PROG 1813 UNDER THE HAMMER

[A.Cow]

Dredd: This would have been perfect pre-DeeohCee, but given the world changing events in that story this seems a little out of place. Thargy should have a standard issue instruction to all driods: City in ruins, pop 50mill, citz working on the clearance infrastructure snecked, all the crooked judges are dead, the ones who are left are the hardest, bloodied and enbattled, now rebuilt it from that. 

Does Dredd have a slush pile which needs to be reduced before commissioning new stuff?  That might explain the anachronism, and also the strange appearance of a lower-than-his-usual-high-quality Rennie Dredd in the Megazine.

[The Adventurer]

Thrills of the future - The  Ten-seconders - Godsend

Really? REALLY?! Did it mention who the artist will be? I honestly can't believe this is getting dusted off (I guess the new trade collection isn't so strange now), Book 2 was such a train wreck. Though, mostly because of the art being so all over the place. If they can get the art stabilized... it could still be a good series.

[Dark Jimbo]

Thrills of the future - The  Ten-seconders - Godsend

Really? REALLY?! Did it mention who the artist will be?

Edmund Bagwell. Looks AMAZING.

[The Adventurer]

Edmund Bagwell. Looks AMAZING.

Oh my.

[Zarjazzer]

Yahoo a new Years day trudge to the shops brought treasure in form of this prog. Mmm bit of a confusing cover is it Stront or  a ABC? probably my hangover-excellent new Dredd story and set up,Savage was good and Ampney but the normally good Red Seas seemed a bit of a tread.

[Hawkmumbler]

Still nothing here at Hawkins Falls. Bugger and buggerations.

[The Prodigal]

Folks I only signed up last Christmas. Ten Seconders new trade? Worth getting?

I want to enjoy the next run of it to the max.

[The Adventurer]

Ten-Seconders Book 1 is pretty good. Mark Harrison's artwork is pretty keen and Rob Williams tells a pretty compelling story about post-apoc super-humans run amok.

Book 2 is a bit of a train wreck that bounces between three different artists. One of which is so bad it's nearly impossible to determine what is going on panel-to-panel. And once the more decent artists arrive the damage is already done to the narrative.

But yes. I think it's probably worth reading. For the good first story and having some notion of what happened in the second to be ready for the 3rd.

[The Prodigal]

Ten-Seconders Book 1 is pretty good. Mark Harrison's artwork is pretty keen and Rob Williams tells a pretty compelling story about post-apoc super-humans run amok.

Book 2 is a bit of a train wreck that bounces between three different artists. One of which is so bad it's nearly impossible to determine what is going on panel-to-panel. And once the more decent artists arrive the damage is already done to the narrative.

But yes. I think it's probably worth reading. For the good first story and having some notion of what happened in the second to be ready for the 3rd.

Good advice fella-Thanks I appreciate it.

[Mabs]

Ah thank god! I've finally found a newsagents close to me that stock 2000AD! Its a bloody relief, no more 1 mile trip to WH Smiths to grab a copy.

I still haven't read my copy yet , but i must say that the cover isn't doing it for me. With been spoiled over the last few months with some awesome covers but sadlu this has to be the weakest. 

[The Adventurer]

Woke up to Prog 1813 already downloaded and ready to read on my iPad. That was a very cool and new experience that I look forward to going forward.

Issue in review!

COVER - A big busy IMO. The color scheme just makes it a bit garish. And since we've had quite a few Hammerstein covers in the last few months I'm less then enthused to get yet another.

THRILLS OF THE FUTURE - I've been over this already above, but I'm squeeing over the return of The Ten-Seconders. Especially with Bagwell on art.

DREDD - Something we've seen before. But damn it. I love old grouchy Judges being old and grouchy. Love Peter Doherty dispite his Judge helmets looking a bit off.

SAVAGE - I think I've lost track on how much territory the Americans have managed to take from the Volges. Because I was moderately confused as to why they were doing Hammerstein field testing in Dublin. That close to enemy lines seems like a good way for your enemy to see what you're up to. Pretty bog standard as far as Savage goes. Hammersteins shoot stuff and Bill is rude to some elitist prig.

AMPNEY CRUCIS - Ampney comes to the same conclusions I did when reading the last issue. So I'm actually glad they didn't spend to much time dwelling on the mystery of what exactly happened. Lush lush artwork, that is one sexy [spoiler]Mastodon[/spoiler], Simon Davis can still kill it. But good grief, that last panel. Did Ampney and Cromwell sidestep into [spoiler]Scarlet Traces[/spoiler]?!

THE RED SEAS - Continue to move forward to the final confrontation. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a bit antsy for the story to get to it. Lovely Yeowell art. You know, it didn't regested to me back in Prog 2013, but Edginton's got two strips running side by side at the moment. It probably doesn't mean anything, but I like getting the double dose.

STRONTIUM DOG - Honestly this is feeling a bit unexciting for all the shooting and running about. I hate to be too critical about it, but a lot of the events in the first two installments just feel a bit contrived in their events. Art looks great as always.

Overall, Solid Prog. Its kinda weird not to have a whole back pile (as they usually turn up in lots for me in print) to go through. But I definitely felt satisfied. And the knowledge that there will be another Prog waiting for me next Wednesday like clockwork makes it all the easier.

[Spikes]

Top Dredd this week, the story may be a familar one, but really enjoyed this. Always like to see Peter Doherty on this strip. Did a quick re-read, and a quick head scratch though, after turning to the 2nd page. All sorted after checking the name on the badge!
Day of Chaos has obviously been retconned out of existence, so ill not mention it anymore, 

[Taryn Tailz]

Am i the only one who thought this weeks Dredd was a poor story with poor art?

Still the rest of the prog was fantastic, with Ampney Crucis being the best of a great bunch.

[Jim_Campbell]

Am i the only one who thought this weeks Dredd was a poor story with poor art?

Yes.

[Dark Jimbo]

As feared, it feels a touch like post-Trifecta blues this week, with a lineup that features three thrills I can take or leave and another that I'm only slightly more bothered about. Add to that another 'let's-ignore-DoC Dredd' and it's going to be a lukewarm review from me...

Dredd's best bit this week was the cheeky reversal of expectation on that second page whereby we realise it wasn't Dredd speaking in those initial dialogue boxes. Beyond that lovely touch, though, it feels a bit 'seen it all before' and the fact we have a story ignoring Chaos Day YET AGAIN really grates. (Benefit of the doubt, though - the Chaos Day/Trifecta business must have been a scheduling nightmare and maybe this was meant to run much earlier.)

Savage is always read and enjoyed but I've not been overly fussed about it since Charlie Adlard left. Feels as though it's finally heading towards the ultimate conclusion (maybe in the next book?) and to be honest - I hope so. How much more mileage can be wrung from this?

Ampney Crucis the strip is not too bad, really. Inoffensive fun with nice art, if never really exploring its concepts or its world as deeply as I'd like. Ampney Crucis the character is the worst leading man in Tharg's stable - a dull, utterly unlikeable wet fish that I just can't bring myself to care about. He wins through by luck rather than judgement; rarely has any actual influence on the outcome of his own stories; has no discernable talents; only has two character traits, which are 1:Being posh (which isn't really a character trait) and 2:Being shellshocked (which I have been told repeatedly by caption boxes and dialogue balloons, but have yet to see any actual evidence of).

Sorry to say but for a long time now I've just been waiting for The Red Seas to hurry up and conclude. I'm just not invested in what's happening. I feel exactly the same about every strip that's drawn by Steve Yeowell, in fact. He seems to have been so bored drawing the pages that it's a struggle to drag my eyes across them. There's an alternate universe where Red Seas was drawn by Henry Flint or Leigh Gallagher, and that's where I wish I lived.

Strontium Dog would get a much more savage mauling if it weren't for the provenace of its creators. I trust them to know where they're going enough to reserve judgement for now and see how this one develops. It isn't up to the standard of some of the classic SDs, but unlike the flashback tales at least the events in this one seem to matter once again. And I should probably say that I wasn't too impressed with either of the previous Life and Death of... stories when they ran in the prog - BUT a re-read in the graphic novel was a revelation, and gave me a whole new appreciation for what Wagner's doing here. Like those, I suspect this will read even better in one go at the end.