A rare Friday arrival! Lucky me!
The stand-out story this week is Judge Dredd: Boxing Day by Rob Williams and Chris Weston. It's a fun story of the old school variety, with lots of references to classic characters, but done in a way that won't alienate readers who don't know them. Weston's art is characteristically very detailed and colourful, and when I finished the story I went back and looked at all the pages again, something I almost never do. Later I discovered that he's also done a double-page pin-up of [spoiler]Dredd and Chopper.[/spoiler]
My second favourite was new thrill Hope, by Guy Adams and Jimmy Broxton. Only five pages to go on, but it looks promising. A sort of 1940s cross between Hellblazer and Watchmen, by the look of it. Looking forward to see how it develops.
The new series of Kingdom gets off to a cracking start. There's a new series called Kingmaker by Ian Edginton and Leigh Gallagher (in colour),
There are one-off episodes of Deadworld, Ace Trucking Co and Aquila. Aquila moves into the 14th century and is an enjoyably bloody tale, and my favourite instalment of the series so far. The other two, and The Order, I haven't read yet as I don't want to finish the whole thing in one sitting. And there are text articles about Misty and about a novel by Pat Mills and Kev O'Neill. And a Droid Life.
All in all, a very good end of year prog.
ohhh chris weston art yay!
FRIDAY?
Grrrr...
Got mine too.
Overall an excellent prog which I plan to ration, trapped as I am in hospital.
Dredd is excellent, the new stories look promising and the one-offs hit the mark.
If I have a criticism it's that there is only 70 pages of art, these progs used to be 80 plus, but only a minor niggle.
(http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r182/Caliban_photos/B8863869-33C9-4479-A516-E046FF8739B8_zpsebnrp9iv.jpg)
Got mine! Cover looks great, trying to read it all, remember its got to last 3 weeks!
Quote from: jannerboyuk on 10 December, 2016, 11:25:04 AM
Got mine! Cover looks great, trying to read it all, remember its got to last 3 weeks!
meant trying not to read it all - doh!
Quote from: Trent on 10 December, 2016, 03:12:04 AM
Got mine too.
Overall an excellent prog which I plan to ration, trapped as I am in hospital.
Dredd is excellent, the new stories look promising and the one-offs hit the mark.
If I have a criticism it's that there is only 70 pages of art, these progs used to be 80 plus, but only a minor niggle.
Well, they have the 40th anniversary prog alongside the regular prog in 2 months time, as well as having the on/off FCB, prog 2000 and summer special this year, it's been a busy time.
Loved the dredd story as a xmas special despite the daftness (paper money 100 years in the future? Really?) but wonderfully drawn.
Never liked ace trucking and this one was extra worthy which fell flat for me.
Deadworld i loved but was a bit weird as an episode in a running story that isnt back until spring!
Kingmaker is right up my street so looking forward to the next episode
Not everybodys fave thing in a prog but really enjoyed the misty feature, as i love british comics history.
Saving the rest (such discipline!)
Overall really good so far
Saving mine for closer to the day because I'm great.
Quote from: jannerboyuk on 10 December, 2016, 02:13:19 PM
Loved the dredd story as a xmas special despite the daftness (paper money 100 years in the future? Really?) but wonderfully drawn.
Not read the story yet, but there is previous for paper money in MC1, with a Lenny Zero (http://2000ad.wikia.com/wiki/Chief_Judge_J%C3%BCrgen_Griffin#Behind_the_Scenes) cover by Ben Willsher (http://2000adcovers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/ben-wilsher-art-of-lenny-who.html) (not to mention all the other mentions of paper creds in Pete's blog post).
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-55mHpfsYi4c/UAajX8iVpRI/AAAAAAAAEuo/w6OuIED9b5Y/s1600/10.jpg)
Gah! Looks like I got the Letter o the Week but have no Prog! Any kind soul able to upload a scan for me?
Great cover-love the look on the reindeers face! This will be my first end of year prog after a few years break so am looking forward to reading this.
Friday delivery and a superb cover! Only read Dredd so far, an enjoyable comic tale, but the glorious Chris Weston art is a real Christmas treat. Just like Richard I went straight back over and looked at all the pages again. Thanks Tharg - and more of that droid in 2017 please!
Got my scan - thanks my generous benefactor!
Gotta agree about Dredd -- standout script and art. I already love Chris Weston but Rob Williams blew me away with the funniest Dredd I think I've ever read. (If memory serves, the last time I actually laughed out loud while reading the Prog was another Williams tale -- the Sensitive Klegg ambassador story.)
However, was disappointed with the straight-in-the-middle-of-the fold positioning of Dredd in the Dredd/Chopper spread. A rare editorial cock-up there by Tharg.
Kingdom is fab, as usual.
The Misty article I get, but the novel extract is better suited to the Megazine; it feels out-of-place in the Prog, even for a special. Plus, Pat Mills' interviews or quotes always seem to be presented very carefully, which can be jarring to read. (He comes across extremely well on video & audio and when writing in his own words, so I'm guessing people are just respectful and not wishing to misquote him.)
Droid Life is usually one of my faves but I didn't quite get this one.
P14 just needed someone to pull a cracker with. The suicidal guy thought he was rescuing him, but he wasn't.
Got mine too.
Overall an excellent prog which I plan to ration, trapped as I am in hospital.
Dredd is excellent, the new stories look promising and the one-offs hit the mark.
If I have a criticism it's that there is only 70 pages of art, these progs used to be 80 plus, but only a minor niggle.
Oops
That's only because Weston's 12 pages of art are so good they count as 24.
Only flicked through so far, but have to say it looks great. Chris Weston blows my tiny mind! :lol:
Quote from: Buttonman on 10 December, 2016, 06:16:10 PM
Gah! Looks like I got the Letter o the Week but have no Prog! Any kind soul able to upload a scan for me?
Grud! He's going to be unbearable now, especially as it was a decent letter...
Quote from: Richard on 11 December, 2016, 11:53:33 AM
P14 just needed someone to pull a cracker with. The suicidal guy thought he was rescuing him, but he wasn't.
With
Its a Wonderful Life refs too :D
Great cover and a stand out Dredd, never been a Ace Truck fan so, nor the order, Kingdom great stuff too.
Double letters page!
Quote from: Proudhuff on 12 December, 2016, 04:12:25 PM
With Its a Wonderful Life refs too :D
Great cover and a stand out Dredd, never been a Ace Truck fan so, nor the order, Kingdom great stuff too.
Double letters page!
That John Ridgway Bridg gag was *brilliant* :D
Quote from: Proudhuff on 12 December, 2016, 04:07:08 PM
Quote from: Buttonman on 10 December, 2016, 06:16:10 PM
Gah! Looks like I got the Letter o the Week but have no Prog! Any kind soul able to upload a scan for me?
Grud! He's going to be unbearable now, especially as it was a decent letter...
Man, it's a Christmas miracle! Cheers Tom!
Quote from: The Amstor Computer on 12 December, 2016, 04:33:04 PM
Quote from: Proudhuff on 12 December, 2016, 04:12:25 PM
With Its a Wonderful Life refs too :D
Great cover and a stand out Dredd, never been a Ace Truck fan so, nor the order, Kingdom great stuff too.
Double letters page!
That John Ridgway Bridg gag was *brilliant* :D
D'oh! Only just got that.
How drokking great is that Chris Weston art on Dredd?!!! :o
Fantastic stuff-fun story too! :)
Seeing as I'm bringing Nano-bolt with me to the 40th, I've impressed on her that she needs to make herself familiar with the prog in its current form.
So far from the X-mas prog she sat and chuckled her way through 'Boxing Day'. Her fave moments all seem to involve Barney the computer and I had to provide a quick who's who for the meal scene. Loved spotting Rinus Limpopop Quintz (SP?) in that scene too.
For me, it's almost all about Gene-dog. I flippin' love this series.
I did love mad old glitchy Barney! Scum! Filth!
And Chris Weston's art was jaw-droppingly good.
Judge Dredd was great.And Kingmaker looks promising.
And so begin the terrible 10-day period between buying the crimboprog and actually reading the damn thing. Glargle!
The postie finally came through! I got the prog!
Only read Dredd and Kingdom so far.
Chris Weston needs to be forced at gunpoint to sign a Tharg exclusivity contract, that lasts until the end of time. Other than that, words fail me. Just jaw-dropping stuff. Not a bad script either.
Kingdom carries on superbly, and definately looks to be running towards some kind of conclusion IMO.
The rest looked great when i flicked through, but is being left for later.
Oh, and the cover is fantastic too. But then, it's by The Mighty Cliff Robinson so it goes without saying ;)
Everything in this prog is great for me - my god, Chris Weston, how the hell do you do such fabulous Dredd art after all these years? Please, more more more!!
Kingdom broke my heart a little. I love you, Gene. Get Whet, ASAP.
Boxing Day Dredd was fantastic as was Kingmaker and the b&w Ace Trucking and still Aquila and Kingdom to read. Xmas is early in Zarjazzer castle. :)
Have to agree with the Chris Weston love - just fantastic art, and not a bad stopry either.
Kingdom was my highlight, easily my top 2000AD story for many a year.
Kingmaker started very well.
Ace Trucking was okay, if horribly clunky in it's premise (WE HATE AMAZON!)
Quote from: Bolt-01 on 14 December, 2016, 02:57:58 PM
So far from the X-mas prog she sat and chuckled her way through 'Boxing Day'. Her fave moments all seem to involve Barney the computer and I had to provide a quick who's who for the meal scene. Loved spotting Rinus Limpopop Quintz (SP?) in that scene too.
I didn't spot that - I'll have to remember to check it out when I get home!
I also need to find Rinus in the British Museum (https://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php?topic=39512.msg843388#msg843388).
I did intend to ration out the Christmas Prog, and I did. Well... for a few days.
As always I liked some stories more than others, but overall a good prog.
My take of these Deadworld stories has been mixed, but I enjoyed that one. [spoiler]I would like to know what's going on with that lawmaster (or whatever it's equivalent is called in Deadworld). It's way too bright and seems to know more than it should... :lol: Hopefully we'll find out a bit more in future.[/spoiler]
The excerpt from the novel made me chuckle. Not so much the current story (which wasn't very much to be fair) as the Caning Commando stuff. Dear me.
And after reading the Misty article, I'm tempted to buy a collection of girls' comics. My small-minded teenage self would have been shocked at that. Shame on me (back then).
Quote from: Mardroid on 20 December, 2016, 03:37:05 AM
lawmaster (or whatever it's equivalent is called in Deadworld).
Only way I can recall them being referred to is 'byke'.
Quote
And after reading the Misty article, I'm tempted to buy a collection of girls' comics. My small-minded teenage self would have been shocked at that. Shame on me (back then).
I did read one back in the early eighties, and liked what I read - but it was about the time I was already getting Eagle, Tiger, Scream, 2000AD and Spike (a short-lived comic from DC Thompson which many here may not have heard of - certainly not as famous as the preceding titles).
amazing how little response here to Tharg's Mighty Organ at xmas... :-X
Quote from: Proudhuff on 21 December, 2016, 11:45:53 AM
amazing how little response here to Tharg's Mighty Organ at xmas... :-X
I assume people, like me are pacing themselves due to the wait for the next illustrious organ to be thrust through their letterbox.
I'm doing my annual reread of the year's progs. Up to May. Start of Brink, Tales of Deadworld and Every Empire Falls. Some quality stuff so far. Find it works well as a review of the year to see how everything reads together as well as managing the wilderness days to the first prog of the year.
That reminds me - I have to lay out all of the year's progs and megs (as many as fit on the table at any one time, anyway) to try to start deciding what my favourites are going to be...
Quote from: Proudhuff on 21 December, 2016, 11:45:53 AM
amazing how little response here to Tharg's Mighty Organ at xmas... :-X
It's been quiet in general. The comic is solid but unremarkable, and everyone who inspired pile-ons of righteous condemnation by saying un-PC things on the off-topic threads has been banned or got bored and gone elsewhere.
They should hire Andy Diggle to write another drug rape story. Those were the days.
Quote from: Frank on 21 December, 2016, 01:00:20 PM
... everyone who inspired pile-ons of righteous condemnation by saying un-PC things on the off-topic threads has been banned or got bored and gone elsewhere.
Irrelevant, the issue didn't involve Slaine.
Quote from: James Stacey on 21 December, 2016, 01:34:50 PM
the issue didn't involve Sláine
Never stopped ThryllSeekyr before.
That floozy Weston obviously gets all the attention, with cheap, nasty detail and his characterisation hitched up to
here, but
Kingdom won my heart.
The cliché (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ReleasedToElsewhere) of the little girl who's told her dead dog has gone to live on a farm is cleverly inverted, and the cream cheese of a delighted Gene finding his owner and being told he's a good dog is more than balanced by his just having performed an original act of such gruesome and creative violence it read like a visual representation of a Frankie Boyle put down
[1].
Genuine heart, big laughs
[2], and an act of violence I'd never seen before. Difficult to find individually; seamlessly blending all three into six pages of comics can only be done by a master.
[1] If you dinnae shut yer mooth, am gonnae rip aff that hand and use the blade it's holding to slit yer fuckin' throat!
[2] Seizer and Michelle Barkman - I will never not find the doggy names funny.
Seconded.
Quote from: Proudhuff on 21 December, 2016, 11:45:53 AM
amazing how little response here to Tharg's Mighty Organ at xmas... :-X
I'm pacing myself too-two weeks without Progedge is almost unbearable to contemplate!
So far up to
The Order and all is good! :) :thumbsup:
I thought this was the best end of year prog in years personally, a real treat from cover to cover. Saying that, I skipped the Misty article with the intention of reading it later, and usually when I do that they never get read. I was just too eager to get on with the strips.
Kingmaker seems very, very cool and Aquila was super-badass and Dredd was great as always and just everything basically hit the mark for me, loved it.
Just had prog 2012 delivered need to read 2011 early now :)
Same here. Nice little Christmas Eve pressie. Just finished my reread of this year's progs so that was nicely timed.
I'm assuming that we are continuing the moratorium on the review thread in deference to our subscriptionally challenged peers who still have a few weeks to wait. ::)
All I'm going to say is: Tidy!
Quote from: moly on 24 December, 2016, 11:01:18 AM
Just had prog 2012 delivered need to read 2011 early now :)
Just posted that up in it's on thread.
Sorry.
But a nice surprise none the less.
Quote from: Tjm86 on 24 December, 2016, 11:23:18 AM
I'm assuming that we are continuing the moratorium on the review thread in deference to our subscriptionally challenged peers who still have a few weeks to wait. ::)
Oops! In my defence I have not listed anything except to say that it's out there.
Mods feel free to delete my 2012 prog thread.
Quote from: Mattofthespurs on 24 December, 2016, 11:51:19 AM
I'm assuming that we are continuing the moratorium on the review thread in deference to our subscriptionally challenged peers who still have a few weeks to wait. ::)
Why would you do that? It's no different to subbers getting any other Prog early.
Yeah, if you don't want spoilers then don't look at the review thread. ::)
Or the recent posts thread!
Finally read that novel extract. It's utterly mental!
Spent the day slowly reading the Prog, having saved it. Now with the children safely in bed (with the exhausted Mrs Taylor) and the in-laws busy about their Christmas duties I have time to curl up with my favourite Internet lovelies (that's you lot before you think I'm visiting that sort of site) and share in the joy of Tharg.
Well that was pretty damned good thrillage wasn't it. I'll start with the two new thrills. It interesting that both seem to play with fimilar terriority, but with very different degrees of success. Hope for the future, while looking quite astonishingly good felt a little tired and cliche, the noir detective, beat up on life, trying to stay standing by being beat up by magic, just felt a little old to me. That said I still think this has potential, I'd just like it to move somewhere a little fresher. Kingmaker on the other hand played fast loose and fun with its cliched influences and merrily and very VERY successfully led us knowingly down one path to flip things gloriously on their heads with a few panels. Loved the playful way it did that BUT still has work to do to maintain it. Great start though.
Elsewhere Aquilia was a good fun little side step, while The Fall of Deadworld alas did nothing to endear this bleak story to me anymore than anything that's gone before. Mind Kek-W's other entry The Order has always been a firm favourite and this opening, while not its absolute best, was still great and I'm so excited to have this back. John Burns remains stunning like few others get close to.
Ace Trucking Co proved that this series is ready to escape the shackles of specials and one-offs and is due to graduate to a proper ongoing series now surely. Nigel Dobbyn's art is sublime and perfect for the series and this story was so much fun I think we deserve me... come on Tharg stop teasing us already.
There's much good stuff but the two standouts in an outstanding over-sized Prog were a simply fantastic Dredd, which covered so much ground in only 12 pages, great action, lovely comedy (that opening page is supreme), perfect character moments, I adored Dredd's visit to Vienna and some loving fan service, welcome back Barney. Its really is a masterpiece. As is that modern classic Kingdom and its return doesn't let us down with Abnett and Elson on masterful form. Just brilliant.
All that and so interesting text pieces... Mr Mills book seems... yeah interesting... the Misty history was good mind AND lego AND the promise of more Bad Company all in all a real Christmas cracker.
Thanks Tharg and Merry X-Mas you lovely lot you.
Our bumper end-of-year review post is now live.
http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2016/12/2000ad-prog-2011-annual.html (http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2016/12/2000ad-prog-2011-annual.html)
Some absolutely brilliant thrills on show this time around. Ace introduction to Kingmaker, and The Order returns with a lovely 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' vibe to it.
Up to the Misty article so far and now I want to buy the Missy digital TPB!
Want to echo the Dredd love though, patricularly the art. Great stuff indeed!
And actually, while I'm here, I'm also thinking Ace Trucking might be worth a shot as a regular comeback?
Update: Misty purchase complete.
Finally read all of this, after a busy time, and wasn't it great? Somewhere up the thread somebody called it an unremarkable comic, and I strongly disagree.
My favourites were Kingdom and Aquila, but Hope and Kingmaker were strong, too, and it was a fun Dredd story. I enjoyed pretty much everything, and I'm pleased that 2k is back to the standard I enjoy, after a few weeks of running a couple of strips I wasn't keen on.
Looking forward to 2017's thrillmunching!
Nice and varied amount of strips in the Prog for me, along with some interesting articles!
Worked for me! :)
That was a GREAT prog. I even enjoyed the stuff I don't normally enjoy. Top thrill and cleverness was Kingdom for me. And THAT art on Dredd. But all round great stuff.
Was I the only one whose Xmas prig stopped at page 48, was badly cropped (white strip at top of cover, images over-bleeding from the bottom (!!)) and who only actually noticed the missing stories when subsequent progs made less sense than usual?
Quote from: Delingpole on 11 January, 2017, 06:18:42 PM
images over-bleeding from the bottom (!!))
As nobody else has said it yet, you should get that checked out by a doctor.