Brilliant debut of new series Ordinary by Rob Williams and D'Israeli, as well as a three page feature about how it all came about. I am really interested in seeing how this story plays out. It is already the best new series since Lilly MacKenzie (whatever happened to that?).
Some good Henry Flint art too, on the new Dredd strip.
[Edited to set correct issue number—IP]
Regarding Lilly MacKenzie, Si Fraser has started a new series over at his website which should hopefully find its way here on more familiar ground!
http://activatecomix.com/117.comic
By the way Richard, any Dreddlines this issue?
It already feels like a new magazine to me, and I've only read half of it. Ordinary starts well, as you'd expect, and I'd happily read the rest immediately. Movie Dredd is something I'd like to see continue, on the evidence of part one, although Dredd's a bit more verbose than in the movie.
Yeah. Fine Meg. Thoroughly enjoyed all the strips; still working through the features, but Gordon always gives good interview. Lovely thumbs-up for Dept of Monsterology from Tharg hisself, too. (By curious coincidence, I'm doing all the press prep on #2 today — there's a PDF exporting in the background as I type this!)
Excellent work from all concerned.
Cheers!
Jim
For the first time in a long while I'm seriously tempted to start buying the Meg again...
So I take it no Dreddlines then?
Where's B'man when you need him? :(
He's on holiday and he's eating lots of food ;)
There is a Dreddlines.
Best meg for a long time :)
What's the reprint?
Beyond Zero is the bundled reprint.
Wednesday my love, hasten to mine arms.
QuoteBeyond Zero is the bundled reprint.
Interesting. I just read Night Zero last night, and while it was not Shakespeare, I liked it more then I expected.
Quote from: The Adventurer on 16 September, 2013, 01:49:04 AM
QuoteBeyond Zero is the bundled reprint.
Interesting. I just read Night Zero last night, and while it was not Shakespeare, I liked it more then I expected.
Snap. I'll take this.
As the price gap between digital and physical is narrow enough for me to not give a damn, I'm sticking with buying the Meg from Smiths rather than digitally.
Quote from: Mabs on 14 September, 2013, 06:01:31 PM
Regarding Lilly MacKenzie, Si Fraser has started a new series over at his website which should hopefully find its way here on more familiar ground!
http://activatecomix.com/117.comic
By the way Richard, any Dreddlines this issue?
Thanks mabs, didn't know that had kicked orf, loverly stuff, speaking of which...
An excellent Meg, if you're wobbling about buying this get stuck in, every story is a beezer, the text stuff is at the top of its game and the letters page doesn't suffer the usual drivel from the comic jocks:Proudhuff and Step Hen
Quote from: Proudhuff on 16 September, 2013, 03:29:37 PM
Quote from: Mabs on 14 September, 2013, 06:01:31 PM
Regarding Lilly MacKenzie, Si Fraser has started a new series over at his website which should hopefully find its way here on more familiar ground!
http://activatecomix.com/117.comic
By the way Richard, any Dreddlines this issue?
Thanks mabs, didn't know that had kicked orf, loverly stuff, speaking of which...
An excellent Meg, if you're wobbling about buying this get stuck in, every story is a beezer, the text stuff is at the top of its game and the letters page doesn't suffer the usual drivel from the comic jocks:Proudhuff and Step Hen
My pleasure, Proudhuff. The new series of Lilly MacKenzie is a marvellous read thus far and I can't wait to read the rest of Simon's story! As for the Meg I'm just counting the days/ hours before I can get my hands on it especially judging from all you guys' positive words on it. The reason why I'm asking about the dreddlines is because I sent in a letter, and was hoping to see it published this month! but even if it doesn't, I'm still looking forward to a cracking Meg! :-)
The Dreddliners are:
Ian Hewitt, Ciaran Duke, Darla Sands and Jim Stewart Evens.
Elsewhere Pj Holden is heading towards Shakey Kaneville, Colin McNeil gets to indulge his WWI interests with In3 hitting trench warfare, Mr Flint ticks all the boxes in Wyatt?'s Dredd movie aftermath and GRennie is at his entertaining best talking to that tall chappie and ordinary is, well anything but. The cover is cracking and the ad on the back has a judge sans pot belly, always a good start.
Thanks Proudhuff, unfortunately my names not up there amongst that lucky lot..... :(
Still, roll on Wednesday! :)
Great Meg; not a bum note. Like the homage to the original [spoiler]Bank Raid story[/spoiler] and the use of [spoiler]ricochet[/spoiler] in DREDD: Underbelly.
excellent Anderson too, well done Mr Wyatt?.
With this one PJ is fast becoming one of my fave Dredd artists. Couple of panels in this one are fucking gorgeous and totally sum up the character. Class stuff
Quote from: bluemeanie on 19 September, 2013, 12:34:31 AM
With this one PJ is fast becoming one of my fave Dredd artists. Couple of panels in this one are fucking gorgeous and totally sum up the character. Class stuff
Couldn't agree more. It's a fun-packed mag and I was eager to get on and read the rest, but I found myself going back to the Dredd again and again just looking at individual panels. De la Cruz's ink-washy colours work perfectly with the style of linework too. The whole thing reminded me of Gibson's Dredd at its absolute peak, circa Full Mental Jacket. Loved it.
Wow.What a Meg! I absolutely loved it! My anticipation leading up to its purchase was at breaking point, so desperate was I to get my hands on it. And after taking my time reading it from cover to cover, it's everything I hoped it would be. That's also including the floppy 'Beyond Zero' but more of that later. First things first, the cover. I had already gotten a taster prior to buying it (I think it was on Empire Online where I first glimpsed it). But even then, Pye and Sam Gretton's work here is really great, and it needed to be seeing as we had the the debut of the new Dredd comic sequel starting within its pages. I love the fact Dredd's face is hidden in darkness, with some blood splattered on the glass. You immediately get the feeling this will be an uncompromising, thrilling strip much like the movie.
Judge Dredd: Nurture ends this issue and I really enjoyed it. Rob Williams script was superb, very exciting and hard-boiled, and P.J Holden's artwork was magnificent. He is fast becoming one of my favourite artists in the Meg and 2000ad. I love his rendering of Dredd especially, that shot of him outside the confines of the panels on page 9 was excellent. Eva De La Cruz's colouring is simply irresistable to behold and complements the artwork beautifully. I loved Cruz's work on The Ghostship Mathematica and here it is equally as great. There's some interesting developments in the story with Hershey's clone going walkabout, and a strong ending too. You can see the stress Hershey is under, her decisions and their implications.
Gordon Rennie was up next, getting interrogated by Molcher. It was an interesting read, and very informative on a writer whom I admire greatly. I wish we can see him back in the prog.....with more Absalom! I'm also looking forward to reading his new comic, Dept. of Monsterology with P.J Holden and Jim Campbell, which was covered too in 'New Comics'. Also looking forward to the prologue to said comic in the next Meg!
Insurrection III is slowly drawing to an end. I really enjoyed this months instalment. There's a feeling of dread and foreboding, tinged with a little sadness in regards to the situation in which Luther Karel and his men find themselves in. They face possible death against the Zhind and yet they still march forward. Karel and Simeon's little talk was the highlight for me, resulting in Karel removing his mask and laying bare the scars of war. Dan Abnett's script is simply fantastic, a pleasure to read. And Colin MacNeil's artwork is a thing of beauty. That last panel, "Liberty", wow.
Up next was a new strip which I had been looking forward to reading ever since I heard about it here on this very forum; 'Ordinary'.....and it was an absolute blast! The opening with our protagonist, plumber Michael Fisher dreaming of a meeting with Hollywood vixen Scarlett Johannson was really funny. Even in dreams women just wanna be friends with him, not lovers! We are soon introduced to Michael's world, present day New York where Samoan gangster's hassle him for owed money, and even old lady's look at him funny. But everything soon changes - literally, beginning with old lady and his friend. Something extraordinary starts happening before his bewildered eyes! This was a magnificent opening and I absolutely loved it! Rob Williams script was witty and engaging, and D'Israeli's artwork was outstanding! The colouring was maybe a little reminiscent of the U.S comics, was it intentional? Probably but who cares, I lapped it all up, the art, colour, script with joyous gusto! On this evidence, I cannot wait for more. And oh yeah, that last panel was mindbogglingly good - reminding me of Dustin Hoffman's now immortal line in Midnight Cowboy; "Hey, I'm walking here!"
Dreddlines which followed was a nice read (I was hoping to see my letter printed, but alas, it wasn't. Oh well...). It's great seeing letters from American readers. There was one letter from Jim in Harlow, who cited a "call for an end to the mini graphic novels", I completely disagreed with that. I love the floppies, they're a part of the reason why I love the Meg, they also serve as a great way to read strips which I know very little about. And some of the floppies have been real gems over the last year, such as Night Zero, Finn, Ratfink and others. Dreddlines is followed with a nice piece by David Baillie on the creation of Ordinary.
And finally we have Dredd: Underbelly! I really enjoyed this opening issue, finally we're seeing the muties which (minus Anderson) we saw very little of in the film, although they were alluded to via the graffiti. Arthur Wyatt's script set things up nicely, with a topical angle to it in my view, such as the modern day slavery which we are witnessing today through the sex trade. Henry Flint's artwork is superb as usual; I'm really glad he came on board after his terrific work on the Dredd prologue story last year. I did have one small qualm though and it was the way that Dredd was represented. If you look to last years strip, Dredd looks very much like Karl Urban. But here he seems to have grown a rather large chin. You can say it is Judge Dredd afterall, but I would've liked to have seen the Urban Dredd. But that's a small niggle, overall it was great stuff and I loved the look of Anderson. More of the same please next month!
So in conclusion, a marvellous Meg indeed. There was not a single bum note, I loved everything this month, from the strips to the features. So well done to everyone involved in putting it together.
As for the floppy 'Beyond Zero', well what can I say?........I drokking loved it!
(http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m560/Nexus-wookie/20130919_210401.jpg)
Night Zero was great fun a few months back, I was raving about it on here, but Beyond Zero is quite possibly better! Better storytelling from the late John Brosnan and even better artwork from Kev Hopgood. Part of the reason why I had such fun with this story were the characters. There was of course our hero Tanner, but we were also joined by Gut 8; a cyborg clone of Arnie/Sly and a feisty feminist female robot, Risa. All three are tasked with (or rather duped into) going beyond the domed safety of the city to find out what lies outside. It's a dangerous place (quite like the Cursed Earth) where they encounter large talking cats, gun wielding robots, and an all female warrior race from Minerva. John Brosnan's script is full of laugh out loud moments, there's practically a laugh on every page, mainly involving Risa or Tanner's dry humour. But Gut 8's incessant pestering with Adoria (an attractive Minervan) for a 'good time' was really funny too. In the end our heroes face off against not one, but two bad guys and Tanner gets to settle an old score with his foe, Nemo! Kev's black and white artwork was a joy to behold, after reading the floppy I held it in my hands as if in possession of something truly special, that's how much fun I had with the story. And Night Zero/ Beyond Zero is the perfect example of why I hold the floppy in such high regard. I really hope we get to see 'Below Zero' in the near future too. Also, why aren't we seeing Kev's artwork in the prog/ Meg right now? The guy is a talented genius in my books,
And so was John Brosnan, who we'll agree, is sorely missed. Thank you John for a fine comic strip!
Judge Dredd Megazine 5/5
Beyond Zero 5/5
Quote from: Mabs on 20 September, 2013, 01:55:17 AM
I did have one small qualm though and it was the way that Dredd was represented. If you look to last years strip, Dredd looks very much like Karl Urban. But here he seems to have grown a rather large chin. You can say it is Judge Dredd afterall, but I would've liked to have seen the Urban Dredd.
They can't use Karl Urban's likeness without his permission which may complicate things as towards payment, right to script and art approval etc. Better to keep it simple.
Oh is it? I didn't know that Joe, thanks!
Last two megs have been the best in an age. Ordinary is great from the off. Strong issue.
I've been vocal in my dislike of a couple of scripts in the Prog recently so I'm delighted to say I devoured the Meg in one sitting - an absolutely brilliant issue! Top marks all round.
I didn't think it was possible for an actor/celeb to copyright their likeness in the UK? That said, using Urban's likeness would certainly complicate distribution in territories where he can do so, and possibly also piss him off, which would be unwelcome, given what an excellent ambassador he's been for both the film and comic.
Cheers
Jim
I wonder. If you asked Karl Urban I'd imagine he'd give his permission sans payment.
Probably the harder part is to make Dredd stand out among other judges in sequential art sans chin.
I loved the meg and the collection this month. Glad they keep this up. I am probably the only one who misses the movie reviews but ho-hum. Rennie was an interesting interview, wish they'd touched more on his Black Library work. However my biggest upset was that it pretty much confirmed no Caballistics Inc, which I thought was down to a pretty petty reason - two novels using the characters. Spin off prose brings comic down right as it hits its major arc? Drock it Rennie, don't be such a spug. Especially in the same interview where he shrugs off using Satanus. Of course there are differences and I can understand his reticence, that maybe it just killed his enthusiasm - maybe those Caballistic novels are really terrible and break the canon in all kinds of ways? - but Caballistics was one of the strips that got me into the prog proper after years of reading around it via trades.
Excellent Meg all round especially the cover and Dredd Underbelly with a nice premise and set up. Stonkingly good reads and art in all the strips. Haven't read Beyond Zero yet so looking forward to it.
Quote from: Theblazeuk on 21 September, 2013, 09:59:22 AM
I wonder. If you asked Karl Urban I'd imagine he'd give his permission sans payment.
And I imagine his agent might have something to say about that.
If people are making money from this strip - and that's certainly its intention - why should anyone waive a hard-won right to control the use of their image in it?
It's not something that bothers me - really, you're only seeing half a face anyway.
I thought the whole reasoning behind Dredd's chin was to make him more identifiable in headshots, maybe they could have split the difference - or maybe they were just playing it safe to avoid any potential problems.
The difference between last year's prequel and Underbelly is that his agent would likely have negotiated rights for his likeness to be used for that, but not necessarily for anything following.
Not saying I dislike the representation in Underbelly but couldn't Mr Urban shout his agent down if he felt inclined? I always thought having one was a bit of a double edged sword.
Quote from: Steve Green on 21 September, 2013, 12:37:39 PM
The difference between last year's prequel and Underbelly is that his agent would likely have negotiated rights for his likeness to be used for that, but not necessarily for anything following.
I don't know for sure but Lionsgate may well have paid for that as part of their marketing just like they did with the Comic-Cover-Creator (https://www.facebook.com/dreddthemovie/app_292592487514614).
That was a nice idea - shame the artwork was less than stellar.
QuoteIf people are making money from this strip - and that's certainly its intention - why should anyone waive a hard-won right to control the use of their image in it?
Because some things are worth more than money? This particular strip's intention is to further the Dredd movie-verse. Which would ultimately bring him more money in the end.
Anyway it's all armchair wondering anyway, whether its naive hopefulness or mercenary cynicism.
Please forgive me but I still don't quite get the end to 'Nurture', can anyone enlighten me?
My brain isn't quite as sharp as it once was......
Quote from: Pioneer on 21 September, 2013, 10:14:28 PM
Please forgive me but I still don't quite get the end to 'Nurture', can anyone enlighten me?
My brain isn't quite as sharp as it once was......
Well as far as I know,[spoiler] Hershey's clone was 'terminated' via a chip inside its/her head. Hershey had it put in as a fail safe. Of course Dredd isn't that happy seeing as the clone killed quite a few of his fellow Judges and he didn't know about this implant. He wanted to see the clone terminated earlier, but Hershey resisted. [/spoiler]The moral of the story? Dredd is always right (well 99.9% of the time!).
Quote from: Theblazeuk on 21 September, 2013, 09:38:04 PM
Because some things are worth more than money? This particular strip's intention is to further the Dredd movie-verse. Which would ultimately bring him more money in the end.
I think it manages that with or without an approximation of Karl Urban's lower-faced scowl. At the end of the day it's still Judge Dredd which is what all this is about, isn't it?
[quote
Well as far as I know,[spoiler] Hershey's clone was 'terminated' via a chip inside its/her head. Hershey had it put in as a fail safe. Of course Dredd isn't that happy seeing as the clone killed quite a few of his fellow Judges and he didn't know about this implant. He wanted to see the clone terminated earlier, but Hershey resisted. [/spoiler]The moral of the story? Dredd is always right (well 99.9% of the time!).
[/quote]
Cool thanks for your answer, although I kind of got all that. It's just strange for Hershey's last line to be "I wanted to know who was controlling them" when we never actually find out who it was. To be left open ended for a follow up perhaps? All a bit Judda isn't it...
I was actually a bit confused on the ending of Nurture as well. Outside of the obvious. I think we're suppose to take away that [spoiler]the Clone's creator is most definitely dead. Since the Clone was expecting to find her creator at the location she went to. If he wasn't there it must mean he died on Chaos Day. The story ends so quick it really kind of hard to be certain that's what Williams was going for. I think the moral of the story is less 'Dredd's Always Right' and more 'Hershey is a bit more ruthless these days'. In that she didn't really have any affection for her clone. She just wanted to be sure the clone's creator was gone for good. Which seems to be the case.[/spoiler]
Yeah, I do hope we see a follow up- it'll be really interesting. I really enjoyed the storyline.
Hershey and cloning is an interesting topic. The creation of the female Dredd 'clone' and the bizarre policy of hiding their own origins from cadets would have taken place under her watch, and in The Talented Mayor Ambrose Rico visits a cloning facility where he is told that Hershey had greatly accelerated the judicial cloning programme. McGruder was big on robots (and flying sharks), Hershey on clones, So while I'd find it hard to believe that there aren't other Hershey clones on the force already, it was good to see her face to face with one aspect of her own enthusiasm.
I'd certainly read the ending of Nurture as very open: it could be that the cloner died randomly along with a third of a billion other folk, or it could just be that he wasn't at the rendezvous because he had no way of knowing that one of his creations was out and about. It's a useful
[continued] ...thread to leave dangling either way.
wasn't Hershey out of favour for a while? that could have put an end to any clone prog with her in it
Unfortunately I am all over the place with my Prog/Meg reading at the moment but I thought I would just put a quick post to say what a fantastic Meg this one is. I think I prefer the Meg with four stories and when this means double dredd, insurrection and fab new story ordinary, then I am very happy indeed. Chuck in a Beyond Zero floppy and this becomes the best Meg of the year.
There are a couple of issues though - like others, I thought the end to Nurture was particularly abrupt and given the page count this has had over the 2 progs, not that much really happenned. I hope this will be expanded on in the future but for now, I am left a bit :-*. Insurrection is a story that has been a little up and down. I enjoyed this one but it seems to jump about a bit too much between episodes which makes it hard to follow. As soon as I get get to grips with what is happenning, we seem to shoot off somewhere else.
All said though, this is a very good Meg.
Meg is very strong at the moment. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I usually dip in and out of reading it but read the whole thing almost in one go. Some cracking Dredd panels by PJ. Underbelly excellent. Ordinary fantastic. Beyond Zero as someone (I think) said earlier is like a great B-movie. Caused me a few laugh out louds.
Very enjoyable Meg, which seems to be on an upwards climb over the last few months.
Entertaining strips but why we have to see yet more 'Red Shirt' Judges I do not know. Also the using of the Lawgiver by means of a severed hand ::)
Real Life's been busy so in major catch up mode... However I've just read this Meg and it was brilliant! Stronger than the prog in fact! Great work all, loved it. I don't want to repeat all the gushing praise above but will give a shout out for the PJ Dredd on the top left of page 5. Very nice indeed!