Prog 2358: The Road To Hell

[IndigoPrime]

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

[Richard]

I enjoyed the reveal in Dredd this week! Nice and unpleasant!

[Colin YNWA]

The rythm across the thrills continues. After last weeks little steady issue this week things all have a nice up swing. Its fascinating to watch the way they ebb and flow together with this line up. Nothing is ever bad, just degrees of good week to week.

Dredd is a prime example last weeks episode was fine, but now we get here it underlines the fact that it served merely to set up the excitment of this week. When you think about it both episodes have are basically the same. Dredd interacts with folks to get to a conversation. We have the conversation and a promise of more at the end. The only real difference is that WOW the conversation this week feels significent, not just to get to something significent as it was last week. Suffice to say for now, we might not of known the ex-Titan convict last week, but we sure do this!

Deadworld well I'll be honest so much is going on in the Dark Judge politics things this week feels like a real up turn simply because its an easy to follow action piece and I can keep up!. Might say more about dumb ol' me BUT this week was great fun.

As was Helium, but a level up. I mean its essentially a gag strip across 5 pages but boy the execution is superb. The art stunning, the turn of mood perfectly delivered and the chase is on again. Brilliant.

Oh and that last word balloon... in these times. So sadly precient!

Devil's Railroad I mean yeah I can see why folks might be put off by this. I mean its not subtle is it but it really well done. The messages sadly necessary, even if hammered home as if Pat Mills was back in the Prog but the more grounded stakes makes this one very powerful and I'm really enjoying it and its particularly good this week.

Feral and Foe. Action, move the plot on, action, cliffhanger. I mean it knows just what its doing and it does it very well! Excellent

So yeah it feels like all the strips go up a level this week and so again we have another superb Prog.

[Barrington Boots]

First non-Saturday Prog in a few weeks made me realise I'd been spoiled of late. Wfh today so burned through it in record time in my eagerness for more Thrills.

Dredd continues to be brilliant - my top thrill this week. I also think there could be a twist left, although the scene seems set for the denouement. I 100% didn't see this coming and I've loved every step of this story - twists, callbacks to old characters and different setttings, Dredd seething and bitter and absolutely top notch artwork. Awesome stuff.

I know fellow boarders are strugglung with Deadworld but it's starting to feel like to could be back on track. It's helped that we've had three consecutive weeks on the same characters instead of jumping about. I do want us to get back to the heroes but I'm here for Death vs Eastwood. Agree that this is the finest iteration of Fear - as a kid my favourite dark judge visually but consistently chumped out, here he is a legit horror.

Helium a joy to read. Dialogue perfect. Superb art this week. Looks grim for our heroes, but seeing all the happy people and children in the first frame, I hope everybody else doesn't get killed here.

Devil's Railroad This isn't for me: the characters feel inauthentic, and it still seems to be midway between serious stuff and farce without committing to either.

Feral & Foe More exposition than action or comedy this week but still great.

[broodblik]

A good  enough prog with two story lagging behind but any prog with a great Dredd is always a worthy read

Dredd – The story continues its intrigue and old characters return as another possible candidate of guild. I still think he is not the one and the final episode will reveal the wild goose change culprit. Top thrill this week

Deadworld – One thing I can say is that Dave Kendall knows how to draw some proper grotesque horror scenes. The struggle to get pulled into the current series. I will have to one stage revisit the whole thing to get all the characters and events.

Helium – All I can say is Ballerophon, what a great scene. The story is setting it up nicely for the next events, I really love this series.

Railroad – Not my cup of tea. I am still struggling to care for any of the characters. The story feels like an overload car which just cannot get up to speed.

Feral and Foe – One of my favorite things in the prog, Abnett knows how to pull you into the story. Elson's art as always is top-notch.

[Jim_Campbell]

Feral and Foe – One of my favorite things in the prog, Abnett knows how to pull you into the story. Elson's art as always is top-notch.

Heh. I had to revisit the lettering files for Book 2 the other day (to check a style thing) and instead of flicking through the page files for the reference I wanted, I ended up reading the whole bloody series!

[broodblik]

B/W Cover:

[norton canes]

Helium was an absolute delight this week, top stuff. That first panel is so lovely. 'Poison' ramps up the intrigue, Deadworld benefits from being more straightforward and Feral & Foe has become a great way to round off the prog. The Devil's Railroad is still... argh, almost there, but just lacking a bit of nuance. Still, another fantastic prog, the only shame being it was all devoured in a scant few minutes.

[TheGrunk]

I have to say I've spent most of the Dredd arc being more concerned than interested. I didn't agree with the whole Hershey thing in the first place and the Williams droid seems intent on creating some kind of separate Dreddverse with all of these disconnected plots that retcon key parts of the character's world, revive others, etc - none of which ever ring as particularly convincing.

But the big reveal this week was genuinely pretty welcome, and got me way more hooked in than I expected. I hope it continues - we categorically don't need PJ back, but who we did get back is genuinely an interesting turn. I'm down to see where this goes.

I used to be a huge Deadworld fan but lately...well, it's lost me. Sadly this still rings true with the latest instalment. The Devil's Railroad isn't quite getting me attached to it, but I'm open. You never know. Helium remains a bloody good read.

All in all, I don't think it's an incredible prog, but a good one.

[pauljholden]

we categorically don't need PJ back,

I wish people would be more specific.

[TheGrunk]

we categorically don't need PJ back,

I wish people would be more specific.

This took me a minute. More of this PJ, less of that PJ, it all gets very confusing...
(The artwork is a massive highlight of my week, we all love you Mr. Holden, etc etc)

[Funt Solo]

Yes, but how did Sinfield turn around?

Also - THX 1138 reference spotted.

---

I'm enjoying this Dredd potboiler. The "but Hershey died" refrain is getting a little old. I mean - I understand that retcons can sting, and they can be done badly. Hershey being retconned in was done rather well, and with the agreement of Wagner. People keep blaming Williams alone - so that doesn't make sense.

So - of course, you can not enjoy something - but the Hershey mini-saga ran for four books and almost 200 pages of glorious, globe-trotting action with kick-arse art from Simon Fraser. It's not perfect - personally, I'd rather fewer superpowers in my Dreddverse - but it was a brutal, well-told arc with arguably a much more fitting send off.

I'm not a big fan of the whole magic-alien-ice-demons thing from Enceladus, but it happened, so threads of that are naturally going to run into Williams' other Dredd tales.

I suppose one question is - if there's no longer a single voice writing the core Dredd-verse tales, then what options are open to writers? One assumes you don't want people to be limited to snapshot tales with no repercussions - because Dredd has always wowed us the most when call-backs occur and there's a narrative through-line over the years. So, the alternative is that each writer is able to spin out these narratives - and able to utilize core characters so that we feel immersed.

[scrotnig]

I agree with the above. On paper, I'd have preferred Hershey to stay dead the first time, but what we then got has been so magnificent I can't really hold that line. It's been fantastic and we're not even done yet.

Retcon what you like if there's a story worth telling and you can tell it well.

[staticgirl]

I feel the same as you Scrotnig. I wasn't happy at first but the Coda to Hershey's life has been well told.

Also I actually don't mind the Devils Railroad. I just want it to be a 'one and done' sort of tale, not a long epic.

I got a Kiss My Axe badge in the post the other day. No explanation. I assume it's a subs gift. I like this one and it is going on my parka.

[Proudhuff]

Forgive me, but who's the reveal at the end of Dredd? ( googling his name only brings up the artist!)