Cover: Hmm... I'm going to go against the consensus here and say it's a bit underwhelming. I love Ben Willsher for his fantastic work in 2000 AD and Doctor Who Monthly but while this cover is technically impressive (sure, those firearm flares are expertly rendered) there's something lacking in sheer excitement. I think it's because, for a science fiction magazine, a picture of two pretty regular-looking guys firing regular-looking firearms doesn't really fit the bill (plus, as mentioned elsewhere on this message baord, doesn't Sin look a bit humdrum these days?). And like last week, the image doesn't have a lot to do with what's going on in the story. I don't have the prog in front of me right now but isn't the whole point that SinDex don't actually get in a firefight this week? I guess maybe Willsher's brief was just a bit unimaginative. I'd rather have had, I don't know, a recreation of the frame with the Devil kneeling by the corpse of Banjo Tigershark (NOT his real name) with SinDex looking on astonished and a caption "The Devil gets his due" or something.
Anyway. Rant over.
Dredd: I'm biased here because I do converse with the estimable Tom Foster on other social media but that's some freakingly good art. Sort of a cross between Bolland and Arthur Ranson, I'd say. I particularly like the incongruous moose corpse on the second page. Story-wise it's a bit of a slave to that horrible pun but the Grundy family looked great, I loved their mangling of various Mega-City legal codes to suit their own ends. Shame I guess we won't be seeing any more of them.
SinDex: Ongoing disclaimer - I haven't read any SinDex outside of the last few progs so the continuity references are beyond me. Still, this looks like something new is being thrown into the mix so I'm happy to see how it develops.
Kingmaker: Not so much a conclusion as an outset, really. Not much going on plot-wise except the revelation of Crixus's power, so looks like we'll have to stick around for the next chapters.
The Order: Baffling, utterly incomprehensible, no idea what on Earth was happening... only joking! Like any moderately intelligent person I understood it perfectly and it was bliss, just exquisite. The panel with the tentacles reaching into the cosmos inside Intuitor Browne's eye... perfect. Other script droids take note - although Wyrm War was part of a longer narrative it still felt like a self-contained story with a beginning, middle and very satisfying end.
Kingdom: Again, I would have preferred an ending... OK, the story goes on. It's just a pity that most of this, the final episode of the chapter, was concerned with setting up the next chapter. Still, that frame where Gene casually tosses away the head freshly ripped form its shoulders... no complaints.
Finally just want to reiterate that Kingmaker, Kingdom and The Order will be big losses, but... hugely looking forward to next prog. Yes!
