MEG 258 - Fallen angels

DavidXBrunt · 30 April, 2007, 02:26:03 PM

A great, great cover. Just a beautiful image all round.

Dredd - Stunning art from Flint. Some of the best Dredd work I can remember in recent years, the panel in the middle of page 3 is a brilliant piece of work. Decent story from Robbie that contains his usual cliches (Crying child? Check! Woman threatened with rape? Check) but also an interesting lead character.

Anderson - Lovely art, slowly moving forwards. The 6 page episode doesn't allow much to happen but at least it now feels like we're properly under way.

Small Press - Lovely work, nice story, great art, let down by a mild last panel. Needed to emphasise the shock more. Still, get these two on Tales from the Black Museum, stat.

Reprinr - not familiar with this and it's a lot of fun. The sequence with the butting is laugh out loud funny and memorably realised. Nice primer for...

Angels - I had fears over this. Unfounded. Everything works for me, the script, the art, the characters. And next month Faro too? Sign me up.

Didn't read Satanus, didn't finish the last part.

Buttonman · 30 April, 2007, 02:47:37 PM

I thought the Dredd was very similar to Mandroid - good man, family kidnapped, having to work outwith the law, confrontation with Dredd. Just needs an extendo-arm!

Anderson remains in first gear, although parts one and two were originally concieved as one part so it's understandable if not wholly satisfactory.

Prog still 50% better than Mem IMO.

Byron Virgo · 30 April, 2007, 03:05:38 PM

Yeah, I thought it seemed a bit Mandroid-like too.

"Small Press - Lovely work, nice story, great art, let down by a mild last panel."

Yeah, I love Nick's artwork (though it suffers from slightly dodgy repro on one page here), and Colin is a very dashing young chap.

Nice to have a non-Dredd reprint for a change (even if it is Dreddworld), as that does feel like a breath of fresh air.

I can't belive that bit about the tape running out though...

[YT-2] · 30 April, 2007, 04:21:19 PM

Great stuff from Steve, very McMahon on the inking

Byron Virgo · 30 April, 2007, 05:19:54 PM

I noticed that - very much in the style of the Slaine-era McMahon, which I thought was a nice touch.

Bad Andy · 01 May, 2007, 12:50:51 PM

Satanus Part III is the worst thing I have ever read in the Meg or Tooth. The artwork is appalling for a sequential comic strip and the writing doesn't help. I honestly believe Pat Mills is taking the piss with it. Anyone know how many parts this is meant to be, because if it's more than 6 I am cancelling my sub.

mechanix81 · 01 May, 2007, 01:02:44 PM

seconded. especially the 'taking the piss' part.

was anyone else shocked at the violence suggested with the amputations in The Angel Family story? I was actually appalled...

CToberts · 01 May, 2007, 07:06:02 PM

Best issue of the Meg in ages!

Robin Low · 01 May, 2007, 07:54:07 PM

"Satanus Part III is the worst thing I have ever read in the Meg or Tooth."

I've only read the first episode so far, but I can think of far worse stuff, particularly from the early years of the Meg.

But then I'm an old fan of John Hicklenton, although he's never done better than The Two Torquemadas as far as I recall.

Regards

Robin

Steve Green · 01 May, 2007, 08:16:32 PM

I was a bit sceptical of Steve Roberts being the artist, but I think he did a great job on the Angel Gang story.

Blood of Satanus is by far the weakest story for me as well.

- Steve

dweezil2 · 01 May, 2007, 08:40:12 PM

Not got my hands on the new Meg yet, but I enjoyed the first part of Blood Of Satanus and am also a fan of Hicklenton's style.
Also cancelling a sub because of one story seems a bit of an overreaction, especially when the rest of the issue appears to be of such a high quality.

Keef Monkey · 01 May, 2007, 09:24:02 PM

Cover was ok, didn't find it too exciting though.
Dredd was great and roared along at a fair pace, Anderson looked fantastic and bodes well for future episodes once it really gets into it's stride, enjoyed the reprint as was a story I remembered pretty vividly so was nice to see it again(especially the post-butt aftermath, grisly and hilarious), the small press piece was good but predictable, and the Angel Gang story looks to be good fun, although I wasn't totally sold on the art.
As for Blood Of Satanus, I always look forward to the Satanus stuff because they're schlocky and enjoyable like a good b-movie, but the artwork just looks horribly amatuer. I was reading it on the train and found myself subconsciously holding the meg slightly differently for that story so that no-one would see that over my shoulder and think 2000AD was shite(always doing my bit). The script is pretty bad but with a good artist there could still be some fun to be had with it, bar a couple of pretty cool looking panels it just looks rushed and I really had trouble working out what was going on for half of it. I hate being overly critical of things like that because I know someone out there will think it's great and there's a style there that once developed could be pretty great, but I don't remember ever disliking artwork in a comic book this much before so I'm having trouble not just throwing constructive criticism to hell and declaring it pish. I won't though.

Goosegash · 01 May, 2007, 09:49:17 PM

I like the mentalness of Hicklenton's art, but he can't tell a story to save his life. The concept of "Dredd goes to hell" has loads of potential, but BOS3 is a complete and utter mess on just about every level. I actually find it quite annoying that this nonsense gets eight pages a month, while Anderson has to make do with a measly six, especially as "Big Robots" is the kind of story that would really benefit from an extended page count.

Also, the eyeless bondage-demon bad guy is just one of the Cenobites from Hellraiser, isn't he?

Bad Andy · 02 May, 2007, 12:15:18 AM

Also cancelling a sub because of one story seems a bit of an overreaction,

I'm shocked myself, but if it is this bad and the editor can't see that, then I am compelled to jump ship.

It's my dollar and I've tolerated a lot, but this is garbage. When I feel I can do better with the writing and the drawing then i may as well entertain myself.

mechanix81 · 02 May, 2007, 01:00:19 PM

I've gotta admit, I was reading S(h)atanus and my girlfriend walked in, looked over my shoulder and said 'small press section looks shit this month...'.

I'd also hide it away from people on trains, lest they consider it representative of 2000AD's output.

You know, BadAndy, what you say about the editor has me thinking. I'd hate to walk away from the meg, but what other form of protest do we have?