Prog 2325: Head games!

Funt Solo · 29 March, 2023, 10:11:06 PM

Quote from: nxylas on 29 March, 2023, 08:58:52 PMLowborn High is what 2000AD should have been doing at the height of Pottermania in order to attract younger readers.

I'd argue that the popularity of something like The Owl House would indicate that magic-users who attend school isn't an idea that, in and of itself, is exhausted, or requires a temporal link to Rowlbraith's opus.

nxylas · 30 March, 2023, 12:53:33 PM

Quote from: Credo! on 29 March, 2023, 10:11:06 PMI'd argue that the popularity of something like The Owl House would indicate that magic-users who attend school isn't an idea that, in and of itself, is exhausted, or requires a temporal link to Rowlbraith's opus.

I'm not familiar with The Owl House. "Harry Potter, 2000AD style" seems the most obvious reference point, though.

Hawkmumbler · 30 March, 2023, 01:14:26 PM

The Owl House is a delight, and that's coming from possibly the most miserable, hard to please bugger on the board. Its continued success (and subsequent shafting, damn you Disney) is nothing short of miraculous.

The obvious strip indicative of potential Potterisms(ick) ripe for revisiting is Luke Kirby, but I've never much liked comparing our (very under appreciated) lad Kirby to that conservative fantasy trollop, instead it was always far more akin to Alan Garners work.

Bad City Blue · 30 March, 2023, 04:07:11 PM

Made this mistake or reading this straight after Time Bimb comics "Harker: The Black Hound"

The sheer quality difference in storytelling, character and dialogue was jarring.

Dredd was okay, nothing more. Lowborn High added His Dark Materials to Harry Potter as something it's rippung off. AGain, it's okay but I felt like it shoild have got it's own special rather than take up the lions share of this. The Future Shock was, surprise, okay. Mayflies I find it hard to care about that much, it really doesn't benefit from the time gap. Loce the art, though.

I've happily championed these editions, but this one was quite boring and shows that better writers are seriously needed, or at least script editors who can punch up the often flaccid dialogue we are getting.

IndigoPrime · 30 March, 2023, 04:16:56 PM

I wonder if a format shake-up could help. It's curious that Regened goes for longer strips, rather than punchier fare. Again, look at The Phoenix: the current issue has two sets of Jamie Smart DPS mayhem, Jess Bradley's one-pager, and some longer adventure strips (which IIRC clock in around a half-dozen pages).

Natch, doing something different isn't a bad thing. But 20 pages seems heavy for a comic like this. I'm not sure mini-IP would be up for 20 pages on any one thing in an anthology comic, with the possible exception of a Jamie Smart marathon.

broodblik · 30 March, 2023, 06:32:32 PM

I have read it and most reviews here cover my sentiment as well. Just one thing which I think would work better than actually having these stories running over multiple regen progs is that each issue should feature more stories but all off them done and dusted. No need to read previous regen issues just pick it up and read it.

Richard · 31 March, 2023, 01:01:06 AM

I enjoyed the text story. I agree that it doesn't belong in Regened, but it was fun.

Magnetica · 31 March, 2023, 10:38:32 AM

Quote from: Bad City Blue on 30 March, 2023, 04:07:11 PMLowborn High added His Dark Materials to Harry Potter as something it's rippung off.

Yes it was very noticeable that the teacher's daemon, sorry I mean familiar,was a Pine Martin. Really? Couldn't they have made it something else?

And as for getting to the school by driving your luggage trolley at the wall on platform 9 3/4, sorry I mean shopping trolley at the wall in the supermarket....don't get me started.

Overall Lowborn High seemed to have 4 distinct phases that were only peripherally related to each other, so it all felt very disjointed to me.

IndigoPrime · 31 March, 2023, 01:20:39 PM

Mm. It all felt too copy-and-paste. That's not to say other strips in Regened and beyond don't sometimes wear their influences on their sleeves. But this felt a bit too much. Also, it just for me lacked any sense of urgency. Compare it to the rollercoaster of Full Tilt Boogie or the pitch-perfect Pandora. And it looks like it'll be in the next Regened as well. I hope we don't get another 20 pages though – or that if we do, they're more impactful.

Richard · 02 April, 2023, 01:46:11 PM

I finally read Lowborn High and I thought it was alright! Don't understand the hate it's getting on this thread.

nxylas · 02 April, 2023, 02:57:22 PM

Quote from: Richard on 02 April, 2023, 01:46:11 PMI finally read Lowborn High and I thought it was alright! Don't understand the hate it's getting on this thread.

It's not really hate, most people just think that 20 pages is a bit much. Though as the length of a standard US "floppy", I wonder if they have a US reprint in mind.

IndigoPrime · 02 April, 2023, 02:58:59 PM

It's not the worst thing I've ever read, but I got nothing from it. And it's not like I don't enjoy all-ages comics.

Blue Cactus · 02 April, 2023, 10:14:48 PM

I enjoyed Lowborn High this time except for the Potter references. The servants, the shopping trolley. These moments don't feel like satire, or spoof, or comment, it's literally just 'here's a thing from Harry Potter but slightly different'. I just don't get it. It detracts and distracts from the story. I know you could argue the whole thing is based on the premise of riffing on HP but this isn't riffing. The characters have enough going on that the strip could develop into being it's own thing but for me it's held back by its basic premise.