Prog 2101 - The Red, Wight and Blue

[norton canes]

Another fine prog - as one would expect the standards from last week are well and truly maintained, though most of the stories have a slow burn installment. The Small House layers on the intrigue while building the tension, it's been said this is building towards something big and the knowledge of that only serves to heighten the excitement. I can see I'm going to have to read up on Sensitive Klegg.

I don't know about slow burn but Brink practically goes into hibernation, I suspect this is the sort of measured episode that puts a few people off the strip, but for me it simply again raises the anticipation a notch. Despite the luscious artwork of Dave Taylor I must admit that FOTEFET has been a little underwhelming script-wise, the story not doing anything particular unexpected or adventurous. 'Jejune' appears to be the appropriate term. Still there's time for that to change, as proved by Skip Tracer, which this week finally escapes its jejune shackles with a simple reflective moment that adds an extra dimension to the protagonist's character. I've liked James Peaty's simple but lucid storytelling style on this strip, which though sometimes superficial has never been a chore to read.

And finally we come to Gene the Hackman, for whom the phrase 'slow burn' means only a method of cooking meat. It's great to see this chapter's first exploding head gore eruption in the third page, a grand tradition continued.

[Magnetica]

What did Smiley mean by "your little glowing friend"?

[Richard]

I'm certain he said it before, in Trifecta or Bullet to King Four, but I can't remember what it means.

Did Dredd covertly take a photo? That little flash on his glove made me think it was a camera flash. (Although flash photography doesn't seem very discreet so I could be very wrong.)

[sheridan]

What did Smiley mean by "your little glowing friend"?

I'm your only friend
I'm not your only friend
But I'm a little glowing friend
But really I'm not actually your friend
But I am

If that's the only meaning, then Smiley is just saying to Dredd that he's the only friend Joe can count on.

[TordelBack]

Fantastic prog, absolutely fantastic.

Dredd was compelling, good to see the various long-running threads pulling together, plus added [spoiler]Sensitive Klegg[/spoiler].  Lovely colours from Blythe too. My only niggle was Smiley's list of Dredd's "saving the City" moments - not sure why the Cursed Earth mission is on there (and not just because he killed everyone in MC2 a dozen years later...), and perhaps it might have been constructive to instead mention something like the Texas City takeover,  in the cause of bringing the various writers' sub-universes into one continuity.  Still a gripping episode though.

Brink almost defies sensible comment. The sense of tension,  of claustrophobia,  the dread instilled by eating nudge-laced food... I don't know how those lads inject all that into an episode that's essentially about dusting, but I'm in awe. Amazingly good, thrill of the week.

Skip Tracer: what's that now,  has this strip just graduated from competent but forgettable entertainment to something a lot more engaging?  I do believe it has, justifying this reader's strained patience. Pray continue, gentlemen.

Fiends: Doesn't mess around this one!  Enjoyably old-school in its pacing, and simply glorious to look at.  One minor quibble: the introduction of the zombies/ghouls took place in one corner of a very small panel: I appreciate that there's a lot going on in that page,  but perhaps this important reveal could have been given more space. Turning out to be a very worthy prequel to a series I've always enjoyed.

Kingdom: Gloriously action-packed episode mixes things up yet again. Kingdom has never put a foot wrong. More than interested to see what else South America has to throw at Gene.

[Timothy]

I'm certain he said it before, in Trifecta or Bullet to King Four, but I can't remember what it means.

Did Dredd covertly take a photo? That little flash on his glove made me think it was a camera flash. (Although flash photography doesn't seem very discreet so I could be very wrong.)

Even without the flash it is quality Arthur fist meme action.

[sheridan]

Lovely colours from Blythe too. My only niggle was Smiley's list of Dredd's "saving the City" moments - not sure why the Cursed Earth mission is on there (and not just because he killed everyone in MC2 a dozen years later...),

That jumped out at me as well - it didn't even cross my mind that it was only a temporary save - more that it was a list of saving the city which included an entirely different city.  I think my list would have been Cal, Apoc, City of the Damned, Necropolis and Chaos Day (the last being what happens if you don't listen to what Dredd says).

[Leigh S]

Do we know how long Smiley is supposed to have been there?   Assuming it was post Apocalypse War, where was he during Necropolis for example, or the Texas City stuff?

I have to say, I've never beena  fan of "secret" Judicial subterfuge groups - they have a long line going back to the early days of the Meg - a Hershey story I recall, ironically if so? 

However, Flint and Williams makes a change from the norm, and if it pushes the world forward (or at the very least resolves some of these things I find a bit off!), I'm more engaged than usual

[TordelBack]

Since Cal, IIRC. We were given to understand that he was nudging things along behind the scenes throughout all the big crises, although not many were mentioned by name. His activities during the Big Nec would be interesting,  did he even escape the Sisters' control?  He may not have been bothered by the Texas takeover,  Pamela may have been easier to manipulate than Barbara and he'd get an extra city into the bargain.

Basically it's part of the central conceit of a good character, much like Mrs Gunderson's continued survival,  so I'm happy to accept it.

A bigger question is where he was when the Grand Hall was razed to the ground on at least 3 occasions!

[Leigh S]

I thought it had been suggested Smiley had been about all the time, which tips an unlikely concept into silly for me - as you say, he survives the Grand Hall being destroyed multiple times and on top of that, has failed to sae the City once, relying on Dredd to step up so his lecture to Dredd rings pretty hollow!

[Richard]

He may have saved the city on occasions we don't know about, because he stopped things from reaching crisis point in the first place. But yes, without Dredd there'd be no city, so Smiley should just shut up.

[Leigh S]

If Smiley saved us from the Millar/McKenzie Sino-Cit mega "epic" then I'll give him a pass!

He may have saved the city on occasions we don't know about, because he stopped things from reaching crisis point in the first place. But yes, without Dredd there'd be no city, so Smiley should just shut up.

[The Sherman Kid]

I'm certain he said it before, in Trifecta or Bullet to King Four, but I can't remember what it means.

Did Dredd covertly take a photo? That little flash on his glove made me think it was a camera flash. (Although flash photography doesn't seem very discreet so I could be very wrong.)

Interesting -I just took it as Dredd cracking his knuckles after being called essentially a 'thickie'.

A bit confused myself here as to what on earth is going on  . I'm sure  will be revealed.

[Proudhuff]

I'm certain he said it before, in Trifecta or Bullet to King Four, but I can't remember what it means.

Did Dredd covertly take a photo? That little flash on his glove made me think it was a camera flash. (Although flash photography doesn't seem very discreet so I could be very wrong.)

Interesting -I just took it as Dredd cracking his knuckles after being called essentially a 'thickie'.

A bit confused myself here as to what on earth is going on  . I'm sure  will be revealed.

There is another flash in the story too, wasn't this previously a sign that a stealth assassin was about?

I think the reference to glowing friend was something along the similar lines?

[TordelBack]

The "glowing friend" line is definitely a reference back to the use of TMBG lyrics in Trifecta, drawing on the  "blue canary in the outlet by the light switch / who watches over me" idea,  but more pertinently the flip-flopping and vague menace of:

I'm your only friend
I'm not your only friend
But I'm a little
Glowing friend
But really I'm not
Actually your friend
But I am

The knuckle flash I initially took as comics-shorthand for a painfully clenched fist,  is supposed anger,  but I'm open to the idea that it's a signal to Roffman/recording device or whatever.