Prog 1459 - Bite the Bullet!

[paulvonscott]

Well, after venting my frustration with the prog last week, I find myself a sad dried up old geyser, with nothing better to do than start the prog thread.

Mandroid continues to entertain, as he switches gears into full attack mode, and the story starts to throw up new leads.

And Savage goes out with a murderous rampage.  I can't say how much I'm pleased he will be back, to go on further murderous rampages.  Just goes to show to my mind how a second series can really consolidate on what was an okay first series, and really get to work.

As usual skipped Sin Dex, if you are allergic to peanuts, don't eat peanut butter is my advice.

Breathing Space ends.  I suspect I didn't give it the attention it deserved, as I was confused till the end.

Leatherjack continues on with the waffle, but I can live with that as at least things happen this week.

Not sure Fint has Savage down quite right, but it's a colourful and exciting cover, and more importantly the logo is partly obscured to annoy the clean logo brigade.  Hurrah!

[Artificial Idiot]

Wait - So did Bartram go and kill Luge/Cameron at the end? Unlike last week, I was fine and clear on everything until they point.

Still, I think I've been a bit unfair to Breathing Space in the past, and now I have the whole picture it's actually quite a grand story.

Even though I subconsiously knew it was going to happen (damn you Charlie Adlard!) I was stil quite shocked at Svetlana's death. A very moving and surprising piece of writing... Or maybe I'd just grown a little too attached to the old girl...

[Dudley]

Flaming hell - WHAT an ending for Breathing Space.  Goning to have to go back and re-assess the whole series now.  That's one of the best endings we've had in a long time.

[Proudhuff]

Everything that PVS said, except I loved the cover... Flint for Savage III!

Huuf von Huff

Ps Butch Traitious wimmin in (who only really wants a man) in Pat Mills story comes to a sticky end!! shock horror!

[WoD]

I said to watch out for the waitor...

[paulvonscott]

I wouldn't argue the point, but surely Monsieur Flint is needed elsewhere and Adlard is already doing a fantastic job.  

Otherwise, I agree with you ;)

[topshed]

Isn't that Frank Castle on the front? With the skull logo thingy?

[Oddboy]

Flaming hell - WHAT was the ending for Breathing Space?

Going to read the whole thing through from start to end, see if I can work it out.

[paulvonscott]

Not only was he the Earth Murderer, he was someone else, and all the victims too.  Possibly.

[petesbeats]

I think Luge/Cameron is commiting suicide at the end because of what shes done.  It can be percieved as that ayway.  Then again it could be sometyhing else completely.  Ive definately enjoyed the series though.  One question though.  Why does Bartram have a fit when he touches kingds blood?  Is it because hes seeing all the murders???

[Funt Solo]

Cover:
I could take this or leave it.  It seems a bit of a mess, tbh.  A striking mess.  "Rog 1459".  Bleh.

Judge Dredd: Mandroid
This continues to be an absolute classic in the making, taking it's sweet time in telling the story.  Three and a half pages of vigilante action, followed by the half page vignette with the kindly neighbours which segues beautifully into the splash image of the struggling perp with the "who would do such a thing?" line.

I also like Kev Walker's rendition of the granite Dredd chin, along with classic Dredd sentencing logic:  keep upping the stakes till the subject gives in (as he faces a metaphorical cliff-face).

It's just a perfect blend of art and script.

Savage: Out of Order
I thought the waiter from last week was dodgy as well, but I figured that the american was a traitor and the waiter was a goon.  So, blind-sided by Mills and Adlard (he had to draw a suspicious looking waiter) as the american is just a patsy and the waiter is a good guy.

I look forward to a new series.  Somehow, this tale requires a resolution.  Savage is becoming more and more, well, savage.  Cold-blooded murder last week (albeit against a hellish maniac) and now more this week, against a group of civilians.  They might be traitors in his eyes, but they're still civilians.  This Savage is certainly an anti-hero.

:: Butch Traitious wimmin in (who only really wants a man) in Pat Mills story comes to a sticky end!!

I have to offer a rebuttal.  Svetlana is certainly a well-trained military officer, but she's hardly butch.  Whilst mentioning marriage, she's hardly displayed any other characteristics of requiring a man to fulfill her life.  She's not traitorous, as she faithfully serves her own country and cause to the bitter end.

Methinks it's another case of twisting the facts around to fit the popular theory.  It seems the only way Mills can win is to not have any women at all in his stories:  but of course he could then be accused of not including them because he hates them.  Ho, and indeed, hum.

Leatherjack
So, now he's surrounded by lots of big guns, which he'll destroy next week (along with anything that fat dude can fire at him).

At some point, the ants will get involved:  which is the only bit that isn't entirely predictable about this well-drawn romp.

Sinister Dexter
Sing-a-long a same old same old.  It's not bad, but it's not offering anything new.  I'm guessing there's going to be lots of shooting and some banter.

I'm not laughing at this series, I'm laughing towards it.

Breathing Space
Okay, slight graphical confusion aside, I think this was a great story, beautifully rendered.

It was confusing at times.  King was confused.  We were supposed to be confused.  My take is that Cameron commits suicide.  She only commited the crimes partly because she was mourning the loss of her mother.   In other words, she was never self-serving or evil:  just very disturbed.

King forces Bartram to touch his blood to get the truth from his head:  so Bartram must have some tactile empathic ability.

Like Ellroy, the plot isn't supposed to be easy to follow:  it was fast moving and convoluted.  Movie pitch, I tell you, movie pitch!

[Proudhuff]

''Methinks it's another case of twisting the facts around to fit the popular theory. It seems the only way Mills can win is to not have any women at all in his stories: but of course he could then be accused of not including them because he hates them. ''

Yegads and Za-sooks! uncovered! back lads, they're using Scottish Bluebell!

I would have got away with it if it wasn't for you pesky Fates...mumble...'


Bat-huff ( that's Bitter And Twisted)

[Leigh S]

Good prog, but having misread Breathing Space before, lets see if I'm not totally off here...

The crimes were committed by someone using magic powers.

And solved by one person using magic powers and another person remembering "hey - I did that!"

On top of that, some magic power enables the magic judge to become King and go and see Cameron top herself?

Hmmmm.  To be honest, I'd have prefered the Bison solution.

One question - why is there a tape on Boot Hill which will tell him about Cameron? DOes this refer back to the first episode, or has my mind glazed over while reading this weeks again?

[Funt Solo]

re. Breathing Space

I managed to follow this entire series relatively easily, despite some small confusion over the exploding H-Wagon incident, which itself was solved by closely examining the artwork.

I highly recommend anyone who hasn't to read all 9 episodes in one sitting (as I did lastnight) as it throws all sorts of new light onto the tale (which is chock full of red herrings and blind alleys, as a good murder mystery should be).

I have to say, if you're going to complain about the use of psi-powers as a plot device (or any kind of mind control) then you're going to have to complain about nearly all the PJ Maybe adventures and all of the Judge Anderson ones to boot.  It's not as if psi powers are pulled out of the hat at the last minute as a cheat:  we do get clues.  Cameron says to King early in the series "Nice to see you again".  King recognises her perfume as that worn by Luge.  Bartram indicates that something is blocking his psi-power, which indicates another psi is involved.  As the series progresses, we get fed bits of the puzzle, but never the whole jigsaw.

(Aside: Bartram doesn't become King:  he is simply back on Earth and in his Judge's uniform.  On another note, whether he communicates with her psychically, I don't know:  but I remain convinced that she tops herself.  Bartram would arrest her, not kill her.  He's still a Judge, and one that appears to play by the rules.)

The tape on Boot Hill:  earlier in the series, King is desperately missing Judge Luge and requests information on her current whereabouts from the Justice Dept. computer.  However, he's trying to leave that part of his past behind, so rather than look at the information, he goes to Boot Hill and buries it.

In episode 1, that's why he's gone to Boot Hill:  to look at the disc.  He mumbles something like "she never..." and then dies.

Now, here's the sketch:  Judge Luge doesn't exist.  Luge is German for lie.  Luge was Cameron.  The disc is blank.  The completed sentence would be "she never existed".  The reason he never looked at the disc was probably something to do with the conflict between his controlled personality and his subconscious.

It would appear that even Cameron's father didn't know what she had been doing (although he had his suspicions, voiced directly to her just after the first murder).

The only bit I'm still curious about is the rumour one of the bent judges tells his pal about King being fond of female judges.  Because he never actually does sleep with a judge.  But then it could be apparent that he fancies female judges without him doing anything about it:  just check out the expression on his face when he first meets Julias.

Finally, I love reading back over it and realising that King is suffering severe paranoia throughout the investigation.  People keep mentioning love and relationships to him, and he keeps taking it personally, when really it's not (except for that one dig from bent-Judge #1).

[Floyd-the-k]

Haven't read it yet, but the cover, while pretty good, looks more like Cam Kennedy than Flint to me.