Messages

1

Prog / Prog 2317: Escape Route

« on: 28 January, 2023, 01:36:43 PM »

First up, that cover. I’ve loved that image since I first saw it. If ever Tharg (or Harrison) fancy turning that into a print, I’ll be first in line to buy one.

Overleaf, Dredd goes on a jaunt into outer space, seemingly setting up a scrap with a load of d-list foes. (Or relatives of d-list foes he’s killed.) It’s just the set-up so far, but a nice change of pace after Niemand’s short series that punched everyone’s heart out.

The Out moves things on nicely, with Cyd travelling again, but layers on additional intrigue. It feels like the bests of 2000 AD. And then you turn the page and end up with Joe Pineapples. The art is quite good, in a sort of 1990s Heavy Metal vibe kind of way. The scripting isn’t the worst episode so far, but, well. (And after following one of the more modern strips featuring a female character, it’s a bit depressing to have this one going WIMMIN, EH? BUNNY BOILERS! UNGRATEFUL BRATS THAT DON’T LIVE ME! Bleh. It feels like it’s beamed in from the 1970s.)

The Order kicks off its final run. Unsurprisingly, horrible Armoured Gideon aside, Burns supplies lush painted art. And Kek-W wisely spends half the episode provided a potted history of what’s been going on to date. Whether the strip will remain comprehensible is another matter. Proteus Vex then ramps things up in the ongoing conflict.

In all, while the Dredd isn’t hitting the same highs and the other quality strips aren’t providing key moments, it’s another 4:1 issue for me. Good stuff. Here’s hoping that continues.

The Out > The Order > Proteus Vex > Dredd >>>>>>>> Joe Pineapples

2

Announcements / Re: 2000 AD - The Ultimate Collection

« on: 25 January, 2023, 10:04:01 PM »

I'll need yous all to keep me right on what to pick up and what to leave

One thing that’s perhaps worth doing is keeping an eye on Rebellion’s store for sales. A few times now, Zenith HCs there have been 50% off, which would still be more than overall Hachette pricing, but for physically larger books. Similarly, Dan Dare was released by Rebellion across two chunky HCs, although the first might now be sold out, IIRC.

As for which books, I suspect that as ever that’ll come down to people’s individual preferences. Age of the Wolf was divisive at the time, but its werewolf shenanigans might align with your keenness for newer fare. It isn’t a top tier thrill though, much as I liked it myself. And the same is true for Armoured Gideon, which has a superb robot design and some interesting ideas, but to some degree lurks in guilty pleasure territory. (I recall it being enjoyable silly, myself, but I’ve not read the entire thing for years.) Mean Team, however, is only worth bothering with if you like 1980s comics about future sports. I always found that strip quite dull.

Al’s Baby is fun enough, but for me outstayed its welcome. Not sure if I still have the Rebellion trade but I’m not tempted to upgrade. Movie Dredd was interesting. For me, the main error was the last series. It felt a lot like Tharg was saying “end it”. I’d have, in all honesty, happily continued reading strips about movie Dredd indefinitely, and discovering how that world could have evolved on the page. Bah.

Mazeworld is tempting. Another I have on the shelf here, but… I like HCs.

3

Megazine / Re: Meg 452: Call the Cops!

« on: 25 January, 2023, 09:51:10 PM »

I just hope it sticks. We got those lovely 18 or so issues last time before staples returned.

4

Prog / Re: Prog 2316 - Taking Liberties

« on: 24 January, 2023, 08:46:13 PM »

4:1 this week.

Dredd was horrible. Just a crushing ending and quite topical, given what’s going on in the UK right now, with women not being believed. (For once, the blokes-only nature of judges works in a story.) Anyone suggesting Niemand can’t do dark Dredd after this…. Well…

Joe Pineapples was dreadful. Although the second half was slightly less awful. I imagine some people will like this, but I can’t for the life of me see why. It’s just bad writing, full stop.

The Out turns a corner and tries something new. I’m not yet finding this as compelling as the previous runs, but it’s still quality stuff.

The Terror Tale was, for once, not a Tomlinson one. And this one was really great. It rattled along at speed and nailed the twist and the landing. Honestly, this could have been a 3riller, but I appreciate the writer making the strip as dense as it was. More, please.

Proteus Vex rounds things off by again reminding me I need to reread the series in the trade I bought. It’s a bit info overload due to its own dense storytelling. But I do want to reread it, so that’s a good thing.

Dredd > Terror Tale > The Out > Proteus Vex >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Pineapples

Not much between the top four this week though.

5

Announcements / Re: 2000 AD - The Ultimate Collection

« on: 23 January, 2023, 05:10:47 PM »

Blimey. Two in a row I’ll almost certainly buy. Age of the Wolf (despite its goofy wolves) was a series I enjoyed. Although I do already have it in SC, and so am not 100% sure I’ll ugprade. The Dredd/Anderson book feels like a no-brainer though, even if I wasn’t overly keen on how it ended.

6

Announcements / Re: Helltrekkers - Released December 2023

« on: 22 January, 2023, 10:20:46 AM »

Lovely cover. Curious release. I guess this one has enough fans then.

7

General / Re: Forthcoming Thrills - 2023

« on: 21 January, 2023, 07:27:56 PM »

As I’ve said in the Meg thread, Year One has been a revelation. I recall thinking it was quite good a while ago, but I’ve really enjoyed it. I can’t get on with City of Courts though.

8

General / Re: Forthcoming Thrills - 2023

« on: 21 January, 2023, 03:05:50 PM »

Also, as I recall, it’s a good read as well.

9

General / Re: Forthcoming Thrills - 2023

« on: 21 January, 2023, 02:13:21 PM »

Anyone know who’s taking over Spector? Good to see Dreadnoughts back. Hoping that Death Metal Planet ends soon. Looks like IDW Anderson takes over from Year One, then.

Azimuth looks great from just that one pic.

10

Megazine / Re: Meg 452: Call the Cops!

« on: 20 January, 2023, 10:03:14 AM »

I’ll give it some points for doing something different, but it didn’t feel at all like Dredd, and Dredd didn’t feel like Dredd. Swap out the lead and it could easily have been another strip. I don’t remember much about Blessed Earth other than Dredd apparently deciding he didn’t care about shaving after all, and that I had to force myself to finish it. After that point, my brain apparently purged the entire run.

11

Megazine / Re: Meg 452: Call the Cops!

« on: 19 January, 2023, 04:50:37 PM »

Well, it’s not padding so much as the reprint now existing inside the Meg rather than a floppy. I imagine had the floppy continued, it would have had IDW stuff in it instead. And, yes, I really hope Matt Smith stops short of running Mega-City Zero and Blessed Earth. I bought those in a Humble Bundle and they were relentlessly awful – some of the worst Dredd-related stories I’ve ever read. Mind you, Swierczynski’s Dredd was barely any better – and that’s 30(!) issues.

If there are no licensing issues (but I imagine there would be), Mars Attacks Judge Dredd would be welcome. That was fun. I’d happily re-read Anderson, Psi-Division. The Cry of the Werewolf one-shot was solid. Under Siege and Toxic were OK. Four issues each, too, so that might be a thing for a third of a year, depending on how much IDW Smith’s aiming to shove into the Meg.

12

Prog / Re: Prog 2315: Solar Flare

« on: 19 January, 2023, 01:38:59 PM »

It’s why I’d tend towards writers avoiding such things unless writing contemporary fiction. We see the same weirdness in Dredd sometimes, with Judges – who at most having a passing knowledge of popular culture – chatting about sometimes obscure bands from a century in the past. I mean, streaming music has transformed the industry to the point everything is now to some degree, but still.

13

Prog / Re: Prog 2315: Solar Flare

« on: 19 January, 2023, 12:24:15 PM »

I mean, it’s a great contemporary reference. For the 1980s. (Comics tend to date with this stuff. It’s another thing for the thing to already be dated on publication. But there you go.)

14

Megazine / Re: Meg 452: Call the Cops!

« on: 19 January, 2023, 12:22:26 PM »

The new format’s working for me, in the main. The integrated nature feels better, and it affords the editor a little more flexibility, in providing context for the likes of One-Eyed Jack. That said, it’s still a Meg of two halves for me, to some degree.

I really enjoyed the Dredd set-up with its timey-wimey shenanigans, even if I’ve only a passing knowledge of One-Eyed Jack. All the time-jumping in Storm Warning isn’t doing it for me though. I quite like some of the individual events in this episode, and feel like I should enjoy the strip more than I do.

Death has just lost me. I’ve never been a fan of ‘Dark Judges as comic relief’. It always feels like where they head when a writer’s out of ideas. So for me, this isn’t twee or fan service. It’s just poor. Fortunately, Devlin kicks things up several notches with a shocking twist. I’m sure there’ll be a way out, but even so, this is great stuff. Kot is the perfect writer for this series and long may that continue.

Reprint next and kudos to Matt Smith. It’s been a while since I read Year One in digital, and I’m really enjoying this. Great script that barrels along, rather than being stretched out to fill a US comic. Coleby, as ever, is first-rate. But then there’s City of Courts. I’m trying again. It’s full of ideas, but I still find this strip a borderline incoherent mess. I guess we’ve got three more months of this. Some One-Eyed Jack rounds out the reprint. I think it provides just enough for newcomers to understand the character, without overplaying it. Ultimately, it’s a 12-page ad combined with an explainer, and it works.

Surfer wraps things up, in suitably quality style, as you’d expect from its creators.

Devlin Waugh > Dredd (Niemand) = Year One = Surfer > One-Eyed Jack > Storm Warning > City of Courts > Death

15

Off Topic / Re: This is the News!

« on: 19 January, 2023, 08:31:48 AM »

It’s really depressing to see New Zealand also fall headlong into populism. Looks like its next govt will essentially be the equivalent of the Tories in coalition with something akin to the current iteration of the Tories or Reform UK. “Vote for these magic beans” wins again.