Prog 2005 - Thrill power overload

[Bad Andy]

Choctastic tooth makes this a great starter prog for anyone bar one thing. The cover. There has already been lots of talk about it on the forums, but I think it is a terribly misguided one. Maybe it is to appeal to younger readers, but I think the rough sketch inside would have been more interesting.

Anyway -
Bumper Droid Life lives up to its reputation.

Bumper Dredd - Christmas with the Blints is very good, although whether Dredd would have been sent to Blighty just for a couple of perps is questionable. Good development of bad guys to get here.

Caballistics - highly entertaining look at the early Q department and suggestions we'll be going back.

Sinister Dexter - Different pace than usual, the whole episdoe set in a bar and no one getting killed (really). I think it works.

Slaine - Stunning artwork by Langley. I've not seen this before and the story seems a lot more interesting than most of the recent tales.

Robo Hunter - Not been a huge fan of Samantha Slade, but this one off story is okay. SS seems to look a lot different in this story than the last - and why haven't Stoagie and Hoagy gone of with Sam now he's back?

TOTL - Not come across this one before either. Disreali's B&W artwork is fascinating, but the end of the story is a bit weird. Am I missing a bit of back story?

Second City Blues - Now this isn't as bad as it could be, but still feels like somethig that was in the prog in the early 80s. The game itself is a cross between Speedball and Quidditch.
Give it a bit of time I guess. And it was a horse.

Nikolai Dante - Like Dante a lot, but not seen him for a while. Morrison is taking care in writing these stories and I think it shows through. Good.

Tharg's Alien Invasions - three of these. All a bit hit and miss but welcome to see a different paced strip. Would be happy to see this in tooth rather than Future Shocks to be truthful.

All in all - Fabulous. Would have paid double the price for this.

[Max Kon]

yeah, it is rather spiffing isn't it,

Bumper Dredd - Christmas with the Blints is very good, although whether Dredd would have been sent to Blighty just for a couple of perps is questionable. Good development of bad guys to get here.

I think Dredd was sent to Brit Cit for a number of reasons.
1) The 2 perps had a huge sentance on their head in MC-1 and are from there originally.
2)Hershy thought it would be a good idea for Dredd to get away from it all. We all know he ain't going on vacation, so this was a just as good opertunity

[DavidXBrunt]

Yeah, what Max said really. I imagine that sending Dredd off on this mission means an adequate distraction from his thoughts. And it neatly sidesteps the whole aftermath of 'Yotal War' thing for anyone attracted to the Christmas Prog but also allows for it to be picked up when Dredd returns to the Meg.


Cover - Well I liked it.
Christmas with the Blints - Really enjoyed this, great Art and I want to see more from the artist.

Cabals by Arthur Wyatt - Nice story, interesting hints as to where things are going and the presence of Ravne in the flashback stops it from feeling totally disconnected. And it returns in the new year. Yippeee!

Sinister Dexter - I laughed out loud several times when reading this.

Slaine - the best Langley art I've seen and probably yhe best episode of the book of Invasions, I'm actively looking forward to more of this.

Robo-Hunter - the art was fuller than the last run but none of the robots were as fun as Grudzilla, though there was less to work on. We've met Samantha, she's started up as a Robo-Hunter, she's found an office...we're all set to go for some proper RoboHunting madness now.

Leviathon - If you've not read this then you have to get the collected edition. A nice return to a modern classic. And if this is a tilot for more tales then I'd say it succeeded.

Second City Blues - Fun enough but a lot of info dump dialogue and it felt like something that would be in the 80's Eagle if it were still running.

Dante - Good to have him back, looking forwards to more. Here's hoping he hangs around a lot this year.

Invasions - Creepy, funny, and weird in that order.

Star Scan - B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. Gorgeous. Lovely.

[Matt Timson]

"Cabals by Arthur Wyatt"

Was this a typo or is somebody due some congrats?

[Max Kon]

it's 'with thanks to arthur wyatt', still by Rennie

[The Amstor Computer]

Just got this prog. I'm going to try and dip in and out, so I started with Cabs and Second City Blues.

Caballistics was fantastic, and the slight change in Dom's art over the past few months is very pleasing - it's not drastically different from his earlier style, but the few changes make all the difference. Story is a cracker as well - plenty of fodder for the annotations (which are now long overdue to be posted...)

Second City Blues is a bit mental. Strip it of the futuristic setting and play it just a *little* more for laughs and it wouldn't be out of place in Solar Wind. It's either a straight-faced attempt at a future sports strip that is shockingly dated or it's a try for an ironic nod at this old genre. Either way, on the evidence of this first episode it's not working. Worth a look for the next installment or two, but I don't hold out much hope. Naff art as well, I'm afraid.

The rest of this bumper prog looks like fun, and I'll post some more brain-thoughts later...

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

Surely the highlight of the Prog was the erudite, chipper, thought-provoking and informed whine that is my letter?

[Martin Jameson]

Only had a quick look...first impressions....

Cover: not for me I'm afraid.

Dredd: pretty good light story.

Slaine: stunning almost photo-realistic artwork, the attention to detail is incredible. How many hours went into this?

Second city blues: So far... a load of bollocks...sorry.

Not read the others yet but all in all seems ok.

And whats all these references to euthanasia? Two stories in here and on the news. Must be the season for it.

[Darryl]

Is anybody else waiting for their sub copy? Mine wasnt there last night... Ho hum, Bloody post office....

[Oddboy]

It's a good week for co-incidences.
I'd noticed the two euthenasia refs in 2000AD - and the two Medusa's in the Meg this month.

Dredd was fan-dabby-doozy.
Ahh heck, it was all fan-dabby-doozy.
Except for the Alien Invasions, most of which I didn't understand. I assume Henry's on different medication?
2nd City Blues - did seem very 80s. Don't know if that is a good thing yet.

[Max Kon]

I enjoyed tharg's alien invasions. They are insain. Sign here was the best.

[petesbeats]

Caballastics was superb and I am so glad that it is back in the weekly in the new year.  The new characters introduced get better and better.

I am unlucky in the fact the i have only had chance to get my hands on the first 2 Dante stories so i have missed the bulk of what's happened in between but the new arc looks good.  Just wish Fraser was still on art duties!

Dredd was so-so.  Art was good but the story seemed to drag a little.  Why did her husband not just lay her out.  WIMP!

Can't beleive the art on Slaine.  Absolutely fantastic and the story did a bit as well.  Well done that Langley Droid!!

2nd city Blues.. Well it's looking a bit of a repeat of whats been done before but it looks like it's all gonna be done in fun so i'm willing to give it a go.

So Overall Prog 2005 was VERY VERY good.  Met all expectations and along with the brilliant Meg December has definately ended the year on a high.

Bring on 2005.

[Smiley]

Cover's okay, it's only a bit of seasonal siliness. However, not really enamoured with the Thargs as part of the redesign.

Dredd takes a lot of time to explain not very much to little effect with mediocre art. Cabs is okay with some cool characters but irritatingly gauche for some reason. SinDex was nothing but a few fun throwaway jokes. Everyone looks like they're wearing badly fitting photographic masks in Sl?ine, though the monsters are suitably repellent. Robo Hunter was the most solid thing by far, with a genuine spark somewhere amidst the tired music hall gags. On the other hand, Second City Blues works mechanically enough, avoids the futuresport rulebook and expertly bounces between a lot of characters in such a short time, but their situations are so obvious it might not be worth going the distance. Leviathan came on like an edited-out episode (hence the lack of payoff I suppose) with some pointless xmassy tinsel added. Dante's old fashioned Daily Express T&A fun even if it seems to be recycling a familiar situation for him. Fucking hell, it's a bit of a bleak prog for me.

Strangely, the best bits are the "funnies" with Droid Life and Alien Invasions all hitting the spot for me. And a nice Ace Garp too.

Overall 6/10.

[raspberry reich]

the droid life artwork was better then dredds this week.
leviathan was my favourite strip i cant enough of d,lsraelis artwork and the script was superb.

[Conexus]

I like the Dredd art, and it was nice seeing Joe work with Morgan Freeman