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[Dredd]

Dredd for me was only ok.

Highlight  definitely SinDex. Not sure why people thing this might be the end for them - I certainly didn't read it that way. Big question for me, is will Weld recognise Ray or has she forgotten him?

[The Hunger Games: Catching Fire]

Just watched The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. It was really good, but it just ends. Really just setting up the next one.

Fortunately its waiting for me on Netflix.

[Dredd:]

Dredd: just great. I was worried that the surprise had been spoiled by reading the comments on here, but actually it wasn't. If anything they wrong footed me somewhat.

Cover: just great. For me it just shows that Brendan is far better suited to Bad Company than Rufus. If there is to be more I would much prefer Brendan to do it. Indeed when Brendan and Brett worked together on a strip I could never tell who did what bit.

Defoe: nice wrap up. It's only on this series I have warmed to Leigh Gallagher's art and now he is leaving. Shame. How about Tom Foster as a replacement?


Terro Tale: didn't like the story on any level. Nice art, bit different to his normal style.

I note apart from Dredd every strip was in black and white. I'm only mentioning this as someone recently said some strip was coloured in to avoid having more than a given number in black and white. IIRC it was in reference to Storm Warning over in the Meg.

Yes bringing back characters who have been killed off just weakens the whole thing. Compare and contrast with say Spooks. They regularly killed off major characters with the result that every dicey situation was filled with tension, given the thought that this time someone could die.


At least 2000 AD would never bring back a previously killed off character <choke> <choke>.

I think there were lots of good ideas in this series but they just weren't explored to their full potential to create stories that I found engaging.

I found myself too often looking at the clock at about the 20 minutes in mark and thinking "oh dear do I have to sit through another half hour of this?"

I also thought the tone was strangely jokey at points.

And don't get me started on those Vikings, the baddie in that episode or the sandmen one. Actually no, I will comment on that - it just had too many ideas thrown in which then failed to gell into an interesting story and then just petered out.

As said earlier in the thread "why keep watching something you don't like?" - well I think it is that Dr Who is just so my part of much childhood that it is just ingrained. It does also have some good things in it and I guess those out weigh the boring bits.

[The Hunger Games]

Finally saw the The Hunger Games last night (recorded on Film 4 back in August) after I noticed my good buddy Netflix has parts 2 and 3 (thanks to the new "categories" feature).

This completely passed me by at the time, but you know what I really enjoyed it and am now putting my Stargate Universe viewing on hiatus until I watch these. Don't think I will have time to catch up and go and see part 4 whilst it is still at the cinema though....

Interesting thing for me is the bit about the original stories being based on a song (Going Underground - which we knew given it says so on the first page ) and an album (Killer Watts - which likewise it also says on the first page).


Well it wasn't the first time. I am still in awe today that the entire* Ro-Busters (and I guess by extension also ABC Warriors) was inspired by a (music related) pun.

That Mr Mills eh?

* ok it's the lead characters and I'm guessing they came first but I don't actually know.

Did anyone understand that bit about the first second of the universe?

Having watched the trailer for next week I am almost certain Mardroid is correct in the speculation as to who the hybrid is. And even more so having rewatched the end of the previous episode showing how The Doctor arrived in the teleport in the first place.

Loved the speeding up thinking / slowing down time thing to solve problems.

Best episode in a long time.

[spoiler]
As the original America story illustrates, offering wealthy figures in the arts* sex and/or their heart's desire was a key method of fundraising for the Lorca-Jara cell. Since the sculptor, Kiki Knox, doesn't appear to have been longing for sex in the way Bennet Beeny was, she just wanted a baby.

That removes any tiny doubt about America's motivation for sleeping with Bennet Beeny, as if their meeting while he was kerb crawling and she was dressed as Julia Roberts wasn't confirmation enough.[/spoiler]


* see also the critic, Victor Portnoy, from Fading Of The Light

An interesting perspective, Butch, as always. I hadn't really picked up on that, other than America asking Bennet for money the morning after, but I hadn't noticed that being part of a wider strategy, or Victor Portnoy using the same.  Do you care to elaborate further?

At the risk of a faux pas, I'm going to quote myself:

The Complete Nemesis the Warlock Vol 1.

Can't seem to find a retailer who has this - other than crazy prices on Amazon. Just seen a new one advertised at £812.  Seriously are you kidding me?  Used at £65!!!

Anyway, according to the Thrill Mail today (er yesterday now  ), Rebellion are going to do another print run of this in January. Happy days.

(Will be "interesting" to see how those Amazon prices hold up off the back of that news).

[Dredd.]

Slightly better Prog than last week, due almost entirely to a magnificent Dredd. Really great concept, laugh out load name (OCD indeed!). Great art. I can't remember Patrick Goddard doing Dredd before. The rendition of Dredd himself reminds me of Will Simpson. Plus there is a new take on the bike.  I can't believe Dredd [spoiler]would actual kill that guy so obviously something else is going on. My guess is it is to bring down the OCD. But shouldn't that be the SJS's job?[/spoiler]

The rest - not much to say other than:

Defoe - not sure I understand the Vizzard's motivation in attacking the common man. That they view them as beneath them isn't enough IMO.

Bad Company - yes this was a bit more like how it used to be, but given it is part of this run, that doesn't redeem it. I say that with a heavy heart as it was a really good thrill before.

I watched all of 30 seconds of The Graham Norton show on Friday night. During which Peter Capaldi said [spoiler]"tomorrow's episode is Clara's last".[/spoiler]

Yeah thanks for that.

[spoiler]It was bad enough that the BBC had a big article on the front of their Website the day before the series started about Jenna Coleman leaving the show, but to compound that by telling us the exact episode in which she bows out....[/spoiler]

[spoiler]...well it just destroys any what little dramatic tension there is.[/spoiler]
[spoiler]
Also, so basically Clara lays down her life for a character, who (unless I missed it) was only introduced this week. Emotionally gripping? Er no, not really. [/spoiler]

The Complete Nemesis the Warlock Vol 1.

Can't seem to find a retailer who has this - other than crazy prices on Amazon. Just seen a new one advertised at £812.  Seriously are you kidding me?  Used at £65!!!


Vols 2 and 3 are relatively easy to get hold of though. What is going on??

Anyway luckily a) I have all the original Progs anyway and b) my local library has a couple of copies (and you can renew loads of times).

Anyway - one of the greatest ever comics IMHO. And the art - oh my now good is that?

[Terror Rising]

A bit of a mixed bag this month.

Having recently re-read Terror and Total War in the Mega Collection, Terror Rising seems to be treading a well worn path - terrorist outrage, Dredd investigates, Dredd gets them in the end. The trick is going to be making this different - but the last page hints at that, and hey it Wagner and MacNeil on Dredd, so I guess I should have a bit more faith. It is probably that there have been so many great Dredds in both the Prog and the Meg lately that my expectations are now really really high.

Demon Nic [spoiler]- yeah I thought that Nic and Mercy switched from enemies to being on the same side a bit quick a couple of months ago. Shouldn't have worried.[/spoiler]

Storm Warning - the last couple episodes, read individually left me a bit baffled. It is only I have them both that it makes sense. Still the ending left me a bit flat. But overall I quite liked it and would definitely like to see some more. Really love the art, and if what is said above about the uncoloured vesrsion is true, I would very much like to see that in future.

Lawlesss...nooooooo...can't believe it is taking a break now. This needs to be a (semi) permanent fixture in the Meg.

Text articles. Can't wait to see the documentary. The other two  - skipped mostly (which is very rare for me). Indeed I am rapidly losing interest in those that have only the slightest link to 2000AD or the Meg (and ok  Johnny Red is by Garth Ennis and featured in Battle - but I'm not really that interested).