)
Great cover, but I never would have guessed that was Tiernan Trevallion.
Brilliant, brilliant episode of Dredd. And its not Wagner!
The Alienist. I was not looking forward to this returning, but it is actually cracking. I'll eat my hat if you like.
Greysuit. Continues to be on great form. Must be the easiest recent Pat story to follow.
Grey Area. hmmmm....not sure about this one. Also think I would like Karl Richardson or Patrick Goddard back on art duties.
Hunted...yeah its ok...not really my thing these days.
Quote from: Magnetica on 29 July, 2017, 07:48:44 PM
The Alienist. I was not looking forward to this returning, but it is actually cracking. I'll eat my hat if you like.
Yeah know I felt very similar. While I'd not go as far as to say
Alienist was 'cracking' I certainly enjoyed it more than I expected so intrgued to see if it can keep me along for the ride after a decent start... unlike
Hunted which has simply left me cold. To be honest I can honestly say whether it was good or bad its just that I'm utterly disengaged with it and it just washes past me... possible the worse thing you can say about a 2000ad story!
Elsewhere we are fine. Sure the
Dredd is a bit exposition heavy but
1) If that exposition moves the story on in a way you like and
2) If it involves someone ina chase riding a giant mutant puppy
I'm okay with that.
Grey Area is a little light this weak but passable and had a nice moment at the end there. Weak for this run but good enough. As for
Greysuit its blindin' still. Even the slightly forced Factoid comment gets a pass as Blake finds things to throw at his pursuers. Even the frankly bizarre bowler hatted march gets a pass for the lush OTT dialogue of what now must surely be refered to as the Mill Cliche Villain Sterotype Supreme and that great final panel.
Very solid Prog.
I feel exactly the same about Hunted.
Dredd: Got to agree that it was a exposition heavy but necessary episode of Dredd.
Alienist: Loots good and has promise. It's just a shame that there is so long between stories for these tales.
Greysuit: The best of the bunch this week. Lots of action and anticipation of more to come. And it was really weird to see everyone in Max Normal gear.
Grey Area: A nice enough story with mixed emotions.
Hunted: They are going in a strange direction with this story, effectively retconning the reasons for the origins of the Nort/Souther galactic war. Very much like the rebooted series of the V.C.s. Is is so hard to believe that humanity is stupid and destructive enough to want to kill each other without some outside conspiracy?
Finally, I would like to say that I don't agree with Tharg about his comments in editorial letter. The reasons behind the change of sex of the Doctor is not about embracing change or pushing forward. It is about pushing an agenda by taking an established character in a much loved programme and fundamentally changing him. I am all for strong female characters in entertainment. 2000AD has given us so many from Halo Jones to Judges Anderson and Hershey. But these are wonderful characters in their own right, not ones who took over from established characters. How would the readers react if 2000AD decided to kill off Judge Dredd and replace him with a female clone who was called Judge Dredd and was totally perfect and made all the male judges around her look foolish? There were many other ways the BBC could have pushed forward with Dr Who without rewriting it's canon: they could have brought back Romana or the Rani. Or given the Doctor's daughter her own programme. All of these would have been much more preferred to what they have done, which has essentially split the fanbase and cause ill feelings where it didn't have to happen this way.
Quote from: McNulty on 30 July, 2017, 01:46:44 PM
The reasons behind the change of sex of the Doctor is not about embracing change or pushing forward. It is about pushing an agenda
This is exciting. I've never seen a Prog Review thread get locked.
Quote from: McNulty on 30 July, 2017, 01:46:44 PM
How would the readers react if 2000AD decided to kill off Judge Dredd and replace him with a female clone who was called Judge Dredd and was totally perfect and made all the male judges around her look foolish?
They aren't killing
Doctor Who – the relevant thread is thisaway (http://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=44619.0)
Quote from: McNulty on 30 July, 2017, 01:46:44 PM
How would the readers react if 2000AD decided to kill off Judge Dredd and replace him with a female clone who was called Judge Dredd and was totally perfect and made all the male judges around her look foolish?
I may be wrong here but isn't there already a female Dredd clone? Granted they haven't killed Dredd off but his mortality has been oft discussed and there are multiple clones kicking about.
Look on the bright side. It could have been far worse with Dr Who. They could have made him Welsh!
Have I slipped into a parallel universe where suddenly Greysuit is good? :P
Quote from: JOE SOAP on 30 July, 2017, 02:44:18 PMThey aren't killing Doctor Who – the relevant thread is thisaway (http://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=44619.0)
Indeed. No more Doctor Who discussion in this thread, please. 2000 AD only.
Quote from: Taryn Tailz on 30 July, 2017, 03:34:16 PM
Have I slipped into a parallel universe where suddenly Greysuit is good? :P
It's always been good! ;)
Quote from: dweezil2 on 30 July, 2017, 04:42:43 PM
Quote from: Taryn Tailz on 30 July, 2017, 03:34:16 PM
Have I slipped into a parallel universe where suddenly Greysuit is good? :P
It's always been good! ;)
This is a strange and frightening universe indeed. :P
Quote from: Taryn Tailz on 30 July, 2017, 05:34:30 PM
Quote from: dweezil2 on 30 July, 2017, 04:42:43 PM
Quote from: Taryn Tailz on 30 July, 2017, 03:34:16 PM
Have I slipped into a parallel universe where suddenly Greysuit is good? :P
It's always been good! ;)
This is a strange and frightening universe indeed. :P
It is indeed!
Usually it's just Mills who does the preaching, the 'Brexit Bowler' march being a glorious example!
But Tharg getting preachy about a female Dr Who in his Nerve Centre, urgh... can't we leave this sort of thing to the Twitter virtue signallers and their opposite numbers to slug out.
On the plus side Alienist looks very promising, Dredd's getting weird and interesting, loving the art in Grey Area, despite being a bit of a pen 'n ink purist, and the Traitor General will end some time..
Again, and for the final time: No more Doctor Who discussion in this thread, please. 2000 AD only.
Any more posts on this subject will be deleted without warning.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 30 July, 2017, 07:58:28 PM
Again, and for the final time: No more Doctor Who discussion in this thread, please. 2000 AD only.
Any more posts on this subject will be deleted without warning.
If you're referring to my post...what I was commenting on, was what I like and don't like in 2000ad, in particular the Nerve Centre, not the TV programme (which I don't watch).
It was an element of this weeks prog which I didn't like, surely people can comment on that, it's what this thread is for...
Tharg can say what he likes in the Nerve Centre; it's his comic. I hope he changed his sex just to piss you off.
Quote from: Richard on 30 July, 2017, 09:20:13 PM
Tharg can say what he likes in the Nerve Centre; it's his comic. I hope he changed his sex just to piss you off.
Do we even know that Tharg isn't already short for Thargret? :P
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 30 July, 2017, 07:58:28 PM
Again, and for the final time: No more Doctor Who discussion in this thread, please. 2000 AD only.
Any more posts on this subject will be deleted without warning.
I apologise that I have caused offence to 2000AD. I have been an avid reader of this publication for many years and in no way wanted to do any harm. I was only making my views on Tharg's editorial known as part of my views on this week's prog as a whole. 2000AD has never been one to shy away from any controversial subject in its wonderful history and I absolutely did not foresee that my comments would illicit such a response as this. I hope that any other contributors to the forums that might remember me would know that I am not a rabble rouser but do have my own beliefs.
Again I am sorry.
Quote from: McNulty on 30 July, 2017, 10:23:45 PM
I apologise that I have caused offence to 2000AD.
No need; everyone's allowed to call Tharg a baldy twat who can't tell his
Stalag 666 from his elbow. Mrs Who's just proven a bizarrely divisive topic, which brings out the worst in everyone (see every post after your own).
In
2000ad news, I see Brendan McCarthy's drawing a new Chopper story.
Quote from: McNulty on 30 July, 2017, 10:23:45 PM...I absolutely did not foresee that my comments would illicit such a response as this. I hope that any other contributors to the forums that might remember me would know that I am not a rabble rouser but do have my own beliefs.
Again I am sorry.
I'd say that it's more that we've had a number of Dr Who thread go nuclear recently, and everyone wants to avoid the same happening on the Review sub-forum (that normal folk might actually read), than that any particular offence was caused. Obviously if Tharg raises it in an editorial, it's fair game for comment, but combining gender matters and Dr Who on an online forum is like wrapping a carefully shaped explosive charge around 53kg of Pu235 shouting 'fire in the hole!'... so best to do it out in the desert.
Great cover by Tiernen Trevallion, a little different, but his art is firm favourite.
Thought the rest of the prog, including Tharg's Nerve centre was mediocre at best and pretty lame at second best. It's not anyone's fault really, I'm just not feeling any of it this week.
In a word, to sum up, with what I believe the youth of today this malise of disinterest from the depths of ones soul...
...Meh...
Quote from: Frank on 30 July, 2017, 10:58:36 PM
Quote from: McNulty on 30 July, 2017, 10:23:45 PM
I apologise that I have caused offence to 2000AD.
In 2000ad news, I see Brendan McCarthy's drawing a new Chopper story.
Where the new Supersurf course has the hazards of Giant facsimilies of Pete Wells' Art compo entry, culminating in a slalom through a debate on a gender-changed pop culture character before crashing into a podcast.
What Tordelback said. I'm sorry I overreacted.
McNulty: Thanks, but there's really no need for an apology. My initial post was an attempt to nip things in the bud. The second one was the same, just with an angry face on.
Geoff: I realise you were referring to something in the editorial, but we've already had one Doctor Who thread locked, and another is clinging on by its fingertips. I'd sooner not derail a third thread – especially a 2000 AD reviews one – with a subject that's already been argued at at length here, in threads that have rapidly turned toxic.
Anyone who wants to talk about the new Doctor, or even Tharg's response to her, is welcome to do so here (http://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=44619.0), assuming the conversation remains civil.
Quite understand Indigo, I was unaware of the hornets nest the topic was, had a little look and I see what you mean! Back to the prog!
Quote from: Steve Green on 31 July, 2017, 09:05:38 AM
Quote from: Frank on 30 July, 2017, 10:58:36 PM
In 2000ad news, I see Brendan McCarthy's drawing a new Chopper story.
Where the new Supersurf course has the hazards of Giant facsimilies of Pete Wells' Art compo entry, culminating in a slalom through a debate on a gender-changed pop culture character before crashing into a podcast.
The Pasty In The Sky restaurant was a great Cam Kennedy design.
Who do we think will be filling the word balloons? TC Eglinton and McCarthy's collaboration on Cursed Earth flying race story
Hoverods seems like a trial run ...
Anyone else still progless? I was obviously getting complacent with consistent Saturday deliveries. Maybe tomorrow.....
I just want to say how much I frigging love Grey Area! I adored [spoiler]the Luwot in the last series of the strip so seeing the little pervert back[/spoiler] this week made me really happy! The story itself was a hoot and, once again, showed how versatile this strip is. Comedy one week, hard sci-fi another, political peice the next, I just love how I never know what I'm in for from prog to prog. Great to see that with the tension between the Trump-esque Mabelline Masters and the scandal rocked ETC, not to mention Grell and his goons, Abnett and Harrison are sowing the seeds for larger arcs too.
This is really classy stuff and very much the template for my favourite kind of 2000AD thrills. Grey Area is how I want to see my Judge Dredd series - fresh and exciting from week to week!
Quote from: Pete Wells on 02 August, 2017, 10:52:41 AM
Grey Area is how I want to see my Judge Dredd series - fresh and exciting from week to week!
It must have occurred to Tharg that putting his best writer on his biggest strip might be a good idea.
Abnett told the Thrillcast he would be happy to take another crack at Dredd, so you have to think there's a good reason why that hasn't happened.
I suppose the best argument against it would be that if you only have a few writers capable of creating new stories and original characters that strike a chord with readers, forcing them to work with other people's old characters and ideas might be a bit of a waste.
Oh bugger, what I meant there was the forthcoming Judge Dredd TV series, that it's the perfect template for that! It wasn't a dig at the strip in the Prog, though I have made my feelings on that clear on that in the "Is it me?" thread...
Too late. You're now the founding father of the ABNETT FOR DREDD movement.
As I have said on another thread recently, I consider Abnett to be the top 2000AD writer - apart from Wagner.
I am sure he would do a fantastic job on Dredd but I would much rather he continues to create and write his own strips. Indeed as has been pointed out Grey Area and Sinister Dexter are wonderfully flexible vehicles for different types of story. So there is simply no need for him to do Dredd...unless the quality of Dredd really drops off (90s style) and he needs to rescue it. But we are a long, long way from that.
Quote from: McNulty on 30 July, 2017, 01:46:44 PM
Got to agree that it was a exposition heavy but necessary episode of Dredd.
Was it? As noted above, it's impossible to hate on a story where Clifford is mounted like Black Bess, but all we need to know is that the bad guys are farming brain nodes.
Carroll's a bit too in love with the details of the plot and the drug, but he clearly enjoys writing the character and the Blazing Saddles beans were funny, so what the heck.
Spent ages trying to work out if
Ouroboros was an anagram before I thought to google it. Interesting ...
Fun prog. Highlights for me were the giant puppy in Dredd and the sudden, jarring reference to "nude parts" in Grey Area.
Greysuit seems to be a conscious effort at having a really old-school thrill that wouldn't have been out of place in a prog from the '80s. Good fun. I wonder if Pat's poking fun at the reception given to his "Savage sings PJ Harvey" run from earlier in by having characters belt out various cheesy pop songs?
Grey Area is fookin' awesome.
Quote from: Muon on 04 August, 2017, 01:22:55 AM
I wonder if Pat's poking fun at the reception given to his "Savage sings PJ Harvey" run from earlier in by having characters belt out various cheesy pop songs?
The previous
Greysuit story "Prince of Darkness" was promoted as "coming soon" in April 2013 using a panel from the first episode; however, it didn't actually run until a year-and-a-half later (Oct 2014).
Hence it's fair to presume that the current script is likely to have been written more than a year ago, long before the
Savage singing fiasco hit the forum fan.
Moreover, the söngderkommando has been keeping it all killer, no filler since prog 1909 (Nov 2014). Savage first made with the show tunes in prog 2007 (Nov 2016).
As previously noted, Mills was hogging the karaoke machine as far back as Terror Tube (167), Return Of Rico (30) and that episode of Robusters where the residents of Northpool serenade Charlie the harbour robot with Gerry And the Pacemakers.
"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a Ro Jaws and Hammerstein tune. Sorry Rogers and Hammerstein tune
Quote from: philt on 04 August, 2017, 08:33:36 AM
"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a Ro Jaws and Hammerstein tune. Sorry Rogers and Hammerstein tune
Okay, I did
not know that, mind-blowing fact of the day for me! Really going to have to watch Carousel sometime.
Lovely!
Quote from: philt on 04 August, 2017, 08:33:36 AM
"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a Ro Jaws and Hammerstein tune. Sorry Rogers and Hammerstein tune
I suspect that the songwriters are more of a (very) happy coincidence.
Given that the story focuses on "The port of Northpool" -- a thinly-veiled Liverpool equivalent, complete with docks & token Irish priest -- it's clearly intended to reference the anthemic use associated with Liverpool FC, which was triggered by the Gerry & The Pacemakers version.
Quote from: A.Cow on 05 August, 2017, 03:37:26 AM
Quote from: philt on 04 August, 2017, 08:33:36 AM
"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a Ro Jaws and Hammerstein tune. Sorry Rogers and Hammerstein tune
I suspect that the songwriters are more of a (very) happy coincidence.
Given that the story focuses on "The port of Northpool" -- a thinly-veiled Liverpool equivalent, complete with docks & token Irish priest -- it's clearly intended to reference the anthemic use associated with Liverpool FC, which was triggered by the Gerry & The Pacemakers version.
Well given the time travel associated with 2000ad and I don't don't Tharg's omniscience not restricted by time or space I've always assumed it was a tribute to my forum name...
Mind putting ego aside its clearly a reference to both the Liverpool FC connection AND Rogers and Hammerstein. I suspect Pat Mills is more than smart enough to have been aware and combined both* happily. Note there's no mucky Z Cars references.
*I mean all three as its clearly all about me me I I me.
Been slowly catching up with me prog backlog, and all was pretty groovy, but this week I'm feeling the post-Brink slump. Grey Area is head and shoulders above the rest, with the Alienist proving a lot more interesting than I remembered. As for the rest, hmmmm.
I had been enjoying Hunted a lot, but this week there were so many different people shooting at each other than I basically gave up and just looked at the pretty colours. In Dredd, the Cursed Earth continues to look like somewhere you might buy a retirement cottage and Paradox Vega doesn't half go on, and lampshading t doesn't help. I liked her first outing, but this one is grating already.
Which brings us to Greysuit. Higgins now looks like he enjoys drawing this about as much as I enjoy reading it.
Quote from: Taryn Tailz on 30 July, 2017, 03:34:16 PM
Have I slipped into a parallel universe where suddenly Greysuit is good? :P
Thank God it's not just me who winces at every single frame of this lame and politically patronising story.
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 05 August, 2017, 10:06:17 AM
Quote from: A.Cow on 05 August, 2017, 03:37:26 AM
Quote from: philt on 04 August, 2017, 08:33:36 AM
"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a Ro Jaws and Hammerstein tune. Sorry Rogers and Hammerstein tune
I suspect that the songwriters are more of a (very) happy coincidence.
Given that the story focuses on "The port of Northpool" -- a thinly-veiled Liverpool equivalent, complete with docks & token Irish priest -- it's clearly intended to reference the anthemic use associated with Liverpool FC, which was triggered by the Gerry & The Pacemakers version.
Well given the time travel associated with 2000ad and I don't don't Tharg's omniscience not restricted by time or space I've always assumed it was a tribute to my forum name...
Mind putting ego aside its clearly a reference to both the Liverpool FC connection AND Rogers and Hammerstein. I suspect Pat Mills is more than smart enough to have been aware and combined both* happily. Note there's no mucky Z Cars references.
*I mean all three as its clearly all about me me I I me.
I endorse Colin's theory!
However, seeing as I'm the one who entertained the thought of Pat Mills bothering to sift through prog review threads for story ideas, my endorsement probably doesn't count for much ::)
Only just got hold of 2042, having been on holiday, so briefly...
Cover: Splendid
Dredd: Exposition, yes, but written written with incredible panache and given great scope for visual flair.
Alienist: My first time round with this. Decent stuff, bit of a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen vibe to it.
Greysuit: When life throws you melons...
Grey Area: Exquisite, once again
Hunted: There's too much going on! Calm it down!