Saturday Prog for me! Joyous.
Dredd - after a good start last week everything wraps up quickly in a trite and uninteresting fashion. Lovely art from Dan Cornwell, otherwise didn't enjoy this at all. Sorry. Also Dredd himself is totally useless in this story.
Stickleback - Mainly a talky setup episode. Looks great at ever. Having re-read all the previous story I'm really into this again now.
Skip Tracer - Still think this is the best Skip Tracer outing yet and I think the pacing is key here. It's starting to feel more like an old school thrill to me.
Fiends - Gets better every week. Best thing in the Prog atm for me, both for art and writing. I like the guy questioning the existence of [spoiler]trolls[/spoiler] and dragons and talking wolves yet happily accepting vampires. More and more I am doubting the veracity of the narrator but this is terrific.
Hookjaw - Suitably gory but not sure how I feel about the reveal in this episode. Reserving judgement.
Great cover by Dylan Teague.
y'know i was joking about [spoiler]sharko[/spoiler] weeks ago....
The cover by Patrick Goddard and Dylan Teague:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ek7F9PQXIAAuVvh?format=jpg&name=large)
The cover and logo:
(https://i0.wp.com/www.comicon.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2000-ad-2205-1.jpg?resize=768%2C991&ssl=1)
QuoteMore and more I am doubting the veracity of the narrator
Maybe [spoiler]the narrator will turn out to be Constanta, like Kevin Spacey in
The Usual Suspects.[/spoiler]
So, some thoughts and some responses to the OP
Dredd - feels like there are few "interlude" stories - enjoyed this, and think Dredd being useless is increasingly the point?
Stickleback - like the art but when the story [spoiler]refers to events more than ten years in the past [/spoiler](I haven't recently read it all) its a bit of a stretch
Skip Tracer - again like the art but struggling to get a handle on the character over the various stories, each story feels too disconnected from the last - did enjoy them springing the manga makeover on all the people wondering about the art last week though
Fiends - feels like it could be from the Mignola Hellboy universe - but that's a good thing
Hookjaw - interesting concept, glad they [spoiler]took out the idiot who was "controlling" the spirit or whatever it is[/spoiler]
Fine Prog
Dredd ends really well, well except for another needless almost cameo. Art work lovely as ever.
Stickleback puts its pieces in place in quite exquisite fashion. Art work lovely as ever
Skip Tracer another solidly entertaining episode without the question marks as to why its not working, cos here it does. Art work lovely as ever.
Fiends is so perfectly crafted. It feels like a myth and yep the art work is lovely as ever.
Hookjaw plays its cards wonderfully and really pushes its mysteries aside to reveal the horror beneath. Art work is of course... well suitably horrific actually.
And we have a break... now... whyyyyy...
A good prog. We will taking a break as most stories ends on a highlight - good to build up the anticipation and expectations.
Dredd - A good little epilogue to the vents in End of Days. Dredd is taking a backseat here as he is just in it for the ride. So certain elements of EOD are displayed in the last panels so we will get more of them in future Dredd.
Stickelback – This episode is a setup for the final battle to commence all the party members are assembled. Do not forget great art as always
Skip Tracer – The story is now in full swing and the truth off who is who are slowly beginning revealed. Although we might have to wait after the break to get the full picture.
Fiends – The fantasy elements feature heavy in this arc. So far, we had talking wolves, fairies, dragons [spoiler]and now trolls[/spoiler]. This has been a great read with some great imagery to boot. Still I do not trust that priest.
Hook Jaw – The story is now in its full gory swing. [spoiler]The shark looks more like a twisted being half-human half-shark. How do they control the "shark" is the key[/spoiler].
[spoiler]In the Nerve Centre it is mentioned for the next regen prog we will see the return of character which has not been seen since 1983.
My guesstimate is Abelard Snazz but with a lesser probability being Harry Twenty.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler]Or Dan Dare?[/spoiler]
I notice that the Christmas Prog is now on the 2000ad app. I assume this is a mistake.. I have not downloaded it as I am a tightwad who doesn't want to pay for a comic that I hope will be included in my subscription when the proper time comes. It's there for £3.99 at the moment though.
Timothy it is just on pre-order
Quote from: Timothy on 28 October, 2020, 08:16:51 AM
[spoiler]Or Dan Dare?[/spoiler]
That I believe will not happen since we all know whom own the rights to the character
Very happy with the prog at the moment.
Dredd was fun, Black Plague and the Daily Dredd Henry Ford story are two of my absolute favourite classic Dredds, so I'm definitely the target audience for this bit of light nostalgia. I foresee a dimension-hopping spin-off story, but hopefully it doesn't rain on McConville's Department K parade.
Slight pause for some lampshading of Sherlockback's completely villainous behaviour in the first series, and then more beautiful light-filled designs before we return to pretty much where we were at the end of the last series. I love this, but it probably needs to get a move on now.
Skip Tracer continues to be a solid SF adventure, and I'm absolutely loving Teague's colours. Blending the straightforward India storyline with the fate of the Underneath makes for an engaging story, hope it can sustain the current pace.
Fiends is another artistic triumph, but in one way I wish this was about a new character, and not Constanta: it's just too good a story. It's great stuff though, I can easily see TT being stolen away for the next reboot of Conan.
Finally, Hookjaw continues to be the most (only?) pleasant surprise of 2020. I was dreading the big reveal, fearing it could only be a letdown, but it was arsom.
Despite enjoying everything in the current lineup I'm still unreasonably excited to see what next week's Regened brings.
Addendum: Genuine kudos to Goddard and Teague for a non-sexualised Anderson on the cover, despite the BDSM opportunities.
Quote from: TordelBack on 28 October, 2020, 12:52:44 PM
Fiends is another artistic triumph, but in one way I wish this was about a new character, and not Constanta: it's just too good a story. It's great stuff though, I can easily see TT being stolen away for the next reboot of Conan.
I am same line but closer to home, I can TT doing Slaine or even some Aquila. His style on Fiends is something to behold
... that nervous feeling when you're a new poster, say you didn't like this weeks Dredd and everyone else loved it...
Quote from: Barrington Boots on 28 October, 2020, 02:27:44 PM
... that nervous feeling when you're a new poster, say you didn't like this weeks Dredd and everyone else loved it...
We've burnt folks for less. I mean don't get me wrong we've moved on from that all now and the dunking a witch had to stop for folks who like nuBad Company (which was obviously a relief to me as I loved it) but generally I think if you can't accept different options about what srips you do or don't like 2000ad fandom isn't for you.
We've such a board church...
...mind say you don't like Henry Flint and we will track you down... oh we will...
Wait till I start a thread on how much I liked Dry Run.
Quote from: Barrington Boots on 28 October, 2020, 02:27:44 PM
... that nervous feeling when you're a new poster, say you didn't like this weeks Dredd and everyone else loved it...
Fear not, Bazza Boots, I'm in the same boat! I didn't HATE this week's Dredd but didn't expect it to all be over so quickly. And Dredd's big moment of the week is [spoiler]shooting a lame horse[/spoiler]. I look forward to asking you all "who that lad with the big head is and why's he got a talking horse?" in around 100 progs time.
Great Wolf-Dredd pin-up! ARRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOO
Stickleback - still barely hanging on to what's what but do like a many-angled Ancient One, Lovecraftianesque threat. Maybe Zenith can make a cameo?
Skip Tracer - Really good fun again. Fun action and well paced storytelling Skip Skip! Hooray!
Fiends Of The Eastern Front - Maintains it's thrill of the week the status in the this currect run. Again, really well paced in how it's story is unfolding and amazing art to drool over.
Hookjaw - I'm enjoying following it in the same way I "enjoy" following an unfolding news story in the papers. Eager to see whats going to happen next but not taking a great deal of pleasure in finding out. Lovely head crunch though!
Overall, there was no threat of my thrill circuits overloading this week, but I wasn't displeased. Now, can Regened keep up the quality of it's last outing? Find out next prog!
Wait a drokking minute, what are those figures in the background of page two of Stickleback? They're only Ice Warriors, or I'm a Martian's uncle! (Are they in a museum? I forget)
Gorgeous touch of the week in Tiernan Trevallian's Fiends art: the little ding! star where the mercenary knocks the sword from Constanta's hand
Can we have the next instalment of Hookjaw in the Regened prog? Aw can we, Joko Pogo Bogo or whatever your name is, can we please?
I'm with you Barrington....
The bizarre inclusion of relative of old character who promptly [spoiler]pegs it[/spoiler]? It felt like a child playing with the most obscure Dredd action figures they could find in that random way children construct stories....
Quote from: Barrington Boots on 28 October, 2020, 02:27:44 PM
... that nervous feeling when you're a new poster, say you didn't like this weeks Dredd and everyone else loved it...
Amother rather dull prog & with another of those regen progs next week time for me to take a break from 2000AD
How the cover was created:
https://2000ad.com/news/2000-ad-covers-uncovered-the-spider-man-is-having-dredd-anderson-for-dinner-tonight/ (https://2000ad.com/news/2000-ad-covers-uncovered-the-spider-man-is-having-dredd-anderson-for-dinner-tonight/)
The cover before colour was added:
(https://2000ad.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Dredd.Anderson.Cover_.1-copy-709x1024.jpeg)
Oh yeah, forgot to mention how fantastic the cover was.
Dredd - it's fine; I was glad it was lots of small spiders rather than a giant one, I just don't really get into the 'Dredd-versus-giant-scary-monster' strips these days. I'm getting old, I know, but I'll take grim-and-gritty reality with a few sci-fi elements over all-out fantasy in my Dredd any day. I'm not quite on board with Rob's characterisation of Dredd yet - all the 'drokkin's' and 'ain'ts' and being unnecessarily rude to other judges just brings back memories of Ennis's early Dredds a bit too much.
Hookjaw - the reveal is fairly horrible, and I'm glad it isn't [spoiler]a shark spliced with that fecking polar bear[/spoiler]. All the working class, everyday folks mixed with the horror and violence brings Cradlegrave to mind, or, indeed, Action.
Fiends is good stuff, as is Stickleback, where the art is just incredible. I just couldn't get into Skip Tracer in the first series, and I'm afraid I, well, skip Skip every time now.
I always enjoy a short, funny, action-packed Dredd and this was all three.
Skip Tracer is still a miss for me, but you can't win them all. I greatly enjoyed the rest of the prog!
After The Out finished, I did think that perhaps the prog would slip back to being "hit and miss" as it often is when something sensational isn't running.
So, I've been glad to read the prog every week and bask in the glory of this rebooted Hook Jaw- a strip so absolutely and mind-blowingly fantastic, it's in serious competition for my highlight of the year... and yes, obviously The Out will win that unless Slaine comes back with an enormous bang. But to be six weeks in an it only just coming together so wonderfully is a type of storytelling 2000AD hasn't done in too long. That reveal of the creature this week caused an enormous grin to spontaneously erupt upon my face, and I am already resenting Regened next week more than usual. That will end when I read next week's, because I usually enjoy them very much, but today... no, I want more Hook Jaw.
Fiends and Stickleback are both very good- though I'm struggling with Disraeli's style on this one a bit. It's a complicated story made just that little bit more unclear by the rendering.
Skippy has picked up immensely, and is sitting firmly as "a mid-range prog strip".
This week's Dredd was ludicrous. And the death of the magic second horse who seemed to exist solely to get Henry Ford free, was just an offense against storytelling.
SBT
Quote from: norton canes on 28 October, 2020, 06:57:10 PM
Can we have the next instalment of Hookjaw in the Regened prog? Aw can we, Joko Pogo Bogo or whatever your name is, can we please?
The mad thing is, the original Hookjaw was no less gruesome and aimed at the same age-group the Regened prog is.