PROG 2111 - Welcome to the Thrill-Party!

[Proudhuff]

lack of Progage at Huff Masion sur-le-Mer 

[Will Cooling]

I've re-read it a couple of time but in the interview I found Richard Burton's assessment of Alan Grant bordering on offensive.

"like so many double acts, the talent lay with John, and I'm sure Alan would agree with that."

Really? Well how about a statement from Alan himself to either agree or challenge that opinion.
I think I find it incredibly biased as he has already stated he didn't get on well with Alan.

Just odd given:
a) Alan went on to do incredible runs on Batman, Anderson PSI Division and others
b) Alan is credited with being a great early supporter of everyone from Alan Moore, to Morrison and Millar. Taking the time to give feedback and handwrite replies etc.

Seemed a bit of a sour note to go unchallenged.

To be fair, Alan Grant hasn't held back on his criticism of Burton's professional abilities (while making it clear they like each other as people):





As for underestimating Grant's contribution to the Wagner/Grant partnership, that's something most of us are guilty of, too. While Grant concedes his Dredd is just lacking something (above), Grantless-Wagner eventually proved to be missing the fun, weirdness and invention we loved as kids*

Grant also wrote some incredible Strontium Dog. That tends to get smoothed over in our justification of Wagner bringing the character back at the turn of the century**, but we all know how Wagner and Grant wrote - whoever got his name on the credit box was the one who actually wrote the script.

If Wagner was really the one who wrote Dredd, then Grant was really the one who wrote Stront.


* Wagner's early solo work and latter-day epics more than compensated for that loss by finding different kinds of stories to tell, but there were long stretches during the nineties and early 21st century where Wagner was lost and trying (with varying degrees of success) to recreate TB Grover stories without the magic ingredient that made them work.

** 'Wagner's written Strontium Dog for 40 years, so the character's his to do with as he pleases'

100% Agree that people overlook how different Wagner's Dredd is to Wagner/Grant's take on the character.  But this is part of my broader complaint that people take a character which had many different people contribute to its creation (Ezquerra's design was rejected by Wagner, Mills did a lot of work developing the character whilst Wagner stepped away), and try to give one person sole ownership of it.

[Batman's Superior Cousin]

lack of Progage at Huff Masion sur-le-Mer 

Same here!!

[Daveycandlish]

I too am progless 

[broodblik]

For everyone that is still waiting for their prog (like me), here is a nice preview: http://www.comicon.com/2018/12/11/the-weekly-2000ad-prog-2111-previewed-simply-having-a-zarjaz-scrotnig-christmas-time/

I must say that the preview of Slaine really looks good. The art is by Leonardo Manco and it just looks great (he did an once-off Rogue Trooper in prog 2050).

[Frank]

For everyone that is still waiting for their prog (like me), here is a nice preview: http://www.comicon.com/2018/12/11/the-weekly-2000ad-prog-2111-previewed-simply-having-a-zarjaz-scrotnig-christmas-time/

I must say that the preview of Slaine really looks good. The art is by Leonardo Manco and it just looks great (he did an once-off Rogue Trooper in prog 2050).

.. and Manco gave good Dredd in Rory McConville's A Better Class Of Criminal (2091-2099)



Colours on that were by Chris Blythe. Hopefully, these images offer a better idea of where Manco will take Slaine than the preview (which, I note, features the Bisley version of the logo):

[Trout]

Such an amazing prog! Black Max was a highlight - I loved this Fiends story. Brink is still superb and I enjoyed everything else in this prog. I'm delighted to see Cabs back and I'll look forward to the collection. Also, this comic includes the first Slaine strip I've found entertaining in years. Fun script from Pat, and Weston can do no wrong!

I've read some really good comics lately, either for work (I review graphic novels for a newspaper) or pleasure. My 2018 highlights have included The Immortal Hulk, Mister Miracle, my first full read-through of Locke and Key, lots of fab indie stuff and tons more, and this Christmas prog is among the best publications this year.

Thanks for making it, people who made it.

[Tomwe]

Stellar prog so far - taking my time. Bit confused by Deadworld. Was that supposed to be the backstory of Fear? I wasn't clear what was now and what was in the past…

[Tomwe]

Also: this may have been asked somewhere before, but is this the first time a thrill has continued both before and after the bumper Christmas edition? (Brink)

[Batman's Superior Cousin]

Stellar prog so far - taking my time. Bit confused by Deadworld. Was that supposed to be the backstory of Fear? I wasn't clear what was now and what was in the past…

Nope, just the final fates of Patti & Spike, two Resistance members last seen leaving the Battle of Sector House 13, after seeing an illusion of Judge Fear (who’s currently residing their friend/former Resistance laeder, Tucker)!!!

[Proudhuff]

So what's with the numbering...it used to be the year didn't it matron?

Anyway that cover is a bit saucy all pert buttocks and come hither looks, that shadow on Dredd's ammo clip looks like he's got a stiffy! 
Droid life all fun and games til somebody loses an eye

Damage Report: That explains the colouring in D'Eathworld.

Dredd: we that was a great bittersweet Dredd for Dreddmas, Loads of little Easter eggs: from a who's who to Kubrick's Room 237 and carpet

Cab Inc: nice finish and looking forward to the collected works, the interview makes the Grennie droid seem, well almost human 

Deedweed: Trailer trash meet killer robots... on a world where every dies. guess how that ends?

Letterpage!!

Aptly Named: not really hooking me in there

Slaine:Trailer trash meet killer robots monster... in a world where everybody else dies except our heroes. guess how that ends?

Blink continues to interest and intrigue.... four pages of talking heads and its still wonderful

Fiends Great stuff, nice set up, take down and landing,  art spot in too.

Durham Red sorry gave up halfway through and flicked on to the nice Carlos tribute.

A mixed bag for xmas but enough to satisfy even the most jaded of xmas palates. 




 

[BPP]

Cabs is the absolute highlight even if it closes down the saga. Rennie and Reardon were an absolutely magical aesthetic fit for each other on this. Reardon is really missed in the prog. His art just works for me, it has a vulnerable humanity and decay despite being quite strongly designed monochromeatically.

Cheers for this Gordon, Dom & Tharg.

[broodblik]

I really enjoyed the Christmas Prog although it felt more than a Halloween Prog.

Dredd was a Christmas tale with a little Dredd twist @ the end

Caballistics was enjoyable but to be honest I cannot remember how it ended in 2007 (will have too revisited the whole story).

Deadworld as always was solid with Kendall’s art the highlight

Skip Tracer is for me as always enjoyable. Fun fact this is the story that appeared in the most progs this year racking up 19 appearances (excluding Dredd naturally)

I just loved Chris Weston’s take on Slaine with nice one-off from Uncle Pat.

Brink continues its slow-burn process. Great writing supplemented by awesome art. Culbard’s use of colours continues to carry the tone of each episode.

Fiends, this was for me the best in the prog. Great to see that Rebellion is using the characters they acquired in AD as well (Black Max)

Durham was not bad, but I felt like the story was missing something.

[Richard]

So what's with the numbering...it used to be the year didn't it matron?

That stopped after Prog 2015, when they realised that otherwise there'd be two prog 2016s (progs 2016?) within a few months of each other.

[norton canes]

The bits I've read so far...

Dredd: A decent enough effort, I guess - it can't be easy to come up with new ideas 40 Christmases in. What could have been a throwaway script focusing on the comedic elements does in fact reach for some depth. However I've never really been a huge fan of Boo Cook's art, and I think I've finally worked out why. It's not his drawing ability, which is excellent - it's the shiny, plasticky texture of his finished work, which puts my teeth on edge in a way I can't quite describe. Some sort of weird synesthesia thing happening on my part, I guess. Sorry Boo!

Deadworld: A masterful installment - a powerful script from Kek-W (more than making up for the slightly underwhelming most recent chapter of The Order) complemented by the most wonderful art from Dave Kendal. The way those those luminous skull-eyes pop out the page, I swear they're actually lit by tiny LEDs. And not content with being featured in the most iconic comic panel of all time, Fear now makes a bid to feature in the second best.

Brink: Another layer of intrigue is added to the puzzle, and another slice of awesomeness.

Caballistics, Inc.: The only thing it really develops and resolves is the mystery of the undead soldier. There isn't a lot of character stuff. Short and to the point, and great for what it is. I suppose we were lucky to get any kind of conclusion at all, so I won't complain.


The best thing about the prog so far, though, has been the two interviews. Excellent insights from both Gosnell and Burton on the process and perils of editing the Galaxy's Greatest. I particularly enjoyed the revelation that many Betelgeusian phrases originated from Kelvin Gosnell's days at public school. I love the idea of truculent schoolboys shouting "Splundig Vur Thrigg!" at their perplexed masters.