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Liked the end to the weeks Dredd but couldnt help but be disappointed that we didnt see Dredd go through some kind of recovery after a real pasting on Titan.

The trouble is if you do this after half the stories you'd end up with Dredd spending time in recovery. He gets a right old battering so often. Mind it could create a kinda of sub-genera within Dredd, playing the up tight patient, next to a newly qualified Nurse DeMarco in the Mega City One version of Carry on Matron.

I think it was too much this time and it would have been better to have a single follow-up episode that could have addressed them getting back and to show Hershey's reaction to the situation.  The straight jump from on-his arse on Titan to on duty in MC1 was odd.

...and may have been a timing thing. Wait until you get this weeks Prog!

When I used to go to cons while working in IT, I used to refer to it as being "weekend-famous". It's great fun and cool to be asked to sign things and then go back in to a day job where no-one gives a hoot about you...

-pj

Well I get one half of that... dammit its not the good half is it...

To be honest there are some wonderful difference in tone in the series itself. I have the first and last omnibi (I'll trust your spelling on that one, it'll be no surprise that I never know the plural for omnibus!) as they cover material not in the series I have.

They are done in chronological order of events in series time. So new material reflecting back old events in the series are in Book 1 which will make for a very interesting read. While I normally don't like to do this as you never know what one person will like however much of a cross-over in taste you think you have (I still adore those Human Target stories you sold me!) I can't honest recommend much with more hope than any of the omnibus volumes as they represent great value and the material is just first rate. Omnibus 2 for example collects the materials at the start of the series I've just read and while the art might take some getting used to... I personally came to really appreciate it but it might be worth looking before you buy as it is... interesting... that would be as good a place to start as any.

Sorry If I misled you here Colin, the expected three short stories by each writer was not what we got. It's a collaborative effort by Spurrier, Carey & Gage instead.

Not an issue not been to my Nerd Shop yet so if they have put it aside for me I'll flick through. Must admit I assumed it was going to be short stories rather than a collaboration.

He's wondering why, after all this time, you're misspellin' his name.  *sob

Ah Grant but you can't go treating me like that. Abandon me for weeks then come rolling in at whatever time of night you call this, excepting me to remember complex stuff like your name and what not.

I think the whole of the Summer Special ideas wise seems very exciting. Lets hope the execution lives up to that.

I'm primarily aware of Matt Wagner via Mage, of what I've read of it I liked it a lot. Though I hear its incomplete, and the final chapter long delayed.

Its made of three stories 'Hero Discovered' and 'Hero Defined' are both out and complete and quite superb on their own. He has always planned a third arc 'Hero Denied' and while that's not out yet it doesn't really affect how the other two work. Rather its just great to know we can expect more.

All that said he's made a LOT of mumbling lately about how its the next thing he's going to work on. So fingers crossed not to far off.

I've just finished reading the 40 issue ongoing series of Grendel from Comico back in the day and was going to simply sing its praises over at the 'What I've been reading' thread. Thinking on though having finished it I couldn't help dwelling on how Matt Wagner has a lot of fans on the board (I think) and how he deserves a go at getting a thread dedicated to his work.

Grendel was quite, quite brilliant. When Wagner started the series he hit upon a wonderful way to sustain it beyond the original incarnation of the character. Its one that's been done a lot since but I'm not sure how much before hand? Grendel became an entity that possessed different people, the devil incarnate. Thus this ongoing was in fact a series of ongoing mini-series. It starts with a quite stunning examination of hate, anger and desperation with Christine Sparr hunting her missing son and springs to boundless other ideas examining similar themes from there.

The format enabled the inspired Matt Wagner to really take the shackles off and run rampant with experimentation. As with 2000ad not all of it worked, the vast majority does, but even when it doesn't you're glad you've read it and had the chance to judge. Its really is a fantastic examination in what a comic can do with a core concept, some flexible, open themes and the ambition of a young creative mind not willing to settle for the norm.

Oh and its a bloody engaging exciting read to.

So yeah that's just Grendel. Alongside his work on Mage a glorious autobiography of sorts and some of the best mainstream superhero work out there when he's delved that way I have now decided that Matt Wagner has joined that other Wagner in my top five comic writers of all time. He truly deserves to sit alongside the greats (in no order) John Wagner, Grant Morrison, John Smith and Jack Kirby as the best creators I have ever read and when you think about some of the astonishing talent not in that list (I might start a favourite writers thread since I had some thoughts on this after finishing Grendel - and we love lists don't we!) that is no mean claim.

So yeah if anyone fancies lets all sit down, flex our fingers and type in praise of one of comics greats. Arguably the most under-rated of them all Matt Wagner.

Some more 2015 releases to stock the long term fires!

http://comicsbeat.com/new-titles-from-titan-books-summer-2014-spring-2015/

Again from The Beat (and I'll be further polluting the board with talk of next year in that other thread what I did start) news of some great stuff from Titan.

http://comicsbeat.com/new-titles-from-titan-books-summer-2014-spring-2015/

They're repackaging some Charley's War stuff unsurprisingly this year, but this is the one that's got me all gooey with excitement.

The Complete Johnny Nemo
Peter Milligan, Brett Ewins
On Sale Date: October 7, 2014
$19.99 USD / $22.95 CAD
Hardback
Comics & Graphic Novels / Science Fiction
9781782760702, 1782760709
Summary: A futuristic noir collection featuring Johnny Nemo – an ultra-violent, foul-mouthed PI from dystopian London 2921.
Johnny Nemo: Existentialist Hitman of the Future – a streetwise PI who deals in death...and simple solutions to complex problems! A provocative and hilarious satire
Story Locale: Futuristic, dystopian London Year 2921

Heard talk of this so great to finally see some detail. Can't wait.

Is the floppie with this one the second Black Siddha volume?

Hold on, hold on this isn't fair.

If you're going to be forming an angry mob to chase me out of town I at least deserve to have a stone castle with a strong wooden door to bolt behind me at the top of a narrow flight of stone steps. My man cave just isn't a secure stronghold from which is plot my evil plots!

I have a lot of time for Alex Ronald's work from the late 90s but there's no denying he divides option, or certainly did his current stuff seems to meet almost universal approval. Even some of his writers have said less than pleasant things here as I recall.

For me he's an artist that really showed progression at an astonishing rate and by the end of his first spell with The Galaxies Greatest he's among my favourite of the period and I have a lovely Missionary Man page by him in my original art collection (good range of shots as it goes too). I'm one of those wrong headed people (I say cos we do seem to be very much in the minority) that prefers his old inking style to his new more 'painted' current work, though that is nice too.

Dragging this back on topic around the time he did Rogue Trooper there was also some changes on Dredd 'The Pit'. Now while Dredd always has a rota of artists I do wonder if this story was well served by some of the latter choices and whether they were planned or came about due to Ezquerra and MacNeill who started the story not being available to finish it? I dream of a version of that greatest (well possibly) of Dredd epics by just those two in the way Cursed Earth, that greatest (possibly) of Dredd epics has just McMahon and Bolland.

Seems ridiculously early to be starting a thread about titles out next year BUT over at The Beat they've come across listing for DCs trades for the next year! Very good reading it is too, some nice stuff on the way.

http://comicsbeat.com/new-titles-from-dc-comics-fall-2014-and-spring-2015/

Amongst the titles is

Enigma (New Edition)
Peter Milligan, Duncan Fegredo
On Sale Date: January 6, 2015
$17.99 USD / $20.99 CAD
208 pages Paperback / softback / Trade paperback (US)
Comics & Graphic Novels / Fantasy
9781401251314, 1401251315
Summary: ENIGMA is a thought-provoking post-modern tale of self-discovery and sexual identity told against the backdrop of improbable super-heroes and villains. Michael Smith lives a meaningless life of routine and boredom. But when Enigma, his favorite childhood comic book hero, inexplicably comes to life, Smith finds himself on an obsessive crusade to uncover the secret behind his improbable existence. Teaming with Enigma's comic creator, Smith encounters an insanity-inducing psychopath, a brain-eating serial killer, and a suicide-inciting clown posse as his quest uncovers hidden truths about both his idol and himself. This new edition of the Vertigo classic is written by Peter Milligan (JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK, RED LANTERNS) with kinetic art by Duncan Fegredo (SHADE THE CHANGING MAN).
Collects ENIGMA #1-8.

Now this came out just as I was drifting from comics and like so many other things from my wilderness years I've never go around to catching up with it (also see from the very list above Y: Last Man and 100 Bullets softback editions of which I think I'll be snapping up as well). As this however keeps appearing when people discuss their favourite Pete Milligan work I'm all over this. Looking forward to it.

Not seen it mentioned here, but sorry if I missed it. In the second part of the ECBT 2000ad Pat Mills interview it was revealed that Flesh will return with Clint Langley on art. Some way off as its not even written yet so will be a while.

In two minds about this, really pleased the story is coming back but not convinced Clint Langley is the artist I want to see on the series. Still will have to wait and see and hope it all turns out lovely.

Some really intriguing stuff in that Special by the sound and really looking forward to seeing what's in there BUT have to agree with Adventurer would personally much prefer to see Samantha finish up her story rather than her Granddad being rolled out again.

Come on what could possibly go wrong with returning a replacement character that wasn't that popular in the first place, which created division amomgst the creative droids (apparently) and got left with a now 7 year old cliffhanger that very few readers either remember or care about... damnit I'm not helping my case there am I...

...where's Grant Goggins to fight ya corner when you need him?