Meg 4.14 - Down with Andreti's Confetti! (AKA Bendatti Vendetta)

[HiEx]

Hmm....disapointing Meg this month. Lots of it I just skipped.

I must say I do not like the 'Spaghetti Vendetta' or whatever it's called. It just does not seem suited to the Meg (or Tooth for that matter). I do not like contemporary action stories in what is supposed to be a science fiction magazine. I could accept Button Man, because of it's great writing and art, but the 'Bernadelli Vendetta' is certainly no Button man whatever it's pretensions.

Lenny Zero, great as always.

The Dredd, Simp story was also fun.

Skipped Durham Red. I've never liked the chracter and although Frazer's art was good, for some reason I just found the story unreadable and completely unintersting.

Hellboy, mildly interesting, but the writing and characterisations seems to lack any real depth. Plus the story takes ages to go anywhere, and in the end not much really happens.

Bad Company - Thank Grud it finishes next month. I've got nothing against it, in fact I think it's a great story, but as I've already go the GNs and read it umpteen times, I have no interest to re-read it yet again ATM. Also, hate the reduced size layout.

Chrono Cops. Great to see this classic again. Love Gibsons art as always.

HiEx

[Mudcrab]

"I could accept Button Man, because of it's great writing and art"

What about Bendattis great writing and art? There's not much difference from Button Man.

"Love Gibsons art as always"

Really? I thought it was Dave Gibbons.

SD Feeling pedantic on a Monday morning.

[Art]

Skipped Durham Red. I've never liked the chracter and although Frazer's art was good, for some reason I just found the story unreadable and completely unintersting.

For me the artworked totally saved that one. I really enjoyed seeing Frazer draw something outside of the bounds of the usual horror cliches he gets stuck with. Though this one did have a few zombie-things in it they mainly kept to the edges of the panel and let Frazer do some stuff that I found artistically quite exciting.

[Oddboy]

Vendetta's probably the best thing in the Meg at the moment!
The current Durham Red series is probably the second best.  Although it doesn't really seem relevant to Red, the stories & art have been very good & highly enjoyable.

The reprint section is wasted on me at the moment (I've got Bad Co & Hellboy seems very dull).  I'm happy to put up with it though if it's helping to keep the Meg afloat, although hopefully this can be phased out eventually.

I didn't think much of the Simp story.  I'm sure 'Simp' was a hobby & not a mental condition, and so this otherwise amusing tale had that niggling irritant undercurrent thoughout.

Lenny Zero was artwise as brilliant as ever, but storywise I thought it a little lacking... not a patch on his previous outings.  Still good, I thought, but...   Well hopefully part II will bring it up to scratch!

Bish-Op's article is great, as always.  Perfectly running alongside my own back prog re-reading: I read The Amazing Maze Dumoir yesterday, & it was good to know the background!

If I had to complain about the Meg, I'd say that it's lacking a mission.  It started out as a comic for stories set in Mega-City One's world.  Stuff like Durham Red & Bandetti Vendetta would be better placed in 2000AD I reckon.  Characters like Anderson, Lenny Zero, Devlin Waugh etc should be kept in the Megazine and away from 2K.

[The Amstor Computer]

Bendatti Vendetta:

Interesting, but I'm not sure it's going to become a fave. It's going to date *very* quickly (and this months reference to September 11th etc.. didn't quite feel right) and I'm not particularly excited by the premise. Still, it's only two episodes in, so it's got some time to prove itself.

Dredd:

Hate the art. Sorry, but it just doesn't cut it for me. As for the story - meh. It feels like a reworking of several old Dredd tales - all of which worked much better. Filler material really, and I don't think there's much excuse for that in a monthly.

Durham Red:

To be honest, I'd prefer it if Red wasn't used in these stories, as they would stand up far better if they weren't burdened with the history of the character. On the plus side, this was certainly the best tale so far (almost feels like it's been ripped straight out of a Japanese legend... anyone know if I'm right?) and Frazer pulls another damn fine showing out of the hat. Hold onto this guy - he's a fucking marvel.

Bad Company:

Still a classic, but like other posters, I've read this too many times now to be overjoyed to have it taking up room in the Meg. Still, this month had a far shorter installment, making more room for...

Hellboy:

Balls to everyone who doesn't like it. Hellboy is a damn good addition to the Meg, and I hope a reprint of other HB tales is on the cards - especially as later tales get better & better.

Chronocops:

What can I say? Utter classic, and one that *hasn't* been reprinted to death. I'd gladly see one or two Alan Moore one-offs reprinted each month - rather that than yet another reprint of a series that I've got 5 or 6 times over.

Lenny Zero:

Good start - if a little bit rushed in places. Jock's B&W artwork is, as always, fantastic. Both he & Frazer are the finest new talent to hit 2000AD & the Megazine for a long time. More work from either would be most welcome.

The Great Thrill-Power Overload:

Hats off to Bish-Op for giving us a brilliant insight into the history of Tooth. If there were any justice, someone would commission him to turn TPO into a full-length book (along the lines of the Action one)

All in all, rather a mixed bag. Some superb stuff alongside some fairly lacklustre strips, but the Meg rolls on in fine form.

Revelation of the month - Carlos Ezquerra on Bad Company. Can't wait to see this in 4.15 :-D

Shite moment of the month - The announcement of what sounds like an interesting new Slaine saga, marred by the announcement that Clint Langley will be handling art duties. Does Pat Mills *really* choose these artists? If so, can someone stop him?

[davidbishop]

Favourite moment in the new Meg:-

The line around the keyring photo noting that it is not actual size. Damn! I need a keyring the size of a plate to stop me losing my keys!

Sad admission: the new Eagle launched in 1982 - not 1983 as stated in TPO. Another correction for the revised, expanded edition - if it ever happens. Fingers crossed...

davidbishop

[Mudcrab]

Bendatti Vendetta:

Yep, did seem a bit quick to have the Twin Towers stuff, but it was only used to highlight the changes in powers that have arisen since then.

I was explaining the story to a mate, about the supply of arms to both sides of conflicts etc. I hadn't said the blokes name yet and before I could he asked, "That'll be some British company yeah?". I wonder why he thought that...

Lenny Zero - Excellent!

Durham Red - Hmm, enjoyable certainly, but not the best.

Dredd - Rather amusing, made me think of Big Brother :o)

Erm, Hellboy, I ain't read any of it yet. Might go back and read it sometime. Doesn't suit the Meg though. Bit too superhero-ish. And the lizard thing> Very lame super villian type thing. I'd rather see more Frank Miller than this.  

[Smiley]

>I'd rather see more Frank Miller than this.

Spooky that. Some of the action scenes in this Meg's Durham Red reminded me a little of Frank Miller, but done better.

[Art]

Spooky that. Some of the action scenes in this Meg's Durham Red reminded me a little of Frank Miller, but done better.

Surely thats should be "Frank Miller, back when he gave a toss".

[Mudcrab]

Very much so, black and white with the odd splash of red. Yep, Frazer's better!

[jont]

 Personaly, I don't mind the Twin Towers stuff and there was a lot of other material in there that could be seen as shocking, the gang rape and rebel killings (in an unnamed African country, is there any reason it was unnamed?)

My only worry is that it turns into a sily espionage romp in the style of Bond (note the arse shot on episode one's splash page). Theres nothing wrong with bond, but let's have some serious work premiering in the Meg.

[HiEx]

A minor complaint, but why in the Simp story is Dredd very clearly shown as using a Lawgiver MK.1 instead of a MK.II?

Oh well, perhaps his MK.II is in the armoury for repair and they only replacement they had on hand to issue him was an old MK.I.

Then again, perhaps artists assigned to draw Dredd should pay more attention to continuity.

HiEx

[Devons Daddy]

Then again, perhaps artists assigned to draw Dredd should pay more attention to continuity.

DETAILS thats what makes us great.its always in the details.
really such errors whilst small are important,
well spotted there old chap. some one get mek quake warmed up will they.
Dredd should be a priveldge for any artist and as such should be limited to only the best, the artists on dredd get the highest possible exposure due to the constant awards it garners each year.
such details are a blemish.
nothing is too small for us on this board to ignore.
:~) sad but true.

[Matt]

I think the Bendatti Vendetta is going to be intelligent than that. It seems to me as though it's going to explore the war against terrorism and open up the theme that seeking & taking revenge is possibly as destructive as flying a passenger jet into the twin towers. I don't we'll be sympathising for either the terrorists or members of Bendatti. I expect to see more pointless blood shed.

[The Amstor Computer]

Hmmm. Good point - it's just that it has the potential to miss the mark badly.
Robbie Morrison has shown himself to be an intelligent writer before (esp. with White Death) but I've seen too many half-arsed attempts to write about terrorism recently to be too hopeful.

Like I said though, we're only two episodes into the story, so it's got time, and I'd be more than happy to be proved wrong.