MEGAZINE 231MURDER JUAN

[crazy comic guy]

FREEBE: this more that makes up for the price rise. I don't know how any one couldn't resist the temptation of actually using them.

COVER: VERY very nice. Beautiful art work, and love the PJ Maybe stories. Hope thios one carries on for a long time.

Possibly the best stories in the megazine and 2000ad at the same time as long as i've read.

[Funt Solo]

Cool cover - with luverly cards stuck to it...now if I can just figure out how to fold the box up the right way...durrr...

Judge Dredd:  beautiful art by Ezquerra and a masterful build up of tension from Wagner.

Zancudo:  I love this.  It's reminiscent of Ant Wars, except it's good.  Somehow, it seems to belong in early progs (the black & white, the slightly offbeat narration, and what seems like old school art from Cam Kennedy).

Devlin Waugh:  hurrah!  I loved all that business with the Sirian Frog-gods back in 2000AD, so it's great to see a lot of those characters returning with more sumptuous art from Colin "can do no wrong" MacNeil.

Johnny Woo:  I didn't have high hopes for this, but it's mean and moody in a good way.

The Bogie Man:  I won't miss this when it's gone, but it's got some entertainment value.

Reprints:  yeah, great, but bring back Charley's War you non-scrots.

Anderson Psi:  Amazing opening page.  This one page closes down the "why are Psi-Div so crap?" argument.  Look at the city, the scale of it, think of 400 million people...then turn the page and look at Psi Division.  They've got to try and make sense of that.

Articles:  all for later.

Summary:  excellent stuff.

[The Amstor Computer]

Just skimmed the Meg so far, but a couple of things strike me:

Zancudo is fantastic. Like fate says, it's got an old-school attitude but it feels like Si Spurrier's got a handle on what worked in early 2K & isn't just riffing off strips like Ant Wars. The characters are nicely-drawn, and there are some nifty dialogue touches (check out how smartly Fendito's lines run for an example of what I'm talking about). Cam Kennedy's gorgeous art complements the script perfectly - and that final page? Fantastic :-)

Anderson looks promising, but seeing Ranson handling this new story with ease just fills me with dread at the news that Dave Taylor is to replace him soon. I just can't see why on Earth this decision was made, as I don't think you could have picked a less suitable artist for this strip if you'd tried...

[ARRISARRIS]

...who? can anyone post a sample of his art, im not even sure who it is, ta very muchly...

[Dudley]

ZANCUDO - Calling PVS, your comic's missing one of its best strips...

PJ - Nice.  I know this is a BAD THING, but I'm not overkeen on Ezquerra's art on this.  PJ's been drawn better by virtually everyone else who's done work on the series, and the stunningly good Weston cover isn't helping.  

Luther Arkwright - WOW.  I haven't seen this before and will now definitely be buying a copy as soon as my pocket money comes through.  This looks awesome!

More later.

[Funt Solo]

PVS?

What hell that?

[Dudley]

Sorry, PVS = Paul von Scott, publisher of the mighty Solar Wind, winner of the Best Independent Comic category of last year's Diamond Awards.  It's an affectionate homage to the comics of yesteryear, and Zancudo would fit right in on its pages (apart from having too much sex).

Link: http://www.solarwindcomic.co.uk" target="_blank">Solar Wind

[Steamboy]

Is Luther Arkwright the new Beyond 2000 reprint, if so awsome, never read, hard to get hold of. anyone want to do a bit of a summary of what we can expect and how big is the series?

CU Krestel

[Funt Solo]

Is it this guy?
http://www.amenable.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/gfx/dtJD1.jpg" />
http://www.amenable.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/gfx/dtJD2.jpg" />

Images "borrowed" from meg 230 and http://www.2000adreview.co.uk/reviews/megazine/2004/judge_dredd_megazine_223review.shtml" target="_blank">meg 223.

[Trout]

Another damn fine Meg! Damn fine! Oh, yeah!

I liked pretty much all of it, but will single out just two strips. One gets a cheer, the other gets a frown.

Hooray! That PJ Maybe story has Wagner at the top of his game. Just perfect stuff: sinister, with perfect pacing and a bit of twisty-turniness. I like it.

Boooo! I'm bored out of my mind with the interminable Anderson.
It's all part of one, long, unengaging story arc, apparently.
Nanobots? Magic? A virus? I just haven't been excited by this for quite some time.
Sorry to those who like it.

Overall: a splendid magazine with a perfect free gift.

- Trout

[Bolt-01]

Note to Spurrier: Zancudo is the strip you were talking about earlier this year, Yes?  I assumed you were commisioned on a 'Dream Project' and that it in some way involved an old 2K character or concept.

Whatever it was, congrats on Zancudo. Whatever it is based on, I haven't a clue.

Top work.

Bolt-01

[Tu-plang]

Bold off.

Fabulous.

[Jared Katooie]

Got it yesterday!

Cover - Yosh! ALmost perfect! 8/10

Judge Dredd: Was worried about this but it looks like it's going to be a tale worthy of the character. This is probably the end for him but he's going out with a bang! I had a feeling about the blood thing... and I was right. Big smiles!

8/10

Zancudo: Finally. A retro-style tale like this has been waiting for years to be written and now here it is! I cant honestly see how anyone (let alone Si) could mess this up.

7/10

Devlin Waugh: Why not?

6/10

Johnny Woo: Expected a bit more of this. The art is very different from PJ's previous stuff. I'm not entirely sure if I like it more this way. I cant say I dislike this though. It's just a bit "jumpy" if you get my drift.

7/10

The Bogie Man: (I see no need to add anything to Fate amenable to change's post) I won't miss this when it's gone, but it's got some entertainment value.

5/10

Reprints: Wow. These were brilliant. Playaday was extremely funny with a lot of clever ideas.

7/10

Accidental death (was that what it was called?) was a minor masterpiece. The bit where he realised the citizen couldn't hear him really changed my perspective on the story. This really impressed me.

8/10

Anderson Psi: Stunning art and a script filled with mystery and violence. Lovely stuff.

8/10

Articles: Not too bad if you read them while your bus has broken down.

6/10

Summary: A very good meg. 8/10

[Dudley]

Boooo! I'm bored out of my mind with the interminable Anderson. It's all part of one, long, unengaging story arc, apparently. Nanobots? Magic? A virus? I just haven't been excited by this for quite some time. Sorry to those who like it.

You're forgiven, O foolish trout.  Indeed, those of us who continue to enjoy the extraordinary art, great storytelling and overall fantastically detailed world of Anderson may just pity you a bit.  

Fish?  3-second memory, ain't it?

[Tiplodocus]

Pretty much enjoyed my Meg this month.

PJ Maybe looks like he's going to get his chips - especially noting the way a lot of loose ends have been tied up in other recent Meg and Tooth Dredds.  Is it just me or is Ezquerra's art becoming a bit more static than it used to be. Check out the guy being punched on page 5. Not very convincing but then it is a typically dense Wagner script with a lot to squeeze onto a page.But it's also nice to see the Justice Department provides see through lingerie for it's Judges on these diplomatic missions.

ZANCUDO has an intriguing start. I see Si has written a part for Eli Wallach.  At first I wasn't sure about the retro narration style - this sort of thing can often show that someone is  a little embarassed by the cheesiness of what's been written (giant insects...).  It can also show a writer in love with, and very confident of, the material and I've decided that this is the case here so I'm looking forward to sitting back and enjoying the ride (and the art).  Hey, I just noticed that my two favourite dirty and scratchy artists (sorry McMahon, sorry Henry) are doodling in this prog - brilliant!

Devlin Waugh is a great opening with some lovely art. Slightly disappointed to see that MacNeill hasn't used up all of that extra green paint he got delivered. And hasn't Smith used the "All Hell breaks loose" gag before in an Indigo Prime story?

Johnny Woo left me a bit cold art and scriptwise. I'm not sure why as both do the job they are meant to, and I'm not saying either was bad in any way, but it just seemed to be missing that vavavoom that Zancudo had? Is it because this isn't an entirely new story?

Sacrilege, probably, but I haven't bothered with Bogie Man yet.  It just hasn't yanked my chain this time around.  Maybe the joke is all played out?

Anderson was actually interesting enough this time. I actually kind of like the way the threads are starting to pull together though I'm no sure about the jump from psi virus half-life to the nanobot computer virus idea?  Is this meant to mean that something like half-life can exist in many forms; a psi-virus, a physical make you sick virus and a techno computer virus? I may not have been paying attention enough through the earlier stories.  

I enjoyed all of the articles this week as well (thought I feel the Cam Kennedy interview was a bit streeetched over three parts).  I think I like Si's column this way best of all.  Positive reviews are much better than rants and Dynamite is an oft overlooked work of genius.

Sorry for droning on.