Prog 2013

[Something Fishy]

I so wish they sold this in Tesco.  It's the only shop I get to anymore as its near work.  I quite fancied the festive issue.

[Something Fishy]

Oh and has the ipad distribution gone already?  I see nothing avaiable for download, only a subscribe option?  Are they trying to force a sub because I just fancy the one issue so that fores me to not but at all?

[IndigoPrime]

My copy of the iPad app still has individual issues available for download. Note Prog 2013 won't be in there yet, because issues don't arrive in the app until when they're in stores, so it'll likely show up on Wednesday.

[Something Fishy]

Oh right cheers.  Mine has none at all now.  Wierd,  hope it refreshes or something.

[Something Fishy]

Turns out the app just needed updating.  Doh 

Ready now for download when it arrives 

[oshii]

Pretty strong line up with the exception of Ack Ack Macque. Some nice art, but as others have said it felt very like an ad.  Felt a bit like back in the 70's or 80s when IPC would launch a new title and they'd be a pull put preview in the middle of the prog.  I can see why they would do it, but I hope they don't again

Enjoyed everything else. Thought Absalom in particular was excellent, hope a new series of that is in the offing soon.

[Proudhuff]

After a day and night of tiling and grouting settled down with the prog...

Dredd was a fine Grudmas story, suitably downbeat for post Dee-oh-Cee, Liked Dredd's action at end to enhance the Citz's lot   

Savage yeah, continuity buffs will love this,

Absolom, nicely creepy (and an other Saville ref!), but I must check 'Something Wicked' I'm sure there was a demon soul stealing camera in there too 

Ampney: Really enjoyed this, that last panel is a doozie

Ack-Ack arts nice, but feels like something from 30 years ago, especially compared with the rest o the prog

Red Seas, nice kraken but I want to see the big bout with the Boss baddie NOW! no more filler.

Aquilla: twisted fine starter, more depth to the story rather than more hack 'n slash which is excellent,  but shirley the romans nailed some sense into em thro the wrists, not the palms?

The Visible Man. Silly sausage time,

Stronty Dog: should really let this one lie

Judge Death pleeeease no more D'eath, you can not flog that which is not dead

Droid Life is fun as usual and there are two pages of letters... none from Pailsey!!

Agree that the cover is un-impressive and lacks sparkle/drama that and end of year special should have.

Hopefully the Restricted files 4 will tide me over until the next Prog or the Grudmas Meg

[Hawkmumbler]

Not read the letter's yet but are there any from Buttonman now Burdis has given him some pad's?

[Proudhuff]

Not read the letter's yet but are there any from Buttonman now Burdis has given him some pad's?

It given me great pleasure to say: NO!

[Mabs]

Oh wow! Just opened my post this morning to find a cool Zarjaz Heroclix Figure and a letter by Tharg congratulating me on getting my letter published in this weeks (annual 2013) prog! Wow! Really really pleased! First time i've had my name in a cool comic, whats more in the GALAXY'S GREATEST COMIC!

I'm gonna frame the letter up on my wall!

Thanks Tharg for a great Christmas gift!

[Proudhuff]

Oh wow! Just opened my post this morning to find a cool Zarjaz Heroclix Figure and a letter by Tharg congratulating me on getting my letter published in this weeks (annual 2013) prog! Wow! Really really pleased! First time i've had my name in a cool comic, whats more in the GALAXY'S GREATEST COMIC!

I'm gonna frame the letter up on my wall!

Thanks Tharg for a great Christmas gift!

it gets better your also here:

http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php/topic,36119.345/topicseen.html

[Mabs]

Oh wow! Just opened my post this morning to find a cool Zarjaz Heroclix Figure and a letter by Tharg congratulating me on getting my letter published in this weeks (annual 2013) prog! Wow! Really really pleased! First time i've had my name in a cool comic, whats more in the GALAXY'S GREATEST COMIC!

I'm gonna frame the letter up on my wall!

Thanks Tharg for a great Christmas gift!

it gets better your also here:

http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php/topic,36119.345/topicseen.html

Lol just checked it out! Cheers!

[I, Cosh]

I like the cover picture but I think it's slightly undermined by the giantness of the 2013. Mine currently has some glitter on it which fell out of a Christmas card so it looks even more cosmic. Top tip for next year Tharg.

Quick rundown from favourite to approximate least favoured (remember to preface every statement with "in my opinion".)

Absalom was far and away the best thing on show. A bit of lightly topical paedo horror, nice interplay between the characters, a bit of a fight and some hints at future directions. I think my favourite thing about it was the wonderfully creepy effect used for the world behind the lens. It reminded me of the way Dom Reardon did some of the different creatures in Ichabod Azrael: a simple way to get a great look.
Rennie always says he just makes it up as he goes along so I wonder if he's decided what it said on the back of that postcard yet?

Ian Edginton seems to have some special deal with Tharg to ensure every story has a bumper-sized opener which allows him to slip in a double-page spread. That both Red Seas and Ampney Crucis feature attacks by giant sea beasts on their respective splashes must surely be an accident of scheduling. Or is it, in fact, a further hint at the interconnected nature of this set of Edginton strips with events in one causing ripples of causality to stream out through the others?

I'll be sorry to see Red Seas go. It's a strip I've always enjoyed and I feel the current doldrums it finds itself in in the minds of many readers is more down to constantly having the wind taken out of its sails between installments. Much like Dante's pirate years, the last few adventures will read much better in one sitting. Although someone did make a fair point with regards to Brass Sun about the odd places Edginton brings his stories to rest. Anyway, this gives us a bit of a recap of what's going on, some banter, a fight with a giant seamonster, a grinning villain and, best of all, an indication that Steve Yeowell has decided to buy in some more ink. I fully expect Jack's girlfriend from the very first series to make a reappearance at some point, but on which side?

I'm not entirely sure what point is being made with the Jerry Cornelius cribbing titles of the last two Crucis stories but it's surely something to do with the parallel realities he's straddled. Looking forward to seeing where this one goes.

My heart still isn't totally set on Aquila and I can't quite say why. It's got a decent set-up, an interesting background with the whole Roman Empire to explore, good scripts and gorily violent art. Maybe it's just that the central character himself is still a bit too blank and he doesn't yet have the same supporting cast that other Rennie strips have reveled in. Nonetheless, this cheery Christmas themed story was exactly the sort of punchy one-off that I like to see in my year end Prog and I find myself looking forward to the next outing taking it in another direction.

Dredd struggled to live up to both what's been running through the Prog in the past few weeks and memories of the last few years' Christmas stories from Ewing and Wagner.

Savage was a decent opener for a strip I've not been able to muster any enthusiasm for since book 2. Hopefully we've seen the last of the comedy Snatch boys from the last couple.

I didn't particularly enjoy the first post-resurrection Strontium Dog story and this is a direct continuation of that. I will, naturally, be giving it another chance when finished but so far it's not doing it for me.

Last year it was a good laugh but no amount of Henry Flint art can make the Visible Man work twice.

Finally there was Ack-Ack Macaque. I will resist the obvious and merely observe that Dmitri 9 could take him no problem.

[Buttonman]

Enjoyed my year end treat although I agree a few more seasonal touches would have been welcome.

Pick of the bunch for me was Absolam with a great creepy bad guy and sumptious art.

No issues with Dredd getting beat up all the time - healant and magno bone fixes have long been established. Did however feel the 'it's Christmas' pay off was more Noddy Holder than Judge Dredd.

Didn't take to Ack-Ack Macaque which seems like a strip built around a name. The blurb describes the creature as a monkey but it looks more like an ape. A Macaque is a monkey but what we have is a chimp - monkeys have tails!

[TordelBack]

A Macaque is a monkey but what we have is a chimp - monkeys have tails!

-splutter-

The true statement is apes have no tails, not all monkeys have 'em.

For example, the Barbary Macaque:



It's a long slow fall from The Weakest Link, eh?