Sometimes a Prog just feels fresh, exciting and renewed and this is one such Prog. Last issue was good. This one is better.
Dredd Dylan Teague shows why he's so much more than a great colourist with some stunning art - with lovely colours of course in another great little Niemand special. Must admit I thought this one was a sting, but it wasn't and Niemand continues to mine The Spirit guidebook to writing great comics.
Mechastopheles Boo Cooks art elevates this series and this is a great episode.
Department K just wonderful, or scene is set, a twist foreshadowed (?) and Dan Cornwell has such fun with colours. A delight.
Feral and Foe to stand out in a Prog this good is quite something and yet Feral and Foe manages just that. With a storming episode that spins things on their head and sets up a serious conclusion one suspect. Genius.
Chimpsky's Law the ape has been a treat in Dredd and just as he was stretching the limits of his potential there he's cast free and we see his real potential. Just charming, funny and sharp. This one has plenty of scope to stretch even further which is what's so thrilling about it.
5 for 5 and what really stands out here is just what a visual treat this issue is. Just a drop dead glorious comic.
Another Jimp on page 2 of Dredd though!
Cover by Cliff Robinson and Dylan Teague:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E28qE3SXwAU-pwS?format=jpg&name=large)
Another great cover
This is a really great, top-notch prog, all five thrills.
What an eye-catching cover!
Another great Niemand Dredd script, with truly outstanding art by Dylan Teague. If there's still time, this should go in the 2000AD Essential Collection. I thought the same thing as Colin about which way the story would go, but this ending is better. And Niemand seems to have taken on board the feedback on this forum about [spoiler]too many happy endings[/spoiler].
Mechastopheles is good. Department K has the best line of dialogue in the prog this week. Feral & Foe takes an interesting turn. And I love the way Chimpsky is written, and the use of the arrows everywhere.
John Wagner is back in Dredd next week, which is excellent news!
Here's my review where I mainly agree with other reviews!
Another great Dredd this week. Like Colin and Richard I too thought I knew which way this one was going so the ending was a surprise and, after a run of Niemand more optimistic Dredd tales, felt satisfyingly old school. Absolutely gorgeous art from Dylan Teague.
Mechastopheles - agree that Boo Cooks art is a really good fit for this: last week was just incredible and this week still glorious especially that last panel. Storywise it still feels like scene-setting but I can't remember much of substance about this series beyond the main characters really so that's a good thing (and I could probably do with a re-read)
Department K Hmm. After last weeks good opener, this didn't do much for me: it's hard to put my finger on why, but it feels a bit... basic. Early days yet I suppose. On the flipside, looks great!
Feral and Foe edges top thrill for me - kind of called it on the twist! As ever this story is an absolute delight. Sorry to see [spoiler]Golgone[/spoiler] inevitably bow out but ready to see Bode and Wrath finally kick loose.
Chimpsky's Law Sets everything up very neatly for what promises to be a fun read. This reads much better away from Dredd. I too like the little expository text boxes and Chimpsky's characterful narration and his expressive little face.
Good Prog overall - five stories all very different in tone and art style, almost all very cool, can't ask for much more than this. I'm reading through a backlog of 80s progs at the moment and even with the nostalgia factor high, it's startling how much better the current product is overall.
To save anyone else googling the article mentioned in the Damage Report:
https://medium.com/meanwhile/the-comical-covert-communications-contained-in-comics-indicia-86b6ce437dc6
Quote from: CalHab on 07 June, 2021, 06:57:24 PM
To save anyone else googling the article mentioned in the Damage Report:
https://medium.com/meanwhile/the-comical-covert-communications-contained-in-comics-indicia-86b6ce437dc6
Good find - thanks.
Cover and Logo:
(https://dyn.media.forbiddenplanet.com/6Ftd9OMepVnyvLfc9EXW78CNPmw=/trim/fit-in/779x1024/filters:format(webp)/https://media.forbiddenplanet.com/products/86/44/e80946878b8fba77739fd6fc55c68d2e730f.jpeg)
Another goody prog, a fiver for sure. Yes, the return of Wagner on Dredd next week as well.
Dredd – A particularly good one-shot (so far this year we had some wonderful done and dusted Dredds) Dredd story. I do like the ending and how it panned out, this is the ridiculousness of MC-1 coming into fold and the "mad" judgment. Dylan Teague's art is awesome and my question to Tharg: Give this droid more airtime!!!!
Mechastopheles – The premise is set the theme of the story is known and what a great delivery by the creative team. Good start and may it continue.
Department K – This feels more standard story but still nicely done. Cornwell's art is surely growing on me.
Feral & Foe – Thrill of the week. What can we say about Abnett that has not been said and do not forget Elson's great art to support the story. Great ending to the episode and I can not wait for the finale.
Chimpsky – The team surely enjoys telling us the story and I am surely enjoying reading it. Say nor more say no more !!!!
'Brief Encounter': Where the twist is, there's no twist (!), just a satisfying vignette depecting the futility of resistance to the Judges. It almost serves as a counterpoint to pretty much every other Dredd tale the Niemand droid has scripted over the past few years. And I'm not going to say Dylan Teague's artwork is demonstrably better than anything else in the prog this week but it certainly has an immaculate completeness to it. There's some sort of competition going on among the art droids with the shoulder pad thing though, yeah..?
Mechastopheles: The fact that the titular mecha has 'almost limitless depths' is a new turn, isn't it? I suppose it does mean that more interesting characters and storylines can be packed into the story without having to resort to giant-mecha-on-giant-demon combat action every week.
Department K: Falls a bit flat this week, sadly, with some run-of-the-mill storytelling. Have we heard of 'Locusts' in this (or any other Dredd-verse strip) before? They don't seem to be the first thing that springs to mind when something's described as 'tall as a mountain'.
Feral & Foe: Just fantastic, every panel.
Chimpsky's Law: Takes a bit of a sideways turn this week - will these many family members be involved in the plot, or were their introductions simply there for comedy value? Should be fun finding out.
Quote from: norton canes on 11 June, 2021, 11:26:43 AM
Department K: Falls a bit flat this week, sadly, with some run-of-the-mill storytelling. Have we heard of 'Locusts' in this (or any other Dredd-verse strip) before?
They were in the first Dept K outing.
(https://i.imgur.com/0jYJZww.png)
Ah right, thanks.
My Top 3 for Prog 2235
Good quality prog clear top two for me with 3rd a real tussle
1st - Dredd - not so nice Dredd in this one as someone said Resistance is Futile. Teague art great
2nd - Feral and Foe - nice twist well done again DAbnett
3rd - Department K - fun story with matching fun art and colours
One the best coloured Progs both in variety and styles. Extra rations droids!
An excellent prog with the cover and all five thrill cylinders firing well. Good work team!
If I said any more, I'd be repeating the good people above. It was good though.
Coming late to this but wanted to add to the positive reviews how much I loved Brief Encounter.
It had everything you could want from a one-and-done tale: intimate character portraits of ordinary cits; Dredd's silence in the face of a (respectful) know-all; the pettiness of authority; pop culture references; a devastating pay off.
And boy, can Dylan Teague draw a grimace.