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Prog 2054 - Me & My Shadow

Started by Grant Goggans, 21 October, 2017, 02:19:25 AM

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Grant Goggans

It wasn't just me, was it?

All of you other old and creaky readers, when you read this, you were five pages into part five of Indigo Prime and you were drawing connections in your mind to the very, very violent climax of Killing Time, right?  You were back in your mind's eye to someplace around prog 744.  You were twenty-five years or so younger, weren't you?  Time turned back.  I was working at a call center in Athens GA, where I wish I was still. (In Athens, not the call center.)  Then I turned the page.  Remember how violent that was?  Remember how you didn't believe this was happening to the heroes of the story?  Remember how you turned the page?  The other pages?

My.  I haven't enjoyed six pages of any comic that much in a very, very long time.

McMahon back on Dredd, too!  Happy times.

Darren Stephens

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Frank


I hope you return to a happier place soon, Grant.



TordelBack

Damnit, is It Wednesday yet? My scepticism can't repel a Goggans endorsement of that magnitude.

The Amstor Computer

That Indigo Prime reveal was fantastic, though coloured a little by the question of whether it was Smith's intention/had his blessing. I'd hope so, and I did geek out quite a bit...

[spoiler]A John Smith-verse? :-)[/spoiler]

Tjm86

Quote from: Darren Stephens on 21 October, 2017, 09:13:59 AM
Quote from: Grant Goggans on 21 October, 2017, 02:19:25 AM
McMahon back on Dredd, too!  Happy times.

Say whaaaaat?! Can't wait!  :D

Yep.  Think there were a couple of other strips but I completely taken in by that.  Nice little one off but the maestro is back and at the top of his game.  Worth the cover price for this strip alone.


Woolly


Jim_Campbell

Agreed. Top notch proggage. Slaine (for me, at least) coasts on the brilliance of Simon Davis, whilst the oddly Dredd-less Dredd is entirely redeemed by the razor-sharp cartooning of McMahon. Sin/Dex does what it does best, being splendidly puntastic and thoroughly entertaining, while Absalom and Indigo Prime lead the pack, with IP nudging out in front thanks to a thoroughly chilling bout of ultraviolence, followed by [spoiler]that plot twist/intro[/spoiler].

All this, arriving so soon after the Scream & Misty special hit my doormat. The House of Tharg is spoiling us just now.
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Magnetica

I read Grant's post first thing this morning and my initial feeling was excitement at the news McMahon was back on Dredd. Cameos in landmark Progs aside, I had seriously never expected to see him do a strip in 2000AD again.

Then I remembered the last few strips he did ( as I recall anyway): Howler,  3rd Element, The Book of Scars and the Slaine 1 pager in Prog 2000AD, plus the cover of the 2nd printing of The Cursed Earth Uncensored, none of which are to my taste. I have seen him give talks where he says he keeps changing his style and simply can't draw the way he used to. To my taste the stuff he did on Dredd from the mid Prog 100s until Block Mania is some of the best art we have ever seen.

So it will be interesting to see how the Squaxx react to this. Especially in comparison to last week's, which unfairly in my opinion had been roundly slated on social media. To my eye I prefer Simon Roy's effort to McMahon's this week.

As to the story, both this week's and last week's read more like Future Shocks to me.

Unlike Grant I can't get too excited about the reveal in Indigo Prime this week. Sorry but [spoiler]Revere sits proudly at the top of my list least favourite 2000AD thrills of all time and I can't remember who Motherhead is. [/spoiler]

Slaine was good- more action packed than of late.

Always good to have SinDex in the Prog and Absalom carries on in much the way it normally does.

SIP

Holy crap - Mcmahon Dredd!!!

First enthusiasm I've had for the prog in a long time.......it's beautiful!

Colin YNWA

Well before we delve into the good stuff inside does anyone fancy speculating that Tharg had a scheduling boob on the old cover front. Last week folks were bemoaning he fact that we had no Absalom cover and lo this week we do, which seems entirely fitting for the content of the story last week... maybe this weeks cover didn't arrive and a quick juggle was needed and last weeks was a rush job? Who knows, all ideal speculation ... but ya gotta think something happened?

Anyway lets a piddling matter when you consider the contents of this weeks Prog. Well bugger me sideways this week is FULL of surprises, the vast majority pleasent.

1) Dredd McMahon, as far as know unannouced. Lets do that again McMAHON UNANNOUCED!!! Get annoucing this shit Tharg. I want my McMahon heralded Green Bounce. Scream his coming from the roof tops so folks can ally around in fevered excitment. He's back, he'sback and he's sequential at that! Oh and while I'm at it there was a story from Rory McConville, drawn by Mike FUCKIN' McMahon and its another nice example for this Dredd from a direct angle, which based on the Meg last week seems to be a bit of a thing of his. Great stuff

2). Indigo Prime has the aforementioned surprise [spoiler][spoiler]reintroduction[/spoiler][/spoiler] that of course Tharg excells at not Heralding making this a glorious surprise which Green Bounce its getting very good at. Kek-W sure ain't holding back in his efforts to get us to buy into his Indigo Prime... and after this reveal how could I be anything but. Oh and the 'fight' between The Nihilist and the Burrough's squad is just brilliantly done, before the cavalry... well leaps to the rescue... maybe...

3) Slaine is a pleasent surprise by maintaining last weeks pace with a glorious episode so fantastically paced from the opening spread onwards.

Okay the last two don't have any surprises both Absalom and Sinister Dexter in particular being absolutely superb. typically great turns from these two strips. Absalom I've really warmed to over the last few stories, S&D has always been a firm favourite of mind since I returned to the Prog when Malone was running... oh there another series that Tharg pulled the old one two shocker with so well.... he's been at this game for a while now hasn't he! Can I just make special note about how great The Mighty Yeowell is this week.

So yes another supreme week from Tharg and man he doesn't half keep some tricks up this sleeve huh!


Woolly

I should say that, although he is a true master of his art, Chris Blythe's style doesn't really work with McMahon's style. At least not to my eye.

But it's still really good, I don't want this to look like a criticism, the art looks great. I just can't help but think what Dylan Teague would have made of it...

Richard

If seeing McMahon's art is the sort of thing that gets you excited, then I'd have thought that Tharg announcing it in advance would spoil the surprise and defeat the object.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Richard on 21 October, 2017, 09:46:03 PM
If seeing McMahon's art is the sort of thing that gets you excited, then I'd have thought that Tharg announcing it in advance would spoil the surprise and defeat the object.

To be fair if you fancy picking a hole at my reaction this week the best line of attack would surely be to contrast my reaction this week, to my defense of Simon Roy last week. Its as though I'm having fun with my silly words on this here internet nonsense... mind my words would have to make a little more sense for that to work fair to say!