So, fair play to Willsher in the Steve Dillon role, he clearly had to lash that Anderson out in jig time and yet he paid close attention to everything Dyer had done with the uniforms and characters and rendered it perfectly consistent, albeit in his own style. Very impressed, if still disappointed that Nick didn't get to finish out the story: this was the next best thing.
An oddly paced-conclusion, essentially dropping Flowers at the last minute and not really successful in explaining 'why Hershey?'. However, this story took Anderson in new directions, and I loved it: the uniform tweaks, the punky haircut, the new powers (I see this as building on the astral projection that Grant was developing in the last few stories)... a lovely fresh take. As to Dyer's Anderson being 'ugly', well even allowing that you thought she was (and I don't think she was), is a pretty face so essential to the character? I was just glad to see a confident take-charge psychically-and-physically powerful Anderson replace all the moping and angst. If Beeby could incorporate the early quippy side of Anderson into this mature pragmatist, I'd be a very happy squaxx. And bring back Dyer for another run, he's just ace.
More strange pacing in Outlier, which abruptly jettisons all its characters and subplots for an instant wrap-up worthy of an 'exciting news for all our readers!' issue. Not really sure why a gamma burst propagating at lightspeed would necessitate such a snap decision on the part of an interstellar human civilsation (must be several years at least until it would affect even the closest systems to Creaggan), but I really liked the central idea of the Hurde as a means of survival. More time to explore this endgame in terms of the competing factions within both species (maybe this run should have started with the extinction event problem rather than saving it for the climax?), and less time spent in interrogation rooms with broken characters who will never get the chance to change or really do much of anything, would have suited me better - but then getting 3 series of this enjoyable 'proper' SF tale was a pleasant surprise anyway, so asking for more from it may be churlish.
Scarlet Traces... I dunno, it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, but this 'book' needed to cover twice as much ground to be as satisfying as it should be. And it does seem to be settling into an overly familiar Edginton pattern. But it's fun, and did I mention looking at it is likely having my eyeballs bathed in luminous joy? Also: an uncircumcised willie in the prog, whatever next? It only took a Jewish artist to deliver.
Dredd was a perfectly fine one parter, with lovely bouncy art from Marshall, although why Steve Jobs was there I've no clue. My son suggested Yu-Gi-Oh references in the art, but sadly I've no idea what that might look like. Hawkmumbler?
Jaigir is just the usual top quality work from all concerned, but I'd definitely like to see a longer run as well as these rather short choppy chunks.
Boo's Cover was gorgeous, and I liked Tharg's gloss on its theme.
