OK, I know it's not the done thing for one to start a prog review thread when one has nothing to actually review, but...
I met Rob Davis at The Lakes International Comic Art Festival in Kendal last month - he signed and illustrated a copy of his excellent graphic novel The Motherless Oven for me and mentioned that he'd recently completed a 2000 AD cover. Which character did it feature, I asked. 'Tharg The Mighty!' was his jubilant reply.
So here it is, and it's ruddy wonderful. Chapeau, Mr Davis.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-huhhHYVYc_c/XdcwGqgZ_sI/AAAAAAAAmEQ/Ke3ggP2sPWABziNHCzO1PMpV6RoQnXVEACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2000%2BAD%2BProg%2B2159-1.jpg)
That's rather excellent. Might be cover of the year.
Nice cover
I see: JD, Death, Rogue, Slaine, Stickleback, Mongrol, Nemesis, Johnny Alpha, Rogue, Zenith, Halo Jones and Ace Garp
Wow, I'd have fingered D'Israeli* for that cover. I have no higher compliment to give.
*settle down.
Tell you what - that cover is even better in the flesh.
I've made no secret of my feelings for TMO over the years, so it is always a treat for me to get a Tharg cover. This is a complete classic. I'd love to see a lighter version but that is a personal thing.
Inside...
You know - when a prog is 'this' good, I don't want to single any part out. This prog was a complete score for me - Every strip is just doing exactly what I want right now.
Thanks to TMO and the droids. This is what comics 'can' be.
Quote from: TordelBack on 22 November, 2019, 11:52:05 PM
Wow, I'd have fingered D'Israeli* for that cover. I have no higher compliment to give.
Took a moment to make an educated guess and went with d'Israeli too. My favourite cover in recent times, probably (topping 2116, 2140, 2147, the list goes on & on). This one's getting bought physically!
Quote from: Bolt-01 on 23 November, 2019, 11:02:37 AM
You know - when a prog is 'this' good, I don't want to single any part out. This prog was a complete score for me - Every strip is just doing exactly what I want right now.
Hmm, not sure I would agree completely. Dredd is a little formulaic and predictable. Defoe has slipped back into muddled territory.
Brink continues to be the highlight and in some respects puts Dredd in its place as a crime procedural. Hope ups the ante quite nicely mind.
I'm assuming that next week is going to see the clearing of the decks in time for the end of year prog. I would agree that the year is ending well all things considered.
Agree the cover is great, if the background is a little dark in print (norton canes electronic version seems to be spot on). It feels like this was meant for a launch Prog or similar but for whatever reason didn't make the cut. Mind who cares, whatever Prog its on its very welcome.
As for the rest of the Prog I'm kinda with Tjm86, yet the three winners as so good I kinda echo Bolt-01's delight. Dredd is solid, if not astonishing, enjoyable mind. Defoe while the art is still working better the story drives it into confused crazy corner.
The three others are just sublime in much the way they have been to this point. Deadworld just charges and doesn't stop for breathe. Unlike Defoe though it perfectly pulls you through with it. Hope twist the story towards its showdown confusion. Its as horrible as it intends to be, just brilliant.
However good these two are however its Brink that is the star of the show. Its just sublime. Once again what could be condemned as a talking heads episode just goes to show how character, dialogue, exquiste 'acting' and a sharp plot can all be thrilling and compelling even when delivered via two folks chating alone in a room. Jez this is a masterpiece.
So while Tharg thrills might be in the dark on the cover insode they are absolutely illuminated.
I love this cover so much it is now cropped in and is the lock screen on my phone.
It's a masterful cover. The balance is just right. I just finished reading the final part Mr Davis' Motherless Oven trilogy myself. That one's called The Book Of Forks and it's bonkers. I've also recommend his Don Quixote adaptation, which is a brick of a book.
First real wobble Prog for me in a while, unless there is a stunning explanation for the sword wielding caped crusader/butcher, Dredd seems a bit lacklustre.
Defoe has lost me completely and I have no idea or interest in what's going on.
Blink is treading water for me and D'eathworld is dead to me
Which leaves Hope to carry the prog and wonderfully full on it is.
The B&W Cover:
(https://2000ad.com/assets/pimg/00/6e/e3.png)
and the howto:
https://2000ad.com/post/6277 (https://2000ad.com/post/6277)
That's gorgeous in B&W. I had missed the Brass Sun nod on the completed cover.
Wow! :o
The colouring job really didn't do that one any favours, IMO...
Quote from: TordelBack on 22 November, 2019, 11:52:05 PM
Wow, I'd have fingered D'Israeli* for that cover. I have no higher compliment to give.
I said pretty much exactly this to Rob on Twitter and, thankfully, he took the compliment as intended!
Top class cover by Rob Davis - in both forms.
Hope we see more of him.
A strip written and illustrated by Rob would be fantastic. He seems like he'd rather publish his stuff in one volume though. Oh well, fingers crossed - at least a 3riller, perhaps..?
As for this week's prog: a faint yet tangible sense of sadness washes over me as I realise the current set of strips is going to conclude in a couple of weeks. Except Brink obviously, of which this chapter has another 23 or so installments to run. Though this week it takes a huge upswing with the mention of a certain word that I won't mention as it actually does make me feel a bit nauseous now, just like in the story. Funny how that happens. Defoe is bonkers and I've really enjoyed this chapter. The Moore droid's art isn't completely my taste but there's no denying its finesse. And I love the phrase 'superior hero', it's just perfect. Hope has completely caught fire over the last two or three weeks after a slightly rambling first few episodes. Deadworld looks like it's building to a climax - kind of hoping the next chapter is the last, not because I'm not enjoying it (I am, very much) but I wouldn't want it to drag on too long. And I want to find out how it ends, dammit!
Good well-matured prog under a spectacular cover.
Guatemala was always going to be a hard act to follow, and so far this Dredd isn't doing it for me, unlike all of the Carroll droid's other Dredds this past year. There are a lot of well-worn elements vying for space here and I hope Mike has some plan for twisting them into something fresh before the end. I'd draw particular attention to the obstructive receptionist - the Judges have been in power for what, 60 years now, and yet every other story has some flunky telling Dredd their boss is too busy to be disturbed like they were dealing with a visit from Columbo and not a violent all-powerful fascist. The iso-cubes must be overflowing with office temps.
Hope is bloody outstanding this week, visually and viscerally powerful. If I was the publishing-division-previously-known-as-Vertigo I'd be grabbing those two boys and shackling them into one mother of an exclusive contract.
Reeks in Space continues to be terrific, doing what it does best and ladling one dollop of high-concept crazy on top of on another. Has Mills found a second Hicklenton with whom he can wreak madness on the world?
Brink is sublime. I'm almost sorry to see a certain name make an appearance, I think I could happily have followed Bridge just navigating the ins and outs of ass-covering in the HSD for several months more.
While nothing less than terrifc, Deadworld this week gives me pause. Ava Eastwood is so blatantly the Dredd figure of this blighted bizarro world that it makes me reappraise the idea of Death as Dredd's opposite/alternative/evolution in a way nothing since Young Death has. If Deadworld can boast its own quasi-righteous lawgiving fossils who is Death's actual MC-1 equivalent? Is he really the twisted ideologue he presents himself as, or is he just another power-mad creep?
Judge Cal? :-X
Ah, but it was the Sisters who elevated Sid et al to full-on fiend status, so unless there are Sisters analogues over in our universe too, maybe we'll never get a full on Death analogue.
Mmm, good point Bolt. One of the best aspects of the previous book of Deadworld was the conflict between Sidney and the Sisters, resulting in Casey becoming Chief Cheez. On one level this supports Bolt's argument, with the Sisters as the real power, but as we know Death must return I suspect he'll be putting the gruesome twosome in their place shortly, and showing us why it's him using them, and not vice versa.
Another good prog :thumbsup: