I dunno, maybe I'm just getting old, but...
s
p
o
i
l
r
s
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.
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That whole bit in Dredd this week- with the kid's head coming off. I dunno- it just seemed a bit... much.
I know it's probably a bit silly, but it wouldn't have seemed nearly so bad had it been an adult. I totally got that it had to be a pretty recognisable wound so that we knew it was the same character later on (and the floating head bit *did* look pretty creepy)- but it was still a bit visually harsh in my book- and I've drawn some disturbing stuff in my time!
Anybody else- or am I just being an old woman this morning?
Matt
Havent read it yet, but is that cover paper stock better?
And the extra four pages are back - hooray! How long this time? And how do us people who are already subscribers get the fridge magnets?
lets get to the nitty gritty that synnamon thing from the creators of that b word crap or good?
OK here goes....
Dredd - It was OK. It was a little violent in places (see JEBs comments) and was rather throwaway.
Dead Man Walking - his was like a Harry Twenty but with a woman. Well thats what it reminded me of. Not necessarily a bad thing.
Synannamon - Not a bad start at all. Arts very nice.
Durham Red - Never been a big fan, but the arts great (as usual).
Overall, a reasonable start call it 6 out of 10. Its hard when a whole new set of stories starts, it just means there is nothing left over to maintain interest from any of the previous progs.
yer slips
Spoilers an that....
Strangely, the kid bothered me less than the two bullets through the eyes. So maybe that makes two old women here this morning. This was an odd Dredd, I can't decide if I liked it or not. It had some uncomfortable resonances for me which I'm not going to go into here.
Dead Men Walking: yeah, like slips said, rather unfortunate that this makes its entrance while Harry 20's running in the Meg. But quite a promising opener, this was my favourite story this week I think. Ha! Archer gets an anal probe!
I suspect Synnamon may turn out to be a good cop in a bad world :) Then again, she seems to be handy in a fight and has some kind of computer-voice sidekick thing, so maybe she's the female M.A.C.H. 1... I can't say this really grabbed me, but neither did I immediately take against it. Too soon to tell, really.
And the same goes for Durham Red, really. Wait and see.
Overall, slightly underwhelmed this week, although there was nothing there I really hated, and the art was all pretty good. Still, Caballistics is back next week, so that's something to look forward to.
Shut up, you old woman...
;)
Dredd.
A major question. Is this spate of Dredd with a supernatural theme going to become the standard, or is it to do with the Dredd vs Death theme that's in vogue for obvious reasons? Because Dredd is not about the undead or zombies. Death and co never struck me as sandard supernatural characters, but this story just grated horribly for me. Utter piffle.
Dead Men Walking.
Liked the Jeffery Archer reference. But it just felt like filler. I'll have to stick this one out.
Synnamon.
Hate the name, and that space age sex kitten in lycra pose just looked SHITE. It's better than Bison, though, and I liked the concept of a self contained opening episode. This story could well shape up, but comparrisons to Rose Orion (was that her name?) will dog it.
Durham Red.
Where the feck is the art? The scarlet cantos and Glimmer Rats were perhaps too CG heavy, but I thought that a good balance had been struck with the Vermin Stars. But I am not happy with this almost purely painted episdode. It's good, but it's lost the richness of the previous stories.
Overall.
From Grace, Leviathan, Johnny Alpha, Slaine? The Autumn offensive suffers from a lack of either any REALLY innovative new ideas, or any real heavyweight blasts from the past. I am a little dissapointed, but I hope the new stuff will grow on me like a strange fungus. Dredd was shite, though, wasn't it?
I really hope its not as bad as it sounds as I'm probably (fingers crossed) going to review this as the first prog in my "make yanks read 2000ad" campagin.
Will
Head! Head! Eyes! Nevermind that, what about that chin! Chintastic!
Hello all! For those who remember me, I'm the guy who posted a couple months back and was a complete newbie to 'AD. Well I'm back, and what can I say? I've been frickin' addicted ever since my first issue (1350)! So here are my thoughts on this week's prog...
Dredd - Hmm. Not as bad as some of you've been claiming. A decent throw-away action filler, and a violent one at that. Overall, good, as far as one-offs go.
Dead Men Walking - Probably my favourite new story. I liked (most) of the art, and the story doesn't sound too bad either. Promising.
Synnamon - Didn't really like it. Perhaps it'll get better in future issues.
'Scared Yet?' ad - Oooh, big full page advert goodness just for new strip Caballistics, Inc.
Looks promising.
Durham Red: TES - Another highlight of this week's prog. I liked it.
Overall: 8/10
I'm a little confused about the negative response to this week's Dredd. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but to my mind it's something of a mini-masterpiece and one of the best I've even read.
Not so much a literal story, but a poignant poem with a stinging ending that resonates far from the mere page. The switch between the two realities is superbly done in its subtlety and really helps the story's significant impact resonate.
Great stuff, Mr Wagner!
M@
Bit of a pisser that - the 2 best magnets are the ones we can't have...
Will we be able to get them at Dreddcon?
Yeah, I liked the Dredd. There was a real SRM* in there, which is good.
The "Watch that juve-!" moment I thought was a brilliantly funny moment (yes you oldies are just being grumpy!)
Great that the 'bumper' size is back, those extra pages really make a difference.
Dead Men Walking - had a very The Scrap feel to it ("Vucking" "Shiv" etc, and Boo's art is a very similar style to Richard Elson's). Enjoyable, but the Harry 20ness is very obvious.
Synnamon - was okay...it was quite like the bit before the music in a Bond movie - a quick taster adventure to introduce. The talking spaceship sidekick could've been explained a bit better but I guess we'll pick it up soon enough. Fat guy had a magic waistcoat - disappears & reappears in a second!
Tell me that's not next week's cover - JUST SAY NO TO PHOTOCOVERS.
Red - The Empty Suns - Book 1??? I thought this was part 3 of a Trilogy and they're breaking it down EVEN MORE?? Gah! But as I've ranted about poorly defined Books before I'll leave it for now. Perhaps it really deserves to be considered a trilogy within a trilogy?
Art was a little lacklustre compared to the previous Vermin Stars art.
Plus the 10 page episode should have been edited into 5 pages because really not much happens and what does is pretty bizarre & not really helpful.
Bah.
Overall - Still lacking the Oomph that a 5 story prog has, but otherwise good, hope Durham picks up a bit & hope Synammon retains my interest, but happy with Dead Men Walking & looking forward to Cabbyinks next week.
* = Sudden Realisation Moment...see the article in Gavin's 2000ADreview site.
i agree, johnnyeyebrows the dredd was great. the art was amazing and the whole story was witty and brilliantly done. the rest of you shud be quiet in your nursing homes.
the rest of the comic, hmmmm. very dissappointed.
Oh no! Synnamon was just a futuristic version of the 'No One Lives Forever' computer game. The pose in front of the airlock is swiped straight from the game. Pants.
Loved Dead Men Walking but don't know if its the top thrill this week as i've only read that and Dredd so far - and, yes, i'm an old woman - that kid-coming-off was a bit much. No probs with the eyeballs though.
For me, this week's prog has been a real mix'n'match.
Hmmm! Now, where to start...
...The price is still the same :-)
The cover paper is thicker :-)
Not sure I like the cover image itself. It's not the girls, but Tharg's mug shot that puts me off. He looks strange. :-(
IFC Nothing new/special :-|
Back Cover: The other ? of the thick paper :-)
Advert for Dreddvs Death Game :-)
IBC: Input Page- Yeay :-) :-)
but what of it's content? Two points here:
1) The poor winner of the letter of the week is (at the top of the letter) awarded an audio CD, only later to be told by hte mighty one that he will instead be getting a mouse mat- poor bloke- make your mind up Tharg!!!
2) What's this about Irving doing Terror Tales in Metal Hammer? Why hasn't this been advertised (on this site for example), and can we be absolutely sure that these tt's weren't destined for this prog, only to be muddled up at the printers with the "rock advert" that appears elsewhere in this prog???? :-(
Talking of covers, whilst I don't like photocovers, for 2000ad, I think that the (probable) cover by Clin Langley is great. In fact, he's been my surprise cover artist find of the year!
Dredd: Like the story, like the artwork. Agree that Dredd tales need to draw away from the supernatural. :-)
Forbidden Planet Ad: Do they even stock 2000ad anymore???? :-(
Metal concert date Ad: Er as mentioned elsewhere YUCK, shouldn't this be in Metal Hammer? :-(
Dead Men Walking: Agree, this reads at the moment like Harry 20. Look forward to seeign where this goes. Anyone else spot Karn's namecheck on the ship? Not sure I like the use of The Scrap's swearwords either type the real think or don't *$@!**& bother! Nice artwork, and good to see the groovy looking alien getting his eyes poked out, and another get shot so early- go Jude! :-)
Subs ad: Cool (I'm a fan of 2000ad slef promotion) but those magnets should be available to EVERYONE! I Like the new Mean Magnet :-)
Synnamon: I thought this was a pretty good intro to the new character. Not 100% sure where this is going to go though, as this read like a stand alone tale, with the last page tacked on. The artwork was good in place, but in other places wasn't quite to my taste- but as long as the story stays strong, it might keep me interested enough for the artwork to grow on me. :-)
PlayJam Ad: Eh, what's this? Another game by the people that are releasing DvD (Vivendi Universal) Shame I'll never get to play it, as it's seems it's only playable through your Sky Remote (or can I play via PC?) Also noted Rebellion calling themsleves Rebellion A/S for the US, is this related to the Danish Rebellion rumours???? :-|
Next Iss: Nice cover, return of Cab Inc will please many- I'm still undecided :-)
Durham Red: I like the artwork, I find it much clearer than earlier Red stories, and Glimmer Rats. I though Durham died at the end of the last story, that combined with the last two pages confussed the hell out of me. Anyone care to explain what's going on? I noticed Harrison's signature dated the arwork as 2002, hopefully this means that we won't have a huge wait until Book 2 (yet another strip that appears to have been broken down into smaller books Gagh!) :-)
Over all: A mixed bag, of :-) and :-( with a few :-| along the way.
:-)
I forgot to mention the extra page count.
Hope they stay,even if it means the Metal Ad's have to stay to pay for the other pages :-)
that line...your a big man but your out of shape...that sound familiar to anyone else?
Get Carter?
F
Get him yourself.
Here is wot I thunk.
Cover: Bleuh. Bland and mimsy. And Tharg doesn't look like Tharg. And her from Dead Men Walking doesn't look like her from Dead Men Walking. Where's the scars?
Dredd: Bleuh. Never an admirer of the Ormston droid, and the story was uninvolving. Kid dying was highlight- if only because it got a reaction from me. As James Herbert stopped writing stories where kids die after becoming a father, so my newfound fatherhood means I am more acutely aware of how nasty the scene was. Glad it was in there, as it was the only thing that stands out, but I didn't like it. (Similarly *the* scene from Muriel Gray's 'Furnace'... ARGH! But fantastic book)
Dead Men Walking: Not sure. As said, unfortunate to have two prison-dramas running side-by-side, but this was okay. I fully expected to hate it, and didn't. On the DrX Scale that means it scores +50 (expectation 10%, actuality 60%).
Synnamon (or whatever): Bleuh. Is it Dante with tits crossed with, erm, Bison and Rose O'Rion (or whatever)? I think it may be. Not as unreadable as Atavar, The Scrap or that thing drawn by Colin MacNeil- er, Vanguard?- but not very inspiring.
Durham Red: What? Eh? Who? When? Where? Eh? help! Lots of pages of meaningless piffle that made NO sense to me. Two Durham Reds was it? What? I obviously haven't been paying attention have I? And why isn't Simon Harrison doing cool things with a computer anymore? It looked flat and grey, read like it was deliberately trying to piss me off, and offered me know reward other than a painful scalp from all the scratching. Bleuh.
Nerve Centre: YAY!
Hang on. Terror tales in some metal mag? What? Have I missed some announcement on that? Tharg had better collect them for mass non-hairy consumption soon then. Not impressed.
And I don't want to renew my subs til at least next may... does that mean I can't have those fridge magnets?
I was all happy when the prog plopped through the door along with the 30th anniv Fortean Times this morning. Now I'm all niggly. Bah. Thanks, Tharg mate.
Steev
Hmm, review time
Cover, not great but didn't it feel nice and smooth (and for anyone who knows Zapp Brannigan, like a velvet child)
Dredd: I liked this. Very different, very strange, excellent art, like Judgment Day revisited. As for the head thing, who knows, might encourage someone to slow down when they drive past a school or something. Public service announcement extraordinaire.
Prison thing. Catching up on Megazines just now so just started Harry 20. Damn them! Those were starving! I'm mighty annoyed. But yeah, shaping up nicely
Caballistics ad: superb! Almost Silent Hill-ish?
Synammon (sp?): Hmm, dodgy pose indeed (anyone seen Secretary?). Not bad, plenty action but you know...
Red: Not as good as past like many above have said. Intrigued though, D looks well mean in the last frame.
Too many adverts!
But that cover paper, mmmm. It's like Meg207. You know, the 'olde booke' look that looked rough but was actually reaally smoooth.
2000ad. Sci Fi in a silky smooth wrapper.
Yes, he said it to Alf Roberts
Spoilers
Cover: A bit naff, really.
Dredd: I liked it. I think we need reminding now and then that Mega City One is an unpleasant place to live.
Dead Men Walking: S'okay. It looks nice anyway, and there are worse things to be compared with than Harry Twenty.
Synnamon: Synnamon has a stupid name, but don't forget she's "sexy". She must be, it says so in the editorial, and she wears a tight shiny suit, and then there's the bit in the bath. That's sexy, see.
I can't believe there are six people working on it apparently without a single original idea between them.
Durham Red: I didn't follow this too well, so I'll wait and see. The mirage suit thing was cool.
Dredd - flat tale, could have been told in 1 page because it's only the "twist" that really makes it stand out. Ormston's art (as I predicted on first sight of it a couple of months ago) has degenerated - why bother developing your own instantly recognisable style and then slowly change it into a mutant cross between Heavy Metal-era Bisley & Siku? If the writing had been a bit more lyrical I might have liked this story, but as it is I know I'll just instantly FAF.
Dead Men Walking. Like the Archer bit, definitely want to read more of it. Is the twist going to be that when prisoners get shot they are resurrected and put to work as prison guards, something like that? Dead...Walking & Lazarus are a bit obvious if so. Don't like the language, but it has got me waiting for phrases like "you stupid VUNT", "he's such a vickhead", or even "I'm gonna vodding cut your vock off, you mothervucking vastard".
Synnamon - Nothing to say about this yet. Don't have a good feeling - reminds me of Vanguard in that I'm willing to bet all the ingredients are there but it doesn't add up to much of a whole.
Durham Red - This looks good. However, I struggle to understand why, given 2000ad's long history of boasting that characters can die, unlike US comics, we are now into so many "she's dead - NO SHE ISN'T" storylines. Slaine, Avatar, Slaine, Rogue Trooper, Slaine, Angel Gang, Slaine, ABC Warriors, Slaine... just let the bastards die already.
Caballistics photocover, nonononononooo...BUT at leats this one actually looks like the character as opposed to something you'd see in either Loaded (Durham Red cover) or Viz (Judge Dredd photocovers)...
Letters - Lots of people slagging off Slaine, and even the one that's praising it is actually only praising Langley. Pat Mills = Francis Ford Coppola.
Overall, I'm looking forward to the onward progress of this lot.
Sorry, Pat Mills = John Carpenter
let the anti-synamon league begin...
David "will be showing up with a hunt down the bison shirt at dredd-con" page...
biased moi?
Not a bad prog but for me it's still treading water. Just like last issue was the 'issue before the relaunch', this is the 'issue before Cabalistics'. I suspect that once the cabals return I'll be more favourably disposed to the rest of the prog.
Nothing bad but nothing great either. Dead Men Walking exeded my expectations. Synamon has lovely colours. Red, well I've not read book two so it feels like I'm missing something. Dredd, okay.
Since no-one else has pointed it out, Synnamon is very Ian M. Banks.
I thought Durham was pretty good, though was confused by the last page. Is DR the skanky old scrag at the head of th army? Or the long haired slightly less skanky young, er, scrag on the last page? Still pretty cool and I look forward to Harrison's more lush-looking art in future.
Space prison thing I'll give a chance.
Dredd OK, yeah I had to reread it to ascertain when they died.
Reasonable overall. Bring on Cabs though!
great prog and some new stories i like the look of TOP WORK THARG
Synammon written as an Iaim M Banks novel?
I've read all of his books and I can't really see anything in Bison (sorry, Synnamon) that bore any resembleance to any of his sci-fi books.
Bank's culture agents for example rarely bothered with high kicking karate, they had drones and smart weapons for that sort of thing. As for his female characters, I can't see her as either Sma or Sharrow. Synnamon appears to be just another stock sci-fi heroine. Also the technology was all wrong. And as for the voice in the head, this might as well be a Dante ripoff.
DREDD: OK but if you got the "twist" early, as I'm sure most people did, it probably left you feeling a little "so what".
SYNAMMON: OK enough start to what looks like it will be a story that covers a lot of tried and trusted concepts. I am so glad that she used her wits (and not an omnitron) to get the singularity through the defence grid. I'm assuming there's some nice reversal coming along to turn the familiarity on it's head. I like the art but a slight inconsistency in tone irks me(some of the elongated limbs make it look cartoony where other panels don't). I really hate throwaway pop culture references like the GET CARTER one - please have the decency to make up your own killzingers. (This gripe also applies to the otherwise excellent Ian Edgington)
DEAD MEN WALKING: I am reserving judgement on this because the opening episode did not grab me at all. Which I guess is kind of judgement in itself. Actually, this applies a little bit to SYNAMMON above but I guess I just liked it a bit more. I don't like VUCK and SHIVs.
DURHAM RED: More reserved Judgement. I think this art is a lot clearer than some of Harrison's painted stuff - a good thing. For me, DAbnett can delight and frustrate in equal measures. Not everything needs to be clear in the opening episode so long as you've got a nice hook and the mystery of why Red is seemingly alive has me interested. Just watch out for those omnitron resurrection machines.
FRIDGE MAGNETS: Yay! I'm renewing my subscription!
So it's "OK" and I'm "reserving judgement". That's not much kudos for an offensive is it.
And the cover sucked.
Oh, and why is Micheal Jackson in the ad for Cabals? Is the identity of the rich pop star financer of the group about to be revealed.
Iain M Banks was definitely an influence on Synn....also Peter Hamilton and Stephen Baxter.
Col
Nah, he's their latest target.
"also Peter Hamilton"
Oh yes, bring on the mercenaries! A full barrage of EE rounds should stop 'em in their tracks!
I did think of that while reading it, specifically the ship's interactions.
Ione Saldana...Assume the position :)
The Nights Dawn trilogy would make a great...if long...strip.
Col
"Tell me that's not next week's cover - JUST SAY NO TO PHOTOCOVERS"
I am not sure it is as there is a Clint Langley signature in the bottom corner. It confused me at first but I think it might just be an incredibly lifelike drawing: unless he got some bird to pose for him and played around with the pic a bit on his computer.
"Ione Saldana"
Wow, forgot about her. Must read again when I've got a few spare months :o)
"The Nights Dawn trilogy would make a great...if long...strip"
Reckon you could do it in 3 books, each running for 2 years :o)
I think it's a photo-manipulated cover. Could be wrong. We're due another photo cover soon anyway. Remember the promises made in Meg 4.18?
"Synnamon - was okay...it was quite like the bit before the music in a Bond movie"
Thats exactly what we was aiming for - the ending of the previously unseen adventure before the naked girl dances to Sheena Easton!
Yeah...I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes next.
Well, I'm a bit late to it all this really.
The cover was fine apart from the Tharg, which didn't really look like him or capture the spirit of the great betelguisian. Tharg may not just suit that style of art.
Dredd, was okay, but a little odd. I mean they had obviously both been killed at the start, which spoils the punchline, as I was thinking for ways for them to survive such horrific injuries like being robots, or vampires or something daft.
If they had just been 'badly wounded' but we could believe they could still run about, then it would have been better.
The violence was generally over the top, and would have been better all round being reined in. I didn't object to the kid being killed, cars are one of the major factors in child mortality, but the head coming off was just silly.
But, yeah, fine.
The rest... well they are all just generic SF stories. Exactly what 2000AD isn't about in my view and not a single character I'm interested in between them. Not my cup of tea, not awful, just strangely there, in my prog.
Worst prog ever? Well, nothing annoyed me. Most innocuous prog ever? Could be.
Submitted without reading anyone else's comments first:
I liked Dredd. It was a departure from the usual stuff, and a weird tale. Also, I was never much keen on Dean Ormiston, but I thought his style worked quite well this week.
Synammon has a nice arse, but I don't want to see the top of her butt cleavage.
But it seemed a decent SF story, if a bit Rose O'Rion. Let's see it develop.
Dead Men Walking was fine fun.
I love Boo Cook's art. Hasn't his style developed nicely?
Also, a prison tale is a good idea. We haven't had one in a while, and I'm looking forward to seeing characters die in horrible ways.
It's just a shame it coincides with the recent Harry Twenty reprint in the Meg.
Anyway, I like this - it's the best bit of the prog this week.
Well done Bish and Boo!
Finally, Durham Red's dull and I'll have to re-read it by natural light today (a 60W lamp bulb just isn't enough) to see half of what's going on with that art.
Why does he use all that brown stuff? Is it symbolic of something? :-)
If no new episodes of Durham Red ever appeared - including no conclusion to the current tale - I would not care one jot.
It leaves me cold.
Oh, and the cover wasn't great this week, either.
Overall: a half-decent prog, a little better than last week's.
- Trout
"Synammon written as an Iaim M Banks novel?
I've read all of his books and I can't really see anything in Bison (sorry, Synnamon) that bore any resembleance to any of his sci-fi books."
OK my first post was a little hurried.
While the United States of Earth sounds like the antithesis of Banks' Culture, I felt much of this first episode borrows imagery from the novels. Not that I've read anything like all of them.
For a start, she's got a weapons drone. That's what's talking to her throughout. You see her face reflected in it just before she jumps on the ship. It offers to take out the Dandyish henchmen later on, but Synnamon opts for the karate kicks, the big showoff. As for culture agents not using violence(as such), well some do, witness the male lead whose name escapes me in Use of Weapons - the Culture employ him because (to grossly oversimplify) he's a violent cunning sort whose means suit their ends.
However I don't think Synnamon will match Banks for sheer inventiveness, it's more like they're borrowing the imagery and surface details. While it's early days, I do agree
"Synnamon appears to be just another stock sci-fi heroine". Let's hope the Banks resonances are more than just skin-deep. Or would that be even more annoying? I dunno. Let's wait and see.
All in my own humble opinion , of course.
hmm, odd prog this week.
DREDD: strangely atmospheric. And frankly I didn?t got the ending. Were there two clubs? One in MC-1 and one in hell? Or what?
DEAD MEN WALKING: Hate it. Was there a stupid cliche which was missing? Aside that this whole prison-planet concept is dumb - and why do they always have to work in the mines *groan, it makes no sense - there wasn?t one redeeming idea imho.
SYNNAMON: well, at least this had some nice little twists in the storytelling, but overall it was just another version of the female SciFi-superagent. Not exactley attention-grabber stuff. And how dumb has the villian to be that he didn?t register he had the damn sphere in his trousers all the time?
DURHAM RED: I liked the last one. Let?s see how it goes.
Next week CABALLISTICS. Yeah!!!
The sphere was hidden in the folds of flab....someone suggested it should have been up his arse but I don't think we'd have got away with that :)
I liked the Dredd story though I think it could have been done better, perhaps if it had made it clear the club at the end was a fantasy in the driver's dying brain.
One problem I had with Dead Man Walking: Since the governor was so casual about killing the political prisoner it makes you wonder why they go to all the trouble of having a prison at all and not just executing them all. Hope to see a bit more background on the prison later.
ADE
Dredd - liked the art, story was fun. Best thing in the Prog. This is not the big compliment it might normally be however...
Dead Man Walking - ok early days, but it didnt exactly grab me, very pedestrian. I like Boo Cooks art, hope he gets to do more stuff after this.
Synammon - again, this is just dull dull dull. Cliched dull at that. Art is jank. But I'll give it a few more weeks in the hope of an upswing in quality. (Bison however is the *only* story in the past 3 years since coming back on board that I physically stopped reading before the end, so the odds seem to be against it. Which is a shame 'cos I honestly wanted the creators to bounce back after the slating they got last time out).
Durham Red - the last few story arcs have been pretty daft but redeemed by some really great art. This strip doesnt even have that. I'd prefer more SinDex from the Abnett droid to this.
Overall I sadly have to agree that this is a nose-dive in quality.
The Caballistics ad was really good - best photo-real type image I've see in 2K. I think a photo-real Cabs story could actually work you know
!!?
Anyway, read all the strips twice, scanned the Dredd and am going to release my Prog onto the Picadilly line of the Underground tmrw, as part of my house clearing/2K viral marketing campaign, altho on the strengh of this it may well scare people off...
Heh. Cabals the photo story. I'd love that. Can I be Kostabi?
o.k, i am kind of posting in response to Spurriers post about female AD fans. Since this is a'chick prog' i thought it might be an appropriate place to start posting.
you all seem to have reviewed the stories in order so i will follow your lead there:
Dredd: it was one of those stories that the 5 page format is guilty of producing- a story built around a punchline- and to be honest not a very good one. However, I have been a fan of Ormstons painterly violence for a good few years, always a pleasure to see.
Synnamon:
i wasn't sure from the tone of this whether i would like it, I just kept reading it as King Pin and Black Widow in space. But, i did find myself liking the lead character. when designing a new hero it must be hellishly hard, 2000Ad has run so many stories that for someone to make me like their character right off the mark is good going. Or maybe I just share the same interests in gadgets and clothes. i would say the negativity towards this character maybe because she is a womans woman. but Synnamon gets my thumbs up. She is cheeky and fun.
Durham Red;
I wish i could like this, i have always liked the character and i have no problem with charcters coming back form the dead. hell, i have read comics for years, its a staple- yet this is just too goth for me.
and now Dead men Walking.
well, i kind of have a vested interest here.
cheers to everyone who said nice things about Boo's art. He has worked his socks off on this. If any of you are NME readers you will have seen the bizarre drawings of death and destruction that children drew when made to listen to Radiohead. DMW is what Thom and co does to Boo.
I agree with the nay sayers on one point and that is I dont like the pretend swearing. it makes you jump out of the story and disrupts the narrative.
And 'James' is Jude named after the biblical character who features in the Apocrypha? If so did you know there is a feminist book called 'Judith- Women as Sexual Warriors' which is a rather fascinating look at the fear Jude figures provoke.
I must confess to being something of a booksnob and to see Archer getting done over was disturbingly satisfying.
so does being a woman make me read AD in a different way? Can't say really. I think it was Bou who said she was drawn to the visuals and I think i am the same. i read so much that for me comics are a real treat, the perfect hybrid, but if the arts not up to scracth then i cant read it. But To suggest that 2 womens opinions form a model of female readership is daft. Our opinions and reasons for reading will be as varied as you guys, theres just less of us.
but cheers Tharg, I thought this was going to be a 'token' prog, one for the laydeeeezzz but on the whole I enjoyed it.
Blimey,
i was only going to say a few words.
i will shut up now. my dinners ready.
"The sphere was hidden in the folds of flab....someone suggested it should have been up his arse but I don't think we'd have got away with that :) "
What, after Asylum's shitting vicar? Not to mention the anal probe in Dead men Walking... nah, you'd have got away with it easy, mate. Have the corage of your convictions. I tell you, up the arse was the way to go (so to speak).
I'll get me coat...
Well I thought that his sparkley gold cloaky thing had magically turned into the sphere. There one minute. Bare chested tits-oot action the next. Of course it turned up again once he had been shot putting to rest any turny-to-spherey action I had concieved of.
Why do these things go unoticed?
i am divided on this prog.
whilst i enjoyed each story and the art work i felt as a whole it did not blend well.
the jump on prog concept failed it felt. due to the mix of styles. the last offensive was awesome with the balance correct. this time i felt each story would have fitted better into a differnt line up.
DD's summed it up pretty well here.
I concur.
I liked all the stories, but it was missing something *extra* class to make it shine.
Good job Caballistics, Inc. is back next week.