Prog 2341 - Kill Shot

[Richard]

SPOILERS SPOILERS!!

A decent cover by Tom Foster introduces the first episode of A Fallen Man, which has plenty of action. I enjoyed the last two stories with Asher so I gave high hopes for this one.

And then we come to Azimuth. I have been enjoying this story so far, but my fears have been confirmed: this is indeed a Sinister Dexter spin-off, and it didn't need to be; it could have been its own thing. Oh well. We'll see how it develops.

Not started Portals and Black Goo yet, because I want to get on to the Megazine now.

Void Runners is another action-packed episode, and it's pretty fun.

Hershey returns, continuing where it left off last time, and there's an enjoyable flashback to one of her earliest appearances.

There is also a Droid Life.

All in all, a good prog this week.

[IndigoPrime]

Mm. The Azimuth twist feels like a waste of a great premise. Oh well.

[Le Fink]

Dredd does look like an eighty year old on that cover. Not so much in the episode though. Good start from the reliable Kenny Who? (an AI?), Foster, Blythe and Parkhouse droids. Did Chris Blythe colour the previous stories in this series?

Azimuth, I did feel a tingle at first with the reveal but in all I am a bit disappointed that it's falling back to an existing series. I was all up for the John Smith meets Moebius virtual reality technobabble premise but now... well, we'll see.

Black Goo is carrying on nicely. More characters introduced. The lift part reminding me of the 13th Floor. Art terrific.

Void Runners - as others have said, great fit for Boo Cook, who's art I sometimes struggle with a bit, in this case it all looks terrific and story barrelling along.

Hershey looks great as usual and plenty of action. Will Frank get (yet) another life?

All in all a good prog - just Azimuth for me jumping the shark a bit. Let's give it a chance though!

[Richard]

Did Chris Blythe colour the previous stories in this series?

Yes.

[Barrington Boots]

Very exciting to get a Saturday Prog but also very deflated by the Azimuth reveal.

I've not given up on it but it seemed liked something fresh and fun and SinDex has been, on the whole, pants for ages so it's gone from a must read thrill to ho-hum in a couple of pages.

[Grush]

I am wondering (hoping) the sinister Dexter thing is a double bluff. We've seen a bunch of characters from other franchises in the background during Azimuth so far....

Void Runners still my top thrill.

[IndigoPrime]

We have? I must have been very unobservant. Will dig out the Progs again tomorrow!

[Funt Solo]

The court of the Cray-Cray Twins (in part 2) had (at least) a skaven, Dream of the Endless, General Grievous and a couple of Brutal Exterminators from the movie Zardoz.

[Colin YNWA]

So let's talk about the rest of the Prog before we get to the main event. Its a curious holding Prog in many ways, almost as if its keeping everything else quiet so we can all focus on the Azimuth reveal, which I will spoil below as its already well and truly spoiled already so be aware and beware.

Anyway Dredd a solid, but nothing more opener, which given its a Niemand and Foster Asher story is disappointing, but I have faith we will build on this scene setter.


Portals and Black Goo set out a very clear stall with its opener. Alas things start to get a little messer here as more gets throw in. Its decent but I sniff the danger of this losing focus the way Tomlinson's Future Shocks have. Still I hold out hope and the ending is good.

Void Runners is of course the story that couldn't give too hoots about what's happening elsewhere and just explodes the ideas across its pages. Brilliant.

Hershey, I mean I needed a recap. I'm sure this is very good but we just get dropped straight into ongoing story with limited orientation it lacked the momentum to really pull me in. I'm sure I'll get there and if I had time and energy re-read the last story again (which I loved at the time) I'm sure it'd be fine BUT I'd have like a gentler re-entry.

And the we get to that main event and SPOILERS around Azimuth.

So I called this in my review for episode 1, all be it hedging my bets massively as I so often get these things wrong. So I kinda love this.

However I totally get the points raised here that its a shame that a series that felt as fresh as Azimuth was just [well I'll get back to whether just is a valid term in a sec] a faint for the return of Sinister Dexter and not its own thing. I mean it had been a new series that would be great BUT I'm also really pleased if its what it seems to be. Let me explain.

See Azimuth was great comics and assuming this isn't a double bluff, and you know it could be, but assuming its not, this is still great comics. Now while its not new if it does fully wrap into Sinister Dexter its great comics and Sinister Dexter is great comics. The latest run was pretty good once Bulletopia found its feet again and so Dabnett finding new ways to play with an old classic, so it can be fresh and exciting is just sublime.

I would have been happy if its was it own thing.

I'm just as happy if it proves that the old thing can be astonishingly vital and exciting still.

It would be so 2000ad to take the cliche of strips like Spidey, Batman etc not having anything new and the mainstream of comics just recycling old ideas again and again and spin it on its head and take something new and use it to prove you can take an old, much loved, some have said tired, strip and fire it up with new life, while keeping it routed in what its always been.

Let's see. After all if it stays good comics who cares if the masthead says 'Azimuth', 'Sinister Dexter' or whatever. Its good comics and this remains GREAT comics.

AND just imagine this. What if Azimuth pulls of both. Turns out to be its own thing, set in the World of Sinister Dexter, fires S&D back up to continues its plot threads. Now that would be double amazing. Let's see.

[Richard]

To me it's as if The Out had had Durham Red show up in it in book one.

[broodblik]

Cover by Tom Foster:

[broodblik]

Cover and Logo:

[Barrington Boots]

I wish I had Colins optimism re. Azimuth! The worry was there from the beginning - the joke names, the possible connection to the AI plot - and I don't think it's going to be bad from now on, but the story didn't need to be a SinDex spinoff imo - interesting concept and character and setting, which is all the things SinDex has pretty much played out. I guess we'll see where it goes.

The rest of the Prog I enjoyed. Good opening episode on Dredd - we know Asher likes to take responsibility for others and I have a feeling this lady could be the death of him. Portals a bit less promising: it does seem a bit unfocused and the vegetarian vampire was a bit cliche but it looks great - all the dark, nasty urban backgrounds.
Really enjoyed Void Runners this week, the story is absolutely belting along, and finally Hershey is an odd opening episode but some fantastic, atmospheric work from Simon Fraser especially on facial expressions both subtle and less so.

[Tomwe]

What's the Romita Snr. cover that Foster is aping here?

[Hawkmumbler]

"Dentsists hate him, learn how you too can have a glowing grimace by using these gingivitis hacks."