Prog 440 - I said last time that Slaine was dense, impressively it managed to keep it up and finish without getting bogged down or overstaying it's welcome, but maintaining that same feeling all the way through. Rogue Trooper finishing on Horst was a relief, the whole thing from landing there onwards seemed very half-hearted, although the initial millicom bits were good. I'm hoping when it returns there'll be more of that side, but at the same time I don't expect Gunnar, Helm and Bagman to be successfully re-gened for any amount of time, which might mean Rogue is stuck in a rut trying to find reasons not to escape from the things that make the character unique.
Nemesis is back, and more continuity is being thrown into the mix with the return of Satanus - though for me Flesh was the greatest of the opening set of stories so I'm always happy to have it's legacy continue! Pulling Torquemada from the past into a time loop is interesting too, and deaths of various characters all round make for a fast-paced, quickly changing set up that's really appealing. Talking of the opening line up, Mean Team is now 3 issues in and balancing between huge similarity to Mean Arena (bad) and a feel more reminiscent of Harlem Heroes/Inferno (good!). Which way will it tip?
The Croakside Trip was a fitting end for Ace Trucking, and I feel like it went out strong. Evil Blood grew on me as a character throughout the second run, and was at his best here. Judge Dredd has come through a couple of inconsequential single-week stories recently (Otto Sump returning raised my spirits, but alas it wasn't to be), but it was great to have Esquerra back drawing him for The Man Who Knew Too Much. Still, even if occasionally slight, I've never felt the NEXT Dredd to come along would not be amazing. It's incredible that the strip has run so long and never gone though a really bad patch (as of Prog 440!)
Strontium Dog is similarly, although not quite as, good, but really consistently enjoyable. And a huge surprise for me as I'm enjoying the return of Robohunter - the last few stories were so tired I was glad to see the end of them. Who knows how long it'll last though, as Sam has serious form in tailing off...