Prog 2305 - PSI of the Storm!

[broodblik]

A good all-around prog as we now must wait 2 weeks for the continuous. Next week is regen time.

Dredd – A new PSI, Dredd reminiscing about the “bad” old times, Anderson following Izaaks and lastly the psychic assault has started. Another cracking episode by the team and Flint continues to prove to me why is the current de facto Dredd artists.

Chimpsky –As poor Chimsky freefalls he tries to determine what is going on. He barely saves his own skin, and the twins ramp up the assault as the whole block is turning on him. Another great episode.

Hope – The story moves back to focus on Mallory and he is in a real predicament. The macabre continues as Hope has no choice but to work as a team to get out.

Enemy Earth – At last a change of scenery as our merry band of heroes go to explore the big outdoors. The best episode so far.

Hershey – Hershey continues to investigate the origin of the contraband. Her dreams are haunted by Smiley. Dirty Frank is still our beloved Dirty Frank. The episode ends with a real cliffhanger.

[broodblik]

Cover by Boo Cook:

[broodblik]

Cover and Logo:

[Funt Solo]

"SOUS UNLEASH A PSYCHIC SALUO ON MEGA-CITY"?

So, that's part French, part English and part Spanish - clearly some kind of test by Tharg.

Let's see: "UNDER UNLEASH A PSYCHIC HELLO ON MEGA-CITY".

Now we'll have to guess at the sentence structure of Frengish, but using common sense it has to be:

"UNLEASH A PSYCHIC HELLO UNDER MEGA-CITY ONE!"

Missing the E off ONE's a bit embarrassing. Does nobody proof read these things?

[broodblik]

B/W Cover:

[Barrington Boots]

Arrived this morning and swiftly read over my teabreak. It's Dreddworld > everything else this week.

Dredd – Digging this so far. Henry Flint is just incredible here. Final page especially is great - interesting character design, the rain, the little blood spots on the forehead.

Chimpsky – Really enjoying this story. Continues to do all the good stuff from previous weeks. Was that a visual King Kong gag as Noam escapes from the ToyZ Zone?

Hope – Four episodes in and I have no interest in reading any more of this. It's alarming how I went from loving Hope to finding it borderline unreadable, but other people are enjoying it so I guess it's me!

Enemy Earth – This is really boring stuff. Sorry.

Hershey – Art looks magnificent. Franks looks like he's in trouble!

Regened again next week? Bah! But it looks like a great cover and I'm interested to see both Mayflies and Ulysses Sweet are in it so bah retracted!

[IndigoPrime]

Well. That was cliffhanger city. Waiting two weeks for the next lot of these tales is a bit ARRGGHH.

Dredd was good, even if Huang’s fate was signposted. The new foe looks suitably spooky. Chimpsky remains a delight, while Hope remains barely comprehensible. Needs a re-read. Enemy Earth steps things up, and Hershey was a relatively slow one, but I’m still really enjoying it.

Cohesion was absent this week. Tonally, the Prog is all over the shop. It’s not like that hasn’t been the case even during the original golden era – Sam Slade vs Sláine, say. But, man, that run of Chimpsky > Hope > Enemy Earth > Hershey is like a series of jolts, to the point it feels like two separate comics. Fortunately, they’re two very good comics.

Anyway: Chimpsky > Hershey > Dredd > Enemy Earth > Hope

[Max Headroom]

I have to agree with Indigo Prime that this run of 'Hope' is a bit incomprehensible. I like it, in a weird sort of way, but it is baffling. The first two trade paperbacks were much more accessible.

[The Corinthian]

I've said before, the big problem with the Regened progs is that everything in the regular prog grinds to a halt to make way for (mostly) less interesting stuff. Which is especially frustrating when the regular prog is on top form (Dredd and Chimpsky in particular).

It's also weird that they're interrupting Enemy Earth for a week when it's basically a Regened strip anyway.

[Leigh S]

I'm the other end of things - The comic feels like it is dodging the venn diagram of things I like.

If it wasnt for Chimpsky, I'd not have read any of this and last weeks prog.  Having made myself read the Dredd, I just find it totally off my tastes, so for my groat, a complete waste of Flint's incerasingly beautiful art.  There is one thing tying a pair of stories togtehr, and its my least favourite modern Dredd scrbe dabbling in his own continuity - not good.

I assume the only reason Hope is still going so if can break Brett Ewins record for reusing the same panel / pose?

If Wagner announced he was retiring for good, I think my sub would be on the line, which if you'd asked me that at any point prior to this would have sent a cold shiver, but now its the lack of money to afford heating that is likely to do that....

Well. That was cliffhanger city. Waiting two weeks for the next lot of these tales is a bit ARRGGHH.

Dredd was good, even if Huang’s fate was signposted. The new foe looks suitably spooky. Chimpsky remains a delight, while Hope remains barely comprehensible. Needs a re-read. Enemy Earth steps things up, and Hershey was a relatively slow one, but I’m still really enjoying it.

Cohesion was absent this week. Tonally, the Prog is all over the shop. It’s not like that hasn’t been the case even during the original golden era – Sam Slade vs Sláine, say. But, man, that run of Chimpsky > Hope > Enemy Earth > Hershey is like a series of jolts, to the point it feels like two separate comics. Fortunately, they’re two very good comics.

Anyway: Chimpsky > Hershey > Dredd > Enemy Earth > Hope

[Colin YNWA]

Finally a Prog. Wow do Royal Mail have me on a crazy schedule at the moment. Hopefully it'll get back.

Anyway to more important matter the contents. Dredd has a very good episode spinning an interesting turn and apparently galvanising the threat.

Chimpsky is another masterclass and just superb. Really this is an excellent thrill done very, very well.

Hope gives us a sharp yet effective 180 turn in tone. Only in 2000ad can a thrill like that sit comfortably after a thrill like Chimpsky.

Arrrrhhh Enemy Earth is so frustrating - there a good story snuggle in all this. The art however seems to be trying to hide it. The page design, but it script or artist means there's no sense of scope and scale - which is just what was needed after we burst outside. We want a sense of the scale of disaster and danger but its all so frantic and busy it gets lost. Then the story telling. Apparently yanking Nelson't column takes out the pigeons, but we wouldn't know how or why as they've disappeared from panel while it all happens. Still let's give folks time to get a bit more craft in here.

Craft a plenty in Hershey and Simon Fraser shows us how to tell a story. now it possible the scripts account for the difference but this and Enemy Earth are chalk and cheese and alas this time not sitting as comfortably together as Hope and Chimpsky.

Good Prog and Regened next time so lets see if that holds up. Nice to see Mayflies and Ulysses Sweet in there. If the latter tones itself down it could be perfect for the Regenes. let's see.

[norton canes]

Very much into the mid-run phase of most of all these stories, so, they great ones continue to be great (hi Chimpsky!), the not-so-great ones continue to be not-so-great (sorry, Enemy Earth) and the ones in the middle (i.e. the rest) continue to be a good read but not as good as Chimpsky. Suppose that's the thing with long-form stories - you don't get the same variety you get from shorter, punchier stories. 'Buratino Must Die' throws a few curveballs into the mix this week, I suppose.

A good prog but lacking much in the way of surprise value.