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Prog 2246 Regened - It's a Monster

Started by Tjm86, 22 August, 2021, 06:48:09 AM

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Tjm86

Quote from: Funt Solo on 23 August, 2021, 07:00:26 PM
Shouldn't Regened be a separate publication, though?  :-\

You had to go and say that didn't you!    ::)

... can .... open .... worms .... everywhere .....

Jim_Campbell

Quote from: Link Prime on 24 August, 2021, 11:54:24 AM
As an aside - was there any actual talk regarding the inclusion of Regened being relevant to the continued publication of 2000AD?

No. But simple logic suggests if that you rely on a 'core readership' that ain't getting any younger, you're looking at a slow but inevitable trajectory to cancellation. We're told that the Regened issues are the best sellers each year, which is probably enough reason alone to do them, before considering that they're a beachhead into the insanely lucrative all-age/YA TPB/OGN market, which is by far the healthiest segment of the (western) comic industry.
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: IndigoPrime on 24 August, 2021, 10:53:24 AM
Alas, he's apparently too busy. (At least he said he was when I nagged Rebellion about why there's been no Jamie Smart in the Treasury comedy comics.)

Well he should bloody well work harder. I mean we're only getting two strips by him in The Phoenix every week at the moment!... and he's probably writing another Flember book... and doing other things... what's he doing with the rest of his time - THAT'S THE QUESTION HERE...

Funt Solo

Quote from: Funt Solo on 23 August, 2021, 07:00:26 PM
Shouldn't Regened be a separate publication, though?  :-\

I thought it would be obvious I was 'aving a laugh, what with the smiley and that we've been over this quarterly for a while now . Reckon the group must still need to process, so it's all good.
++ A-Z ++  coma ++

Richard

While we're at it, why can't FCBD be sold online?

;)

Funt Solo

Right, and then I wouldn't have to make that terribly inconvenient journey to the comic shop. Every time I go there I get distracted by some other thing I want to buy and before you know it I've spent money there that I wouldn't otherwise have spent.

Launching Regened should be fairly simple for Rebellion, anyway - because they built a film studio and that Jason Kingsley fella is a real King, with a horse and armour and everything.

While we're discussing obvious common sense stuff - perhaps someone can explain to me why some stories are still in black and white when colour is better!
++ A-Z ++  coma ++

Tjm86

Quote from: Funt Solo on 24 August, 2021, 04:04:24 PM

While we're discussing obvious common sense stuff - perhaps someone can explain to me why some stories are still in black and white when colour is better!

Oh that's easy ... the license is cheaper ...

scrotnig

Really enjoyed this.

Not sure about Dredd not looking like Dredd for most of the story though. That was a strange idea. Art is great.

Really enjoyed 'Splorers which was just masterful and I love how it follows on from Survival Geeks, it's actually quite moving. Looks brilliant but that's a given of course.

Mayflies is good and the art is great.

Enjoyed the Future Shock, it worked well, art suited it perfectly.

Chopper was good but the character doesn't act much like the original. Seems a bit too fluffy. Again the art here is great.

I'd like to see Finder and Keeper again, I thought those stories really worked.

As always, I love the Regened concept and look forward to it every quarter.

broodblik

A good fun enjoyable regen issue. The regen progs are growing in stature, and this was one of the best so far.

Cadet Dredd - The Cadet Dredd was not bad but just felt it is missing "something". I feel if this concept is to be continued do, we need Cadet Dredd as the main course? I would rather see something new as the main feature of the regen prog.

Mayflies – If the first episode was an introduction, then the second one is the setup about what our team of blue youths will be doing. I enjoyed everything about this and can not wait for more.

Splorers – Great fun introduction and this was a brilliant "sequel" of the Survival Geeks storyline. I can see that this will work in sort bursts 2,3 episodes stories in the prog. I just love all those references to the geek-world and let's not forget the gorgeous art of Googe. 

Shock – Well this was more a straightforward story than a real Future Shock. Not bad at all. I was never a fan of Steve Roberts work in the prog but here his art worked much better.

Chopper – A very enjoyable story and good supporting art by Nick Roche. This is how you do a classic character story, top-notch stuff. 
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.

The Monarch

splorers got me it genuinly did i did not realise it was a survival geeks spinoff until howard showed up :lol:

solid regened prog i enjoyed everything in it

JudgeJudi

I also do not get why a child or young reader would want a Cadet Dredd story - he's simply too straight. Also the art does not work - Dredd looks like he's 50 in most of the panel.

Funt Solo

It's a comic of two 'alves, although that's just an incongruous football reference. It's really three fifths good, two fifths less good. You'll see what I mean if you read my reviews, in order of most to least thrilling:

'Splorers
An absolutely kick-ass sequel to Survival Geeks, and perfectly pitched for Regened. I'm curious as to how this would play out for someone who isn't geeked up enough to get the references, and/or a fresh reader who isn't aware of the precursor series. I'll try it out on mini-Solo later and see what she thinks to it.

The art is a joy, and there are great moments throughout - the switch from imaginary play to reality - the escape flight panel and the "going to weep while explaining to parents" face. If there's a criticism, it's that the denouement doesn't have the same energy, although it does set us up for a potential sequel.




Mayflies: The Way Forward
A six-way ensemble is a tough thing to manage: as a reader it's a lot to take in and sift, especially when the palette is merging them all together. Compare this to any other story in this issue: none of the others have a problem where the reader can't easily identify the speaking protagonist. So, completely lost, I had to look out the previous episode (prog 2220) to get a handle on who's who:

Squad Leader - Zuli - Long hair
Ground Trooper - Wrecks - Skinhead
Tactician - Otto - Lanky mohawk, can't walk
Hardware Tech - Artie - Short hair
Infiltrator - Slink - Hood
Scout - Rose - Pigmentation Flaw, short hair

Now, I only *think* I have Otto and Artie the right way around here. Also, was Otto wounded in the crash so can't walk? Or couldn't walk in the original either? I don't know: it seems like you would need more space to make sure the reader could tell the six apart, and allow them each to demonstrate their character. I'm not sure it's possible to do this well, so I'm thinking that six was a bad idea in the first place, or that they should be split up into sub-missions.

That aside: the art is great (caveat as above for difficultly in identifying folk) and the plot moves us along, but it does seem odd how stupid the Security detail are at the beginning. Also: that space truck is too much like a truck.




Future Shocks: Trash Culture
Fun, breezy and perhaps an homage to Waterworld - this even sets itself up for a sequel. Pretty good for a Future Shock.




Cadet Dredd: The Block With No Name
The panel I've chosen below really sums up my feelings for this one: so Dredd's a dick, then? I don't know what magic Wagner weaves to have made Dredd such a great character and Mega-City One such a compelling locale (surfing that fine line between fascist and hero), but having Dredd grass up some urchins surely wasn't it. The fact that the final bit sets up a lovely "fix the kids" block to lock them up in anew when they get out of the cubes just sort of cements the betrayal. In place of freedom, you get conformity.

This is Dredd written as Tory Party Manifesto and that just sucks. Down with this sort of thing.




Chopper: Chopper Don't Surf!
Rebooting the disenfranchised, zit-ridden, ennui-filled teenager that was Chopper as a ZIPPITY-KOW JUMPIN' JACK FLASH clean-cut jape-ster that quotes Shakespeare through the fourth wall is ... not nice. Please stop it. Why not invent a new sky-surfing character rather than borrow the name, some of the facts and none of the character. It would be far more honest. And why re-write it so that he has a completely different relationship with his parents? It's TOO NICE! Regened surely doesn't mean squeaky clean, does it? Shouldn't it still be 2000 AD? Does All Ages mean pandering to the most conservative parent? 

++ A-Z ++  coma ++

Funt Solo

Quote from: Funt Solo on 26 August, 2021, 12:57:42 AM
'Splorers ... I'm curious as to how this would play out for someone who isn't geeked up enough to get the references, and/or a fresh reader who isn't aware of the precursor series. I'll try it out on mini-Solo later and see what she thinks to it.

Ah - she loved it - got a few chortles - loudest for the vomit.
++ A-Z ++  coma ++

broodblik

I see Splorers very much like the original Shrek where we have jokes for adults and jokes for the younglings. The movie worked for all viewing audiences and I believe Splorers will work for all reading audiences.
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.

Barrington Boots

I've really enjoyed the Prog thread this week. I always like reading the thoughts of others on the Prog, but some good actual discussion going on this week.

Quote from: Funt Solo on 26 August, 2021, 12:57:42 AM
It's TOO NICE! Regened surely doesn't mean squeaky clean, does it? Shouldn't it still be 2000 AD? Does All Ages mean pandering to the most conservative parent? 

Great observation I think Funt, and something that applies to a lot of the 'haven't worked so well' strips in Regened imo. A lot of them have been very straightforward and lacking in anything anarchic or subversive.

I'd still challenge the idea that these comics are all-ages, but I think the sweet spot to be pitched for is a childrens comic that an adult can still read and enjoy. For that I think we need a dose of craziness or carnage - which can be done without excessive violence or gore - and less 'nice'.
You're a dark horse, Boots.