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Prog 2129 - Once Upon A Crime...

Started by A.Cow, 27 April, 2019, 01:19:00 PM

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Frank

Quote from: McNulty on 27 April, 2019, 10:30:07 PM
Quote from: Magnetica on 27 April, 2019, 09:02:02 PM
Really liked this Dredd ...didn't think the line about keeping Dredd around because his replacement could be worse (didn't make) much sense. It doesn't work like that...they just have Judges coming through, they wouldn't specifically make a "super" one to replace Dredd.

Dredd is more than a man, to many. Because of what he has done and what he stands for, he is a symbol of Justice. The criminals undoubtedly see him in the same way.

All that's true, but that isn't the reason the strip gives for sparing Dredd. Boss Ginger figgers the ability to track the judge assigned to their case is an advantage.

Dredd's not pursuing a personal vendetta against Ginger, Matrix and Don't Speak because they've Taken his daughter or killed his dog; he's a just a cop assigned to a case. Take out Dredd and another Rozzer would take over the case. That's what's meant by 'his replacement', not a clone.

The script even tells you this is the reason. Then, just in case you missed it or aren't convinced, helpfully explains that it is a good reason.





The Adventurer

I think it's more basic then that. They have an asset that can tell where one of the city's most prolific Judges is at nearly any time. If you killed Dredd, that asset would no long function. It's more useful to potentially manipulate Dredd, then manipulate no one.

THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

The Adventurer

PS: This chapter of Max Normal should win an Eisner

THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

TordelBack

Quote from: The Adventurer on 01 May, 2019, 09:01:06 PM
PS: This chapter of Max Normal should win an Eisner

Seconded.  I don't really know what it is about it, but this strip has been pure gold for me, and this episode is the best so far.  It's just a damned good story,  sharp sharp dialogue,  beautifully illustrated and carefully paced.  I hadn't given Max a second thought for years until this, even with his appearances in Lenny Zero and various specials etc.  Now he fascinates me. I'm even rather hoping Joe himself rides to the rescue next week. Seriously good work gents.

Elsewhere, what a good Dredd this has been. Nice worldbuilding from Mike, and just stonking art from Sexton and Charles. I didn't even mind the torture scene,  and I normally hate those. Hoping for a swift return for this storyline.

Scarlet Traces does its thing, and it is such a wonderful thing. What can be left of Autumn's underground bolthole after all this time? What will Hemming find there?

Oh Kingmaker, couldn't you have stood on your own two feet a bit longer?  I like a good twist as much as the next squaxx,  but I've been really loving this strip and I don't know that I needed to see it fold into[spoiler] Brass Sun[/spoiler]. Ah well, could be great.

Future Shock was a disturbing riff on Pokemon, and while the art had some really fantastic moments,  I don't think all of it was all the way there just yet. Definitely want to see more from this team!


norton canes

Cover: Looks like a 90's throwback... in a good way! The colouring is a bit muddy but I like that the white glare prides a crisp contrast.

Dredd: I've really enjoyed Michael Carroll's story. It's been great that though Dredd is rarely there in person he feels like a constant presence and remains germane to the plot. We're clearly destined to hear more from The Kindred and The Parliament. Agree that keeping Dredd alive if you know where he is is a better option than wasting him.

Scarlet Traces: See, this is the problem I have with ST - it's a decently exciting episode but the drama and tension is undermined by the fact that the tone is all over the place. One minute we've got a horrifically burned soldier performing a last heroic deed; the next, the characters are using language like 'Spit-spot!' to hurry each other along. OK, there's nothing fundamentally wrong with mixing the approach but for me, this is too broad.

Max: This has been brilliant, but with a couple of caveats... as mentioned upthread, the anachronistic stylings of the hipsters in future MC-1 is a bit annoying, as is the continual use of rhymes in their hip talk - I know it's what Maxie baby does, but especially in the full-page panel it gets too much!

Future Shock: Promising work from a new brace of script and art droids

Kingmaker: Must admit I haven't read this yet as I was too tired alst night after watching the World Shuggy Championships too late, but I inadvertently skipped to the last page and saw... Donald Sutherland's character from Invasion Of The Body Snatchers..? Oh, it's Kurt Vonnegut. Haven't read the chapters of Brass in which he appears.


TordelBack

Hey, remember recently when everyone thought Joe Deadd?  In a Mike Carroll story no less!  Well at least one guy knew he wasn't. Be interesting to see if Sage did anything with that info...

Other than the aforementioned Every Empire Falls series (which had plenty of other substitute judges as protagonists), has Mike done a largely Dreddless story since Caterpillars?  'Cos that was pretty good, and The Long Game has been great. I think we've been missing a decent ongoing underworld setup in the main strip since the Frendz went robowang-up and Ewing's Deller stuff wrapped up: the Kindred and the smaller fish implied by the Parliament's plight seem fit the bill. Get typing, Mike.

broodblik

I like Mike Carroll's Dredd stories. I can see that he will now start world building around the The Kindred and The Parliament. This was definitely a good intro into the underworld.
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

Southstreeter

The prog's not really doing it for me at the moment. The Dredd was OK but most of this story has been a generic gangster tale that hasn't really grabbed me. Scarlet Traces - have we seen these characters before? If we have I've forgotten them, and if we haven't, then I struggle to see why I should care about them after just a couple of episodes. What happened to the main characters from previous series? Max Normal I find too wordy, Kingmaker is fine, and the less said about the FS the better.
So I'm marking time until the next clear out - next prog may prove an interesting diversion.

staticgirl

Still haven't got this. I am not often getting the prog before it hits the shops, nowdays.

Bolt-01

Quote from: Southstreeter on 02 May, 2019, 01:40:38 PM
Scarlet Traces - have we seen these characters before? If we have I've forgotten them, and if we haven't, then I struggle to see why I should care about them after just a couple of episodes. What happened to the main characters from previous series?

I 'think' that the rather plucky senior citizen running around in London is the reporter lady from the Dark Horse mini of a good few years ago. Which would make this a welcome return to a character from a previous book. However, I may be wrong - a re-read of the whole saga is long overdue for this Squaxx.

Dark Jimbo

Quote from: Bolt-01 on 02 May, 2019, 03:49:51 PM
Quote from: Southstreeter on 02 May, 2019, 01:40:38 PM
Scarlet Traces - have we seen these characters before? If we have I've forgotten them, and if we haven't, then I struggle to see why I should care about them after just a couple of episodes. What happened to the main characters from previous series?

I 'think' that the rather plucky senior citizen running around in London is the reporter lady from the Dark Horse mini of a good few years ago. Which would make this a welcome return to a character from a previous book. However, I may be wrong - a re-read of the whole saga is long overdue for this Squaxx.

Aye, I think it's the protagonist from The Great Game.
@jamesfeistdraws

Tjm86

Quote from: broodblik on 02 May, 2019, 01:15:32 PM
I like Mike Carroll's Dredd stories. I can see that he will now start world building around the The Kindred and The Parliament. This was definitely a good intro into the underworld.

Fair point.  My only thing though is that it was a tale about the wider MC1 world that was better suited to the Meg than the main Dredd strip.  I think for me if it had been run like that I would perhaps taken to it a bit more. 

It also suffered from a common flaw of Carroll's work of not completely landing properly.  It puts me in mind of a lot of the old STNG double episodes that always seemed to run out of steam / ideas before they got to the final scene.

coastguardjackuk

Tharg! You made my day when I read the damage report, thanks! And a big shout to the wife for arranging it!!!!!
Building up a nice crust since 1969...

broodblik

Quote from: Tjm86 on 03 May, 2019, 06:46:17 PM
Quote from: broodblik on 02 May, 2019, 01:15:32 PM
I like Mike Carroll's Dredd stories. I can see that he will now start world building around the The Kindred and The Parliament. This was definitely a good intro into the underworld.

Fair point.  My only thing though is that it was a tale about the wider MC1 world that was better suited to the Meg than the main Dredd strip.  I think for me if it had been run like that I would perhaps taken to it a bit more. 


I agree that it would have made sense to publish this story in the Meg but I do think that we will get more stories related to the Kindred and Parliament coming up. If you read the May solicitation about Dredd ", and Judge Dredd tackles organised crime in 'The Fall of Barbarbara Grimm' by Mike Carroll and Nick Dyer!". The reason for the prog running of the story.
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

Proudhuff

Maybe its just me being tired and jaded, but with the notable exception of Scarlet Traces nothing is working in the prog for me just now.
I've given up on Kingmaker, the FS didnt hook me, Max Normal feels like one of those slightly misjudged 'What ever happened to...' series from a few years back that missed the mark.

And the Dredd doesn't seem to be a Dredd story but a complex and on-going tale that would perhaps be better suited to a novel or a text story in the Megazine. I'm hoping this isnt world building: I've thought the big Organised Crime syndicates in Dredd stories seldom seem plausible, especially when they are portrayed as ongoing soap operas. and as mentioned above trying to remember minor characters from one-off stories from way back is beyond my feeble mind, having said that, au contraire! seeing the return of the main character from The Great Game in Scarlet Traces was a joy, along with Hobb's End and yes 'Spit-spot' which is totally in keeping with her character, especially after the heroic waste of life before it.

DDT did a job on me