three in a row huh....thats pretty cool
Anyway cover is a rather cool Aquilla image by Cliff Robinson
Call me crazy but I do not see a happy ending in the horizon for either chimpsky or Stan
Aquilla and hershey are both fantastic as per and also as per i skipped skip tracer its finally over though (more on that in a sec)
Survival geeks wins the week for me for actually surprising me with a plot twist i genuinly should have seen coming
Now back to skip tracer. It ends this week. Aquilla will end next week and the rest will end in 2182 to make way for the second regened special this year.
All hail Tharg
All hail The Phoenix
Still keepin' the same old good stuff comin' in times when the world is being taken over by the phrase 'New Normal'.
While we're at it -
All Hail Cliff Robinson for that chuffin' fine cover.
Inside all is good with the world.
Dredd is possibly thrill of the bunch as Chimpsky works the angles and gives us the odds. Its a delight and
Quote from: The Monarch on 04 May, 2020, 04:06:27 PM
Call me crazy but I do not see a happy ending in the horizon for either chimpsky or Stan
Don't even say it. We all need more Chimpsky in our lives... Stan though... well you might well be onto something there, its got heroic death written all over it.
Skip Tracer end "With INTEREST" - oh stop it already will you. Mind this was actually a decent ending. I think we need to be more engaged with The Cube next time, as well as Skipperty calming down a notch or twelve.
Survival Geeks was good fun.
Aquilla was great.
Hershey gives Dredd some serious competition for best thrill. Man this is excellent stuff, Its hard times for all and as I reader I'm feeling each piece of Barbara they take. Jez they've made us go through her demise one already, are they going to do it again. Too cruel. Yet its bloody brilliant!
Another cover by the master of AD covers, Cliff Robinson (and let's not forget Dylan Teague as well)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EW7DJRmX0AAmgMs?format=jpg&name=4096x4096)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EW7DJBqXkAEUG8F?format=jpg&name=large)
It's an excellent prog this week!
A dramatic cover.
Top Niemand humour in Dredd.
Skip Tracer finishes (but returns "soon").
Survival Geeks is brilliant, gory and ridiculous, as usual.
The volcano finally erupts in Aquila. This episode has a very interesting cliffhanger!
Hershey is very good this week (although I'm still pretending it isn't really her).
All hail Tharg and his droids!
Great prog with only Skip getting skipped by me...
Thank you Tharg for another great prog in this weird world and time we live in
Dredd – This is a real gem of a Dredd story. I like the what-if scenarios on how Chimpksy envision the story will unfold. Great storytelling with PJ' s style adding an extra dimension to the story.
Skip Tracer – This might not be one of the most dynamic stories, but I still enjoyed it for what it is. I was entertained and that is what really counts. Marshall's art is always a pleasure to watch.
Survival Geeks – The script and art both works to give us an entertaining geek-fest of a story. Krull will always win the battle but Caprica was not superior.
Aquila –I like the historical line mixing with the fantasy and mythology elements. Rennie tells a wonderful story and Goddard's art is simply great. Hopefully, this is not a series finale and more Aquila are being penned as I type this.
Hersey – The highlight of this series so far is the awesome work of Fraser and how Williams allows him to tell us the story.
Remarkably, Hershey is rapidly taking the crown as my least favourite thing ever published in 2000AD. There's no denying the artistic talent involved, or the storytelling ability demonstrated, but the actual story it's telling is not one I am able to enjoy. I'll try to remember the dignified send-off John Wagner gave Hershey, as opposed to... this.
Quote from: Greg M. on 08 May, 2020, 10:31:40 AM
Remarkably, Hershey is rapidly taking the crown as my least favourite thing ever published in 2000AD. There's no denying the artistic talent involved, or the storytelling ability demonstrated, but the actual story it's telling is not one I am able to enjoy. I'll try to remember the dignified send-off John Wagner gave Hershey, as opposed to... this.
I hear you.
On the one hand, any excuse to get Simon Fraser and Rob Williams in the prog is a good one, especially when the work is this well crafted.
On the other hand, the once poignant death scene is now just a ruse that it appears Dredd was in on (which makes Dredd a better actor than I gave him credit for!)
Pretending it's a 'What If...' story is helping me enjoy it!
Quote from: Greg M. on 08 May, 2020, 10:31:40 AM
Remarkably, Hershey is rapidly taking the crown as my least favourite thing ever published in 2000AD. There's no denying the artistic talent involved, or the storytelling ability demonstrated, but the actual story it's telling is not one I am able to enjoy. I'll try to remember the dignified send-off John Wagner gave Hershey, as opposed to... this.
Sad to say I'm not far behind Greg. If I close my brain and imagine Hershey as some new Rob Williams character, it's a great strip, darkly violent and atmospheric.
This week though I'm seeing Hershey heading down the well-trodden Williams path walked by Nixon and Gerhart - slow miserable physical disintegration and accompanying emotional abuse. Its a similar kind of sadism that he brings to bear on Dredd whenever he gets the chance, and I don't like seeing it deployed on a beloved character that presumably doesn't have Dredd's corporate armour to permit her to come back from this.
Not that it isn't very well written and exquisitely drawn, just that I do not like it.
Quote from: Greg M. on 08 May, 2020, 10:31:40 AM
Remarkably, Hershey is rapidly taking the crown as my least favourite thing ever published in 2000AD. There's no denying the artistic talent involved, or the storytelling ability demonstrated, but the actual story it's telling is not one I am able to enjoy. I'll try to remember the dignified send-off John Wagner gave Hershey, as opposed to... this.
For me the worse thing ever was "The Final Solution". I am not too phased about the fact that Hershey died but did not really and it all was just a ruse. Just enjoy it for its art at least
TordelBack has explained far more eloquently than I was able to the precise reasons why this particular episode left such an unpleasant taste in the mouth, and I agree with everything he says (including, of course, the objective quality the creative participants bring to proceedings.) I thought the point of this series – according to Williams – was to make up for how he felt he'd given Hershey short shrift in his Dredd stories. I'm not sure how horrifically mutilating her and having panels dwelling on her severed limbs, prior to having her saved by a big man who tells her why she's wrong again, was meant to achieve this.
I feel the same about the Hershey strip. I know it's 'only' a comic strip but I've known this character since I was in primary school... This was so unpleasant, I just felt bad that this believed character was being dragged through this torture when we've already seen her die in huge discomfort but with grace. I really like Williams's writing but you're right, he does have a tendency to torture characters horrendously. It's a bit like how Mel 'Wallace/Christ/Chicken Run' Gibson seems to love mutilating his central characters on screen. And she keeps being saved by the big guy, so it doesn't seem like much of a blaze of glory either, more just a terrible plan of hers (which doesn't seem like Hershey in itself) which has gone from bad to worse. The colouring is striking this week I must say.
Dredd is great, top class creative team, loving it even if I am pretty fed up of talking monkey strips. The art is glorious and Niemand can just take over as regular Dredd writer as far as I'm concerned, I don't care whether he actually exists or not.
Survival Geeks was fun as ever, Googe and Caldwell do a fab job too. Can't believe this is the final series!
Skip Tracer... I was kind of thinking the Cube was going to crash on Balbuena (have we heard of Balbuena in previous series?) and turn into some kind of Death Planet/Planet of the Damned/Mean Team series two but it seems not.
Aquila looks to being going to some strange places next week, I'm intrigued!
I read this week's Prog with delight - and as the Saturday delivery is cancelled for now
my thoughts -
Dredd – very enjoyable - with great artwork and above all , clear and concise story telling -
I am looking forward to next week's edition ( or should I say Monday 11 May )
The Lockdown is playing havoc with everything but the Prog , for which I am genuinely grateful
for me its been a hard 7 weeks so far , with working in Anaesthetics in the NHS Operating Theatre in Edinburgh wearing the Covid 19 Mask for hours gives me a real idea of what Nu-Earth must be like !
Skip Tracer – This was alright , not my favourite story , really but I also agree that Marshall's art is always excellent .
Survival Geeks – The end of this story is not a big deal for me - its my least favourite Rennie script
but as long as it kept him in 2000AD and writing more Jaegir - then its fine with me to have a filler story in the Prog from time to time .
Aquila –Probably the best story in the Prog other than Dredd the artwork is fabulous -
Mr Rennie is on top form .
Hersey – I thought I was in the minority - I was giving the story a chance but this week's episode
marked a real downturn - I couldn't believe that Hershey would get caught out like that , and the story has now dragged into a realm of unbelieviability ( ts that's the right word ) - the arts is fine - its the story and the lack of realism and to quote - "More just a terrible plan of hers (which doesn't seem like Hershey in itself) which has gone from bad to worse. "
I couldn't sum that up better , so won't try - I won't regret the end of this story .
on a different note - Dear Tharg - when can we have Pat Mills back in the Prog,please ??
I want to read Slaine and above all , the ABC Warriors , the gaps between the stories is too long
and it really is a test for my memory - can we get him in a lot quicker please - and more regular ?
Quote from: 73north on 09 May, 2020, 09:58:14 AM
I want to read Slaine and above all , the ABC Warriors , the gaps between the stories is too long
and it really is a test for my memory - can we get him in a lot quicker please - and more regular ?
Saline will be back after in prog 2184 "
Celtic warrior Slaine returns for the first book of the "Dragontamer" saga, "The Web of Weird""
Quote from: Blue Cactus on 08 May, 2020, 06:14:42 PM
more just a terrible plan of hers (which doesn't seem like Hershey in itself) which has gone from bad to worse.
Oh I don't know, she's already been portrayed pretty shabbily as a lame duck by Michael Carrol in the inordinately forgettable 'Every Empire Falls' where she changed from the normally steely resolved Hershey to traits of sudden incompetance and gulability.
I think this new twist is as 2000AD should be, it's got a bite and grit that is sadly missing in the prog at the moment (Apart from Aquila which is sublime). You can always turn the page and enjoy some fluff with Survival Geeks
Quote from: 73north on 09 May, 2020, 09:58:14 AM
The Lockdown is playing havoc with everything but the Prog , for which I am genuinely grateful
for me its been a hard 7 weeks so far , with working in Anaesthetics in the NHS Operating Theatre in Edinburgh wearing the Covid 19 Mask for hours gives me a real idea of what Nu-Earth must be like !
Big respect to you 73 north, I'm front line NHS too wearing the mask of no air, but working in Theatres is a tough gig at the moment. Take care in there chap.
Quote from: broodblik on 09 May, 2020, 10:21:29 AM
Saline will be back ....
Nah, not interested. Always felt he was a bit of a drip ...
My thoughts on Hershey have been summed up here pretty well, especially Williams tendency to drag his characters through physical pain, torture, mutilation and/or humiliation four our "entertainment".
My earliest memory of 2000AD is the War Wheels episode of the Judge Child and to see that character, who sumed up a lot of what is great about the comic (and it's casual treatment of women as easily the equal of the male lead) treated this way just does not sit right.
Mixed thoughts on the treatment of Hershey. Unfortunately the mix is one part agree to four parts disagree. Haven't read enough Rob Williams to be au fait with his modus operandi but even as a one-off the 'mutilation for shocks' thing is a bit hackneyed. I've got no problem with the existence of the serial - I don't feel it undermines Hershey's apparent demise in 'Guatemala' and I don't object to characters being put through this sort of extreme adversity - it's just that this twist doesn't offer any insight to, or development, of Hershey's character. Rather, it's a gratuitous shock that undermines her strength and causes us to doubt her judgement. Plaudits for wrong-footing us into thinking it was going to be a straight vengeance tale, I suppose.
(Gotta say though, after lauding the strip's vertical title bar, further kudos for its gradual disintegration)
Apart from that the prog's other major controversy is clearly opinion that Eric Saward's reign as Script Editor should be consigned to a temporal dumper. A world without The King's Demons? No way!