Prog 2355 - Dad of Night!

[Barrington Boots]

Super grim and cool looking cover but what a terrible strapline!

Dredd - another really good episode. This is a strong investigative story, packing a lot in, never dragging, and I'm digging the characterisation of Dredd. Looks great. I still think PJ is a misdirection.

Helium - Superb again. It's still very dialogue heavy but its really interesting stuff. It seems to be going in completly different directions to how I thought it would and its great. On a side note, big fan of all these chunky jumpers.

Devils Railroad - Not enjoying this: feels tonally weird, the characters plight is engaging but they aren't.

Deadworld - Hmm. I've really enjoyed previous Deadworld runs and this one seems to be revisiting / tying together various threads but this time around the story seems to be very unfocused and its frustrating, and I'm not really interested in Casey and feel he's slowed up the story somewhat. Some interesting revalations here and some truly grotesque imagery especially that last page but I feel overall this is losing me a bit.

Feral and Foe - More action, less daftness this week. Bit of a 'middle episode' feel, enjoying this a lot still. The art remains fantastic.

Next week: Lowborn High returns! Gaaaah

 

[broodblik]

Cover by Cliff Robinson and Dylan Teague:

[Colin YNWA]

Well ain't that a thing. One up, then one down* and then one up again - and given next weeks line-up and the current form of Regened it's likely to be down again next week.

*Well okay last week's wasn't in any way bad, just not as good as 2 blindin' Progs either side.

Dredd - well its just magnificent this one isn't it. Rob Williams at his best, his Dredd has been a little up and down of late but this is probably the best he's ever done. All the stronger for him not leaning in on the hyperaction, let's put Dredd through the physical wringer stuff. Instead he's using his great character work to carry the challenge and creating a more interesting threat. PJ is as good as he's ever been here, aided by some simply wonderful colours from Pete Doherty. Just brilliant.

Now nothing else in the Prog can match Dredd, but damn if they don't try.

Helium slips in some lovely recap in a quietly brilliant piece of exposition, with some very nice character touchs thrown in for good measure. Then and an ending to kick things up nicely.

The only problem is the clash of colours between the two strips in the handover. So much attacking the eyes in that two page spread.

That said The Devil's Railroad has its best episode yet and I really enjoyed this one. The tension is palpable, the villian so villianous, the desperation so consumning. Really enjoying this now.

The Fall of Deadworld is the only bump in the road, its not bad just feeling a little ... well stuck in a gooey, oozing rut. And what did happen in that last panel, am I being daft???

Feral and Foe right at the top of its game this week. Funny, exciting and wormbones is just the best name for zombies. Brill stuff.

So yeah really good Prog... and the cover for next week's Regened is quite something... but... well... that line-up... I mean it might surprise... it could be stella... but really that would be a turn up... still let's not let that spoil what is a great week in thrillpower this week.

[Le Fink]

Yes I think Dredd is sterling this week. Apart from the nice continuation of the detective work, and believable dialog, I like the city-scapes; the Lawmaster garage; Francisco in silhouette; and the nice flashback scenes in some chunkily dashed panels - homage to the King? Dredd is depicted slightly "over-chinnily" in this episode, if such a thing is possible. And we get a nice reminder that he is, at heart, a dick. Annoyed by his doubts he vents at the microbiologist. "Dredd out" lol. Hershey's ghost waiting for vengeance in the final panel?

Helium a wee bit too expositiony this week. Hopefully the story will play out more next wee - oh. In a fortnight then. D'Israeli showing off his colour range again. I see what you mean about the knits, Boots, yes lovely. Nice study/library room decor too!

And wham, into Devil's Railroad. It's very exciting to look at. Another couple of very funny, brilliantly drawn comic scenes amongst the carnage.  I'm not sure about the characterisation but it is a fun read.

Deadworld I'm more than happy to read and have in the prog but I've lost the thread a bit and need to revisit the previous stories. Still, good to have some gruesome horror in the prog, as far as I'm concerned. I like the art myself, it's proper horrid. I think the last panel is Casey taking over / activating various dead things "in the necronet", ready for action.

Feral & Foe, rather a top thrill now it has bedded in? Or perhaps it's because this dungeon scenario really suits it. Anyway, it's great.

With the prog absolutely rocking it's a bit of a shame about the interlude, let's hope Regened hits higher notes than it has been more recently.

[The Corinthian]

"The story continues in two weeks time!"

Great.

[nxylas]

PJ is as good as he's ever been here, aided by some simply wonderful colours from Pete Doherty.

Using surnames would be helpful here....

[Proudhuff]

Dredd at the top of his game, Helium excellent and Deil's Railway chugging along.
Three out of five aint bad, to misquote Meatloaf.

[norton canes]

Nice mixture of slow burn and breakneck action throughout the strips this week but Feral & Foe comes out on top, with its five pages of relentless mayhem.

You know what? I was thinking of the cover strapline: "Dad of Night! Sidney De'ath asserts parental control!" And I wondered, does that actually mean anything to prospective purchasers? Is someone browsing through the publications in let's say WHSmith going to have any idea what that's all about? Seems unlikely. The Robinson/Teague illo itself is phenomenal, of course, and alone should be enough to entice new readers. But maybe the taglines need to be a bit less... cryptic? A little bit more along the lines of old-fashioned "Five amazing stories inside!" or somesuch. I guess it's all a bit moot if the newsstands are no longer the best place to snare new Squaxx.

[Colin YNWA]

PJ is as good as he's ever been here, aided by some simply wonderful colours from Pete Doherty.

Using surnames would be helpful here....

Yeah have you not heard that Pete Doherty is in fact a high spec sex droid and aiding PJ on his art based killing spree!

[Magnetica]

A truly great episode of Dredd. Agree it probably Mr Holden's finest, if not yet Philip Janet's.

Of the rest only Feral and Foe is doing it for me.

And I think this recent run of Progs has the brightest colours ever. Even with the muted tones of Fall of Deadworld.

[Funt Solo]

You know what? I was thinking of the cover strapline: "Dad of Night! Sidney De'ath asserts parental control!" And I wondered, does that actually mean anything to prospective purchasers? Is someone browsing through the publications in let's say WHSmith going to have any idea what that's all about? Seems unlikely. The Robinson/Teague illo itself is phenomenal, of course, and alone should be enough to entice new readers. But maybe the taglines need to be a bit less... cryptic? A little bit more along the lines of old-fashioned "Five amazing stories inside!" or somesuch. I guess it's all a bit moot if the newsstands are no longer the best place to snare new Squaxx.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but the strapline in-jokes have been around for a while. Here's prog 1656 from 2009:

[IndigoPrime]

Bit late to this one. Creepy cover. Solid Dredd (nice to see Giant) and some more fantastic art. Helium continues to be great. I look forward to book 3 in 2031. Devil's Railroad looks better than it reads for me. The lead feels off somehow. But it's fun enough. Deadworld was one of my favourites when it began, but, I dunno, it's not really doing much for me now. Feral & Foe, though, continues to be great fun.

Dredd > Helium > Feral & Foe > Devil's Railroad > Deadworld for me this week, with a bit of a gap between the first three and the next two strips.