Judge dredd ratfink finishes this issue at least we get a Xmas dredd next issue
Killer elite continues really enjoying this with a good cliffhanger at the end
7 page integer rotation with Neil google
Snapshot finally finishes must admit I stopped reading this a few issues ago so will need to re read it all in one go
Anderson loving boo cooks artwork on this
No Dreddlines for the 2nd time in 3 issues - a disgrace!
OK for me but why isn't Dredd executing Ratfink on the spot? I know the reason is Alan Grant isn't going to piss on his chips but it hardly makes sense.
Dredd's Killer Elite is better but how come his lawgiver starts working again after he runs out of bullets?
Snapshot finished in a contrived and unsatisfying manner and over all I think this was a misfire.
Anderson jumped cliches by moving from the disused church to jumping into someone's mind - glue factory for this one trick pony.
Not the best Meg for the first monthly but hopefully a couple of new stories will re-energise things.
QuoteDredd's Killer Elite is better but how come his lawgiver starts working again after he runs out of bullets?
Fresh magazine full of ammo my dear butt man.
V
Does american reaper start next issue chaps?
Quote from: vzzbux on 18 November, 2012, 04:30:02 PM
QuoteDredd's Killer Elite is better but how come his lawgiver starts working again after he runs out of bullets?
Fresh magazine full of ammo my dear butt man.
It's a fair guess but it is a guess - nothing in the art or dialogue confirmed it. We get the mild peril of Dredd running dry but when we return he's blazing away. It's like that chap's gun - if you introduce it in one breath you can't forget it in the next without the reader feeling shortchanged.
Quote from: The Prodigal on 18 November, 2012, 04:46:35 PM
Does american reaper start next issue chaps?
Indeed we do as well as the more welcome 'Insurrection', 'Ordinary' and a Dan Francisco tale predictably called 'The Streets of Dan Fransisco'.
Insurrection III? Am I missing something??
(Detecting sarcasm due to "The Streets Of Dan Francisco)
Quote from: Pioneer on 18 November, 2012, 08:38:12 PM
Insurrection III? Am I missing something??
Yes. Hard to say. What do you think you're missing?
Another weak to mediocre Meg for me. Killer Elite was probably the highlight: some good fun, badass
Dredd provides a nice tonic.
Snapshot started well but lost me somewhere along the way. Hopefully a reread will paint it in a better light.
Having seen a few other people do the same I was actually contemplating dropping the Meg but now Tharg's gone and hooked me with the prospect of a new Williams/D'Israeli story. He's a wily Betelgeusian and no mistake.
Quote from: Buttonman on 18 November, 2012, 06:52:05 PM. It's like that chap's gun - if you introduce it in one breath you can't forget it in the next without the reader feeling shortchanged.
Had a looksee it is of course [urlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov's_gun]Chekhov's gun[/url].
I've just read the Dredd up to now. Trevallion's artwork is frikking brilliant and I want to (and do, I suppose) love the story but, I have a real problem with it. Forgive me if I'm wrong, in the original Ratfink story wasn't he just an ugly, nasty little redneck?
Now he's making sonic pulses to control rad ants and legions of rats. Where did this come from? The sudden acquisition of supernatural powers has cheapened the character for me. Buttonman is right too, he was about to be executed in part one (tied to a stake with a gun pointed at his head) why didn't Dredd just finish the job?
buggeration.
Chekhov's gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov's_gun)
Quote from: Pete Wells on 18 November, 2012, 10:30:33 PM
Forgive me if I'm wrong, in the original Ratfink story wasn't he just an ugly, nasty little redneck?
Now he's making sonic pulses to control rad ants and legions of rats. Where did this come from? The sudden acquisition of supernatural powers has cheapened the character for me. Buttonman is right too, he was about to be executed in part one (tied to a stake with a gun pointed at his head) why didn't Dredd just finish the job?
I hate to say it given his obvious provenance on the character, but I really wish Alan Grant would stay away from Dredd - and especially from characters/plots set up by Wagner. This has been a perfect example of why. It's not been a
baaad story, but it's not been a patch on the original and Ratfink himself has really suffered. Imagine, by contrast, what Al Ewing could have done with this!
The Googe interview by Molch-R was the best bit of the Meg by far for me. Really interesting stuff and well written. Don't even think about cancelling the articles, Thargy!
Tiernan's art remains pretty damn good I have to say. Mr Cook can be rather good too.
I know it's been said before, but Snapshot really looks and feels like a pitch for a film, too much so I'd say.
Looking forward to some of the new stuff!
QuoteInsurrection III? Am I missing something??
Yes. Hard to say. What do you think you're missing?
Yeah sorry, just read the Editor's Letter! Don't usually read it as time's not on my side... Exciting stuff though!
Yeah, I agree with Cosh about the Rennie story being the best part of the comic. It's all sorts of violent Dredd bang bang shooty shooty story. Love Paul Marshall's art, too.
Beyond that, I enjoyed Ratfink and Anderson pretty well. I think Alan Grant still has plenty of good stories in him, and these two helped make the Meg good value for money. I didn't read any of the other stuff.
- Trout
You know that petite killer with Dredd reminds me of one of these guys, but which one?
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/7914887136_951185b3e4.jpg)
Great cover, and artwork in the Ratfink story, yeah felt cheated by that ending, another one of to the cubes so he can reappear flogging a dead hearse.
Killer elite: great fun, should have been a reload in the art somewhere, after all thats what the wee pockets on his gloves are for!!
Snapshot: surprised this is part nine, i felt this could have happened a couple of issues back, still a fine ride while it lasted and a great downbeat ending, would have been better weekly in the prog.
Have yet to read the text thang but couldn't we get some new artwork to accompany these? say from up and coming artists from the fanbase rather than dig out ye oldie stuff from the 1990s?
Anderson: while Boo's artwork is cracking (and is that Ali Bongo I see?) the story has a 'been here before' feel to it. Tharg should hand Anderson to the E-Wing Droid for disassembling
Looks like a promising Xmas issue with a Mike Carroll Dredd and a Eglington MC1 Tale, nice.
what there's only about ten of us that read the Megazine? no wonder BUtt'man gets his letters published ;)
Prior to a possible double sub and having only started reading 2000ad last christmas, I recently bought a couple of megs to get a flavour of American Reaper. I can see how some would like it but I am going to sit its run out before jumping.
Do I get a "11" badge?
join our band of Brother, we gallant few...
And this is The Megazine, the only comic on the shelves that gives away for free what i'd happily pay a good fifteen quid for, but charges me five sixty for a bunch of stuff i'll never read, let alone give a tinkers about. It's eleven twenty-two british standard time, and after reading this month's Meg, SBT picks up his fone-totem and types:
Downlode Tales was much appreciated. The other strips not so much. I should be better-disposed towards Ratfink, what with his first story being as nasty a piece of post-Hills Have Eyes Remake hillbilly horror as you're likely to find and this one being so screamingly obvious an attempt to turn him into a Mega-City cousin of Dr Rat from my beloved Rat Trap in Cor!! and Eagle. But i'm not, and while i'm happy Grant kept him alive, i hope someone else gets a go at him next.
Nothing else in the Meg remotely interests me, i'm afraid. Next month's return of American Reaper can't come soon enough.
But, Disaster 1990? Really? Not Finn 2 or Downlode 2? Sigh...
SBT
Quote from: Proudhuff on 21 November, 2012, 09:46:12 AM
what there's only about ten of us that read the Megazine? no wonder BUtt'man gets his letters published ;)
Not is two out of the last three he didn't!
Quote from: SmallBlueThing on 21 November, 2012, 11:31:49 PM
But, Disaster 1990? Really? Not Finn 2 or Downlode 2? Sigh...
I can honestly say Disaster 1990 is the worst strip ever printed in 2000ad. Strong words I know - we've had 'Junker', 'Dead Meat', 'Mother Earth', 'Henry Moon : Survivor', 'Chronos Carnival' and Fleisher's Rogue but nothing ever topped (lowered) Bill Savage driving about in his aqua-car shooting baddies who were, like taking stuff to survive. Someone must have been on drugs to agree to this - it never got mentioned in 'Invasion' that less than a decade before London was underwater and Bill was like a cross between Aquaman and The Punisher.
Quote from: Buttonman on 21 November, 2012, 11:47:43 PM
I can honestly say Disaster 1990 is the worst strip ever printed in 2000ad.
Blimey! I've been excited about this since I wrote a letter to Mega-Tharg a few months ago thanking him for reprinting Death Planet and suggesting he give me a chance to read Disaster! for the first time.
Hmm. The Meg's really starting to get to that place of being 'habit' for me, rather than something I care about. I found this entire issue quite weak, and the return of American Reaper plus Disaster 1990 as a freebie next month hardly fills me with joy. Quite a contrast to 2000 AD, which is all guns blazing right now.
Okay but not so impressive as the progs of late. Killer elite still stonkingly good blast-a-thon fun, and Dredd vs Ratty was excellent but a very 70's Marvel vibe I got from it with Dredd explaining what he's doing in the panel.
Anderson was enjoyable with a WH40k style end panel but I just skimmed Downlode.
This month's Meg is like Tennent's Pilsner
How on earth is that rat managing to sit on Dredd's shoulder pad, when he's upside down?
And before you say it. I very much doubt the claws would be able to pierce the pad!
And his badge chain is defying the laws of gravity. Im hoping the eventual piece on pete's blog will put all this to rest!
SBT
Let's see how the Chrimble Meg shapes up. Could be a bit of the ol' pre Xmas lull this month. I thought the previous Megs were ok...
Quote from: Buttonman on 21 November, 2012, 11:47:43 PMI can honestly say Disaster 1990 is the worst strip ever printed in 2000ad...
Bill Savage driving about in his aqua-car shooting baddies who were, like taking stuff to survive.
You say it's the worst, but then go and describe THE BEST. How have I never read this? It sounds awesome.
Great Meg!
Snapshot done and dusted. Not a bad series, maybe a little slow in places but good finale.
Dredd: enjoyed both but Killer Elite stood out more for a couple of reasons. The story and artwork are quality but some of Dredds dialogue seemed a little bit un-Dreddlike.
Anderson: I'm enjoying this but I can honestly say I think Anderson needs to be drawn 'older'. The artwork is really good but if this is set in current Dredd continuity surely she should be 50 plus by now? Anyway, great story!
American Reaper to return next month. Enjoyed the first run, and looking forward to see how this ends!
Cheers :)
Quote from: COMMANDO FORCES on 22 November, 2012, 07:03:47 PM
How on earth is that rat managing to sit on Dredd's shoulder pad, when he's upside down?
And before you say it. I very much doubt the claws would be able to pierce the pad!
maybe its one of those flying rats from the curs-ed earth?
Quote from: NapalmKev on 23 November, 2012, 09:26:27 AMAnderson [...] The artwork is really good but if this is set in current Dredd continuity surely she should be 50 plus by now?/
She does appear to have had a rejuve job or two since the Satan days, doesn't she? Perhaps she downed some space elixir on her galactic voyage or something. (Personally, I don't think anyone's ever managed to really capture Anderson as well as Ranson did. He gave her a sense of maturity that's subsequently been lacking, even if the current art is otherwise very nice
QuoteAmerican Reaper to return next month. Enjoyed the first run, and looking forward to see how this ends!
My guess: 'end of book two'. Book three coming soon! And then: 'end of book three'. Book four coming soon. REPEAT UNTIL THE SUN EXPLODES.
Killer Elite is the best story this month.
Kinda glad to see Snapshot end to be honest - it's will probably read better as a collection - it seemed to slow down after a belting start.
Free GN looks a good 'un - I like a Downlode tale and haven't read the early ones.
Not a bad Meg but not reaching the heights of the weekly at the moment.
It's good. But not THAT good.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 23 November, 2012, 10:43:28 AM
QuoteAmerican Reaper to return next month. Enjoyed the first run, and looking forward to see how this ends!
My guess: 'end of book two'. Book three coming soon! And then: 'end of book three'. Book four coming soon. REPEAT UNTIL THE SUN EXPLODES.
It will run UNTIL YOU LIKE IT.
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 24 November, 2012, 06:35:41 PM
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 23 November, 2012, 10:43:28 AM
QuoteAmerican Reaper to return next month. Enjoyed the first run, and looking forward to see how this ends!
My guess: 'end of book two'. Book three coming soon! And then: 'end of book three'. Book four coming soon. REPEAT UNTIL THE SUN EXPLODES.
It will run UNTIL YOU LIKE IT.
They better make themself bloody confertable then!
Quote from: SmallBlueThing on 21 November, 2012, 11:31:49 PM
And this is The Megazine, the only comic on the shelves that gives away for free what i'd happily pay a good fifteen quid for, but charges me five sixty for a bunch of stuff i'll never read, let alone give a tinkers about.
Ha this made me chuckle even though I'm a new 2000ad fan (this is only my third megazine) I can relate to that. Finn 2 would be nice.. when do they finish these things off?!
Better to think of the floppy as bundled rather than free. It's no more free than covermounts on games mags of old. It is, however, a very affordable value-add.
Ratfink and Anderson were worth for the art only. Both scripts were fairly dull but Tiernan Trevallion has a wonderfully Mike Mignola-ish style and Alan is giving Boo plenty of great things to draw. The highlight of the Ratfink strip was the last page. We learn Leon survives (which is rare for any judge in Dredd's vicinity) and it ends in a joke. I agree Dredd should have shot him. He would have known Ratfink was up for execution.
I can't say Killer Elite was great either but it had it's moments. The running out of bullets thing also irked me. It was there merely to show our friend's counting ability. Snapshot didn't make any sense to me, similar to previous episodes.
Downlode Tales wasn't particularly interesting but it did have some nice painted art by Staples, Siku and others.
All in all, a slightly disappointing Meg. I hope the Christmas issue is a good one.
Maths test!
My copy of Megazine 330 has a date of 18 Dec on the front cover, and the advert for issue 331 has a 'on sale' date of 19 December.
Q. When will I receive my subbie copy in December?
Quote from: Proudhuff on 06 December, 2012, 03:05:37 PM
Maths test!
My copy of Megazine 330 has a date of 18 Dec on the front cover, and the advert for issue 331 has a 'on sale' date of 19 December.
Q. When will I receive my subbie copy in December?
The 15th (or later, depending on your postman)
show workings.
Quote from: Proudhuff on 06 December, 2012, 03:19:41 PM
show workings.
Divide 18 by pi and then add the square root of the number of pages in the issue. The calculate the distance between the post depot and your house divided by how many gears are the postman's bike plus give or take a few minutes depending on weather, his breakfast and freak meteor storms. Add this result to the first number, place in the microwave for 3 minutes, gently agitate and then scoop out the results with a knife.
Or you look at a calendar for the last saturday before the Meg comes out.
Fair enough, 15 out of 50 so far, but what about the 18 Dec date on 330? hmmmm?
Quote from: Proudhuff on 06 December, 2012, 03:19:41 PM
show workings.
It's the Saturday before the third Wednesday of the month. The third Wednesday of the month is the 19th, hence issue 330 is on sale until the 18th.
Quote from: The Cosh on 06 December, 2012, 05:15:13 PM
Quote from: Proudhuff on 06 December, 2012, 03:19:41 PM
show workings.
It's the Saturday before the third Wednesday of the month. The third Wednesday of the month is the 19th, hence issue 330 is on sale until the 18th.
ah so the date on the cover is the withdrawal date?
...or, if you know where to look you could get a CBR version of Megazine 331 last week :-/
God knows how it was out and uploaded that early, but it's coming to something when subscribers are receiving their copies *after* pirate editions are up online...
Just checked - it went up on a site on 6 December, nearly two weeks before its cover date. Since no-one is getting a hold of a digital edition that early legitimately, then sharing it, is there someone involved in the production chain preparing a CBR and uploading it?
Poor form - must be a review copy or some Grexnix at the printers. No new Meg for me today - would it be a bad thing to download seeing as I've paid anyway? It is? Oh well Monday night it is then!
I'd be surprised if it was a review copy, but I don't know the ins and outs of 2K/Meg review copies. Mentioned it to the Command Centre anyway and they're aware of the problem and dealing with it.
Quote from: Buttonman on 15 December, 2012, 02:32:23 PM
Poor form - must be a review copy or some Grexnix at the printers. No new Meg for me today - would it be a bad thing to download seeing as I've paid anyway? It is? Oh well Monday night it is then!
No Meg for me today either.
Was very much looking forward to it as there is no Twoth.
Hopefully Monday :(