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Prog 2223 - The Root Of All Evil

Started by Goosegash, 14 March, 2021, 12:21:33 PM

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TordelBack

Quote from: MumboJimbo on 19 March, 2021, 10:15:02 PM. I thought Durham Red would be a middling kind of thing, but like Hookjaw, far exceeded my expectations.

The Worley Effect. The two recent strips I've been least interested in reading - until I read them.

This week's writer credits* are worth considering: Carroll, Eglinton, Worley, Niemand,  Langridge. Setting aside the disputed details of the Niemand droid's chassis number, and Langridge's former stint in the dawn-era Meg, Carroll appears to be the elder lemon of that gang of enfants terra-meks, at least as far as 2000AD goes.

Given that there isn't a dull page in the whole comic, this is a sign of a prog in good health, one that doesn't entirely depend on current mainstays like Abnett or Edginton. (Note too that Langridge has immigrated from Regened, highlighting another route in for new or reconditioned talent).


*I take it as read that we all (usually) love the art.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: TordelBack on 20 March, 2021, 07:03:24 AM
This week's writer credits* are worth considering: Carroll, Eglinton, Worley, Niemand,  Langridge. Setting aside the disputed details of the Niemand droid's chassis number, and Langridge's former stint in the dawn-era Meg, Carroll appears to be the elder lemon of that gang of enfants terra-meks, at least as far as 2000AD goes.

Given that there isn't a dull page in the whole comic, this is a sign of a prog in good health, one that doesn't entirely depend on current mainstays like Abnett or Edginton. (Note too that Langridge has immigrated from Regened, highlighting another route in for new or reconditioned talent).

This is a very, very good point. As you say a sure sign the Prog is in the finest of health. While we get over the Wagner Droid's slowing output and the indea that Uncle Pat is descending further and further into his own anger at the system we can be sure the Prog is in very safe hands. Christ the fact we don't have  Edginton, Dabnett, KekW and Grennie in a Prog this good is a wonderful sign. The fact that the Neimand Droid's out is becoming so regular, so quickly and then add to the mix the host of other Droids developing in the Specialis each year the foundations of long and healthy future have been well laid and we are really reaping the rewards.

Imagine if we got Al Ewing and Spurrioso back!

broodblik

The prog is in a great spot with some of the industries best writers. Dredd has now found a solid group of writers taking the character forward.  The variety of stories and different contributors makes the prog even stronger.  I will go out on a limb and say that I will not even miss Pat at all, Wagner I will miss.
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

TordelBack

Quote from: broodblik on 20 March, 2021, 08:09:11 AM
The prog is in a great spot with some of the industries best writers. Dredd has now found a solid group of writers taking the character forward.  The variety of stories and different contributors makes the prog even stronger.  I will go out on a limb and say that I will not even miss Pat at all, Wagner I will miss.

I'll miss Pat. I already do. Without (regular)  Wagner & Grant, Ezquerra, Kennedy, Ewins, O'Neill, GFD, Ron Smith, Tom Frame et al it's already a completely different comic to the one I started with. But as the metaphysics of Trigger's Broom instructs, and WandaVision reminds us, the prog is a Heraclitian fire, defined only by the constant change that destroys and remakes it.

All that matters is that our favourite broom still takes our weight.

Dark Jimbo

Quote from: TordelBack on 20 March, 2021, 09:04:21 AM
But as the metaphysics of Trigger's Broom instructs, and WandaVision reminds us, the prog is a Heraclitian fire, defined only by the constant change that destroys and remakes it.

Also known as the Sugababes paradox.
@jamesfeistdraws

broodblik

As you say Tordel the prog is a different beast. A beast that keeps on changing re-inventing itself and evolving. Sometimes we still feel nostalgic and day-dream about our lost youth and the classics. The prog was great when I start reading it and the prog is still great today. The next 10 years we will see new talent raises and old ones return. Great to be a reader of the prog
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

IndigoPrime

Quote from: broodblik on 20 March, 2021, 08:09:11 AMI will not even miss Pat at all, Wagner I will miss.
Mm. I very much miss the 'Horned God and before' Mills. That for me was his zenith. After that point, it felt like the conspiracy/ideology overtook the ideas. Worst of all, some of the strips—like ABC Warriors—just became boring.

Wagner, though, has the kind of distinct voice that in particular will be missed on Strontium Dog and especially Dredd. On the latter, there are good writers, but few feel just right, such is the mark Wagner stamped on the character. If you removed the credit boxes, Ewing and Niemand are the only two writers I'd perhaps mistake for Wagner.

In a more general sense, it is interesting to not only look at a prog without Wagner (and Mills, for that matter), but also Abnett, who has for year now been such a strength for the comic. The lack of any real weakness in 2000 AD this issue showcases that Smith is in the envious position of having a solid talent pool to draw from. (And that we know Abnett is coming back with more The Out is also something to look forward to.)

broodblik

Quote from: IndigoPrime on 20 March, 2021, 10:33:51 AM
Quote from: broodblik on 20 March, 2021, 08:09:11 AMI will not even miss Pat at all, Wagner I will miss.
Mm. I very much miss the 'Horned God and before' Mills. That for me was his zenith. After that point, it felt like the conspiracy/ideology overtook the ideas. Worst of all, some of the strips—like ABC Warriors—just became boring.

That is like more than 3 decades ago (just scary how time flies). I still enjoy Savage (would like this to conclude)  and also Defoe. Flesh is something that I never really enjoyed as much and ABC Warriors just felt like recently to display some great art by Langley
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: IndigoPrime on 20 March, 2021, 10:33:51 AM
...And that we know Abnett is coming back with more The Out is also something to look forward to.)

And I believe we know, more Lawless, Brink (I think that's been confirmed?), Sinister Dexter, Feral and Foe (starting next Prog) all scheduled for this year I believe. Its a frighteningly good depth from one writer alone!

norton canes

Quote from: broodblik on 20 March, 2021, 11:25:08 AM
That is like more than 3 decades ago (just scary how time flies)

Yeah, scary biscuits. It's just over four years now since I started reading 2000 AD again after a 27-year hiatus, so much has happened even in that time (the four years, I mean). Although, from the few dozen assorted back-progs I've got from my 1990-2017 time off, things seemed to have settled down a lot more post-millennium, with a constant but steady churn of talented writers and artists (and colourers and letterers) augmented by new blood as and when necessary.

By the way, is there a term for the period of self-imposed hiatus experienced by Squaxx of a certain age, when they left the GGC in the early 90's only to return in recent times?

Buy-atus?
Tooth break?
Prog-lapse?

GordonR

Quote from: norton canes on 20 March, 2021, 01:04:37 PM
By the way, is there a term for the period of self-imposed hiatus experienced by Squaxx of a certain age, when they left the GGC in the early 90's only to return in recent times?

Buy-atus?
Tooth break?
Prog-lapse?

I'd suggest "Haha, we're all going to make a fortune from Toxic!  Oh no, wait a minute, we're not"

Leigh S

Yeah, it's a decent prog and a good spot that there arent even any* second or thrid wave creators showing on the writing side.

Pat going off on one again is so utterly dispiriting (I've just had Book of Scars delivered as I intend to get all the HB Slaines to finish off the collection I stopped at the Wanderer with)... I think last time he went off on one just after I'd bought Spacewarp! I should have learnt by now that a Mills Bomb is never that far off.

That said, I still think the new writers are decent, but Neimand aside, not turning on my thrill receptors in the same way Pat or John have done, even with their later Rebellion era work.  So I will sorely miss him, no matter what nonsense he is whipped up into on Twitter (well maybe no maater what!)

Proteus Vex has loads of good ideas, but the manner in which it is told strikes me a bit akin to someone describing the very exciting RPG sessions they have been running, rather than taking part in them,

Red as killer of innocents works for me, but only if we were to make this a rare and forced occurrence where something went terribly wrong with her usual plan to feast on wrong uns.

Thistlebone will need a reread of the first one before I tackle the new one, which isn't the best sign, but I appreciate it's tone. 

Nakka is fun, but a lot of the fun is Brendan McCarthy's art.

Even Neimand needs to (as others have already stated) move Chimpsky out of the line of fire before his ability to dodge Dredd becomes nonsensical.... If I was to predict anything, could this be the story wwhere Dredd catches up with him, but sets him to work "officially", Peeper style?  That could lead into his own series free from repercussions of the Law?


Colin YNWA

Quote from: norton canes on 20 March, 2021, 01:04:37 PM
By the way, is there a term for the period of self-imposed hiatus experienced by Squaxx of a certain age, when they left the GGC in the early 90's only to return in recent times?

Buy-atus?
Tooth break?
Prog-lapse?

I will never simply call them my Wilderness Years again - each of those is brilliant!

broodblik

Quote from: Colin YNWA on 20 March, 2021, 01:47:38 PM
Quote from: norton canes on 20 March, 2021, 01:04:37 PM
By the way, is there a term for the period of self-imposed hiatus experienced by Squaxx of a certain age, when they left the GGC in the early 90's only to return in recent times?

Buy-atus?
Tooth break?
Prog-lapse?

I will never simply call them my Wilderness Years again - each of those is brilliant!

Thrill-less
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

IndigoPrime

Quote from: Leigh S on 20 March, 2021, 01:42:48 PMRed as killer of innocents works for me, but only if we were to make this a rare and forced occurrence where something went terribly wrong with her usual plan to feast on wrong uns.
Oddly enough, I've read through the entire original Ezquerra-illustrated Stront run now in my Rebellion+Hachette re-read and, well, it's not like she was particularly picky before. In one case, she murders a prisoner Alpha captured. Elsewhere, she's shown as _almost_ overstepping the mark. So all we're getting now is a less sanitised version of the character (which is quite ironic, given how many readers—or possibly ex-readers—of a certain type argue the modern Prog has been neutered).

As for Vex, it feels a little like a strip trying to use similar historical narrative devices as Nikolai Dante. But it doesn't quite stick the landing for me. I'm not sure why, but it feels like it perhaps needed one more run-through from an editing standpoint. Even so, it's good to see something new and inventive and that makes me want to read more rather than hanker for old strips.