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Messages - IndigoPrime

#31
And newsstand is even riskier today, arguably. Locally, we've seen McColl's be replaced by a Morrisons Local, which has reduced the amount of magazines/comics carried to (at a rough estimate) 20%. A nearby gigantic Tesco has ripped out its book section entirely and the magazines have been drastically reduced – probably to about 40% of the original space, and there's definitely also a reduction in what's carried. And rumblings continue about WHSmith and whether that too might start cutting things back in future. (I hope not – it's now last-place standing in a lot of towns.)
#32
Quotemaybe modern-day children have a very different mindset

The main thing I see in mini-IP and her friends regarding stories they (mostly girls, 9-10) read are: younger-aged protagonists; an emphasis on justice in the sense of fairness (something Cadet Dredd really struggled with); a shit-ton of horror, but often laced with comedy; diversity replacing meanness (Blyton now considered archaic; Dahl confuses due to its meanness; and I suspect Harry Potter could head the same way, given its rampant stereotypes, although many of those are lost on kids – and probably adults too).

Which might sound... dull? But the books I read with her are often whip-smart. They tackle a lot of themes to help the protagonists to their goals. Humour exists because someone has set up a joke, rather than just screaming LOOK AT THE UGLY FAT PERSON. And they're often really engaging in terms of language and pace.

Regarding comics vs books, I think it's much harder to say what works. There's clearly some success in the indie space. Manga is hugely popular with teens. Younger kids devour a smallish selection of mostly cartoon-oriented titles. The Phoenix shows there's a market, but it may well be a very small one. And even The Beano is bouncing around a ~30k circulation (IIRC) these days.

For me, the best of Regened were series that made no assumptions. Those tying themselves heavily into continuity – especially previous 2000 AD stuff, but also within Regened itself (Lowborn High, say) – suffered. And Cadet Dredd didn't really work because as a basic concept it's fundamentally flawed from the outset.

In the 1970s, the 'hardman' was the centrepiece of media and so translated well to comics. As we grew up, so did the Dredd strip, bringing in nuance. Readers became engaged with its grey area morality. But that path doesn't exist in the 2020s. The Cadet incarnation worked best when it ditched all that and became about the brothers – one reckless and one being a rigid killjoy. Yet even then, it too often clearly wanted to tie itself into actual Dredd continuity (with several foreshadowing nods), rather than just being its own thing, and it made you root for the character who wasn't the lead, because he was actually fun.
#33
When The Phoenix Shop did its 50% off thing a while back, I'll happily admit I bought the first volume for me, so I could finally read it. The map is a bit weird (the north being independent and it looking like the fascists are coming out of Wales and the midlands), but the way it's presented is really smart. Very dark for a children's comic, mind.
#34
I suppose we should really get at least one review into each page of this review thread, so here's mine. An odd Prog this week after the past couple of months. Despite only one strip changing, it feels like a bit of a comedown. That's not to say this was a bad Prog – it really wasn't – but it obvious feels very different.

I thought the Stuart Moore wraparound cover was excellent, and the (unrelated) Dredd was a useful palette cleanser. The story was fun. A bit slight. But I'm OK with that this week. I'm not sure I could have coped had this one turned out differently at the end.

Indigo Prime continues to play with some interesting concepts within its own continuity. I hope Kek-W can keep it coherent. I'm not sure we need more toys from the toy box. Wiping out the Tyranny army as a pity. Some nice body horror this episode too.

Filt Tilt Boogie continues to be fun, although I clearly need a re-read to decipher what was going on in p4–5. Not sure whether the gran was just lucky or if she has a kind of sixth sense. Lying cats seeming cousin is fun. (I get the need to release collections quickly, but how nice would it have been to have had both FTB series in a single HC? Ah well.)

Deadworld slaps back and forth between pantomime villains and genuine horror, sometimes within the same few pages. "We are losing control of the Judge Child", says Phobia. And the plot also. This one just feels like a mess now. I've no idea what's going no. Maybe I'm getting old.

Thistlebone is much tighter, and ends suitably ominously.

Full Tilt Boogie > Indigo Prime > Dredd > Thistlebone > Deadworld. Nothing bad. Four good. One that I wish was more good – for me, at least.
#35
It's really interesting looking at the above strips grid, because it feels like a comic that – given the huge gap between issues – was struggling to find its identity. Initially, it was "kid-friendly takes on classic 2000 AD characters, with a few new things". End of the first half brought in a bunch ion new stuff. Issues with Pandora and Dept K. One with Mayflies and Splorers. But then it quickly became 'Lowborn High also featuring Cadet Dredd, and maybe some other stuff if we can squeeze it in'.

For a range of reasons, I do hope it's not dead. But I also personally hope if there's more that it's closer in nature to the first half than the second half of what we've had to date. (Ofc, that might be entirely contrary to sales. Maybe Lowborn High was a hit with the kids. I can only go by my own prefs and those of my youngling.)
#36
I really liked Brass Sun, but good grief at the gap between books. I know there are probably good reasons for it, but we're almost heading into John Smith territory with this one.

Mega Robo Bros is an interesting entry. I'm surprised Cameron is finishing it, because it's so wildly popular. (The only thing in The Phoenix that has more clout is Bunny vs Monkey, and it's a close run thing.) And I agree that this is a perfect template for Regened, but I get the impression Regened tried to pitch itself as the next step after The Phoenix, despite not really being more mature in any meaningful sense. (I mean, The Phoenix is currently running the latest series of No Country, a painfully zoomed in view of how a family deals with the repercussions of an attempted far-right takeover of the UK.)

As for The Phoenix only being in print, that does have its problems, not least because the comic has never managed to get wide distribution. (My local WHSmith seems to carry far more niche comics, but never The Phoenix.) Still, if you have kids, the publisher's still doing its 'six issues for a quid' trial, and the new chunky format collections represent excellent value.
#37
It would seem... unlikely, unless Tharg's giving us bumper 2000 ADs four times per year and Regened. But it seems unlikely Regened would drop to the standard page count. The delay/cancellation of the fifth trade doesn't suggest good things either. I dunno. Comics are tricky, and these days publishing numbers are mostly opaque (bar rare cases like The Beano).

I still like the concept behind Regened, but I haven't enjoyed the execution for some time. More or a concern: my 9yo hasn't been fussed either, despite devouring The Phoenix weekly and reading mountains of books and comics. But everyone here must surely be painfully aware that comics need new readers to survive. So perhaps these bumper Progs can help with that? I've no idea what's planned, but I hope they'll whack in some recognisable strips. And also give them value as one-offs, by having some one-and-dones alongside the ongoings.

Clearly, Rebellion does have some handle on the children's market, given the increase in Monster Fun's frequency. And it doesn't strike me as a company that wouldn't beat a dead horse. Four Regened collections is a solid run, and we've had a bunch of spin-off too.

It's all speculation, I suppose, but if Regened does stop, I'd hope the best strips continue to have a life in the regular Prog. Although obviously what people consider the best is going to vary from reader to reader. (I'd happily read more Full Tilt Boogie, Pandora Perfect, Intestinauts, Department K and Mayflies. And some of those have made it across already anyway, albeit in a few cases in very limited fashion.)
#38
Or they just wrap it up with one final chunkier volume.
#39
Prog / Re: Prog 2372 - Escape Pod!
07 March, 2024, 04:28:46 PM
Quotethe power of the character is at its strongest when we're reminded that he genuinely believes that being a shouty bully and using violence to solve problems is the best way to keep citizens safe
Or at least that the best way to keep the citizens safe is something that Dredd is wholeheartedly behind, and he shows his willingness to take people there.

Thinking about this more broadly, it's interesting to look back over the history of Dredd and consider how he was for a time akin to a weapon. The Chief Judge of the era would point Dredd at a problem and he would sort it – in a manner befitting of that Chief Judge. So when hardliner Silver rocked up, Dredd was at his most ferocious. Only when he started questioning his place in the system and was faced with Chief Judges that were sub-par (thereby positioning Cal not so much as a blip but a regular occurrence) did he start to step up.

The question is: what does Dredd believe now? Does he believe in the status quo, despite it being shown to not be the best way? Or will he argue that 304 did ultimately fail and need 'saving' by the judges, even though it was compromised and sabotaged by Justice Department itself? And if we're still somewhat in the space of "a few bad eggs – with notably more at the top", what then? Dredd carries on dispensing justice and occasionally going above and beyond in being a bit more human, but ultimately supports a top-down mandate he no longer fully believes in, because there's no alternative – even though an alternative did exist?

I'd honestly be surprised if too much of this is answered. But it's interesting one shortish series has provided a wealth of opportunity for some fantastic follow-ups. (And looking online, it's really engaged people with the strip again.) I just hope whatever does come can be transformative in a meaningful sense, and it won't just be Dredd punching Hernandez in the face "for Maitland", while a fridge lurks at the edge of the panel, muttering "Really?"

As noted elsewhere in this thread, I'd hope the creators and Maitland were both too smart for that. If Hernandez is going to be taken down, it needs to be Maitland that does it, albeit from beyond the grave and perhaps with Dredd driving/assisting that. But it cannot – must not – be Dredd alone.
#40
Prog / Re: Prog 2372 - Escape Pod!
06 March, 2024, 07:53:11 PM
No, I initially thought the same about the two characters. Not sure who the journo was. Again, has anyone noticed him before? Is he a previous character?

As for "grandpa Dredd is slightly keener to fight the horror than to dish it out", I dunno. It feels like he's happy to just kind of ignore it so he can get on with doing his own thing. And despite his misgivings for Hershey, it's notable that during her time, Dredd was effectively considered council and had the clout to match. Now? Hard to say, but it doesn't look like he has any real influence at this point.
#41
Prog / Re: Prog 2372 - Escape Pod!
06 March, 2024, 12:00:24 PM
Each Thistlebone has been smartly self-contained within the wider mythos. (In short: scary weird shit happens in the woods.) FTB... a lot happened in the first series, but the storytelling is such that it doesn't impact on your enjoyment if you've not read it.

But, yeah: Deadworld is borderline impenetrable at times for me, and I have all the Progs and the collections. And Indigo Prime even under John Smith wasn't a forgiving strip if you rocked up in the middle of it. But in the past it was at least relatively self-contained per series, whereas now it's drawing in threads (and, seemingly, then immediately abandoning some) from the strip's entire history, along with that of a spin-off.
#42
Marginally better than De'ath, I suppose.
#43
Does anyone know how many volumes would be required for a complete run? Or alternatively to a satisfying end point?
#44
Prog / Re: Prog 2372 - Escape Pod!
06 March, 2024, 09:14:42 AM
As a concept, Indigo Prime has a lot going for it. But some strips are so intertwined with their creators that they don't always work when handed over to someone else. With John Smith, that's doubly problematic, due to his very distinct voice. I thought Kek-W did a solid job of finishing off the strip Smith had started, but I'm not entirely convinced by some of the decisions made, and, frankly, just miss Smith being in the Prog. (Conversely, Devlin Waugh under Kot in particular has been working very well, as far as I'm concerned. And I'm sure there are plenty of readers who'd flip or change those viewpoints.)

#45
General / Re: Cybermatt is great but I miss...
05 March, 2024, 04:04:11 PM
It's quite the stint. Really impressive. Of publications I regularly read, the only editor whose tenure is comparable is Darran Jones's, over at Retro Gamer. (Hislop's 38 or so years on Private Eye is somewhat unbeatable, however, I imagine!)