Judge Dredd Meg 257: Robot War

[Pete Wells]

A quickie review then...

Cover: Nice cover by man of the moment Bryan Talbot.

Dredd, Asbo Block: A great, Shameless meets Dredd one off (it includes the phrase "Scatter!") by Wagner and Anthony Williams. I enjoyed this and couln't help wishing we had Asbo Blocks now...

Bryan Talbot interview: A nice insight to the making of Alice in Sunderland, but I may be biased 'cos I'm a mackem!

Anderson, Big Robots: Meticulous art by Dave Taylor, I can't wait to see where this story goes.

Dredd, Blood of Satanus 3: Hmmm, I'm enjoying Savage and ABCs in the weekly but feel like Pat has slipped into Basil Exposition mode for this. Like Mills' writing, I suspect Hicklenton's art will split the board too. I suspect I'll prefer it when we get into the more surreal stuff next issue.

Small Press: Nice art, dire story.

Reprint Dredd, Bum Rap: Great story and art but surely it can't be too long since this appeared in the weekly?

Simping Detective: A nice ending to a satisfying tale. I'm looking forward to re-reading this in one sitting.

Other stuff: A Steve yowell feature, Dreddlines (definately agree with the 'Tricks of the Trade' letter), New Comics, New Films and Dredd Files.

In all, a decent enough, Dredd-packed Meg with great first and second stories. I'm more than happy to keep subbing.

[DavidXBrunt]

Heh. Tried starting this thread twice and the computer went wobbly.

The Anderson double page spread. Oooooooh.

[Wils]

re: What Dredd's saying on the first page of Blood of Satanus. What the fuck?!

[Trout]

I always try to talk up a comic, but with this month's Meg it's impossible.

I liked the lead Dredd and loved the art on Anderson. The reprint stuff's good, but I've seen it before. That's about it.

I've always hated Hicklenton's art. It's just poor. Why have a comic strip that's difficult to follow? It renders the whole exercise pointless.

The scripting's just odd, too. All that diary stuff is stilted and I had the same reaction to Dredd's line on the first page. I don't find references to supermarket aisles particularly funny, if it's supposed to be humour.
As for the last page, why say Dredd's following them into hell when that's what's been drawn? At least, I think that's what's been drawn.

Please note: I do not automatically dislike Pat Mills' projects. I'm loving Savage and really warmed to recent ABC Warriors. But I think he should be kept well away from Dredd if this turgid tripe is the result.

I'm trying very hard to get into the text elements this month. I was hoping for more from the Steve Yeowell interview, as I'm a fan of his.
Aside from the poor interview device of describing the circumstances of the interview - the weather, for God's sake? - I was hoping for more meat.

Like too many of these pieces, too much of it is a career run-down and list of influences. I was disappointed not to get more about, for example, the development of Zenith.
That said, I applaud any mention of the great Ian Kennedy. Himmel!

I'm going to stop now, because I'm pissing myself off.

If I wasn't a subber I probably wouldn't seek out the Meg again. I'll stick with it as a Dredd fan, but it's poor value for money right now.

- Trout

[Buttonman]

Two thumbs down for me too, I'm afraid.

The Dredd ASBO was OK but a retrad of that space city one in many ways - 'Spug ya all' indeed.

The Dredd reprint was a weedy vintage and that Satatus mess was painful.

The small press effort was pisspoor and Anderson was a non-event although it did look good.

The movie reviews were dire with the same point being made three times about 'Sunshine'.

Prog beat Meg 5-0!

[Trout]

I am sadly progless. I'd also forgotten the Meg was due, so it says something that I groaned audibly when I opened to envelope to find it.

- Trout

[Byron Virgo]

Haven't had a chance to read the Meg properly yet, but despite the whingers (who are Scottish, and therefore pre-disposed to be bloody miserable), I'm looking forward to reading the Satanus story - had a peep earlier, and Hicklenton's art looks as mental as ever, and how bloody good is that Anderson art? Frankly, I really don't care what the story is going to be about with luvverly pitchers like wot that 'as, but the promise of big, stompy robos can only serve to increase my anticipation.

My biggest problem with that Yeowell interview is that it comes hot on the heels of the one in Redeye, and pretty much covers the exact same ground (and used most of the same illustrations, it would seem). Would have been nice to see him talk with more depth about Zenith or The Red Seas, or indeed stuff from outside 2000AD like The New Adventures of Hitler, Sebastian O or The Invisibles.

[The Amstor Computer]

The return of Satanus was, surprisingly, not too bad - though I remember posting some positive comments after the first ep of the last Mills' Satanus story only to see the story fall apart from there on...

Hicklenton's art is a bit of a mixed bag. He's not being given the kind of huge splash pages he excels at - like a lot of Pat's recent work, it's quite a dense strip, with lots of narration and small panels - and there's definitely a slight sketchiness in parts. That said, the guy still has the chops to pull off some fantastic gross-out moments - the shopper devouring himself, gut & gullet splitting apart! - and slather on the detail. It's definitely a style that will polarise readers, but I'm happy to see him back.

[thinky]

i'm always nervous about a new Mills' Dredd starting for two reasons; (a) because recent history leads me to thinking it won't be very good, and (b) because any criticism soon degenerates into a "we hate mills / mills is the godfather of 2k" debate.

luckily i don't have to worry for the next couple of months, because the hicklenton art looks so *bad* it's near impossible to work out any storyline underneath. the story may be shit (and the opening words from Dredd suggest that it may well be so), but at least this way i don't get to find out

very poor.

thinky

[Proudhuff]

everything King Trout said,

Whining Jock-Huff

[The Monarch]

So it appears to be a leave it for later issue

That is if the retards at forbidden planet actually have it of course

[Claire Hicklenton]

Blood of Satanus - Are we looking at the same images?  Detail is incredible and that is going to be one kick ass Dredd

[Bolt-01]

I've not read everything yet, but at first glance, Big Robots is the star, and Satanus isn't.

I loved Hicklentons art on Slaine, despite it not really telling the story that well. I know John has been away for a while- but he has forgotten all about line weights. A lot of the art in this episode is all of the same weight, whech has really robbed it of depth in my opinion.

The small press: It was fun to see Peter Anckorns artwork, but I feel he's produced work of higher quality for us over at FQ. And he shouldn't have done his own lettering but I'm being too nerdy about lettering these days for my own good.

Overall the meg is dipping at the moment, and I'd like to see some of the strips running in longer chunks.

Bolt-01

[IndigoPrime]

:: I loved Hicklentons art on Slaine

Nemesis, surely? I don't recall him drawing Sláine.

[Bolt-01]

Gah, you are right. Nemesis.

I'm a pencil money dammit- I don't do words!

Bolt-01- getting back in his box...