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Topics - IndigoPrime

#1
Megazine / Meg 465: Night Terrors
13 February, 2024, 11:07:41 AM


Right, then. Devlin's back. Which is good, because it – for me, as a fan – gives the Meg a boost. But I will say that this Meg was – perhaps inevitably – a quite tough read, given that there are two extensive tribute features. I mean, I'm glad to see them. They need to be there. But they are sobering reminders nonetheless.

Dredd kicks things off with part 2 of Ravenous, which is a slightly by-the-numbers action film Dredd, elevated by new ideas for the enemy. I think it works well in this particular line-up. Then we see a pic from Deadworld that fills me with a little dread. Are the Dark Judges heading into silly territory again?

Anyway, a six-page Gibson tribute is next, followed by DeMarco. Early days for this iteration of the character and for me it's not quite firing on all cylinders. But the way she's presented, and the pacing of the strip works very well. I'm not sure what everyone's plans are, but it feels like this could be a slow-burn strip that could benefit from an extended stay.

Next up, Mega-City 2099, with Niemand returning. And, well, I don't know. It's... fine? But the more of these I read, the more I think this concept worked as an amusing one-off rather than as a regular. I do like the idea of a series set in Dredd's past, but this isn't doing it for me. (And I'm fully aware it's a kind of alt-universe take – although I wonder whether all readers will be.)

The Burns tribute follows – another six pages, and a lib wobble with pic of a winking Dante. Then more text: the piece on Mark Eyles (Wireheads) proves way more interesting than I thought it would be, and a single-pager on Tony Allen gives us our third obituary in a single issue.

Reprint! I don't recall reading much Hugo Pratt before, but I rather enjoyed this snippet of Crimson Sea, even if it's another very much not in standalone territory. Hookjaw has already lost me. Under Siege had an untick, and very Mega-City writing in terms of the citizens and Kidney Hut. Aside from some slightly unclear era hopping, the main issue I have here is Dredd himself doesn't feel like Dredd – a common issue with US writers.

I imagine Devlin Waugh under Kot will continue to be divisive, as it now goes fiull-on into the queer angle of the strip that for a while was mere subtext. Here, it very much is not, albeit being used as a framing device of sorts to get Devlin out of his funk and back investigating. The moment with Tittivilus and the jacket was inspired. One of the most stupid panels in Meg history, and a proper guffaw moment for me.

And we end on Harrower Squad. As I said last week, this feels a bit alt-world as well, although to be fair Dredd has battled all kinds of weirdness over the years. So perhaps this era's Scotland is packed full of terrifying mutants. It's pretty good though. It also means that, bar 2099, for me this month all of the original strip beats the reprint, which is good.

Devlin Waugh > Dredd > DeMarco > Harrower Squad > Crimson Sea > Under Siege > Mega-City 2099 > Hookjaw
#2
Megazine / Meg 464: Farewell, My Ugly
19 January, 2024, 09:19:02 AM


Surprised to not see a Meg thread up yet. Anyway, this was a slightly odd read for me. Not sure why. Maybe the replacements for last month's didn't all land in the same way.

Dredd was a good start for what looks like it'll be an action-oriented series. Great to see Anthony Williams back. Spector ends well enough. I thought the series as a whole was solid, if oddly retro in nature. It half read like something out of very early era 2000 AD.

DeMarco shows promise. Bit early to tell whether this iteration of the character will fulfil the promise that's largely eluded writers prior to Bailey coming on board, but here's hoping. Then plenty of text: Anthony Williams; Lee Milmore; Luke Horseman; and Frank S Pepper, which leads into a chunk of Black Max that's entertaining but very much an advert for the third (and final) collection.

Hook Jaw is the first new reprint, which I assume suggests some kind of deal with Titan as well as IDW? I actually bought this in a sale at FP a while ago, for a few quid. I'd not got round to reading it. This first episode is OK. The creepy nature of the sharks is the best bit; the caricature baddies, less so. Then the IDW well has seemingly run dry of the objectively great stuff like Deviations, Matt Smith's stories, etc (exception: Mars Attacks Judge Dredd), and so we're on to 'second tier'. Under Siege is by Mark Russell and throughout feels a bit off, in the way a lot of non-2000 AD Dredd does. It also in quite a few ways feels a lot like the Dredd movie, despite originally coming out years later. Still: reasonable filler, and I'm not upset about its inclusion. At least we're not getting 'Santa Dredd in the Stone Age' for two years. Yet. (Please, Matt, no!)

Black Museum then dredges up a character from Dredd's past in a way that I guess kind of works, but presumably has no future (since there's a direct clash with another type of story running); also, the way in which one particular person in this responds late on is hugely out of character. And then the final original strip is David Baille and Steve Yeowell's Harrower Squad, which returns us to Cal-Hab for the first time in a while. Mark this one down as 'too early to tell', but it kicks off with plenty of grimness and action, and suggests future Scotland is even more messed up than the Cursed Earth.

Next month, Devlin Waugh is back (hurrah!), as is Mega-City 2099.
#3
Prog / Prog 2365: Battle for the Planet
13 January, 2024, 03:29:46 PM


A Saturday Prog AND Meg. Bit of a treat! Only time for the Prog right now though...

Nice cover, I thought, from Alex Ronald. And after a moment of respect for John Burns, it's on to Dredd. Good grief. Two episodes in and it's already tense. It seems Maitland's due for a fall. But I do hope there are some twists in this tale. The mirror it's holding up to the world is all too evident. (Lovely art too.)

A Gibson obit is then followed by Enemy Earth, which is blazing towards its conclusion. Nice alien designs. I'm enjoying this one. Which is more than can be said for Devil's Railroad, which is increasingly reminding me of a torture porn movie. It's just so relentlessly mean-spirited, and the characters feel so one-dimensional. The art has great energy and design. Perhaps I should just look at the pictures and ignore the words.

Fortunately, Thistlebone has a brand of hideous that's much smarter and deeper. A weirdly short episode of just four pages, but It packs in the horror and mystique. And then we end with more fighty action in Feral & Foe.

In a sense, then, more of the same, really. For me, it's four quality strips and one duffer, with Dredd being the standout. Dredd > Feral = Thistlebone = Enemy >>>> Devil's
#4
Prog / Prog 2363: Lawman of the people!
30 December, 2023, 02:23:10 PM


Slightly odd feel to this Prog, which has a whiff of wrapping things up more than starting afresh for the new year. A nice (if dark) Steven Austin cover is suitably dark, as is Carroll's Dredd, which is effective if familiar. It's an interesting clash with what might be upcoming in the currently being teased Williams arc.

Helium ends. Bit if a twist. Definitely a set-up. It's been a fantastic run. I look forward to book 3 in 2031.

Devil's Railroad still looks great, but to me still reads like something from Prog 827 or thereabouts. I'll be happy onee this is out of road.

Enemy Earth is still working for me. It won't make my classics list, but I'm happy enough reading it. I do rather wish it had stayed in Regened, though, and bulked out its page count instead of not-Potter.

Feral continues to amused. Lovely last panel. And next week, Thistlebone returns, which means we should be swapping out quality for quality. So that's a good thing.

Helium > Feral > Dredd > Enemy > Devil's
#5
Prog / Prog 2360: The weight of the world
27 November, 2023, 12:52:55 PM


Nice enough and timely cover, although it appears to align with something we haven't got to yet in the strip itself.

Dredd kicks off a presumably final part in the trilogy of tech being taken over my a malevolent force. More high stakes here than Dredd vs toilet. And given that Anderson was buy, I'm guessing Kaspian is going to end up very dead indeed. Anyway, a good start.

Helium continues to be top-notch, in both art and script, and Devil's Railroad at least manages one of those things. But there's a point where the script goes beyond on-the-nose. I mean, I guess this strip isn't supposed to be subtle, but we're about one millimetre away from the bad guys wearing literal signs saying "I am a bad guy. Please hate me". And it continues what feels like clickbait for feminists but adding to implied sexual assault and actual sexual assault with bizarre frames about vaporising a uterus and making the woman forget she was pregnant and then calling her a tramp for not agreeing to this. Yes, we get it. Evil, nasty characters. But just... bleh. This increasingly reads like something from 2000 AD's dark era.

The last chunk of Enemy Earth starts off well enough. Though quite why Hitler shot them out of the sky, I've no idea. Perhaps we'll find out next week. And then we end with Feral & Foe, which continues to be quietly excellent.

A good Prog, in all, if not hitting the dizzy heights of some recent weeks. And I'll be happy when Devil's is out and something else is in.

Feral & Foe > Helium > Dredd > Enemy Earth > Devil's
#6
Prog / Prog 2358: The Road To Hell
11 November, 2023, 05:03:18 PM


A nice Rufus cover and a fun Droid Life, before we delve into the next part of Poison in Dredd. It feels like we're approaching the end game now. Fair enough, if so, but I kind of hope this has a few more twists left. It's been the best Rob Williams Dredd in ages – and one of my favourite Dredd series full stop for a long while. Again, great art. I've always liked PJ's art (I have a Dredd sketch of his on the wall), but there's something about this series that feels like everything's dialled up a notch.

Deadworld is still grim and I'm wondering if it'll work better collected. It also dawned on my that Death (Sidney) is the last interesting aspect of almost all Dark Judge strips, bar the first few. He's a rotting corpse combined with a prick here, whereas Fear is genuinely scary.

Helium has a wonderful piece of art on p2/3, which brings in its own twist. A quality series that I dearly hope doesn't have another years-long gap.

Devil's Railroad isn't changing my mind. I like the art a lot, but there's something off about the way it's written. So much feels very on-the-nose. Stereotypes abound. And Palamon is just outright annoying me now.

Finally, Feral & Foe does its usual thing really nicely, as ever.

Overall, a very good Prog as we amble towards the holidays. Nothing bad, but only three of the thrills properly clicked with me this week.

Helium > Dredd > Feral > Deadworld > Devil's
#7
Prog / Prog 2357: Chem Trails
06 November, 2023, 01:20:40 PM
A typically great Cliff Robinson cover leads us into Dredd. Of late, Rob Williams has in my head turned into the Hollywood Dredd writer – keen on spectacle and big concepts. But this tale marries the more procedural elements of post-The Pit Dredd with elements of the Judge Child. I'm enjoying it immensely. And the art is relentlessly excellent.

Helium continues to dazzle as well. One of the best strips in the Prog for a long while – and the Prog has been strong for a long while. Here's hoping the page count will allow for a proper collection now – and a webshop HC.

Devil's Railroad and Deadworld continue to be readable but nonplus in their own ays. The former still feels oddly out of time to me, with some slightly cartoon villains. Nice art. The latter is visually horrific but too often flirts with silliness, and is now juggling so many balls that what was once tight now feels flabby. Again: nice art.

Feral & Foe wraps up the strips. I'm still finding this one a lot of fun. It also has the benefit of Abnett's knack of creating something satisfying in and of itself – both in series terms and as a weekly read – which is quite a feat that not every other writer can match.

A letters page also, with Ol' Green Bonce inferring that the 2350 strips could get another airing, if enough people demand it. Or, you know, plead. He also confirms there will be another Burns strip in the Prog (his last): Nightmare, New York. And that D'Israeli's working on Edginton's Scarlet Traces prequel, Empire of Blood, due in 2024.
#8
Megazine / Meg 461: The Full Force of the Law
16 October, 2023, 10:07:29 AM


Lovely cover from Colin MacNeil, and then one of those (IMO) perfect one-offs, this time from Carroll/MacNeil/Blythe/Campbell, in which Dredd assesses a situation and time slows down so you can explore all the factors. Alas, the following page confirms that the week after next we get another Regened with yet more Lowborn High. Sigh.

Anyway, back to the Meg. Spector barrels along. Great clanky robot assassin. Things not looking great for the DA. Lots of action. Quite old-school. I enjoyed this episode.

Terror Tales was suitably grim, especially as I've in the past had tooth nightmares (although fortunately not for some years, once I figured out what they were). The classic reprint is basically a Robo-Hunter advert, and I'm honestly not sure the somewhat murky art and lurid colours did anything for me. Perhaps this Eagle reprint style has its fans elsewhere though. (Also, it not being standalone is a pity. But that's not always going to be possible, I suppose.)

Rogue Trooper continues to be a great read and annoys me that it was cancelled before the first issue was on sale. Johnny Red has kind of lost me, though. Probably needs a reread. Lovely McMahon cover though, and I do appreciate Matt reprinting these along with the strips.

Then back to the new stuff. Lawless reveals the twist and, thank heavens, it was a feint. Showdown next month – and a chance for redemption (or further evil) from one long-running character everyone loves to hate. Should be good. And then Dreadnoughts ends. I will say the storytelling here wasn't amazing. It took time for me to figure out what was going on in flashback. The twist also feels very strange, given what we knew – or thought we knew – about the origins of the system. Still, I'm glad the obvious was avoided and – to some extent – subverted, by way of a tactic we've seen more than once in the Judge Dredd strip.

In all, a very good Meg.

Judge Dredd > Lawless > Rogue Trooper > Spector > Dreadnoughts > Terror > Tale > Johnny Red > Robo-Hunter
#9
Prog / Prog 2354: Owlbore Overload
15 October, 2023, 05:33:09 PM
Elson on cover duties this week, and then an amusing Droid Life (or, if you're a lettering droid, nightmare), before we get to Dredd, which keeps the mystery going before adding another twist (and, likely, piece of misdirection). Helium continues to be excellent, barrelling along as it does.

Devil's Railroad still to me has a quite old-fashioned vibe, but I'm liking it enough. Deadworld still isn't clicking, alas. (Reference city...) And Feral continues to be fun. Helium the clear high point for me this week, mind.

Helium > Dredd > Feral > Devil's > Deadworld
#10
On another thread, I remarked that 2000 AD has been with Rebellion for 23 years. That's quite an achievement, not least given that the company wasn't at that point a publisher of print, and the comic was busy in a death dive. Since then, we had that flirtation with DC before Rebellion went all-in on being a full-on publisher itself. From that, we've had more graphic novel collections than we could have imagined, partworks, Apex Editions, and the Meg evolving several times and yet surviving. Not nothing for a title that's flirted with cancellation (and was clearly on kill-or-cure more than once).

But that year – 23 – sparked something in my head, and I realised 23 years before the Rebellion buy-out was when 2000 AD began. The first issue's publication date was 26 February 1977, which under UK comics presumably means it rocked up on 19 February 1977. A Spong article reports about Rebellion buying 2000 AD on 6 July 2000 (although I obviously don't know the actual date the sale was made). That's 8538 days.

That suggests on 21 November this year (or thereabouts) 2000 AD will have been a Rebellion property more than it was an 'anyone else' property. Blimey. (Sorry if that makes anyone here feel really old. It turns out 2000 AD the year was some time ago...)
#11
General / Which Apex Editions would you like to see?
25 September, 2023, 12:03:38 PM
So we've now had these Apex Editions: Zenith Phase I, Brian Bolland, Judge Dredd by Mick McMahon, and the 2000 AD Art of Kevin O'Neill. Upcoming is the 2000 AD Art of Mick McMahon, which will include some of his work on Sláine, Ro-Busters, ABC Warriors, VCs and, um, Superbean.

I succumbed to the first McMahon book recently, primarily because it was half-price in Forbidden Planet. I left the book the first time I saw it, but then was in London with TCR being on my route home. Clearly, this was fate. And they had ONE copy left. So. And now Near Mint Condition's review of the Kev book has be counting the pennies to buy that too.

But what should come next? We know a second McMahon volume's on the way, but what would people ideally love to see after that, and also what do you think is a realistic proposition for Rebellion to release? These books are complicated by multiple factors: access to art; popularity of the artist; perhaps also the style being distinct enough.

I'm a big fan of art that's stylised more than great draughtsmanship. So while I appreciate, say, Brian Bolland, I don't feel upset at having missed out on his book. And I'm not sure I'd go for one by Steve Dillon, for similar reasons. But also, I'm not overly enamoured by Bisley, who'd presumably be a sure-fire Apex candidate if Rebellion could get its hands on all of the Horned God pages to scan.

Belardinelli for me would make an interesting Apex, but I suspect it would (sadly) be a shelf-warmer. So the perhaps inevitable name I come to myself, in terms of what I'd like to see and something that seems commercially viable (although I don't know how easy securing art would be) is the wonderful Carlos Ezquerra. His work could easily be split between Dredd and other strips, or just a single best-of volume containing key pages from his amazing stint on the Prog.
#12
General / Screen Rant ‘explains’ Mega-City One
12 September, 2023, 12:36:32 PM
Not sure if this was written by ChatGPT or something. Either way, oof.

https://screenrant.com/dredd-mega-city-one-location-explained/

So many factual errors and typos. Ten years, creeps!
#13
Prog / Prog 2349: Hail to the chief
09 September, 2023, 10:50:50 AM


Simon Fraser on cover duties. A good job, although the semi-transparent logo looks weird. Some tiny glimpses of next Prog's crossover event and we're into the end of Dredd, which plays out much as you'd expect. Bora's reactions are notable again. Everyone referring to her as a girl feels quite 1970s. The strip as a whole has been solid but for me not hit the highs of the previous two entries in this trilogy. It was more grim inevitability than having a twist. Perhaps that's Mega-City One. In one of my final visits to the X hellscape, it was interesting to see Niemand say he felt the story got away from him a couple of times. Anyway, Niemand Dredd for me still beats pretty much anyone else's Dredd.

Azimuth gives us a double dose. It's really good stuff. I also didn't see the ending coming, although there are pretty easy ways to reset that particular event if Abnett has a mind to. So, yeah, I'm coming around to this. It's still disappointing we don't have a bonkers new world in which to play indefinitely, but it provides an injection of interest into a strip I've long found tired.

The 3riller wraps up nicely. I don't think this one has legs for anything more, but it was fun while it lasted and an excellent example of the format. As a Future Shock, this would have been compressed to the point it was robbed of its pace and richness. As a six-part series, it would have been stretched. But three parts? It feels like that swig of rocket fuel (or whatever Diggle used to say) as applied to an idea that's more than a twist.

And then we get to Hershey. Again, some nice moments here. Dirty Frank in particular providing some humanity in one scene that Hershey perhaps didn't appreciate, but may have done more so during her days ahead. And the ending? Well, I imagine it's more what she would have wanted than quietly passing in a bed.

Another cracking Prog, really. Not the kind of thing you tend to see as 2000 AD gears up for a jumping-on issue. A great mix of pace and styles that really bring home the benefits of the anthology format.

Azimuth > Hershey > Dredd > 3riller – but all good, again.
#14
Prog / Prog 2345: Criminal Justice!
12 August, 2023, 08:02:05 PM
Great cover by Dan Cornwell, who's fast becoming one of the Dredd greats. Then a nice Droid Life before we're into Dredd. It's still blazing along, with the net tightening. Portals still exists. It's doing nothing for me now. Maxwell's Demon again does contemporary magic far better, even if the ending (as in, the let-off) feels a bit odd. Hoping for more of this series, and preferably in small, tight bursts like this for a bit.

Hershey and Dredd have a chat, which doesn't feel entirely Dredd. I dunno. Dredd placing himself above the system isn't an alien concept from Wagner, but it really does feel like Hershey would tell him to go fuck himself for never taking the chair, rather than letting him off. Still a good series, mind. And then Azimuth. Still annoyed. Still enjoying it. Probably my favourite thing in this particular issue.

Azimuth > Maxwell > Dredd > Hershey > Portals 4/5 again. And hoping Portals doesn't run much longer. Next week is another Regened with – long sigh – yet more bloody Lowborn High. I guess someone must like it. We're also getting more Cadet Dredd, a Future Shock and another episode of Renk. Somehow, I doubt I'll be saying everything but one of these is good seven days from now, more's the pity.
#15
Due to unprecedented fan demand, Rebellion is pleased to announce that the forthcoming release of Nemesis the Warlock: The Definitive Edition will be bigger AND better – printed larger than any previous edition of the landmark 2000 AD series!

Both paperback and hardcovers editions of the five-volume Nemesis the Warlock: The Definitive Edition series will now be published in a large-format size measuring 307 x 231mm (as opposed to 276 × 210mm).

Long regarded as one of the crown-jewel epics from the pages of 2000 AD, this new series of paperbacks of Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill's Nemesis the Warlock is being published alongside gorgeous hardcover editions with stunningly designed new covers – available only from the 2000 AD webshop – that present O'Neill's groundbreaking and mind-bending art in all its glory.

After considering feedback from fans, Rebellion has boosted the dimensions of the collections to an over-sized format, making it larger than any previous edition.

And, for the first time, these editions will properly reprint the Nemesis the Warlock stories in their original publication order. They will also feature colour pages, as well as new high-resolution scans of the original stories, and all the covers and pin-ups from each era.

The first 176-page volume is on sale from 5 December, with pre-orders open now from 2000 AD and online retailers. Copies will be available to order through Diamond's Previews catalogue.

The first volume will feature the stories 'Terror Tube', 'Killer Watt', 'The Sword Sinister', 'The World of Termight', 'Alien Alliance', 'Secret Life of Blitzspear', and 'A Day in the Death of Torquemada' from 2000 AD, as well as development sketches showing the evolution of the cloven-hoofed alien freedom fighter Nemesis and his living spaceship, the Blitzspear – plus a panel from 1981 drawn by series creator O'Neill that acted as an apology to readers when the last few episodes of 'The World of Termight' were late.

Burning with iconoclastic fire and wild invention, Nemesis the Warlock is the satirical sci-fi space opera that helped place 2000 AD as the true cutting edge, and catapulted Mills and O'Neill into the comics stratosphere.

Termight is the ruling planet of a cruel galactic empire, an empire led by the diabolically evil Torquemada, a twisted human despot intent on purging all alien life from the galaxy and punishing the deviants. His motto: Be pure! Be vigilant! Behave!

But there is rebellion and resistance to his rule in the form of a devilish-looking alien warlock called Nemesis, who represents everything that Torquemada hates and fears. Together Nemesis and Torquemada are locked in a duel which will affect the fate of humanity and each of them on a personal level as their conflict spans time and space!

The first volume of Nemesis the Warlock: The Definitive Edition is out on 5 December from all good book and comic book stores, with a digital edition and the hardcover edition available exclusively from 2000AD.com.

#16
Megazine / Meg 458: Death Rays
29 July, 2023, 11:38:29 AM
Given how long I've had this Meg, I'm surprised there isn't already a thread. So I'll kick one off now.



The Death cover is suitably horrific, but the first strip is an oddball Dredd that in terms of script and art feels quite old-school in nature. The visuals reminded me of late 1980s annual strips (McCarthy, perhaps), and Dredd's casual indifference to all the people dying on the last page was odd. Still, a solid enough one-off.

Spector continues to be readable but also in its own way feels quite old-school. Bit weird that Stevens is the only woman in the entire episode. Then we get some Clash of the Guards reprint, which was smartly self-contained. And Death Metal Planet ends with a Furmanism, which is quite apt, I suppose. But I'll be quite happy if that mob doesn't come back again for a long time.

Anderson ends well but made me a bit sad this team didn't do a bunch more of these. I really enjoyed re-reading this. Johnny Red, meanwhile, ramps up the action, with a brutal and bloody action-packed episode.

Lawless isn't quite grabbing me in the way it once did. I'm not sure why. I imagine it will at some point will revert to some kind of status quo, and so it feels like we're on a bit of a side quest of sorts.

Dreadnoughts continues to be horrible, in being too close to home. And it sets things up for a nasty confrontation next month.

In all, a solid Meg. It looks like Mega-City 2099 replaces the Death strip next month, and IDW Rogue Trooper grabs the baton from Anderson. I'll enjoy reading that one again, for sure, albeit again with that hint of melancholy on knowing there are only four issues in total.

Anderson > Dredd > Dreadnoughts > Spector > Lawless > Clash of the Guards > Death Metal Planet
#17
Prog / Prog 2338: The Great Nort Run
26 June, 2023, 04:48:00 PM
Lovely to see Colin Wilson back on Rogue, with his cover.



Dredd then gets a bit twisty-turny, in a. good way, before Void Runners also has its own twist. It's certainly barrelling along.

Durham Red ends with its own twist. (There's a theme this week.) It's a very good ending to a series that I've felt has neatly repositioned the character, and I hope to see more. The final frame suggests a slightly new dynamic for what comes next.

Next up, Azimuth continues to dazzle and bewilder in roughly equal measure. I'm not fully sure what's going on here, but look forward to finding out. And the Rogue Trooper hits the penultimate part in his adventure, with an episode of death, timey-wimey weirdness, and some fairly extreme swearing. While I was OK with the odd shit, I'm honestly not thrilled about Rogue screaming "I'll make every one of your whore mothers weep!" I mean, really? I know it's a war comic, but... really? That just felt nasty from a writing standpoint, rather than an in-context character moment.

Anyway, that aside, I have enjoyed this run. Overall, nothing bad this week, but Red and Azimuth are ahead of the pack for me.

Red > Azimuth > Rogue > Dredd > Void Runners
#18
Prog / Prog 2332: The Untouchable
15 May, 2023, 11:30:43 PM


A new Dredd from Mike Carroll kicks off the Prog. I already like where this one is going. Lots of meaty plot, and the promise of action and intrigue.

Durham Red appears to wipe out the sidekick and leave the star in a sticky situation, at the hands of the creepy big bad. Red really should take the advice of her departed comrade next time round. Good stuff.

I've no idea how many parts Enemy Earth has, but it's rattling along at a fair old rate. There's a dollop of false equivalence in the penultimate page, but perhaps we're in redemption arc territory at this point. "Sorry we tried to eat you!" Er, OK. Anyway, I'm warming to this one now.

The Out puts another sting in the tail, which I fear will leave us all on a cliffhanger for far too long, unless someone can lock Anbett and Harrison in a cupboard until the next book is baked.

And then Rogue does a thing that will probably make some people very happy. Nice characterisation of the bio-chips in this one too.

Dredd > Enemy Earth > Rogue > The Out > Durham Red - but all of this one landed for me. 5/5. More, please, Tharg!





#19
Megazine / Meg 456: Daughter of Darkness
15 May, 2023, 11:25:19 PM
Right then. One Dark Judge cover and we're off, into chin vs chin as Dredd goes properly timey-wimey. That all worked well for me, although I thought it was a fairly relaxed ending. But: OHO! Shock twist etc.

Spector again feels good to have Ezquerra in the Meg. The strip itself feels a bit, I dunno. Dated is too harsh a word. Classic-era, maybe? I'm enjoying it enough – it's fun. Probably no classic.

After a brief interlude where Brendan McCarthy apparently illustrates Judge Dredd having a poo, we get Death Metal Planet. Bit of a twist to this one, which livened things up a bit. Alas, I doubt the fiends will be eradicated, and so we're now awaiting the escape route to make itself known.

Next, Lawson returns with a fairly grim opening episode. It's somehow very action-packed but a bit slow burn. Great art, although Lawson appears to have a very long body on the last page.

Reprint then kicks in, and makes me wish Matt Smith had done more Anderson. This episode is really great – excellent pacing; wonderful characterisation; a fun quip ("Help the elderly, that's what I say."); and some fire from Anderson in her take-no-shit attitude with a perp.

Having not been paying attention, I had no idea Johnny Red would be the replacement reprint. I've not read this Titan run, and so I'm happy to see it, and it's started well. The eight-page 'ad' for Dort was... less interesting.

Dreadnoughts brings the mag to a close, and ends on a properly horrible cliffhanger, which I really hope gets resolved in a manner that doesn't include the judge shooting back...

In all, one of the best issues of the Meg in a long while for me. Johnny Red for the risible MC2 is a big step up, and Lawless for Waugh keeps the original content high.

Dreadnoughts > Anderson > Dredd > Johnny Red > Lawless > Spector > Dark Judges > Dort
#20
Prog / Prog 2329: Fruiting bodies!
24 April, 2023, 04:38:28 PM
First thought: good cover, but grim for Regened. Second thigh nice to see Herne and Shuck will be returning.

In terms of strips, Dredd is already done, in what was a fun little two-parter, but it appears to be a set-up for more Dark Judge shenanigans. I just hope Niemand doesn't do the obvious and plays up the hapless nature of the protagonists. As good a writer as he is, I'd happily not see the Dark Judges for another decade.

The Order ends, with a 1980s-style wrap-up. Well, sort of. It's left open, to say the least – to the degree it feels like a comma rather than a full-stop. Honestly, it feels like this would have been left on a fuller conclusion, with a spin-off coming to life later on, if Tharg felt it would work.

Durham Red continues to work really well for me, and I especially liked the meta talking point on the penultimate page. Yes, all the 'legends' were about a foxy badadd vamp chick, scaring bad guys and bagging bounties. And, yes, the reality is so much creepier. I get why people are annoyed about this, but I'm really enjoying this reinvention. For me, it overtakes Rogue this issue.

Enemy Earth is pretty good, if still tonally awkwardly sitting between Regened and 2000 AD. Really, it's slowly shifting towards the latter. I'm not convinced this belongs in the same comic as, well, basically everything else from Regened.

And then Rogue, which for me this week feels like a bit of a lull. Still good (although I'm unsure it needs the swearing, but whatever). But it doesn't quite keep the momentum going for me. Nice to see Tharg commission a Will Simpson pic for the inside cover, which I imagine will end up on the collected edition's cover.

So: nothing bad this week and an awful lot of good. Only Red hits great though.

Red > Rogue > Earth = Dredd > Order