Prog 1822 - The Sound Of The Underground

[TordelBack]

In-story I'm disappointed in Hershey - it does play up just how desperate things are, and it's a nice counterpoint to her blackmailed position on the mutant question that emphasises Dredd's loss of influence, but for me it was a betrayal too far for an already depopulated city: hang together or hang separately.

My reading is that Hershey's sometimes doing this sort of thing just to spite Dredd - to send him a clear message that she's in charge and not him.

I suspect you're right.  It just felt like an unfortunate step down the road almost all CJs must walk, the one that ends with Dredd standing over their corpse. Hershey may be unique in that she listened to Dredd's advice/barracking and things still went munce-shaped, but that doesn't mean she should ignore him now.  Hershey's machiavellian side has precedent, and the character's long journey has been interesting, but this feels too much like taking the Owen Krysler back home despite everything - and she should know better than that. 

[Richmond Clements]

Good point, TB. I think our hope lies in the fact that Wagner's fond of the character, so maybe he'll keep her alive... although, of course, this is John Wagner we're talking about...

[Proudhuff]

Hershey is one of the more interesting characters in Dredd,
I do wish the tired old ever-young Anderson would be retired and that focus that is currently on her, especially in the Megazine would switch to Hershey: there is her time on the street, time in the big chair, her exile and return, and her fight in the big chair with Dredd's perpetual petulance, comic gold I tellsye!

[Colin YNWA]

Hershey is one of the more interesting characters in Dredd,
I do wish the tired old ever-young Anderson would be retired and that focus that is currently on her, especially in the Megazine would switch to Hershey: there is her time on the street, time in the big chair, her exile and return, and her fight in the big chair with Dredd's perpetual petulance, comic gold I tellsye!

I was always interested in her exile while Tour of Duty was ongoing. I really thought that there would be more done with that period. Hershey was always a reluctant Chief Judge, however good, but then to have that role taken from her in circumstance that became very suspicious and be moved to a position where you could do nothing to support the city you had served so well was very rich territory in my mind. Alas nowt was really done.

[TordelBack]

I was always interested in her exile while Tour of Duty was ongoing. I really thought that there would be more done with that period. Hershey was always a reluctant Chief Judge, however good, but then to have that role taken from her in circumstance that became very suspicious and be moved to a position where you could do nothing to support the city you had served so well was very rich territory in my mind. Alas nowt was really done.

Yeah, very fertile ground that.  A short flashback run by one of the not-Wagners of What Hershey Did Next would be great, exploring a judge's life off-world and maybe some lessons learned.  Just as long as it isn't by Alan Grant and Steve Sampson.  What little we've seen of the Colonies is intriguing, and I'd like to see something other than the Space Corps and the Mandroids stomping bugs and crocs.   

[Proudhuff]

I was always interested in her exile while Tour of Duty was ongoing. I really thought that there would be more done with that period. Hershey was always a reluctant Chief Judge, however good, but then to have that role taken from her in circumstance that became very suspicious and be moved to a position where you could do nothing to support the city you had served so well was very rich territory in my mind. Alas nowt was really done.

Yeah, very fertile ground that.  A short flashback run by one of the not-Wagners of What Hershey Did Next would be great, exploring a judge's life off-world and maybe some lessons learned.  Just as long as it isn't by Alan Grant and Steve Sampson.  What little we've seen of the Colonies is intriguing, and I'd like to see something other than the Space Corps and the Mandroids stomping bugs and crocs.

I would agree.
The subtlety needed for how her time off-world changes Hershey from the Dreed tag team-mate to the CJ she is now, and the compromises needed, the ones Dredd would accept, would be fertile ground that would need one of the younger more nuanced writers, she could also have a bit of think to think about the whole Dredd/Mutie vote thing and how that affected her.

[Dandontdare]

Just as long as it isn't by Alan Grant and Steve Sampson. 

Am I the only one who really liked those Steve Sampson Hershey tales? I thought they were excellant and Sampsons stark black'n'red design was very dramatic.

[TordelBack]

Just as long as it isn't by Alan Grant and Steve Sampson. 

Am I the only one who really liked those Steve Sampson Hershey tales? I thought they were excellant and Sampsons stark black'n'red design was very dramatic.

Are you maybe thinking of the Igor 'Clown' Goldkind and Kevin 'Creep' Cullen ones?  'Cos they were quite striking design-wise.  I was actually being snide about the Anderson-in-Space stories, and Sampson's (I don't often say this) very poor entry in particular. 

[Dandontdare]

Just as long as it isn't by Alan Grant and Steve Sampson. 

Am I the only one who really liked those Steve Sampson Hershey tales? I thought they were excellant and Sampsons stark black'n'red design was very dramatic.

Are you maybe thinking of the Igor 'Clown' Goldkind and Kevin 'Creep' Cullen ones?  'Cos they were quite striking design-wise.  I was actually being snide about the Anderson-in-Space stories, and Sampson's (I don't often say this) very poor entry in particular.

Nope, not them  - but you're half right. You made me search barfney and dig out all my old Megs to discover it was Marc Wigmore that I meant (written by Paul Neal):



So that's okay, we can all go back to laying into Steve Sampson for those horrible Andersons!

[TordelBack]

Ha, I have no memory of any Marc Wigmore work beyond that Outlaw rubbish in the Prog, but that cover does make it look good.

[TordelBack]

*The 'rubbish' in Outlaw being the story, not the art.

[vzzbux]

I am sorry TB we have to take your first quote, no backsies.





V

[Hawkmumbler]

I don't see what everyone is disliking about Ampney, I thought it was a fitting ending albait a bit rushed and it tied a subplot up nicely all the while keeping things open. Look at it this way, the government just commisioned a hit on a Babaggist church, how is the divine head of the organisation going to deal with this? Could be looking at war here.

[TordelBack]

I don't see what everyone is disliking about Ampney...

Agreed, thought it was excellent wrap-up of an excellent story myself: by far my favourite Ampney outing yet, with just the right mix of self-contained plot and broader implications.  While the overall setup ([spoiler]homeless aliens from a 'lost' planet in our Solar System become a nuisance[/spoiler]) is something of a re-tread from Scarlet Traces: The Great Game this is No Bad Thing, as the ST 'trilogy' is one of The Best Things Ever.  Watching it all tangle in with Stickleback and the Red Seas follow-ons (you know there will be some) is going to be a treat.

[Mabs]

I just had a question about Red Seas; i really hope to see a TPB of this series soon, but (seeing as the collection would be very short) i  was thinking would it be better to collect the whole thing (including previous series)  in one awesome hardcover or even a TPB a la Mazeworld? I would really be over the moon if we could get that, and pay top money to purchase it. What would the powers that be at 2000ad, make of that? Please take it under consideration i beg of you...