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Off Topic / Re: Day of Chaos 2: a.Covid-19 thread.

« on: 28 March, 2020, 01:11:56 PM »

You simply can't separate this issue from politics, it's inherently political I'm afraid. The fact that it also involves death and tragedy on a monumental scale doesn't change that, because political decisions often cause deaths. Now of course it would be wrong for anyone to try to obtain political advantage from it, but commenting on what our government is doing about it and how we got here -- which is partly the result of political decisions -- is certainly not the same thing.

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Prog / Prog 2175 - Semi Detached

« on: 28 March, 2020, 01:02:50 PM »

Judge Dredd: Hair of the Dog finishes perfectly well.

Skip Tracer, well the art is good anyway.

Survival Geeks returns for its last story, and for me this is the highlight this week. There are two massive and crazily-detailed panels that must have taken Neil Googe absolutely ages! The theme of this story seems to be the exact way that this series should logically conclude actually, as if the whole series has been building up to this. Can't wait to see how it pans out.

Aquila is suitably bloody, and promises more mayhem next week. Also it's nice to have an occasional alternative to science fiction in the prog, and I always love Patrick Goddard's art (can we have him on Dredd again please?).

Finally, I will spoiler tag this last one because I think some people will enjoy the surprise of discovering it for themselves. A new series starts called Hershey, starring ex-chief judge Hershey, by Rob Williams and with brilliant art by Simon Fraser, and I really like how this looks, with the unusual use of colour. At first I thought it was going to be about what she did after she resigned but before she died, but no: it retcons her death in Guatemala and says she faked her own death and cremation. Well, sorry but fuck that. That's a big nope from me. That death scene was a brilliant and touching moment, and this story retrospectively unhappens it? This is the same mistake Garth Ennis made with Chopper, and it seems that lesson has not been learned. I'll still read it but I will never think of this as canon. (I wonder what Wagner thinks about people "improving" his stories?)

Finally, Damage Report gives us an insight into Tharg working from home during the coronavirus lockdown, and it sounds like we are lucky to get a prog at all! So congratulations Tharg and thank you!

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General / Re: Forthcoming Thrills - 2020

« on: 26 March, 2020, 03:38:59 PM »

Looks promising!

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Books & Comics / Re: ACTION Special review

« on: 25 March, 2020, 06:32:50 PM »

I've now read the whole issue, and none of the stories disappointed. Hookjaw was was just right. Hellmann has the perfect choice of creators: the original series artist, and Garth Ennis, who knows how to tell a war story. I didn't have any problem with the Dredger story (except the lettering!). Hell Machine, as I've said, is brilliant and possibly my favourite, but maybe jointly with Hellman. Kids Rule OK was my least favourite because there wasn't really a story, but it was okay, and the artist is excellent (Henrik Sahlström). In fact, all of the artists did a great job. Jake Lynch did a fantastic impression of Henry Flint, and I wouldn't have known if they hadn't told us. Mike Dorey should do the next Rogue Trooper story. I'd like to see more from Dan Lish too. And I liked the last panel on page five of Dredger.

Hope to see another of these next year.

The banned issue bagged with the online purchase is a nice touch, a piece of comics history. Saving it for the weekend.

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Off Topic / Re: RIPs

« on: 24 March, 2020, 11:23:49 PM »

Asterix was brilliant!

Maybe as a tribute Rebellion could reprint in the floppy the spoof Asterix strip that appeared in one of the Crisis specials.

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Books & Comics / Re: ACTION Special review

« on: 24 March, 2020, 06:18:30 PM »

Hell Machine is a mental story! I'd like to see this continued in the prog.

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Prog / Re: Prog 2174 - Blind Fury!

« on: 22 March, 2020, 12:00:49 PM »

Perfectly good ending for Feral and Foe. If it never comes back, it was a good stand-alone series. But I wouldn't mind if it came back with new characters. The world the writer has built is strong enough to support a new cast. I'd be less happy if the people who apparently died turned out not to be dead after all, or came back from the dead.

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General / Re: How old is Dredd currently

« on: 22 March, 2020, 11:58:01 AM »

Michael Carroll bought Dredd some extra time with his story The Carousel a couple of years ago, in which Dredd has regular rejuvenation surgery. But that's just a sticking plaster solution in the long run. I think that finally addressing this issue properly could make a good story, in the right hands.

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