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Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NEW Bogie Man for the Megazine.. Great news

Now that Titan have exhausted all but the most excrutiattingly bad Ennis Dredd, its time to look at Wagners post prog 700 stories to see what gems are hidden away awaiting reprint. Id suggest a book of Wagners best short stories from teh past decade, and as first choice I'd put in:

To Thing with Love - prog 956.  Fantastic mixture of Wagners humour and humanity.  Poor Thing!

Anyone care to add to the list? Only rule is the story cant be longer than a 4 parter/24 pages - Megazine stories allowed.

Preview picks available at the link below!

Link: http://www.comicon.com/pulse/" target="_blank">http://www.comicon.com/pulse/

The Ennis Dredd is called "Monkey on my Back", and features Dredd fighting an enemy from the very heart of Justice Dept.

Time Killer is going to be the reprint in Megazine 202 (Januarys?) and the TPO articles continue - Hooray!

Just bought a copy of the May 1992 issue of Empire - "Arnold Schwarzenegger is Judge Dredd" apparently...
Sam Raimi as director?  Now that would have been good.

"Fleetway hired as Creative consultants"? Good Job, Fleetway!

"Wagner and Grant have already expressed concern that the integrity of the Dredd character be retained"?  

So what happened to the legendary Wagner/Grant Dredd script - Around the time of the film, Time Out and Empire (and other sources) said Wagner and Grant had been approached to write a draft - Alan Grant later said that they had spent weeks coming up with a unique take, but refused to hand it over when they felt that the Execs would be able to steal their ideas, rather than use their script without paying them a penny.

When I spoke to Alan Grant a few years later, he said it was locked safely in a bank vault.. With talk of the new film(s), and a ready made treatment just sitting there....

Just bought a copy of the May 1992 issue of Empire - "Arnold Schwarzenegger is Judge Dredd" apparently...
Sam Raimi as director?  Now that would have been good.

"Fleetway hired as Creative consultants"? Good Job, Fleetway!

"Wagner and Grant have already expressed concern that the integrity of the Dredd character be retained"?  

So what happened to the legendary Wagner/Grant Dredd script - Around the time of the film, Time Out and Empire (and other sources) said Wagner and Grant had been approached to write a draft - Alan Grant later said that they had spent weeks coming up with a unique take, but refused to hand it over when they felt that the Execs would be able to steal their ideas, rather than use their script without paying them a penny.

When I spoke to Alan Grant a few years later, he said it was locked safely in a bank vault.. With talk of the new film(s), and a ready made treatment just sitting there....

The new Dredd audio is another good un from this Jonathon Clements fellah - any chance of seeing him in the weekly or the megazine?

If you are of a sensitive disposition, please avoid newspapers and any news programmes for the next few days..... the lead story may well conjure up some unpalatable imagery...."pass the peas, Edwina".....

This from Computer & Video Games site....


Rebellion today confirmed that it has put together a small demo for a Rogue Trooper title and is currently in the process of touting it to publishers.
While unwilling to give any details on content, a spokesperson for the British company hinted that it's highly likely this will be its next 2000AD-character title to follow Judge Dredd into games, after the iron man of justice appears in PC title Dredd Vs Death next year.

We first learned that UK-based Rebellion was tentatively working on a Rogue Trooper game back in March. At the time, the developer could give nothing concrete, but hinted that it was looking to build the 2000AD character into a third-person action game. Today's conversation with Rebellion, however, has confirmed the developer's intention to push the project forward.

A lot of talk is currently doing the rounds among 2000AD fans about what should be turned into game material. Comic strip Slaine is a popular one (long-rumoured to become a fantasy-based RTS), along with the likes of Strontium Dog and even Halo Jones. And the list could go on, and on, and on.

As far as Rogue Trooper is concerned, our one worry - as we've stated before - is Rebellion's idea to put the genetic infantryman into a third-person title. We can't help feeling that such a character and storyline would be far better suited to first-person shooter action. Some biochips in the office are being placed on a game that utilises both viewpoints. We'll have to wait and see.

The story of Genetic Infantryman (G.I.) Rogue Trooper follows the escapades of one of 120 cloned and genetically modified soldiers who goes rogue on planet Four Sigma Three. Along with three biochip buddies - each genetic soldier had a biochip implanted that contained their personalities and memories - he has to survive in extreme, hostile conditions, facing off against numerous adversaries.

Moonshine and some other posters have made some interesting points about the limitations of reviving dead characters.

There seem to be two arguments against the "flashback" stories, one of which is pretty poor, but one which I have some sympathy for...

The first is that they're dead, so there can be no tension in the various scrapes the characters get themselves into.  I really can't subscribe to that viewpoint - I mean, how many stories are there where you seriously believe Dredd will die?  The threat of death is a weak hook for pretty much ANY comics character - did anyone REALLY believe Superman was dead, or Batman was paralysed?

The other angle is that their stories cannot develop - I have a lot more sympathy for this view - We know that Rogue's main motivation - to kill the Traitor - has already been played out, so just how far can you move from the 'formula' that's been laid out for you?  In Rogue's case, other than the "Weapons of War" episode, he's been circling the same old territory.

I'd say there is a way though - look at "The Kreeler Conspiracy".  This story added valuable character background to Alpha and his ongoing battle with his father.  I seem to recall that PVS and myself spent some time in the chatroom coming up with a number of story ideas for other missing chapters in their feud that would have not only made interesting stories (in our opinion of course!), but also fleshed out the characters and in Alpha's case, explained the reasons for the utter hatred we see at the end of Portrait of a Mutant (when compared to his feelings when he meets him at the end of Kreeler Conspiracy and at his mothers funeral).

Now Roadhouse didn't do much along those lines, but it did feature some great dialogue, interesting setpieces, and was a bit of fun - now if every story was like this, I'd probably side with the retro-sceptics, but I reckon Wagner will be able to pull a trick or two out of the bag yet.

Certainly Strontium Dog is in a position to expand the legend in any number of ways AND most importantly, the characters are ones we care for.

Rogue and his biochip buddies may not have as much scope, but they are still characters we care for more than Friday, who has blotted his copybook through too many reinventions and ill thought out changes of direction to still hold most peoples interest.  No matter how clever a story you could involve Friday or Feral in, they have already sapped most readers ability to care what happens to them.

Prog first

The good news: The cover's nice - much better than the standard pose covers we see far too much of these days.

Dredd:  Possibly the worst art ever on Dredd?  It's  incomprehensibly bad - like something drawn on the back of a toilet door.  A hideously advanced case of  Regressive Bisleyitus, that I'd hoped we'd seen the last of a long time ago.  NO MORE!

Future Shock:  "There are an infinite number of tales waiting to be told", apparently.  So why this shit ever made it into the comic I cannot fathom.  Inpenetrable art from McCarthy doesnt help, but the story is such an old cliche.  Once again this old cynic's head was shaking in disbelief...  

Luckily the Scrap remains interesting, though Rogue still appears to be going nowhere at present - another bunch of near identikit norts appear. The setting is "Nu Earth" enough, but theres an intangible feeling of something missing.  The swearing still doesnt help...


The Megazine, thankfully, is a revelation.  Good strips for McNulty and Durham Red.  Scarlet Traces is just fine and makes the Megazine an even meatier read.  As PVS said, the TPO article seems very - erm - tactful this month, not commenting on McKenzies plethora of writing credits, or on the Fleischer factor..... but I foresee interesting stuff next month hopefully.

Part two of Model and Collectors marts 2000AD 'celebratory' piece, and what a corker.  Easily rivalling last months article in terms of poor research, out and out lies and bizarre opinions - have a read if you can - it's the best laugh I've had all week!  Maybe it will appear on their site like last months.....

 

Nothing better than having Monday off work and being woken by the sound of the latest prog dropping through your letterbox.....

Dredd - YAY!  I know McMahon divides opinion like nobody else, but I really like his new style - not my favourite of all the McMahon periods (Mikes Slaine, or the early Dredd annuals would be that), but no one captures the style of MC1 like Mike - Hell, working loosely from Ezquerras foundations, he pretty much invented it!  His Dredds expressions here are wonderful - real character from just a chin!

The SCrap - dont know where this is going, but unlike Bison that may still be a good thing. Lots going on, so it's too early to say which way this is going to jump.  The ending reminded me of those old Alan Hebden stories, where a beasty would inexplicably pop up (and next week turn out to be a Scooby style hologram to frighten off meddling kids.), so it almost fits into the retro prog season!

Sin DEx. hmmmm, I can only echo what others have said about this - give it a rest.  The caricature humour is too unsubtle to be funny, which is a shame - I've no problem with comedy Cockney Gangsters - its taking the mick out of Lock Stock more than your real luvable cockerney rogue guvnar.... but it just seems too forced.I only hope that next week they meet up with Don Logan and get their just desserts... "nononononononononono"

Bison just.....one.....more.........week......if........i........can .........just......hold......on.........

Rogue - the most interesting of the retro revivals in the sense that it captures the essense of the original stories very well, doesnt try to update the action for modern sensibilities (no good guy norts here), and makes no excuses for its gung-ho 'kill 'em all' attitude.  It's the sort of revival I'd imagined Ennis might do (a compliment in this case, as Ennis handles this kind of jingoism well outside of Dredd scripts), though last weeks veered dangerously closer to Mark Millar indestructable sadist territory...  The main thing Gordon's getting right IMO is making Nu Earth the star and emphasising the gigantic scale of the war.  Still feel like were in introductory territory with this new story, but we'll see if any there are more developments from the "Weapons of War" story in the next few weeks I suppose.

Overall a good prog - while Stront was my favourite of the retro revivals, a mix of revivals, plus new story and newer old favourites works best IMO - I LIKE the schizophrenia!

Nice to see that Necropolis is comin out again - the major problem with the earlier reprint is that it misses out half of the "Countdown" stories that lead into The main story...  I want to be able to read the WHOLE of Necropolis including ALL the countdowns in one book - could you confirm or at least suggest, that the new Necropolis GN features these vital episodes - without them, the story just doesnt work..

Hello UK - saorry to have to use the board, but the send mail bit of the site wont let me contact you  -  please click on me name and e-mail me

Cheers

Anybody here remember the Burning Man from the 1994 Yearbook-  By Wagner and Ezquerra, it was about a hitman who finds he has been poisoned and sets out to find the culprit before he dies. The hitmans name is, rather bizarrely, Johnny Goodnight...

The story ends with Goodnight setting out to fnd whos killed him.  Then nothing.  Any clues as to what this was all about - its seems to  be the opening episode of an ongoing story, but that was all there was.  Very srange.........  A question for Logan perhaps?

So is it out today?  Has anyone got it yet, or seen it in the shops - if so, I'm off on a shopping expedition.

Just seen the new piccys in the news section. Wow. In paricular, the Rogue art is fantastic.  I'm not usually a fan of the more "American" clean lines, but this really captures the Gibbons/Wilson feel of classic Rogue.

Not so sure about the Durham Red art though.... she looks like some low rent hooker..  or is that the point?

Nice to see Andy Diggle on the Spiderman programme on Channel 5.  And they got that film in quick from Comics 2002 - it was only last weekend. You could just glimpse the Rebellion stand in the background.

But what was this  - a girl - into 2000AD?  Not another one ;)

Why has so much merchandise been produced for Durham Red?  We've had the RE-action figure (should have been Rogue), and posters, postcards and t-shirts all featuring her.  I can't say I get the impression that she's that popular (certainly not in her curent incarnation), so what's the deal?  Is it cos she's the only female (though Anderson would strike me as a more popular character)?  Does someone at Rebellion have a thing for her?  Or is it a "sex sells" stunt?

As for the new stuff in the Meg - I have to ask, what's the point of telling stories that aren't "true" about a character who should be left alone for Wagner to pick back up in any new stront story?