Prog 1801 Green Death On The Red Planet

[Mardroid]

Cover: I like that a lot. One small quibble: I download my prog and Meg from Clickwheel. (That's not the quibble.) Relatively recently they took to creating wraparound covers as a longer image at the start. They didn't do that this time. It wasn't a major problem though as I had a bit of fun rearranging the pages myself and looking at it in 2 page mode has the same effect. Which leads to another (this time positive) observation: the digital production team are lining up the pages much better. In the past you could see the page join due to the pages being a few pixels out of alignment. I can't see it any more. At least I didn't for the wraparound (which is saying something since it wasn't set up that way) and i haven't noticed it in the two page spreads inside.

Anyway: big robots shooting things. Great stuff.

Dredd:  I'll admit I noticed the pixelation but it wasn't an issue for me. In fact I didn't think it was an error! I thought maybe it was a result of viewing lower resolution art on a computer screen and I have to look close to really see it. (That leads me to wonder if the version you guys are seeing in the physical issue is much worse.)   I did wonder at the early panel where the sky surfer guy is describing the contents of the bus to two guys standing right on top of it but I guess he can get a better perspective from up there with his binocullar things. A good start, and the art was good.

ABC Warriors: I found last week's way too chatty. This was chatty too, but I found what they said interesting so that was okay. I remember finding it irritating when Deffoe's team had a natter while wading up to their proverbial belly buttons in attacking zombies. After all, when I'm at work, I can hardly concentrate on what I'm doing if I'm talking too much with my colleague, but her it didn't bother me so much being robots. I can imagine their multi-tasking computer brains would manage chatting and shooting beasties just fine.

Anyway, having read the Meknificent Seven, I was very excited to see Langley's take on Happy Shrapnel. Comparing with the earlier artist, it's as if both were going for different Western archetypes. The earlier one looked like one of those loveable-slightly roguish old-timers you'd find panning for gold. This one looks like a lean tough gunslinger. I don't say that as a criticism of the earlier version - that worked too - it is just interesting to see. So yes, I liked this a lot and look forward to the new art style flashback.

Brass Sun:  Lovely stuff! More please. And I'm a sucker for these winter-scape scenes.

Terror Tale: I really enjoyed this! The best of these one shots in a while, for me. I wasn't keen on how quickly they gave up though. I get the feeling from the earlier exchange that they're not a happy couple but that was a bit absurd. Just exchanging the panel for one with the couple in the creatures clutches, screaming, would have worked better, or even if they were frozen to the spot in stark terror. But this... giving up? Despite my banging on about it, the tale was a cracker overall. And I dare I say I prefer it to Indigo Prime, which I just couldn't get into? I get the impression I'm in the minority there. Oh, and I see we're back to 5 pages. Good.

Grey Area:  Another enjoyable episode. I think this strip needs a meatier story at some point with more episodes, but these short 'day in the life of the officers' stories aren't a bad way to go in building the world of this strip.

[Mardroid]

Shoot. I forgot to spoilerize some of my post and the modify button has gone.

That being said, I remember it was decided a while back that spoiler tags weren't needed for these review threads, but I will often use it just in case...

[Spikes]

Another top prog, i thought.
Nice post DoC Dredd episode, and though the low rez appearance of the art was noticable from the off, it didnt spoil the reading too much. Liked the Judgement day comment from the cadet. Looks like things might be getting interesting. Quite liking Grey Area, as well, at the minute. ABC warriors is just lovely to look at, but is it all going to get a bit retcon crazy? Terror Tales was a good one, if ultimatley a bit slight. And Brass Sun is something a bit different, isnt it. Can see that im going to like this. Is this the same artist that drew the in the mountains of madness graphic novel? (yes it is, ive just googled) That looked to be pretty snazzy, as well.

[EddieHitler]

I must admit I am not a big fan of 'painted' stories like the ABC one.  To me it overwhelms the story line and therefore makes it a distraction.
It's just an opinion that's all please don't take offense.

[The Sherman Kid]

[/b]Cover[/b] Superb ,as EVER from Clint Langley, the guys a genius

Dredd Okay, good news bad news.The good news we're with the proper DoC aftermath again which makes me happy and Debris has a follow up (which it needed), interested to see where we go from here.The bad news- the Art, the pixillation has already been covered, as has ,yet again more confusing layouts (I wondered who those two guys on page two were also).It is also just TOO CARTOONY, lacking detail and characterisation (Dolman still looks in his forties).The one trait I hate above all is the DOTS for eyes used by PJ or lines for exclamation, both used on page one -it looks awful and, I'm sorry, plain lazy.Draw the grudamn eyes!No more dots, sorry but its a pet hate.

Brass Sun What 2000ad is all about, novel concepts like this, loving it.

ABC Well I its not gone off on some bizarre tangent again just yet ,so its all good.

Terror Tales I was about to give this top marks, really liked it, until someone pointed out the artist is a PNE fan,and does not follow The Mighty Pool (Blackpool FC, a lifelong passion -they are local rivals).Still, nobody is perfect.

Grey Area Not everyonees cup of tea but I love it.Fantastic art, smart dialogue and one very, very creepy alien thrown in this week.I hope this is given a longer run than just 4 weeks.

A very satisfying prog overall.

[Montynero]

Dredd - Hugely distracted by the pixelated art unfortunately. Disappointing, as I was looking forward to some proper post-Chaos action.

Brass Sun - Brilliant storytelling! '[spoiler]Legend of the Blind Watchmaker'[/spoiler] was a nice touch. I love the rich texture to these characters and their world. More like this, please!

ABC Warriors - Super detailed art and a nice setup for the flashback. Looking forward to the b&w too.

Terror Tale - Great atmosphere but it needed something extra at the end to reach the heights. Bagwell's art was brilliant. Pretty sure page four is just a series of photos from John Smiths lounge too

Grey Area - Expert scripting and art. What's not to like?

Good prog.

[Hoagy]

Aww man! Can PJ ever catch a break?
Some of his best artwork on Dredd so far and this happens. And as concerns for new readers being put off are abound, I'm bound to agree. Even in the mid muddy nineties, there were no funk ups of this eye crossing nature!
Sorry but this broke my concentration of the story and dropped the enjoyment down 60%.
At the end I was thinking, " Yeah, but am I interested?"

I feel bad for everyone who got caught short by this. I'm sure their knotted insides are more tightly wound than mine, over it.

And having Brass Sun so beautifully repro'ed next door to it, just added insult to injury. I'm yet to read this, but it looks nice.(As in niyeece!)

ABCs and that is one cool Harry Shrapnel. Not only is it good to see the character again, it's good to see a fine rendition of he.

Terror Tale. A good reworking of an old tale for new eyes. Bagwell, I wish I had his concentration.  And Chris Weston's.

Grey Area. It's border wars of an interplanetary level. A good mingle of sci-fi and weekly crime thriller.

[Robert Frazer]

Seeing as "The Blind Watchmaker" was the one clever turn of phrase that Dawkins has conjured in his career as an anti-religion pundit, I have to admit that I've had a bit of a giggle in it being used for the progressive rationalist cult in Brass Sun. However, other than that I'm afraid that it's not really grabbing me. The art has a certain gentle storybook simplicity to it (also emphasised by the 'tin soldier' design of the Daywatch) and so I think that there's potential for improvement if we get to explore some of the cold grandeur and massive architecture of a clockwork universe in future instalments, but for the time being it's a little dry.

[TordelBack]

Seeing as "The Blind Watchmaker" was the one clever turn of phrase that Dawkins has conjured in his career as an anti-religion pundit...

In fairness to Dawkins, he coined that phrase as part of a defense of (and sequel to) his book The Selfish Gene, which was itself a serious piece of scientific thought, albeit presented in a popularising format.  Dismissing Dawkins as 'an anti-religion pundit' ignores his significant career as a biologist in the 1970s, and his important role in popularising key scientific concepts.

I do think the guy can at times most closely resemble a smug religious fanatic in all but his subject matter, but he's made a serious, thoughtful contribution to science and the dissemination of its results.  'Pundit' puts him at the level of John McCririck.

[SmallBlueThing]

Without turning this into another thread about religion, i really fail to see any evidence that dawkins ever comes across as "smug". Confident in his ability to cut through the ridiculous illogic of the stupid, yes, angry at the exasperating close mindedness of the religious, definitely. But smug, never. To me 'smug' is defined by the likes of dr rowan williams and that evil ratzinger pope thing. Dawkins always comes across as open, warm and witty. I guess if you find intelligence threatening, you'll distrust him, but to call him 'smug' is baffling.

SBT

[Proudhuff]

'Pundit' puts him at the level of John McCririck.

Shirley nobody could be THAT low!!

[TordelBack]

...to call him 'smug' is baffling.

I'm a huge fan of Dawkins, my bookshelf groaneth under the weight, as t'were, but seeing as you ask:  That's 'Smug' as in 'appears completely self-satisfied with his own rightness and his opponent's wrongness to the extent that it is irritating'.  Not sure how that squares with the dictionary definition, but that's the sense in which I intended the remark. 

I'm certainly not saying Dawkins isn't right (about most things), and I'm not saying he doesn't do his damnedest to patiently explain his incontrovertible case in words of two-or-less syllables (I borrow his arguments all the time), but sometimes, when I'm reading him or watching him, I am struck by the degree to which his reductio ad absurdum take little account of the dignity or sensitivities of those he is addressing (particularly when he ventures into areas of theology about which he does not have the expertise he has in other areas), and am uncomfortably reminded of a know-it-all clergyman brooking no dissent from the righteous safety of a pulpit. 

Now I know that the difference is that Dawkin's core arguments are open to factual challenge, but while they certainly don't bother me, I can often see him visibly getting the backs up of those he most needs to reach precisely because of the way he approaches them. This, for want of a phrase, insensitivity to or disinterest in how he affects the feelings of the benighted, strikes me as a key element of 'smugness'. 

[Richmond Clements]

 

Dismissing Dawkins as 'an anti-religion pundit' ignores his significant career as a biologist in the 1970s, and his important role in popularising key scientific concepts.

As always, TB, you put it better than I ever could.
I'm not a fan of Dawkins the atheist spokesperson - and I say that as a card carrying Humanist. But, as a scientist, he is unsurpassed. The Blind Watchmaker is simply one of the best books I have ever read.

[JOE SOAP]

I'm certainly not saying Dawkins isn't right (about most things), and I'm not saying he doesn't do his damnedest to patiently explain his incontrovertible case in words of two-or-less syllables (I borrow his arguments all the time), but sometimes, when I'm reading him or watching him, I am struck by the degree to which his reductio ad absurdum take little account of the dignity or sensitivities of those he is addressing (particularly when he ventures into areas of theology about which he does not have the expertise he has in other areas), and am uncomfortably reminded of a know-it-all clergyman brooking no dissent from the righteous safety of a pulpit. 

Well he is always on the defensive.

[JOE SOAP]

Now I know that the difference is that Dawkin's core arguments are open to factual challenge, but while they certainly don't bother me, I can often see him visibly getting the backs up of those he most needs to reach precisely because of the way he approaches them. This, for want of a phrase, insensitivity to or disinterest in how he affects the feelings of the benighted, strikes me as a key element of 'smugness'.

and sensitivity is paradoxically a trait many with a very 'spiritual' bent can have in spades.