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#91
News / Re: Steve Dillon: Apex Edition
Last post by Lorenzo - 26 March, 2024, 10:24:27 AM
Excellent! Not long to wait now!
I notice they have changed the cover to the classic Block Mania panel with Judge Giant as well  :D
Really looking forward to this one.
#92
Prog / Re: Prog 2375 - err Bumper Is...
Last post by Barrington Boots - 26 March, 2024, 10:07:42 AM
Definite annual vibes from the cover! I thought billing this one as a 'new readers start here' one was an odd decision given it has the last episode of Thistlebone, two stories midway and the reasonably high concept Proteus Vex - not new reader friendly at all I'd thought! Stoked to see Alec Worley will be writing Hawk The Slayer.

Dredd is pure setup, but reading comments above about Dredd / Logan it does highlight their deteriorating relationship in their interaction. Interested to see what's next.

Full Tilt Boogie Cool stuff, pushing the story forward with some new elements, I'm a fan of this run!

Thistlebone wasn't the ending I predicted either and dare I say it, felt a little anticlimatic for all its gruseomeness - although I suppose the weight of the ending should be less Camerons fate but more that final panel? This has been an unusual series - parts of it have been stellar, and in both that final panel and the panel where Thistlebone appeared on celluloid we've had more evidence than in all the previous series put together that it might be an actual entity. Other bits of it I felt weren't as strong as the previous series, although it did capture more of that 70s schlocky feel. I'm a huge fan of this thrill though and looking forward to it coming back.

Indigo Prime also really enjoying this - it's hugely meta and weird and fascinating. Vista's explantion about reality changes had a little nod, for me, of how the change of writer has changed up the cast. As ever this looks terrific.

Rogue Trooper - this was pretty poor imo. It did feel like an old annual episode - or indeed, one that could have been written for Regened as it was very lightweight. Paul Marshall definitely not up to his usual standards on the art, nothing to the story, still don't understand why there are civvies on Nu-Earth. I'll happily admit I'm not a huge fan of Rogue - the concept is awesome, but take out the revenge story and I find him very bland: he works best, for me, when the environment or the antagonists really drive the story and here it didn't: possibly because all those stories have been told already?

Proteus Vex Great to have this back with a long episode. The world seems so fully formed now that it feels like the strip could continue even without Vex himself so a Vex-less episode is no problem! Amusing to see not-Tharg and his 2000ad allstars appear (and get eaten off panel, I assume).
#93
Prog / Re: Prog 2375 - err Bumper Is...
Last post by IndigoPrime - 26 March, 2024, 09:34:41 AM
I mean, I like John McCrea art, so I'm on board. I find the criticism of "Shoulder pad and Eagle way too big" quite a funny one, given Dredd over the years (including the gigantic Ezquerra armour). Rogue looks a bit weird, but the tribute Ezquerra dotted lines made me happy.

But what of the issue itself? Well, it's better than any of the recent Regened ones, that's for sure. And it has a reasonable crack at onboarding new readers. It's a bit weird to say "new readers start here" and fully end one tale, but there you go. The double hit of Proteus Vex was wise, as was the new Dredd and one-off Rogue Trooper. It'll be interesting to see how things go for the next bumper prog in terms of scheduling. More of this mix? Or a few new series alongside sone one-offs?

Anyway, the strips:

Dredd shows the aftermath of the previous run, with Dredd clearly annoyed at Logan, and Logan lacking the strength/authority to push back. Here's hoping Moon doesn't get horribly killed in the next series. Also, I got caught out by that colouring error.

After a Slaytime (Worley + Coleby!) ad, Full Tilt Boogie dials things up a notch. Still very much enjoying this. I hope De Campi is OK, given her recent post on Bluesky about work and asking for good vibes to be sent her way. Then Thistlebone ends in predictably gruesome fashion, albeit not in the specific way I'd have predicted. Not sure what happened to Mr Glassed, although maybe that doesn't matter. So an odd one for me, in that it does stick the landing, but I feel less satisfied than with previous series. Not sure I'll be picking this up in HC.

Indigo Prime surprised me, in how much I enjoyed it. Yes, it's all terribly meta. And you have expect Kek and Lee to make an appearance, the way things are going. But it's weird and fun. Rogue, meanwhile, was... fine? I'm not a massive fan of the character anyway, but when it's done well – Ennis; Cinnabar; the IDW run – I can be drawn right in. This felt like an annual story head beamed in from 1986. Perhaps that's apt for a bumper Prog.

Then Proteus Vex gets a double helping to kick off the new run, which – as I said – was in my opinion a very smart decision. There's enough her to get new readers on board, and to help existing ones refresh their memories. All very good indeed.

Oh, and there's a letters page. Which is nice.

Indigo Prime > Proteus Vex > Full Tilt Boogie > Dredd > Thistlebone > Rogue
#94
News / Re: Steve Dillon: Apex Edition
Last post by Le Fink - 26 March, 2024, 08:05:49 AM
Good news:
#95
Books & Comics / Re: Completely Self-absorbed T...
Last post by Colin YNWA - 26 March, 2024, 07:40:23 AM
Quote from: 13school on 25 March, 2024, 09:25:05 AMOn that point, aside from The Hunger Dogs, there's another "ending" Kirby did for The New Gods buried in the last few issues of Captain Victory (I think #10-#12 are the ones to grab) where it's revealed that the lead has family ties to some thinly disguised versions of the New Gods.

It's not exactly the epic wrap up the series deserved but it does provide a touch of Kirby greatness, and if you're a fan the issues are well worth getting

Captain Victory is one of the few latter Kirby works I don't own so didn't know this. That's interesting and I guess I'm going to have to check this out now!

Quote from: AlexF on 25 March, 2024, 11:53:04 AMSee, this is a series (which I've only read very small bits of) that is my main evidence for the fact that Stan Lee defintely DID bring something to the table in his early Marvel days. I just find Kirby's dialogue a chore to read, it gets in the way of some fantastically weird and colourful ideas, and that puts me off trying to read the whole Fourth World thing. But there's no denying the staggering heights of his imagiantion, both in terms of plots and character but of course his art, too.

I can agree that the New Gods is better comics than e.g. Fantastic Four or Thor, but I'd reach for those books more quickly for a fun time.

Oh that's interesting. For me while it has the same bombast as Stan's - which I do find a chore to read - I think in context it really works. Another example of folks getting different things from the same content.
#96
Off Topic / Re: Boys Adventure comic blog
Last post by Richard S. - 26 March, 2024, 06:20:05 AM
I'm always happy to celebrate the art of Mike Noble - so here's a selection of his work on 'Captain Scarlet'...

https://boysadventurecomics.blogspot.com/2024/03/mike-noble-captain-scarlet.html
#97
Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...
Last post by GoGilesGo - 26 March, 2024, 05:47:23 AM
Quote from: Funt Solo on 26 March, 2024, 02:28:32 AMI managed not to hype it up too much for the youngling (11), who was despairing that we were going to see a black and white movie, but left declaring it was one of the best movies they'd ever seen.

That's fantastic, hopefully a gateway to other Ealings.

I had a similar experience a decade back introducing a neophyte to Kind Hearts and Coronets (rainy afternoon in my living room rather than a cinema screening; lucky you).

The first ten minutes were filled with teeth gnashing at the B&W, and the 'funny' accents. When the credits rolled: joyous declarations of love.
#98
Prog / Re: Prog 2375 - err Bumper Is...
Last post by Funt Solo - 26 March, 2024, 02:45:30 AM
Quote from: M.I.K. on 25 March, 2024, 11:48:25 PMwith cues from the 1985 one in particular




That Thistlebone, with art not a mile away from McMahon's Slaine, is giving me the Slough Feg vibes.


I think that, rather than complain about the funny little wrenches hanging from Helm, we should complain if any subsequent artist doesn't include them. Because it's John McCrea. Nobody puts McCrea in the corner!
#99
Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...
Last post by Funt Solo - 26 March, 2024, 02:28:32 AM
Just watched Whisky Galore (the 1949 version) at the local cinema - they had a piper in, and drams. I can't remember the first time I watched it (many moons ago, at any rate), but it was well worth the second go. There's some brilliantly choreographed comedy build-ups.

I managed not to hype it up too much for the youngling (11), who was despairing that we were going to see a black and white movie, but left declaring it was one of the best movies they'd ever seen.
#100
Film & TV / Re: Current TV Boxset Addictio...
Last post by Funt Solo - 26 March, 2024, 02:22:46 AM
Quote from: Doomlord66 on 25 March, 2024, 11:07:11 PMWould it spoil my enjoyment of the new one?

I can say I'm glad I didn't re-watch the Chamberlain Shogun prior to catching this new series, because I've forgotten the vast majority of the plot (beyond "white man in feudal Japan doesn't go swimmingly"), and so it's all beautifully fresh.

(Just finished The Gentlemen, which was good enough that I watched the entire series, but tonally all over the place.)