Prog 2002: Retaliatory Strike!

[Alien Goodness]

Just realised that the Dredd story reminds me a little of 'Gulag', a Dredd story from 2004 where he selects a special hit squad to go into Sov territory and attack a prison...

[TordelBack]

Just realised that the Dredd story reminds me a little of 'Gulag', a Dredd story from 2004 where he selects a special hit squad to go into Sov territory and attack a prison...

And of course the story follows on from events in Enceladus, itself a people-transformed-into-monsters-attack-the-city-until-the-controlling-intelligence-is-destroyed plot of rather ancient Dreddworld pedigree, and in its turn Enceladus is a follow-on from inmates-take-over-Titan, which is hardly new ground for Dredd either...  However, the long-running sequence as a whole, with its focus on characters (Dredd, Gerhart, Nixon, Sinfield) clever imagery and surprising asides, is very much its own original thing.

As to Gerhart's eagle, the SJS are the originators of the shield-on-eagle look, albeit in a slightly different configuration...

[TordelBack]

Closer:

[sheridan]

And am I the only one who likes Clint Langley's black & white artwork for Flesh? In fact I like it better than some of his colour work.

You're not the only one - I'm liking the black and white stylings also.

My favourite story this week is Dredd. My thrill-circuits are buzzing - why are they on such a high risk mission? Not convinced by the explanation offered so far in this story...

Former chief judge under heavy interrogation?  Convincing enough for me!

[Tiplodocus]

I right enjoyed all of that.

Flesh was the least of a great, diverse (in art, colour, letter and script) bunch but still kinda fun.

I thought Savage was placing the shells not retrieving them.

And Anderson is older and wrinkly but just projects a psychic image of her younger self into willing minds. She's doing some kind of inception trick so the East Meg judges think they have the launch codes but obviously get something badderer.

[sheldipez]

And Anderson is older and wrinkly but just projects a psychic image of her younger self into willing minds. She's doing some kind of inception trick so the East Meg judges think they have the launch codes but obviously get something badderer.

Are Judge's not entitled to free face lifts/ replacements as part of the perks? 

[Starkers]

A good solid prog, enjoying Dredd but always do. Flesh I've kinda lost track of what's happening, same as with Savage. So Bill's now impersonating a German barman but still killing Volgs on the side? Unsure about Hunted, more classic era Nu Earth is always welcome, but not sure I want, or in fact need, the Traitor General fleshing out. What next, Sister Sledge the Early Years? (actually I'd read that). Counterfeit Girl continues well, seems a slight editorial oversight that just a few weeks after PJ Maybe's black bubble inner voice we have another one, but at least this one is explained. 

[dweezil2]

Just realised that the Dredd story reminds me a little of 'Gulag', a Dredd story from 2004 where he selects a special hit squad to go into Sov territory and attack a prison...

Quite topical too with the current tensions between Russia and the west!

With 2000AD's astute powers of prophecy as they are, if Trump ( 'Big Bad' Bob Booth) gets in, we really will know we're all fucked! 

[James Stacey]

I thought Savage was placing the shells not retrieving them.

That would make more sense.

[sheridan]

And Anderson is older and wrinkly but just projects a psychic image of her younger self into willing minds. She's doing some kind of inception trick so the East Meg judges think they have the launch codes but obviously get something badderer.

Are Judge's not entitled to free face lifts/ replacements as part of the perks? 

It's been said that a rejuve job would affect her psychic powers, though I don't imagine a conventional (for our times) surgical facelift would have an affect.

[Frank]

Are Judge's not entitled to free face lifts/ replacements as part of the perks? 

... a rejuve job would affect her psychic powers, though I don't imagine a conventional (for our times) surgical facelift would have an affect.

PJ Maybe* got through half a dozen face changes before resorting to Rimmel. Most of MC1 must have sat in the New You chair and asked Toni to take 20 years off the top and tidy it up at the back.

Nerd bullshit aside, it's probably better to treat every character the same as Dredd, and let each artist draw them in whatever way best suits their aesthetic - just as they do with the gun, bike, and eagle.

Leigh Gallagher draws Dredd with a face like Keith Richards' scrotum, but MacNeil's looks the same as he did the day he discovered John Cassavetes was dead.


* peace be upon him

[Muon]

Are Judge's not entitled to free face lifts/ replacements as part of the perks? 

... a rejuve job would affect her psychic powers, though I don't imagine a conventional (for our times) surgical facelift would have an affect.

Nerd bullshit aside, it's probably better to treat every character the same as Dredd, and let each artist draw them in whatever way best suits their aesthetic - just as they do with the gun, bike, and eagle.

Leigh Gallagher draws Dredd with a face like Keith Richards' scrotum, but MacNeil's looks the same as he did the day he discovered John Cassavetes was dead.

Yeah, that's what I've been thinking. The portrayals of Dredd have been wildly different from artist to artist, particularly in the last ten years or so, and that's fine and dandy with me. In fact, I like to see all the different artists' interpretations. The lack of a prescriptive house style is one of 2000 AD's unique points after all. Anderson herself has gone through quite a lot of interpretations already, including Brett Ewins' Debbie Harry lookalike in the mid '80s. It's all good.

[Link Prime]

And am I the only one who likes Clint Langley's black & white artwork for Flesh? In fact I like it better than some of his colour work.

You're not the only one - I'm liking the black and white stylings also.

Clint is an amazing artist.
Thumbs up from me for his recent work of Flesh.

[DrJomster]

Just read prog 2001 and 2002 back to back and have to say that was good work! V pleased all round.

Great line up. Really enjoyed the stories and all the art. Hopefully some of these strips will end up in collected editions.

Excellent work those droids!

[ZenArcade]

Cover: one of the best I have seen in years. Murray's interpretation is a delight.

Dredd: Hitting all the right spots for this Squax. Mean, ruthless with a plethora of characters from the minds of several writers.  The reindeer shoot up, to the accompaniment of some top level Sov bombast and an overzealous AI targeting system gave me a belly laugh.

Flesh: The storyline is ok; the art is at times staggeringly good.

Hunted: Another firm favourite. The writing is up to Rennie's ever high standards.  The art really works with the plotting....an unsavoury, dislikable charachter (not Rennie) cynically if not sociopathically destroying all in his path.

Savage: I'm not into Savage in any sense, but Goddard is a delight. His research for his work is so deep.

Counterfeit Girl: really getting to like the return of Milligan. Fun story with really strong art.

The prog is going well at the moment, an enjoyable week with two really strong stories. Z