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[Dredd]

I haven't been contributing to the Prog review thread much lately as I've only been getting round to my Progs at the end of the week. But having read this week's, here goes.

These are comments on the current stories, rather than specifically about this week's episodes.

Dredd is perfectly good. Much better than six weeks avoiding getting mauled to death by a bear to no end.

Intestinauts has never been my thing, but this run is ok. The CYOA thing was fun.

The 3hrilleris pretty good, indeed better than most in this format. I can see this leading a to series.

Brink andProteus Vex are now taking their place alongside the best things ever printed in the Prog.

I don't get the "nothing happens in Brink" comments. It's building intrigue and giving clues in every panel. It definitely rewards a complete re-read, which I'm close to completing.

It's an absolute crime that Proteus Vex is ending. This is crying out for a spin-off set in the same universe. Jake Lynch is also now taking his place amongst the greats. I would not have though it possible to not miss Henry Flint, but he's managed to make it happen.

So here's the solution to Regened and the issue of Dredd aging discussed on another recent thread- just go with Cadet Dredd full time.

I'll get my coat.

Streaming has definitely changed how we watch telly. The kids don't really watch regular telly at all - it's all YouTube, Disney+ and Netflix. Even me and my wife no longer watch much live. Not even the news. It's only sport that feels like must watch live.

As for Dr Who, I haven't summoned up any enthusiasm to watch the latest series yet. Knowing it's all on iPlayer for over a year takes the pressure off, as I know I'll get around to it sometime. Just not yet.

In fact Dr Who has been like that since Capaldi, possibly even earlier. I'm only watching it out of some form of loyalty or nostalgia. It's a long time since I've actually enjoyed it.

Just wow. If you think the comments on FB on this were bad up til now, just read the one from last night. It's next level.

Probably worth bearing in mind that I strongly suspect a non-trivial percentage of the "I'm cancelling my subscription" brigade haven't bought either 2000AD or the Meg for decades.

It makes me laugh when I see posts along the lines of "the Prog is crap these days...I haven't read it in years".

Because you can really get a feel for it by flicking through it in WHSmith's.

Why not just go straight to the TPB with out putting it in a comic first?

I suspect, at least in part, because it's monstrously expensive and ties up great wedges of your cashflow for many, many months. Meanwhile, as IP notes, options for reprint are running low and pages still need filling. I'd certainly rather see a chunk of Pandora Perfect than some bottom-of-the-barrel reprint with a tenuous Dredd/2000AD connection.

Serious question, and I know you probably know better than me, but why would it be more expensive to go straight for a TPB, than to print it in the Prog or Meg and then put it in a TPB?

Why not just go straight to the TPB with out putting it in a comic first?

Not sure I'm too keen on it being in the Meg; I've actually been way more inclined to read the re-prints when part of the main Meg than the floppies.

And as others had said, regened content doesn't sit well alongside some of the Meg content. Especially Devlin Waugh and his... you know what...I'm not going to type it.

Portraying Dredd as a grump old man who is slowing down is the writers' choice. They could choose to not focus on that. Which would be my preference. If they really have to make him younger, my preference who be a passing reference to a re-juve treatment, similar to what he got in Carousel, and then just move on and write him as not quite so old.

[Thistlebone]

Thistlebone - great serial , and artwork, didn't 'get' the ending though.

Glad it's not just me. I've read it several times now and I still don't get it.

Anyone care to explain?

Has or Currie drawn Dredd before? There is a lot of praise up thread for his art this week, but for me his depiction of Dredd himself and especially his helmet doesn't quite work. The rest is fine though.

She might not even be dead. The way it is drawn the bullet is grazing the left hand side of her head. I'm assumimg it been drawn as a side on view from the opposite side to be deliberately ambiguous.

[Deadworld.]

I now have literally no clue what's happening in Deadworld.

Sidney's inhabiting his fathers corpse? Hmmm I must have missed that. I have 3 collected volumes and could reread them; not sure how much enthusiasm I can summon up for that.

And oh joy Indigo Prime is back. Let's see how many weeks it will be before I'm totally lost on that too. Up thread was a comment on Tranny Rex's last appearance. I can't remember that, so I'm off to a bad start.

Elsewhere FTB and Dredd continue with average episodes.

As for Thistlebone well I didn't see that coming. Not sure the flashback art needed to be that basic, but the story was truly horrible. Which I guess was the whole point.

I'm all in on the hardbacks for this.

Don't think I would be with much else, but the art, at least on the O'Neill and Talbot books is special.

For me O'Neill is the definitive Nemesis artist, but Talbot draws the definitive Torquemada. The way he gets expressions out of his helmet is just amazing.

[Dredd]

Dredd is great. One of the best in recent times.

The English Astronaut wasn't great.

I like FTB. The art is nice and I'm happy enough with letting the story develop.

Enemy Earth does nothing for me. Glad it's finished.

Thistleboneis great.

For me the classic one offs were in the 100s. For example:

The Mob Blitzers Prog 130
Palais de Bong Prog 136
Death of a Judge Prog 137
Night of the Blood Beast Prog 138
The Day that Xmas Came a Little Early to Des O'Connor Block Prog 144
Uncle Ump's Umpty Candy Prog 145
New Year is Cancelled Prog 146
Judge Minty Prog 147
Alien Seeds Prog 148
The Aggro Dome Prog 183
Mega way Madness Prog 189
The Nightmare Gun Prog 190


And that's not counting Block War in Prog 182 as it is really an epilogue to the Judge Child.

Plus there were load of great 2,3 and 4 parters then.
Not to mention my favourite epic, the Judge Child.

It's hard to pick a top 3 from that lot, but the most memorable for me are Des O'Connor Block and New Year is Cancelled.