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Prog 2078: Agent of Destruction!

Started by Colin YNWA, 21 April, 2018, 04:31:15 PM

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Tiplodocus

So a reread of Anderson helped me but I fear it suffers from being too dense and compressed. Take the image of the Psis on the Lawmasters being pursued by other judges on Lawmasters and the psis are hurling debris to block the road.   It could have done with another panel or two to establish the hunters, the hunted and the action the hunted are taking. So it jarred a bit. And I had to take a bit of time working it out. But I did because I think there  is a great story and some cracking ideas in there. There have been a couple of such moments in every episode which I think has made it hard to follow for some people.

Rest of prog also hit the spot for me. Shame Jaegir finishing but gotta love a lava sub!
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

Tjm86

Thank you Tips. I thought it was just me.  I think the somewhat sparing presence of the anti-PSI ninja Judge who turned out no to be Tempest but is supposedly a critical character is another example.  Overall there are lots of great ideas in this story, perhaps too many?

Richard

Not sure that too many great ideas is something to complain about, but I know what you're getting at.

This story had to be told in 8 episodes, so it must have been a challenge to get everything in. A bit more space to breathe -- 10 or 12 episodes -- would have given Emma Beeby more room to manoeuvre. But with experience she'll get better at telling a condensed story in the pages and episodes allotted to her. So I'd say the solution is more Beeby, not less, in future.

Tjm86

I know what you mean, aye.  I mean, we've got these Hondo City Judges suddenly running around.  No idea where they've come from or why.  I would definitely agree with the story needing more space to breathe.  That and more Beeby.  There's enough in this for two series of 8 episodes just about, arguably.  Certainly lots of positives.

TordelBack

Good points, all. Personally I like a variety of pacing in my prog, from the deliciously restrained Brink, to the breakneck The Order, so I'm more than happy with superdense Anderson here.

But I do agree that even a few more panels would have given some big ideas and setpieces more room to make an impact. You can see this exact issue in early work from Rennie, Abnett and R. Morrison too: not quite balancing content and page space is a journeyman scripting  quirk, I suspect. I've no doubt Beeby will rapidly hone her craft just like those three did, and in the meantime I'll take slightly over-stuffed concepts over thin gruel diluted across multiple pages.

Not in that latter category, but I did find the Dredd story a bit lacking in developments. A way-too-easy jailbreak (how we quibbled the ease of PJs latest escape, and that was Shawshank Redemption compared to this week's 'really big gangplank'), an odd choice of shot from Dredd  (just shoot the van!) and the Literal Son reveal, and did the storyline move on at all from the second outing?

Still, not a bad tale.  And I'm loving everything else to bits, especially that regal cover.


JOE SOAP

Quote from: TordelBack on 28 April, 2018, 06:00:08 PM
nd the Literal Son reveal, and did the storyline move on at all from the second outing?

Too many 'sons of' cropping up lately: Orlok, Wulf, Booth. It was enough for me the SOBs be metaphorical sons. Maybe the reveal will squeeze more juice out of it.

Aaron A Aardvark

I agree Anderson seems a bit rushed and hard to follow at times but I've enjoyed it overall and it's cool how she has her own "family" to distinguish her from Dredd.
Jaeger the real stand out but SD also excellent.
SinDex doing their usual thing.
Dredd a big shrug of a story and a good example of how not to do a cliffhanger. Not sorry to see it end.

Tjm86

Quote from: JOE SOAP on 28 April, 2018, 06:22:58 PM
Too many 'sons of' cropping up lately

I've been challenged recently for pointing to a certain inevitability but to me, the 'sons of' is perhaps the strongest narrative tool that most of our writers could use.  Mr Ezquerra has drawn on the skills of his son and we have Leah Moor taking up the baton from her father.

There is an element in this of the passing of the torch, of the next generation taking ownership as is their right.  They look at our experiences, at our understanding, at our culture, through their eyes and translate it accordingly. Certainly this is necessary if Tooth is to live on.

In so doing, they give birth to something new.  In that, what we value lives on.  Son of Booth, of Orlok, of Wulf, ... that inter-generational link is how we achieve longevity, rather than the sterility that we see in so much of American culture.  Superman may have lasted for eighty years but it is a wonder at times.  Sometimes it feels a little forced but for my money our creative team have got it right more often than wrong.