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Prog 2251 - Escape into the unknown

Started by Colin YNWA, 26 September, 2021, 02:45:26 PM

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Colin YNWA

And so after last weeks excellent prog the new line-up starts in earnst, without all the extra bonus stuff and its all looking very positive still.

Dredd is a solid action piece, moving things on but focused in the thrill. Good stuff.

Diaboliks pushes things forward in no less speedy fashion, if without the gun pkay, but is equally well recieved.

Scarlet Traces, page 5 top right panel, anyone else thing this is a tip of the hat to Michel Fiffe? Anyway glorious art all told and negotiations move to a slightly cliche, well you either fight with us or wait for them to come for you anyway, but it does a good job of expanding the history of the Solar System.

Pandora Perfect also briskly moves, pieces in place, hijinx had and jewels lifted. Now one suspects the fun will really start.

The Out - third story of the week about an aquisition that will drive the rest of the story forwatd. In this case an 'address book'. Its wonderfully done stuff, with deft humour, interesting world building and doors opening to possiblities. Brilliant stuff.

So yeah this one does suffer in comparision to last weeks joyous opening and is often the case with these early story issues pieces are put in place, or in this case, bought, stolen, or otherwise aquired, that will allow the rest of the story to take flight. But those pieces have been quickly put into place and we're good to go. Enjoying this lot and have much optimisim.

broodblik

When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

broodblik

When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

IndigoPrime

Last week's Prog had that vibe of new beginnings. This one is a load of part twos. It's not easy to make a comic that works when that's the case, although you can already feel the various strips here shifting at different speeds. Quick shout out for the cover, which is fab.

Dredd gets going and is immediately more interesting than it was last week, although you do feel it'll be one or two foes bumped off per week, a tricky situation for Dredd, and a resolution where he comes out on top. But I do hope Maitland survives as well. Diaboliks was entertaining until the end, where it shifted very abruptly to chilling with that last frame. Scarlet Traces expands on its lore again, in what's becoming quite the epic. The storytelling in this run already seems a lot more solid too, and so, yep, I'm a fan.

Pandora is fun, although the reduction in density makes it appeal a touch less to me than it did in Regened. Still: good to see it get a run, although I'd happily see it next series (assuming there is one) get a load of one- or two-parters. And then there's The Out, which, as ever, is superb. I hope this strip runs and runs—and that Rebellion issues collections in HC.

So: The Out > Scarlet Traces > Dredd > Diaboliks > Pandora, but with that last position being some way ahead of the cut-off point of doom. 5/5 for me this week.

broodblik

What do we have here, second episode blues or continuous bliss? Another very good prog to report a fiver for me. This one is difficult to choose which was my favorite.

Dredd – Good action-filled episode with the first "redcoat" handled now for the rest. Like the way that Maitland knows all the perps by heart certainly helps with the takedown.

Diaboliks – Very Ocean's 11 (minus a few heads) feel to this episode first do your surveillance and then hatch the plan and then for the booty.

Scarlet Traces – A great episode as Edginton continues to do world building. He is adding more layers to this onion, great storytelling. Ooh and before we forget awesome art from sir D'Isreali.

Pandora – Just a fun episode. A nice lighter side read.

The Out – I will just have to remember attending my next funeral to bring my own refreshments. Another interesting colorful episode as Cyd's journey fantastic continues.
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

Barrington Boots

I feel like I was a bit harsh on last weeks Prog after reading this one, as it was on the whole very enjoyable.

Dredd Kicks off with a blast, still got an old school action feel to it which I am digging, great and gory artwork from Jake Lynch. Really liked the Brit Mechanismo robot in this episode.

Diaboliks Not a lot happens but something horrible is coming up I think. This one isn't for me really.

Scarlet Traces After not being super ethusiastic about it's return I'm a lot more invested in this already: agree with IP that the storytelling is really good here. Art is just incredible.

Pandora Perfect Zipping along at a fair old pace, it is a light read so far and I don't mind that, it's working for me so far. I'm assuming next week will see a lot of pet-related chaos.

The Out - Enjoyable as ever. I like the way that apart from 'Cyd's adventures' this isn't really about anything - it changes focus a lot, and you can never be sure what will happen each episode but it's a very easy and enjoyable read.

Top Prog for me!


You're a dark horse, Boots.

Link Prime

Prog 2251 isn't on my ComicHub list this week, the delivery must not have made it to ROI for some reason.

< Lets check the BBC news website to check what could have gone wrong - holy shit >

norton canes

A strong line-up right now, every story tantalizing my thrill-sensors.

'The Hard Way' is a welcome turn down the comic route (by which I mean it's funny - it's obviously in a comic), an intentional contrast perhaps to the rather more portentous tone of the Wiliams droid's previous Dredd epic? I presume that by the end it'll be explained why the prospective assassins have chosen 'The Hard Way' and are politely taking their turns.

Diaboliks and Scarlet Traces continue to build upon their respective storylines' mythos and are a treat to read in themselves, all good there.

Each time I read an instalment of The Out I feel like I've watched an entire half-hour TV drama (or sit-com depending on the tone), it really is so amazingly deeply realised, the script and art working in perfect harmony to create an all-immersive thrill experience. Some brilliantly funny dialogue this week ("what's cheese?") and it looks like the storyline has fond some direction. In fact, hasn't the Abnett droid been quoted as saying something along the lines that plotting the story has been as adventurous and spontaneous an experience as Cyd's journey itself?

Oh and the cover - superb, of course, though grud knows what a non-Squaxx would think of it looking at the comic for the first time [smiley emoji]

And Pandora Perfect... hmm, I don't know, I'm still on the fence here... I was perhaps a bit too dismissive of it last week, I mean, it is snappily written and it looks incredible, of course... I just think that given it's a humorous story, this week isn't really funny enough. I laughed out loud right through The Out (which I know is a different kind of strip) and kind of feel like this should have given me a few laughs too, but it got too bogged down in the mechanics of the jewel theft. There's no sort of sly humour going on. Without trying to be disparaging (honestly!) the bottom line is, I can see why kids would love it, but it's a bit incongruous here.

What's 'Enemy Earth'?


IndigoPrime

One other thought just stuck me about this issue that's nice to see: two series have female leads; one series as a female co-lead; and the Dredd has a prominent female character. Nice to see such gender diversity in the Prog. (More in the creator credits would be nice to see in the future, ofc.)

wedgeski

Dredd and The Out book-end an excellent prog. I haven't got too much out of the last few weeks, but we're on the up and up.

broodblik

Alternative take on the cover:




Mark Harrison's original pitch art for The OUT:

When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

wedgeski

Wow. I'll take a print of that concept piece as soon as possible, please.

JayzusB.Christ

I don't feel as absorbed in and excited by the prog as I used to and I really hate that fact.  I don't think it's the Tharg's fault either - it's probably a combination of my getting old, and also my Internet-fuelled saturation in other forms of entertainment to the point where I've become jaded.  I really miss the days when I would be excited all week to see what was going to happen next.

BUT... That cover is lovely, and shows just how versatile both 2000ad and Mark Harrison are - both can effortlessly go from dark and violent to colourful and upbeat in an instant, and do an amazing job of both.  And The Out itself is fricking awesome too - sorry to repeat the Halo Jones comparison but it really is reminiscent of that story, which is not bad considering the latter is still one of the best stories ever to appear in the Prog.

The only other ones I've read or Dredd and Diaboliks (and it's just occurred to me that there may be a bit of cheeky wordplay in that title - grud, I'm slow off the mark).

Dredd isn't really grabbing me - it's a nice read but the 'Dredd vs lots of other people in a big fight' reminds me a bit of Crusade.  Sorry - it is of course still fifty times better than Morrison and Millar's half-arsed efforts, and the Brit Mechanismo robot was great.

Diaboliks is splendid, though.  I'm beginning to prefer the art to the original artist that influenced it.  And that ending... feck.  Well played, sirs.

"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest"

Sean SD

My Top 3 for Prog 2251

A bit slow getting around to reading this prog but .... Great cover!!

As someone said a prog full of episode 2's

My top three are:

1st - The Out - best story here I think, reads very busy though on my ipad, prob works better on a paper prog, some laugh out loud moments as Cyd navigates the Out

2nd - Scarlet Traces - Bad Martians!!

3rd - The Diaboliks - Enjoying this run more than previous run

also,
Dredd and Pandora Perfect were fine in a good prog


Funt Solo

I got a Waldo Dobbs homage vibe from the new husband on the last page of The Out. Is it just me?
++ A-Z ++  coma ++