Prog 1919 - How the Mighty Has Risen...

Colin YNWA · 22 February, 2015, 09:27:15 PM

What a fantastic cover.

Inside slight down turn. Dredd continues as was pretty much.

stutters a little after a more promising opening than I was expecting. Its okay but nowt more. Likewise I thing Station to Station stumbled a little.Still really enjoyed it but felt it played its hand a little early and much of the intrigued was stripped away this issue.

Both The Order and Savage still remain superb however and I refuse to believe thats the last we'll seen of [spoiler]Ritterstahl[/spoiler]

Colin YNWA · 23 February, 2015, 11:04:00 AM

Oh and also meant to say (only 14 hours late then!) doesn't the picture in the Forthcoming thrill alert for Helium by Ian Edginton and D'Israeli have more than a passing Leviathan vibe about it...

... I wonder...

wedgeski · 23 February, 2015, 02:06:57 PM

I thought this was an excellent prog:

Dredd - Enjoying this greatly (it's Dredd, it's Anderson, it's the Dark boys) but it does seem to have dropped into a disappointingly straight action piece.

Survival Geeks - Loving it! Grabbed me in a way that many of the unfamiliar strips I found when I came back last year did not. Cool characters, very funny, awesome art. Can't wait for more.

Station to Station - I have no problems with this. It isn't blowing me away but I'm quite happy to see what happens next. This episode was definitely the difficult second album of the piece, though.

The Order - Wow, did I read from an earlier post that this is a new strip? I assumed it wasn't, and I just hadn't been around for the earlier books. It feels bedded in and very comfortable with itself. I've grown to really like this one over the last few weeks.

Savage - I honestly feel like I should be enjoying this more, but I have to admit I'm struggling a little bit to keep up with the name-drops and the palpable sense of long-running story (which I've missed). I'm sure I should know about the connection between Savage and what becomes the ABC Warriors, but I don't.

Overall I'm very happy with the prog right now.

Geoff · 23 February, 2015, 02:45:12 PM

Love the cover! Great to see Tharg painted by John Higgins.

Also loving Dredd. It is a bit of a standard action story and maybe seems a bit of an excuse to bring back the Dark Judges but it's an enjoyable story, the art is just wonderful and there have been some funny lines. Anyone else recognise references to the film 'Silent Running', with Dredd in the little buggy and the wide shots of the domes...

Not really getting into Survival Geeks or the 3riller, although the artwork is impressive on both.

The Order is nuts! But I'm really enjoying it. It reminds me of the sort of weird mish-mash tale you'd get in a late 70s/early 80s Lion annual or something.

Being an old - lapsed - returned reader I've also suffered from feeling there's a lot I'm not aware of in Savage and have found it hard to enjoy in the past but I'm really starting to warm to the old fella now..

All round pretty good and Helium by Edginton and D'Israeli is something to look forward to.

Prodigal2 · 24 February, 2015, 02:03:12 PM

Quote from: Geoff on 23 February, 2015, 02:45:12 PM
Love the cover! Great to see Tharg painted by John Higgins.

Also loving Dredd. It is a bit of a standard action story and maybe seems a bit of an excuse to bring back the Dark Judges but it's an enjoyable story, the art is just wonderful and there have been some funny lines. Anyone else recognise references to the film 'Silent Running', with Dredd in the little buggy and the wide shots of the domes...

Not really getting into Survival Geeks or the 3riller, although the artwork is impressive on both.

The Order is nuts! But I'm really enjoying it. It reminds me of the sort of weird mish-mash tale you'd get in a late 70s/early 80s Lion annual or something.

Being an old - lapsed - returned reader I've also suffered from feeling there's a lot I'm not aware of in Savage and have found it hard to enjoy in the past but I'm really starting to warm to the old fella now..

All round pretty good and Helium by Edginton and D'Israeli is something to look forward to.

The Order really has nailed an old school/new school feel for me. I agree on that old vibe of Lion or Valiant to it. Great stuff for old dinosaurs.

Colin YNWA · 24 February, 2015, 02:38:02 PM

Quote from: Prodigal2 on 24 February, 2015, 02:03:12 PM

The Order really has nailed an old school/new school feel for me. I agree on that old vibe of Lion or Valiant to it. Great stuff for old dinosaurs.

Yeah I'd suggest this is an example of one of the strengths of the current line-up* has a strong balance of fresh and old to keep everyone happy I'd suggest.

Dredd is pretty solid fodder - You don't really need a great deal of background other than that provided and its technically very very good. Most action comic fans would lap this up.

Survival Geeks is fun banter, light and very accessible to many.

3riller always very accessible and this one has a nice 'Vertigo' edge to it and a nice (if a bit heavy handed) bit of social commentary.

The Order is just magnificent. It feels as though its been built for old school fans and yet there's nothing there to make it inaccessible to others.

Savage feels a little like fan service, its deep into a story, its tying itself to even longer history in the comic (hence I love it!) and yet there seems to be enough punch there to keep many more recent or casual readers happy?

There seems to be a little something for everyone, but with enough bleed to allow surely at least 3 strips to appeal to most readers of different 'generations' and longevity of reading. Heck we even have a fairly decent proportion of female characters (if not creators still) for once. Lead in The Order and Station to Station, strong co-star in Dredd, good representation in Survival Geeks ... and .... well Savage

* Not sure if this is specific to the current line-up alone but I'm noticing it more here for some reason.

Magnetica · 24 February, 2015, 10:32:57 PM

Do we know how may more parts there are to Dark Justice?

I seem to think it was meant to be 10 in total, which would mean it ends next week. Seems way to soon if that is the case.

Proudhuff · 24 February, 2015, 11:15:02 PM

Sounds like the Damage Report is a cry for help... its the SD all over again.

Dredd excellent silly stuff.

Survival Geeks love it

3riller great story and art, more Thargy!

The Order picks up and gets up to dat,e vastly improved

Savage: i now know what the collective noun for shoehorns is.

We need a letters page to revitalise Butt'man

Jacqusie · 25 February, 2015, 02:26:04 AM

Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 23 February, 2015, 11:04:00 AM
Oh and also meant to say (only 14 hours late then!) doesn't the picture in the Forthcoming thrill alert for Helium by Ian Edginton and D'Israeli have more than a passing Leviathan vibe about it...

Indeed it does, there is a nod to the steampunk universe for sure with the heli-ship / freighter above the clouds... Should be good!

Hawkmumbler · 25 February, 2015, 10:38:25 AM

I solid prog I found. Very much enjoying the fold ATM.

Dredd chunders along doing it's thing and though Dark Justice hasn't turned out to be the classic I had hopped for, in it's defense it could never have been as good as my expectations (or indeed the hype) had propelled it to be after three years of teasing. And for what it is, an old-school thrill with modern artwork, it's hugely enjoyable.

Survival Geeks is somewhat cringe inducing. I'm not a fan of this uber meta kind of humor what so ever and it comes off as all too knowing and happy with itself, like any given episode of The Big bang Theory. But i'm not skipping it outright because Neil Googe is a damn fine talent. Not GRennie's finest moment i'm afraid.

3rillers was great this time around and i'll once again second the sentiment for a collected edition. I re-read Ghostship Mathematica recently and I enjoyed it far more the second time around.

The Order is just pure classic thrill material. Everything about it clicks for me, the superb art from Mr. Burns right down to the memorable characterization of each member (but where did the Wolf go this week?). I genuinely think this has legs to become a new regular to the fold and I hope Kek-W take's that into account.

Savage nearly gave me what I was hoping for since I first read the strip years ago, by caving in Quartz fucking smug face. Sadly it's not to be right now, but i'm loving this new direction the strip is being taken to.

And i'll also add my name down to the list of squaxx eagerly awaiting Helium. Ian Edginton is one of my favorite writers in the house of Tharg ATM and when teamed with D'Israeli the potential for thrill power overload is staggering.

The Enigmatic Dr X · 25 February, 2015, 03:08:50 PM

Quote from: Magnetica on 24 February, 2015, 10:32:57 PM
Do we know how may more parts there are to Dark Justice?

I seem to think it was meant to be 10 in total, which would mean it ends next week. Seems way to soon if that is the case.

12, I think

Link Prime · 25 February, 2015, 03:23:17 PM

Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 25 February, 2015, 03:08:50 PM
Quote from: Magnetica on 24 February, 2015, 10:32:57 PM
Do we know how may more parts there are to Dark Justice?

I seem to think it was meant to be 10 in total, which would mean it ends next week. Seems way to soon if that is the case.

12, I think

11- and it's not enough!

ZenArcade · 25 February, 2015, 06:32:48 PM

Didn't really comment on the prog last week as frankly I wasn't massively gripped by it and kinda sad to say I feel the same way this week. The Dredd continues to impress artwise but the plot is becoming ever more contrived and run of the mill. Hope to be proved totally wrong next week. The other stories frankly remind me of a good week progwise in the mid 90's (which alas is a bad week in todays terms). Z

TordelBack · 25 February, 2015, 08:50:41 PM

I feel that this week that Dark Justice continues its upward trajectory now that all the mechanical assembling of the ring firmly over, and we're into Dredd and Anderson's JDWF Tag Team 2137 title match. I could practically hear a Nickleback cover of Paint it Black blaring over the tannoy as Diastema Death and the One Armed Mortis emerged from the dressing room as spotlit silhouettes. If you can't love Dredd lancing Fire with his own trident while jouting from a golf cart and then feeding him into the spudbasher I weep for all the joy you that are forever denied. Sometimes a painfully contrived setup can be justified by a great payoff, and this beautifully rendered wholly uninterrupted rumble is that time.

ZenArcade · 25 February, 2015, 09:00:04 PM

I know I'll probably look back on this with a fonder heart, and it isn't bad....must just be the weather and stuff. Z