Not sure if it's me or the prog...

[The Adventurer]

It's gotta come down to taste, because Brink and Grey Area are highlights right now. Brink is the kind of high concept sci-fi their's never enough of in the Prog. Like something I'd read in a sci-fi prose magazine. And Grey Area, Abnett is doing his thing, and I've finally jelled with Harrison's loose digital style.

[Geoff]

Black humour has always been one of the main attractions to me of 2000ad.  This was especially found in Dredd and the outrageous inventiveness of the citizens and the city. 

As someone said up-thread, the sheer destructiveness and horror of Chaos Day and the subdued, almost broken, response of the city (especially Dredd himself) does seem to have sucked some of the vitality out for the strip.  The Trifecta story was pretty damn good though.

I still feel excited when 2AD/Meg drops on the door matt though and I won't be cancelling my sub.  A lot of that is seeing the covers though I think. 

There's also a good deal of nostalgia about 2000ad and you'll never quite get the thrill of your young days.  I fell away from the prog in the 90s and found it again a few years ago so I suppose I've got a few more years for thrill power fatigue to set in...

 

[Colin YNWA]

This is really turned into an interesting, no fascinatating thread. Loads of people off loading why the Prog isn't working for them at the moment, while I've been naively thinking all is rosy post the 40th. This might also explain why the Prog thread has been so quiet of late.

While I personally don't see the problem its hard to deny that given the variety of reasons an insights as to a problem something is amiss for some in our little microcosm. One reason that seems to run through is the nature of the stories shifting towards ongoing long form (10-15) part stories 'made for trade'. I've no idea if this is a deliberate editorial thing, or just the way current writers are tuned into writing these days. The thing is its not a new thing. It been around for years now and its certainly not a 2000ad thing. I do miss some of the variety in story lenght BUT 2000ad still caters for that, or has done so much more than most comics.

3rillers have been fun and in this weeks Prog thread I myself have bemoaned the fact that Grey Areas seems to have taken Sinister Dexter's slot (I enjoy both) as short story to fill gaps (mind I moaned when S&D was used for that purpose, no pleasing me!) and we still have a steady stream of one shots... still there's no denying this variety in format is greatly reduced.

The truth is though this seems to be the way things are going in the medium as a whole. As I say I've no way of knowing the reason, mandate or preference, but I guess the economic realities make it a necessity. If the stories in the comic can be repackaged to create a secondary income stream as trades down the road that probably makes it a requirement on some level? That said for me 2000ad still effortlessly creates that second source of variety the tones and looks of the stories still make this the best read out there... while of course is the least interesting thing to be said on a thread which is fascinatating because of the negativity (not a bad think if its there) in reflecting on the prog.

Oh and one other thing before I stop whittering Supersurfer knows I love him BUT you can't grow out of comics anymore surely, in the same way you can't grow out of film, or telly or books. You're just not finding the stuff that fills your current needs. There's comics out there for all tastes. Its not the medium that's the issue, its the bits of the medium you find and access.

[TordelBack]

Ye're all intelligent blokes whose opinions I often share and always respect, but I'm not seeing it myself.

My only real problem with the prog at the moment is Dredd, which is well-served by a skilled group of writers, but still feels like it's alternately treading water and being pulled in too many directions. Despite a bit of a worry about the sameiness of Edginton plots (ensemble of allied characters assembles around driven protagonist as they progress through different environments hunting/being hunted) I've been really enjoying the prog of late. Almost all the new strips work for me, some lie Deadworld, The Orde, Hunted and Brink are new faves. Can't say I wouldn't love to see more Ewing in any form, or a new potboiler from R Morrison, but basically the non-Dredd material is ringin' my receptors.

[SIP]

Ye're all intelligent blokes whose opinions I often share and always respect, but I'm not seeing it myself.

My only real problem with the prog at the moment is Dredd, which is well-served by a skilled group of writers, but still feels like it's alternately treading water and being pulled in too many directions. Despite a bit of a worry about the sameiness of Edginton plots (ensemble of allied characters assembles around driven protagonist as they progress through different environments hunting/being hunted) I've been really enjoying the prog of late. Almost all the new strips work for me, some lie Deadworld, The Orde, Hunted and Brink are new faves. Can't say I wouldn't love to see more Ewing in any form, or a new potboiler from R Morrison, but basically the non-Dredd material is ringin' my receptors.

This is terrible news! This means that perhaps it is me and not the prog.

This means that my  bitter, depressed and jaded thoughts aren't going to be cured by cancelling my subscription. Back to the pills I guess.....

[The Adventurer]

I was actually getting into Hope. It suddenly just stopping mid stride made me pretty frustrated. Why would you kill your new series momentum like that?

[SuperSurfer]

Oh and one other thing before I stop whittering Supersurfer knows I love him BUT you can't grow out of comics anymore surely, in the same way you can't grow out of film, or telly or books. You're just not finding the stuff that fills your current needs. There's comics out there for all tastes. Its not the medium that's the issue, its the bits of the medium you find and access.

You're right Colin YNWA – one can't grow out of comics as a medium. But when I pop into a comic shop and walk out empty handed, I can't help thinking "I'm just not interested" and often can't shake off the niggling thought "is it that I'm just too old for all that?"

I've often thought that in some ways, 2000AD ruined comics reading for me. It was so much better than everything else and I couldn't get the kind of buzz elsewhere that I would get out of the prog. Short stories in particular (ok, those are quite rare in non-2k mainstream comics) never seem to hit the spot as I always expect a Future Shock (or EC Comics) type ending.

No plan here to stop buying the prog, though I must get through the one foot tall partially read 2000AD stack that is sitting next to me as well as many other progs on my shelves.

Old and jaded? For sure. I have other interests now. Such as gardening. But worry not, folks, I'm not ready to be put out to pasture. 

BTW Colin – the feeling's mutual.

[Fungus]

Great thread...
Very curious to hear so many sharing the wobbles. When the prog has enough top creators it's common to hear people in the review thread proclaim '4/5' and '5/5!'. I never feel progs are completely great but on rare occasions they do come close.

I've come to realise that when I start wobblong myself, it's basically me and not the prog. Life's a scunner much of the time and it'll suck the enjoyment out of any prog. If you pay more attention to the World than I do, suckier still. If it catches me in the right mood, the prog's a wonderful thing.

Right now - having gone digital a while ago - I've 4 progs and 2 megs waiting for me. Which is fine. The pull list has been dropped entirely apart from prog/meg. Some are/were fantastic. Can't read 'em all, though.

[Rogue Judge]

I find it interesting that the prog dosent feature their 'heavy hitters' more often - if they ran Dredd in every prog with a rotation of Strontium Dog, Rogue Trooper and ABC Warriors, and mixed in one new title occasionally this would make sense to me. The way it is now would be comparable to if Marvel published Spiderman monthly, but only published the Avengers and X-Men a couple times a year. Why not keep the most popular characters in the mag?

I don't read the prog/Meg regularly so cant have much of an opinion (I wait for the trades) but I really enjoy some of the new stuff like Kingdom and will be reading Lawless soon.

[Smith]

I assume the plan is to limp like this till #2050,which will be a jumping on point and a return of some classic thrills?

[The Adventurer]

Brink and DeFoe are very near their end. So we're going to get a refresh pretty soon.

Just going back through some resent Thrills of the Future...
Beeby's Anderson Psi-Division will probably replace one of the two.
Absalom got teased back in Prog 2031, hopefully that's the other one (though that means double Rennie, with Hunted going for indeterminate amount of time).
Grey Suit return also teased.
Hope will be back in 2044. So that will probably last until 2050.

I suspect the next line-up will be Dredd, Anderson, Grey Suit, Grey Area/Future Shocks/3rillers, and Hunted. With Hope replacing Hunted when it ends. Going into 2050 in September. And Absalom launching in 2050. With other stuff (seems about right for the annual Strontium Dog appearance.  Brass Sun? Wishful thinking?)

[Dark Jimbo]

I suspect the next line-up will be Dredd, Anderson, Grey Suit, Grey Area/Future Shocks/3rillers, and Hunted. With Hope replacing Hunted when it ends. Going into 2050 in September. And Absalom launching in 2050. With other stuff (seems about right for the annual Strontium Dog appearance.  Brass Sun? Wishful thinking?)

One of the confirmed return-ees for 2050 is Indigo Prime.

[zombemybabynow]

Just got back into 2th yesterday after a progless absence of a year

interesting to see defoe done by a different artist

Dredd - still 'knocking it out of the park'

Luuuuv Grey area [not collected 'til jan 2018!]

Brink & t'others don't bother reading

Feel i have a renewed excitement & interest post break

J

[ming]

The Prog always has ups and downs but the anthology format means there's always something to keep me going.  Since I stuck it out through the 90s the current level of quality certainly doesn't make me feel like I'm just buying out of habit these days.  I love Brink to bits and would happily buy the Prog on the strength of that alone, to be honest.  Add in Scarlet Traces, Kingdom, Kingmaker, Brass Sun, Defoe, Deadworld, The Order (and on and on) and I'm certainly not giving up on the Prog any time soon.

The future prospect of a Brendan McCarthy radback-set Chopper story doesn't hurt, either.

[Fungus]

The future prospect of a Brendan McCarthy radback-set Chopper story doesn't hurt, either.

Another reason to wear shades indoors.