Just had to share Leonardo Manco's ARSOM cover. Sod misery guts "Niemand", Manco is a genius artist.
Easily cover of the year so far
(https://scontent.flhr1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/342385502_773962357681691_982775920657593999_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=M-REXpQp8zkAX9OvN-L&_nc_ht=scontent.flhr1-2.fna&oh=00_AfA1bufIisa_wWi_2BZWZvJXe2Xw-aqH1ilKVsPVcC8BAQ&oe=64507CA2)
Awesome cover indeed
TBF, you can have a genius artist who is also hard to work with. Perhaps it's a case of maturity. Holding up a weekly because you're faffing with non-essentials isn't ideal. Perhaps he'll be more suited to covers.
There's already a lot of competition for cover of the year. I will say though, this one has everything that the normally impeccable Cliff Robinson's slightly static Rogue cover the other week didn't
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 28 April, 2023, 11:12:47 AMTBF, you can have a genius artist who is also hard to work with. Perhaps it's a case of maturity. Holding up a weekly because you're faffing with non-essentials isn't ideal. Perhaps he'll be more suited to covers.
I said pretty much the same thing on the 2000AD Facebook page. A new Brian Bolland, if you like.
Quote from: norton canes on 28 April, 2023, 02:50:24 PMThere's already a lot of competition for cover of the year. I will say though, this one has everything that the normally impeccable Cliff Robinson's slightly static Rogue cover the other week didn't
Well, I mean there's good competition for runner-up. *hugs Prog 2317 print*
That's just amazing. One of the all-time great covers, maybe.
What was Ken Niemand's beef with Manco anyway? I missed that bit of gossip. And I'm from small-town Ireland so I really need to know.
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 30 April, 2023, 11:17:38 AMThat's just amazing. One of the all-time great covers, maybe.
What was Ken Niemand's beef with Manco anyway? I missed that bit of gossip. And I'm from small-town Ireland so I really need to know.
Basically, he's extremely slow, and wastes time on unnecessary side projects, like redesigning the Lawmaster. The story he wrote that Manco drew had to be cut from 7 episodes to 6 to 4, just to get it finished. Same thing with the final episode of Slaine having to be delayed for three weeks because he hadn't completed it in time. I suspect that like Bolland, he is better off doing covers or one-shots in future.
Die Laughing springs to mind... thanks for filling me in, though. I remember when Bisley was a regular in the Megazine - his Sláine stuff was truly a revolution in comic art, but he certainly knew how to sacrifice quality for speed too.
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 30 April, 2023, 04:32:10 PMhe certainly knew how to sacrifice quality for speed too.
I remember hearing that with 'Judgement on Gotham', he pencilled the whole thing right through, but then shuffled the pages before starting to paint them... which is brilliant, because it means that all the deadline-crunch pages aren't in the last quarter of the book.
Now that's using your loaf. I have to say, though, Judgement on Gotham didn't look rushed at all to me. Not quite up there with his best stuff but brilliant all the same.
B/W Cover:
(https://scontent-jnb1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/343658438_561981446056742_4432950079007955549_n.jpg?stp=cp6_dst-jpg&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=dbeb18&_nc_ohc=PfOmvt3utRMAX8pxtuc&_nc_ht=scontent-jnb1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAC3em6hAhKzeo0vfJ8BaRekfE7eNdJH5pUJ-lrTq-7fg&oe=6455308F)
Well goshdamnit - this one has arrived BUT I've not had 2329 yet... what to do, what to do. Everytime (well almost) I ring for a replacement the late Prog lands a couple of days later...
A quick intro by Tharg, which confirms the FCBD will be a Harlem Heroes reboot, along with reprint of Pandora and Full Tilt. Dredd is a nice one-off by Edginton (it's been a while), which could act as the start of something (although, given Edginton's Prog history, we might need to wait a decade for a follow-up).
The letters page is an interesting one, with two letters digging into perceived issues with the way in which series are constructed. Personally, I agree with Tharg at the end – old series didn't always ease you in at any point either. Any long-running strip is going to have some kind of on-ramp. I do wonder, though, if there's space for certain strips to have some kind of intro episode (or a one-pager). The Order might have benefitted from that. (Durham Red, though, just needs In The Prog and you're up and running.)
Anyway, a Future Shock is next, which I thought was great. Funny stuff, and topical too, what with THE HANDS. Red was also excellent, with a suitably creepy big bad and some properly explosive action. I suspect this one will read really well when collected.
Enemy Earth is a dollop of exposition (which works well and has some good moments) while setting up the next journey. Again, it tonally feels off for Regened, but I'm enjoying it more as the story progresses. And then Rogue finishes things off, with a quite talky episode that nudges things on a notch.
In all, I thought there was a lot to like here. Everything was at least good, and next week we've got The Out briefly returning. Top stuff, Tharg!
Durham Red > Future Shock > Rogue > Dredd > Earth, but everything easily to the left of the barrier of meh. 5/5.
Wow. What's better than getting a letter published in the prog? Two letters in the next Input agreeing with you! And not just agreeing, but emphasising your point in a far more eloquent manner. Props to either of the letter writers if they're on the board here.
I hope I still get my zarjaz graphic novel despite fomenting dissatisfaction among the Squaxx.
And if that wasn't enough of a shock we get a Future Shock where the biggest shock is who it's written by. As a fan of all things TARDIS related it was a complete surprise to see the name of long-time Doctor Who critic Elizabeth Sandifer on the credits and she turns in a good effort, written with great economy and sly humour. In fact the only non-shock was that it turned out in the end there was a problem related to talons (sorry non-Who people, that'll take far too long to explain)
Rogue Trooper and Durham Red absolutely firing on all cylinders right now - amazing stuff, from the action to the humour... perfect. A nice Dredd too. Even Enemy Earth perks up with a more character-driven instalment.
And the cover's not bad either!
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 02 May, 2023, 02:51:02 PMDredd is a nice one-off by Edginton (it's been a while)
Thargnote: See prog 2327
Ha! Fair enough. But my broader point remains. Big, big gaps between his output sometimes, which robs them of any momentum.
Extraordinary cover by Manco.
Has to be cover of the year, despite some stiff competition already in the bag.
Prog so-so for me, only really enjoyed Dredd and Rogue this week.
Well not a bad prog overall but this run still feels like it might miss a beat or two. I am sure that The Out will remedy those missing beats and hopefully it is more than just a single episode.
Dredd – A decent once-off which ends more in a setup to maybe something bigger.
Shock – Not a bad first attempt with a slightly different angle on conspiracies.
Durham Red – This episode is all about the main antagonist and the story is setting up a confrontation with Red.
Enemy Earth – Wow, this is the first time that I can day that an EE episode was not too bad. Even the art felt more structured with at least all characters not looking like ugly dudes.
Rogue Trooper – The story has really moved forward, and we are still very much in the dark where mister Ennis is going with it. Goddard's art is continuing to lead the story. If Rebellion is thinking of doing a re-image of Charley's War you have to artists. Really enjoying the overall story and still leader in the pack.
I'm going to say this and move on I know folks love the cover but its nowhere near as good as Patrick Goddard's work inside. There said it, I know it books the tread but...
Anyway
Dredd so last weeks (well three weekis ago I'm on catch up!) was set up for a future story a, so is the Dredd in this Prog. Stop that already. Tell us a story. Don't care if its good tell us a story, don't just set up your next big story. Lovely art mind.
I feel thick as I didn't really get the Future Shock. Sorry! Its clearly just me.
Durham Red and Rogue - gosh I've got three reviews to write tonight and I don't think I'm going to say much more than these two are just brilliant in any of them. Both thrills are top draw! Same repetition for Enemy Earth - its fine, no more no less.
So yeah the loose of The Order means this is a drop in quality overall but still not a bad Prog.
Any subbers still waiting for this? No sign north of the border.
I felt like this Dredd might be a callback to another story where some kind of alien lifeform was coming ashore at a dock, and was reminiscent of the the Replicators from Stargate.
Am I remembering a dream, or a Dredd story?
Enemy Earth
It's nice to get an episode that isn't just "thing is going to kill us - cliffhanger". I like the slower pace of this one. The way in which the dad is introduced is odd, though - it feels forced in a way that lots of slow-paced television shows are. You know when you're thinking "character A knows a key bit of information that they're not telling character B - but if they just told them then it would help solve the problem". And the only reason they're not telling them is to service the story, which feels off.
Like, why doesn't Zoe immediately tell Jules that his dad has rescued them? Because the story wanted a tease-reveal on the next page. Why doesn't Zoe tell Robert that Jessica is a cannibal that was planning on murdering her and Jules?