MEG 296 Guy Davis Dredd

[JAMESCOR]

Finally dropped through the letter box this morning, only really read the Dredd so far and must say Davis for me did not disappoint his style is really suited to Mutants and the Cursed Earth a real highlight for me as not much else in the Meg just now is holding my interest.Hopefully Davis' art will draw in some new readers across the pond and maybe encourage a few more Americans to have a pop at Dredd

[Mikey]

As I've already commented on the spiffing cover, I'll move straight to the stories...

Dredd1 - Outlaw - brilliant! I really thought this was top notch Dredd and Guy Davis evoked a suitably gritty and grim atmosphere for the tale. I'm not familiar with him either, but I'd be happy to see him tackle a few more Cursed Earth yarns. Not sure if that's his usual style, but I dunno if it'd suit the Big Meg quite as much in my book. The ending was brutal, and due to scheduling I think took away from...

Dredd2 - Lost Case. Good stuff! It's really capturing an 'old school' feel without being overtly nostalgic. The series is really channeling what made Dredd so much fun  - logical if bonkers perp showing an aspect of Mega City, bit of background Judge proceedures, Dredd sorts him out and no mistake! But, as I say, the end didn't have quite the same impact due to Outlaw IMO. Minor quibble and top scribbles from Marshall, make me want more B&W from him.

Tempest - full of beans, but didn't entertain me quite so much this issue for some reason. But some intrigue about his origins...[spoiler]SJS perhaps? Ex Sov? Just mentalist?[/spoiler]

Tank Girl - some nice artwork, but I found it hard to work out why I should care about what is happening. IMHO.

I enjoyed the Jesus Redondo interview - yeah, get him back! He's keen and everything! Haven't read the reprint yet, just remembered it actually!

M.

[In Orbit Every Monday]

Hopefully Davis' art will draw in some new readers across the pond and maybe encourage a few more Americans to have a pop at Dredd

Cameron Stewart knows and likes his Dredd.

But then, that's all I know.

http://cameronstewart.blogspot.com/

[locustsofdeath!]

As I turned to the second page of the Lost Case, I was surprised at the naughty word printed in the caption...

...then I realized it was 'flicking', by a hairs' breadth  .



I for one thought Outlaw was a great tale - actually one of my favorites in the Meg ever - story and art wise. But I worry that because of this Rufus business, every time a boarder expresses dissatisfaction with work in the Prog/Meg, it will set off a Creator/Boarder...I don't know what word to use...'spat', maybe? This is the only forum I've been on where the creators interact so regularly with the boarders, and I hope that isn't in jeopardy!

[TordelBack]

I don't know Guy Davis from anything else, but I know I like him on Dredd - very much my 'thing'.  Pairing him with Wagner on a Cursed Earth tale was a great idea...wait, what's that I see in the credits, that was by Rob Williams?  Not Wagner?  Not Ewing, or even Rennie?   Wow, I'm impressed, that was definitely Rob's best Dredd to date, a very neat and memorable take on the old man.

[Jim_Campbell]

 Wow, I'm impressed, that was definitely Rob's best Dredd to date, a very neat and memorable take on the old man.

Yeah, an interesting and somewhat disturbing examination of Dredd's character that manages to feel "right", where some other non-Wagner attempts have, well, not.

Good work from Mr Williams and a splendid art turn from Guy Davis who manages that feat which seems (inexplicably, to me) too difficult for a great many US artists - a solid and convincing depiction of Dredd himself.

Cheers!

Jim

[radiator]

After being so impressed with Out Law, I'm thinking that I'd like to go back and re-examine some of Rob's other Dredd scripts, but I'm struggling to think of any other than the one about Dredd's biographer, which was good if a little too in-jokey.

I think there's also the one about the alien invasion and the explorer bloke with the bandages, am I right? Any others I should look out for?

[Mikey]

Is Outlaw the turning point in the Tour of Duty arc? Dredd was obviously jealous or at least struck by the preacher's autonomy, power and utter conviction to duty. Things that by his own actions Dredd has let go to a certain extent, having grown a conscience over the years.

M

[James Stacey]

Is Outlaw the turning point in the Tour of Duty arc? Dredd was obviously jealous or at least struck by the preacher's autonomy, power and utter conviction to duty. Things that by his own actions Dredd has let go to a certain extent, having grown a conscience over the years.

M

Unlikely unless Mr Wagner suggested it.

[satchmo]

Hopefully Davis' art will draw in some new readers across the pond and maybe encourage a few more Americans to have a pop at Dredd

Cameron Stewart knows and likes his Dredd.

But then, that's all I know.

http://cameronstewart.blogspot.com/

Now that I'd like to see! I hope he sneaks Seaguy and Chubby into a background somewhere if he ever does a Dredd. But then they wouldn't warrant a second look in The Big Meg would they?

I've been a huge fan of Guy Davis for a long time, and I can't wait to read this months Dredd. From what I'm hearing Rob's story is a corker too.

[Tiplodocus]

OUT LAW is top quality Dredd in both script and art.  It's a brave and clever writer who knows that we don't really care about the big creepy mountain monster.

The Lost Case was a bit too trivial to me. Tempest has me wavering 

[TordelBack]

It's a brave and clever writer who knows that we don't really care about the big creepy mountain monster.

That's it exactly.  I also thought that the eye-gouging sequence walked a perfect line between staying within the established limits of Dredd's character and showing us something new about him - literally on the knife edge between 'wrong' and 'same-old' that many scripts fall either side of.  I think the word here is 'deft'.

This strip earned the Meg another month's stay of budgetary execution.

EDIT:  I do have to wonder though... how is the (new to me but apparently) famous and rather fabulous Guy Davis going to attract new readers sealed away in that plastic bag?  Worse, how is the really very fine-looking super-dense production that was this month's Pulp SF pseudo-GN a selling point when there's no way for the uninitiated to even know it's in there?  I see this as a big problem for the Meg.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Not a bad Meg, though I have to say it hasn't been grabbing me by the proverbials* for a long time.  I liked the Dredd but I have to say I'd never heard of Guy Davis before and didn't like the art.  Ah well, each to their own.

The lost case was ok but not up there with all the previous ones - and I've always thought Alan Grant was always a bit too liberal (if that's the right word) with Dredd's death sentences.  i know capital punishment exists in MC1 and all, but the usual Wagner Dredd doesn't often shoot unarmed and restrained perps willy-nilly. 






*bollocks, that is

[Jim_Campbell]

I think the word here is 'deft'.

Tordel is right.

(Just redressing the balance, here, TB. FWIW, though, you are right. Possibly the most interesting non-Wagner Dredd for a very long time.)

Cheers!

Jim

[mogzilla]

davis' art doesnt normally "do it "for me but this worked maybe its cos im an autistic tendency but i didnt like bprd cos the art didnt feel right on a mignola script to me where as fredrego does as demonstrated on the recent hellboy arcs.
i have this problem when i see other artists taking over the reins on an established strip strontium dog being the one springing to mind but saying that colin's work on the dredd /alpha crossover worked !

   Dredd can have different artists take on the world and character and get away with it and as for people being afraid to post their opinions ...dont...just be nice about it ....going back to the whole rufus thing... the meg itself printed some derisive letters about tank girl and if i remember rightly without checking in thrill power overload some of the boss droids were pretty undiplomatic about some other work over the years kim raymond's time on dredd fer example...and i dont actually recall any one slagging rufus' art off just tank girl in general ....the arts great, the "story" less so for me and others...maybe it would have been better recieved in smaller doses? there seemed to be a bit of overkill .

   i would also like to see an end to the film reviews i subscribe to sfx and get all the info i need in there lets see some more creator interviews .

the pulp sci fi gn was a good un this month i missed all of those originally...