Yah know what. If last weeks was a bit of a dip, this one bounces back nicely... which is weird when you consider we've swapped out Feral and Foe for Skipperty... so let's a closer look and work out why... its all in the fine margins.
Dredd steps up from a solid opener to a cracking story builder. Before we get to that HOW GOOD IS COLIN MACNEIL... I mean he's always been very good but somehow he's managed to get even better. And then we get to the story - fantastic. I kinda wonder if Mr W is still coming up with PJ stories, but having taken PJ off the table has to create another tale around it. Either waty this tale of a careful man making one mistake and the escalating consequences if superb.
Mechastopheles remains as it was really. Boo Cook seems to have found the story he was born to draw, it looks stunning. I'm surprised its only 4 parts as I kinda lost track of it - this is fine, I look forward to re-reading it... but feel I need to.
Department K returns to being outright brilliant. Again art to die for, but the story is a blast as well. The fantastic turn up of last issue sends the team... well most the team into dangerous environs and its all just wonderfully realised great fun.
Skipper... Skip Tracer - Right last time this was pretty good, nowt special but good. This time we get to another decent opener with some potential. Let's be clear this series has done that before and dipped quickly into medocrity but two of the stories have also been good now so for the time being this opener gives it the benefit of the doubt. Mind lines like
"Must've missed the memo"
Have it on warning! Oh and more stunning art from Mr Marshal (P)
Chimpsky's Law alway loved the character, wanted him out of Dredd so he could do different things and I've got want i wanted. This is just such fun, such wonderful fun. Its quite superb. Art... well see above really. Brilliant, brilliant strip.
So the difference is minor but basically comes down to three strips that were good last week nudging up to great this week and the rest ticking along.
Simple really ain't it.
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 19 June, 2021, 05:15:49 PMwhich is weird when you consider we've swapped out Feral and Foe for Skipperty...
Even weirder given that Tharg promised us Aquila.
Quote from: The Corinthian on 19 June, 2021, 05:36:25 PM
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 19 June, 2021, 05:15:49 PMwhich is weird when you consider we've swapped out Feral and Foe for Skipperty...
Even weirder given that Tharg promised us Aquila.
Next week apparently.
Cover by Dave Kendall:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E4EwVbwWUAY9qN9?format=jpg&name=large)
Cover and Logo:
(https://dyn.media.forbiddenplanet.com/vARA8aYmZekDdvLL30e7-wZVeMg=/trim/fit-in/779x1024/filters:format(webp)/https://media.forbiddenplanet.com/products/29/41/fa831285e06ae3ae683fe3efc405a26a16bd.jpeg)
I'm a bit perturbed by this latest Dredd story. When I realised it was Wagner this came as a surprise since there's so much about this tale that seems familiar:
- hitman is hired to take out someone;
- something goes wrong during the hit that opens up suspicion;
- the investigation puts the hitman in further danger;
- turns out that the hit was a double cross to set up the hitman ...
Okay, so the last one hasn't turned up yet, it's from Dredd: The Big Sleep, prog 466-7 by Grover and Kennedy. Whether it turns out the same way remains to be seen but the similarities have taken the sheen off it a little.
That description of the Dredd story is a little reductive to be useful in comparing the two - thats Plot F of Crime Fiction in general, so it's hard to say its a specific rip off of a particular Dredd - it's just a common hook that we've probably seen in Dredd a helluva lot more times than just The Big Sleep.
Quote from: Leigh S on 20 June, 2021, 03:18:37 PM
That description of the Dredd story is a little reductive to be useful in comparing the two - thats Plot F of Crime Fiction in general, so it's hard to say its a specific rip off of a particular Dredd - it's just a common hook that we've probably seen in Dredd a helluva lot more times than just The Big Sleep.
Also, I very much doubt Wagner pores lovingly over Case Files books the way we do - is he really going to remember a two-parter published 35 years ago?
Quote from: broodblik on 19 June, 2021, 07:01:53 PM
Cover and Logo:
(https://dyn.media.forbiddenplanet.com/vARA8aYmZekDdvLL30e7-wZVeMg=/trim/fit-in/779x1024/filters:format(webp)/https://media.forbiddenplanet.com/products/29/41/fa831285e06ae3ae683fe3efc405a26a16bd.jpeg)
Is that a Knob whale? :o
I loved the Dredd. A dark, grim tale packed with black humour as the assassin's lot gradually becomes more absurd and difficult to get out of. Chumsky was also first-rate, very much justifying spinning him off from Dredd.
Dept K is a bit "jury still out" for me. It's fun enough, but personally suffers from ditching an interesting premise (group lost in dimensions, fighting their way home) to "prod a button and WHOOSH" sort-of science. Mechastopheles looks lovely, but, wow, that was a short run. I need to read the original again though, which handily showed up with the Meg.
Skip Tracer... I dunno. There must be something in this, and there must be a whole bunch of people away from the forum who are fans for it to be so regularly commissioned. I'm not feeling it. It still feels very grey to me. It's not bad, but it lacks spark.
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 20 June, 2021, 07:20:07 PM
Quote from: Leigh S on 20 June, 2021, 03:18:37 PM
That description of the Dredd story is a little reductive to be useful in comparing the two - thats Plot F of Crime Fiction in general, so it's hard to say its a specific rip off of a particular Dredd - it's just a common hook that we've probably seen in Dredd a helluva lot more times than just The Big Sleep.
Also, I very much doubt Wagner pores lovingly over Case Files books the way we do - is he really going to remember a two-parter published 35 years ago?
No, fair points. Like I said, it's more perturbed than anything else. Not saying that it is sacrilege or anything like that. Maybe it's just where I'm at right now (x ref with Black Dog Thread) ... a Wagner Dredd not doing it for me is a little worrying!
If I have any issues with the Dredd, it's that for a seemingly top level invisible assassin, he is actng like a real rookie! Surely killing the son is just raising the chance mom is going to tell the Judges about him having seen a man shoot a gun. Mom needs to go as well!
We've only got the character's word for it that he's a top-level assassin. Maybe that's just how he sees himself, and he's actually a bit shit and doesn't know it.
The way it's going, I think the plot is probably closer to the song about the old woman who swallowed a fly, than another Dredd story.
A good solid prog
Dredd – From bad to worse, this is just going to get messier as the tale unfolds. Colin's art is just awesome, and Wagner knows how to pull you into his imagination. Top Dreddness.
Mechastopheles – A little disappointed with the quick ending of the story, I was getting into and wham it is done. This was a lovely 4-part story, and everything is setup for a return. Good script and art by the team.
Department K – The "Aliens"-effect into the bowels of the beast. Some interesting new developments as the story continues. Cornwell's art is the highlight of the story.
Skip Tracer – A surprise return but at least we have a good opener here. The story looks like it can head into some interesting directions.
Chimpsky – The great silly fun continues, and the rollercoaster ride is not over. Top notch fun by the team.
We also have the fact he was hired to kill someone out from under Dredd's nose, so he must have some kind of reputation....
Quote from: Richard on 23 June, 2021, 12:44:30 AM
We've only got the character's word for it that he's a top-level assassin. Maybe that's just how he sees himself, and he's actually a bit shit and doesn't know it.
The way it's going, I think the plot is probably closer to the song about the old woman who swallowed a fly, than another Dredd story.
Chimpsky speculation:
1 [spoiler]The AI seems to have a bit of a personality to it so... cyber-reincarnation of family matriarch Amanda Jepperson? And is that why "she won't have droids in the house"? (Chimpsky's narration implies she's dead - so the tense of that statement might also be a giveaway.)[/spoiler]
2 Following the crime fiction rule that [spoiler]the atypical murder is the clue to what's really going on[/spoiler], then was [spoiler]Claude Jepperson the real intended target?[/spoiler] Shame we've been told next to nothing about him.
First off loving the cover, I would buy a thrash metal album with this artwork on it.
Dredd is fantastic, best thing this week and deservedly so given the pedigree. It's a sick, dark story and hilarious with it. I'm hoping this will keep escalating with the hitman having to kill more and more to cover his tracks and then it'll turn out the crime the original guy was about to spill on is something ludicrous. Old school glorious Dredd.
Mechastopheles is over so soon! Bit of a surprise - hopefully this is an intro for a longer run as this felt a bit like setting some things up. As I said last week, the art of the demon machine underwater is just amazing.
Department K safe, bland script and characters. Lovely art but nothing else really to engage here.
Skip Tracer - Hmm. Last series was the best Skip yet but this needs to really build on that as it's had enough chances to not be more than kind of ok. As an opener there's not anything wrong with this but not anything good either. Looks good, as ever.
Chimpsky's Law Storytelling is great here - like Dredd it balances humour and awfulness but in a totally different manner. I've said good things about this every week and all written before remains true. Digging it.
Cover before colours:
(https://2000ad.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/mechastopholes-cover-final-pencils-715x1024.jpg)
Wow those pencils are astonishing. Its interesting to see in the final colour choices - which work really well to establish environment - which bits ping out more on the pencils than the final image.
Shame it's not possible to tweak the Rennie droid's operating mode so he can deliver regular 10-part stories. These four instalments have been welcome and enjoyable but ultimately add to the pantheon of intermittent strips that are hard to follow with extended absences. Or if a droid is already working at capacity, perhaps it would be better for mini-chapters such as this to be self-contained stories, more along the lines of Visions of Deadworld?
I mean say what you like about Skip Tracer (okay perhaps not) but at least it's reliable and the chapters don't come to an abrupt halt. And this week is a great introductory episode, actually!
Lovely stuff again in Chimpsky, and Dredd is gloriously dark. As for Department K - got an idea about that, but I might save it for an attempt at the letters page...
Oh, the cover! You know, that pencilled version might have looked even more striking, especially given the story's Renaissance theme.
Quote from: norton canes on 24 June, 2021, 10:26:14 AM
Oh, the cover! You know, that pencilled version might have looked even more striking, especially given the story's Renaissance theme.
Yes, that cover would be striking and I can see that would have worked
What you lot said basically! Another really strong prog!
Apart from the awesomeness mentioned above, can I give a shout out for the first page of Skip Tracer. Loved the concentric central panels and the stepped zoom in on the spaceships. V nice! A good opening episode for ST here.
The excellent Dredd and Chimpsky bookend the rather lackluster filling in this weeks thrill sandwich.
Dept S sorry K, feels like it could be set in any fictional future (or steampunk past) and its link to the Dreddverse is flimsy to say the least.
The Big Mech seemed to have just got fired up to be closed down. The whole thing appears to be a set up for a future tale.
I have no understanding of why Skipper Tracey has constantly been revived, is it that popular?
And a letters page!
My Top 3 for Prog 2237
Same top two as last prog but with the order reversed.
Then a bit of a drop to the remaining 3 thrills which are all fine, just not same level as top 2
1st - Dredd - Hitman's day/week getting progressively worse. Love MacNeil's work, page 3 & 7 of the prog very well done
2nd - Chimpsky - Fun strip, well done team!!
3rd - Mechastopheles - Boo Cook again!!
plus - a letters page, always enjoy a letters page, might have to write one myself