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Messages - Tjm86

#1
Film & TV / Re: Current TV Boxset Addiction
16 March, 2024, 07:01:16 PM
With Jim on this one.  Not read the original source material beyond the first book which I found boring as hell (and this is speaking as someone currently working through the Oxford History of England!)

That said, this aspect of the storyline really didn't gel.  I'm not sure what the writers were thinking at this point. Making sense of the multiple story arcs didn't figure though.

It was up there with Lost as a series that ran out of steam.
#2
Prog / Re: Prog 2374 - A World of His Making!
16 March, 2024, 04:40:48 PM
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 16 March, 2024, 04:37:32 PMWhat are you bribing Tharg/Royal Mail with to get all these Saturday Progs?

Given we're getting our progs (and Meg which is amazing) of a Saturday, it is clear that the bribes are on a randomiser.  ::)
#3
Prog / Re: Prog 2374 - A World of His Making!
16 March, 2024, 04:39:38 PM
I'm with Colin for the most part on this prog.  There's definitely a lot to like about the quality of what we're being given.

Dredd's a cracking, albeit predictable one-shot.  Visitors to MC1 fall foul of the law. We've seen it from dimensional, alien, chronal ... pretty much every type of traveller going.  The city is stark staring bonkers and the Judges top the list.  Currie's artwork though really lifts the piece.  Loving the European vibes with shades of Moebius.

Full Tilt Boogie back on the core issues at play makes a little more sense after the last few weeks.  Well, insofar as we're sat staring at whatever is at the heart of the quest our protagonist has been gulled into.

Now Fall of Deadworld is an interesting one.  As the current run ends we find ourselves faced with issues that start to tie things together.  Ultimately this is about how Deadworld became the world we know from our first exposure to Judge Death.  Necropolis introduced us to the Dark Sisters who have featured significantly in more recent runs.  We see that they are far more significant to Death's development than we were first led to believe.

The 'errant sister, Enomia' is curious.  As the Greek goddess of law, good governance and order, it is curious that she is linked to Phobia and Nausea.  Then again, maybe it is worth considering that ultimately Deadworld is utterly devastated.  After all, the point of the Dark Judges is that they stand as completely opposite to Dredd's perspective and his world.

Certainly this is a series that merits a re-read.  There is a lot that just doesn't seem to work properly for various reasons.  Possibly because so much is going on?

As Colin says, Thistlebone delivers that earie, creepy, mind-alteringly queasy Hammer Horror style as always.  Davis is the perfect choice for this strip although Lee Carter would be a close second after his performance on Cradlegrave.  Where will this land?  Given the penchant of Eglington for rooting this series in deep, dark British mythology, my money is on plenty of blood and gore.

I'd be a little more excited about the return of Rogue Trooper if I knew the creative team but I think that is because we've had some absolutely dire runs over the years.  Here's to hoping it is up there with some of the stronger offerings we've had since they've tried to revise the strip. 

Overall though, this is a cracking prog.
#4
Off Topic / Re: What have I missed?
15 March, 2024, 07:21:57 AM
Nah, pretty boring in all honesty.

(JBC, did you get the tickets to Stonehenge yet?  Know they're only one way and don't worry about luggage, so long as you've got your robes, you'll be fine ...)
#5
Off Topic / Re: This is the News!
15 March, 2024, 07:19:47 AM
Quote from: The Legendary Shark on 14 March, 2024, 07:51:49 PMLorenzo makes an excellent point. Where were people like me while all this was going on in the past?

Personally I didn't really understand the situation, thinking it was some ancient and complicated religious feud I simply wasn't informed enough to comment on beyond the most basic blanket condemnations of human-on-human violence.

On one level this is not a wholly inaccurate understanding.  There certainly is that dimension to this conflict although it has grown inevitably far more complex over time.

There is the small matter of the Crusades to factor in as the massed ranks of European chivalry answered the papal call to 'free the holy lands' (again, this doesn't accurately describe events during this period).

If you skip forward several centuries, quite a bit of the current conflict is rooted in the machinations of the late 19th Century and the post WW1 dismantling of the Ottoman Empire.  This is where Britain really comes into its own as a villain of the piece with its chicanery around many of the nations currently involved in the conflicts and tensions of the region although America and France are equally implicated with their manoeuvring around oil.

Skip forward to the post WW2 decisions in the wake of the Holocaust and you add another layer of challenge.  The establishment of Israel once more as a distinct nation, rejection of a two state solution and general indifference towards Palestinians even among other nations in the region, coupled with the approach of Israel to how it approached Palestinians as well, is arguably the latest phase in this age-old problem.

Another jump to the tail-end of the 20th Century with the Iranian and Iraqi revolutions and the establishment of two nations implacably hostile to Israel ... well, you can guess how that worked out, really.  The obvious hostility of both nations to America, and by default to the nation they sometimes see as America's regional proxy (although in Iran's case there is also a profound thread of Anti-Semitism) has only really been tempered by the decades long feud they were engaged in.

In Iran's case though, taking a leaf out of the Russian and American playbooks, proxy fighting has become the preferred approach over the years.  As a relatively low-cost approach with limited exposure, provisioning 'freedom fighters' and other assorted groups has kept the conflict simmering.

Of course the rather aggressive approach of settler groups in Israel has not helped either.  To argue that this is all the fault of Iranian-backed groups misses this dimension.  In allowing such activity, the Israeli state has given credence to the grievances of groups like Hamas.  As circumstances in places like the Gaza Strip have become increasingly dire, Israel has almost become a recruiting sergeant for its own enemies.

Even this is a gross over-simplification of an insanely complex issue that the greatest political minds of the last few generations have been grappling with.  It is highly doubtful that these issues will resolve themselves shortly.
#6
To be honest I've always preferred V for Vendetta over Watchmen.  The latter seems a bit pretentious at times, trying to do too much and be a bit too clever.  V, on the other hand, is far more nuanced.  Or maybe it is the way that it delves into the unsavoury aspects of the 'great and the good' of our nation.  Peeling back the covers on the hypocrites who claim to be our moral arbiters.  It also seems disturbingly prescient in the current climate.
#7
Books & Comics / Re: Whats everyone reading?
13 March, 2024, 08:00:32 AM
Continuing on the rather peculiar journey through DC's event stories with Zero Hour.  Dan Jurgens is a writer whose popularity / acclaim I've never fully grasped and this one is no exception.  It's definitely not in the same league as Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Storywise it sort of hangs together if you don't pay too much attention to what is going on and just allow yourself to be dragged along. There are references to what are probably relatively current events in the DC Universe at the time but you're dropped right into the story so if you don't have much familiarity with contemporary plot developments it can be a bit baffling.

Artwise it is about average for DC of that era.  Certainly nowhere near the nadir of John Bogdanove on Superman of that time but when you compare it to more recent stuff or some of Marvel's material of the time it is nothing special

Overall a fairly unremarkable piece of work.  If it something that passed you by then you've definitely not missed anything.  As an example of how to do a 'reset event' that doesn't really matter, it is probably a pretty good example, a bit like a lot of the crossover events that the big two have indulged in down through the years.

TLDR: decidedly sub-par piece of work that is probably a good one to forget.
#8
It's a stone cold classic and quite possibly the best stuff to come out of Battle.  The effort Mills put into the scripting is crystal clear.  Colquhoun's artwork is unparalleled.  What's not to love.

As for editions.  Well, leaving aside the omission of the poppy on the one volume, the Titan books are quite possible the best in terms of format but the fact that the artwork has been retouched and colour pages are included makes it hard to ignore the new Rebellion edition.  Now if they had done those as hardbacks I'd have been in like a shot.

I've picked up brodart covers for the set and they take pride of place on the shelves.  All that is missing really is a good quality box set cover.  Then again, for a set that size it would probably need a couple (like the Fantagraphics Peanuts set, 2 books per box for a collection of 26 books ...)
#9
The idea the Asterix jokes work better in French has been around for a long time.  They do work incredibly well in English as well.  If you've not dabbled, they are well worth it just for the sheer anarchy of the strip.  Always fun seeing what happens to the pirates each time they appear.

Just been working slowly through a re-read and they still hold their own really well.  Some of the later books slightly less so and I've not got to the post-Goscinny / Uderzo books yet (not read good things about them and a little bit unsure on that score but we'll see).

Recently gone back to Tin-Tin too as this was another series I dabbled in many moons ago.  Land of the Soviets is a fascinating piece as it is quite a stark contrast to the later books.  Tin-Tin is much more aggressive and gung-ho for a start.
#10
Off Topic / Re: “Truth? You can't handle the truth!”
27 February, 2024, 03:46:17 PM
Quote from: judgeurko on 27 February, 2024, 02:06:51 PMSome real weirdos here

Aye, you don't want to know what some of them get up to with their iPods and a block of Wensleydale!  :o
#11
General / Re: The changing view of an older Squax.
27 February, 2024, 06:57:28 AM
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 26 February, 2024, 02:14:27 PMIt's also interesting to see how different people respond to the old thrills now, either through revisiting them, coming to them fresh, or remembering them nostalgically – rather than actually rereading them. There's a clear contingent of 'why did 2000 AD go woke?', holding up the 1970s comics as a bastion of quality. Then there are long-term fans who have an element of nostalgia in their thinking, but can approach the old comics critically and objectively.

I know what you mean.  There are a lot of old thrills that I still recall from the point of view of my 7 year old self with all the sensibilities that involves.  I think that's why I have such a soft spot for Death Planet, even though it is incredibly hackneyed.  It was one of the earliest stories that I connected with, partially I think because of that cover with the lead character. 

Robo-Hunter just blew my mind with the intricacy of the artwork.  The Verdus Gibson created was an amazing place, it just felt like a rabbit warren.  Then you had the insanely clear artwork of Gibbons and Bolland.  All this at a time when I'd just OD'd on the visuals of the first Star Wars film.

Yet re-reading those strips now it is clear that they've not aged well on some levels.  They were written for the age I and many others readers were at the time.  Some of the best strips are ageless.  Looking at them now there is still something that appeals to current generations at much as to those who first saw them.  Strontium Dog is, to my mind, a good example.  Tapping into that Western Vibe, giving it a Sci-Fi twist and adding in a dose of social commentary.  A lead character that was always a little removed but with a conscience that limited what he would accept ...

Tooth has definitely matured over the years and that has always been its strength.  Old characters have been revisited and occasionally, and with varying degrees of success, reimagined.  New characters have stretched our minds even further.  Even when tales don't quite click, they're still worth the while.
#12
Prog / Re: Prog 2371 - Smash the State
25 February, 2024, 11:23:12 AM
It will be worth the wait, I promise you.
#13
Prog / Re: Prog 2371 - Smash the State
24 February, 2024, 09:24:47 PM
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 24 February, 2024, 07:47:55 PMTjm86: I hope you don't mind, but given the nature of this Prog, I've added a bigger spoiler warning here than usual. broodblik: thanks for the prog image, which I've integrated into Tjm86's post.


Not at all.  I agree completely.  I deliberately avoided saying too much because I didn't want to spoil the impact.  I think I had pretty much the same reaction as you.  It packs a massive punch.

As for getting into a serious discussion about that episode, I would argue that it needs to wait until the physical prog is out and there has been a fair amount of time to process / reflect.
#14
I've recently finished 52 as part of my exploration of DC's 'Crisis' crossovers.  It seems that Infinite Crisis runs into 52, runs into Countdown to Final Crisis, runs into Final Crisis.

It's been fascinating in many respects as the myriad storylines seem to explore the minor characters that inhabit the DCU.  Some of the lead-ins to Infinite Crisis such as the Rann-Thanagar War were well worth the read (but then I've always had a thing for Adam Strange mainly because of the Sci-Fi leanings there).

Not sure about how cheap the individual issues are but the graphic novels are definitely not cheap right now.  In fact since Covid it seems that there has been a real ramp up in asking prices.  I managed to pull together the older 4 volume editions of 52 and Countdown.  There are 2 volume editions as well.  Tracking down decent copies at sensible prices turned out to be quite a challenge.
#15
Prog / Prog 2371 - Smash the State
24 February, 2024, 06:38:58 PM
Hi. Your friendly admin here. I've edited Tjm86's message to start this thread off with a warning. This thread will have major spoilers for Judge Dredd. If you do not want to know before you read your comic, don't continue with this thread.

Robinson's cover is a thing of beauty.  Total chaos and a cracking use of colour to focus attention on what Dredd is about to do.  Teague definitely knows his stuff!



Oh, Thrills of the Future announces the next series of Dreadnoughts over in the Meg!  Happy days.

But on to the prog ...

Judge Dredd: A Better World part 8

Okay, before getting in to this one I think it is fair to say that it deserves a spoiler warning.  A rather substantial event that should not be covered in detail until everyone has had a chance to read it for themselves.  So this is going to be a bit opaque in places.

Williams and Wyatt have upped the tension significantly over the last few weeks and now it explodes.  Flint is given the script he seems to revel in and it looks like he had a field day with this.  From those contrasting early scenes from an innocent child's eyes that are crushed Tianamen Square style to that shocking double page spread that serves as a freeze-frame for that moment, hammering home the impact, then Dredd's reaction and those final scenes ... Flint is the perfect man to represent chaos, to facilitate the flow of the narrative while still leaving the reader struggling with the whiplash of events.

In many respects there was an inevitability to events in this episode.  It is a convention of Dredd that idealism ends up brutally suppressed by the inherent tensions in MC1.  Whether it is the Judges, criminals or external forces, the outcome is always the same.  The question is always where will the blow come from.

There is also a sense of timeliness in this story.  Not that we are quite at the point depicted this week but the growing tensions in our country as populists inflame marginalised groups and jump on bandwagons is a very real issue right now.  The fears about how the mob might act at any moment are pushing politicians and the police in uncomfortable directions. 

Definitely. highlight this week.

Indigo Prime Black Monday Part One

Kek-W and Lee Carter deliver a far more action packed episode.  It certainly has that disjointed, surreal feel to it in terms of script and artwork.  Arguably Carter is one of the best suited of the current crop of artists for this strip and has been for a long time.  I can't think of many that can capture that Burroughs-esque sensibility whilst making things look so believable.

So we have double crossing, betrayal and an impending torture scene with that ultimate question: Duke or Then There Were Three?  Anyone else get the feeling Ken-W is not a Genesis fan?

What is impressive though is that after such a brutal Dredd, this episode still satisfies.

Full Tilt Boogie Book Two Part Five

De Campi, Oxana and De La Cruz have a real challenge living up to the standards of the first two strips then.  To be fair, they do a sterling job.  Ocana's colour palette suits the mood of the narrative; dark, moody and almost oppressive.  The handful of revelations this week actually serve more to raise further questions than provide answers.  It is ironic that are heroine is moving deeper and deeper into mysterious realms since that is precisely the direction of events this week.

FTB has arguably turned into one of the major successes of Regened.  It wears its manga-esque sensibilities lightly whilst fitting neatly in that long history of Tooth strips that push readers' expectations.  De Campi has created a fascinating universe, populated with intriguing creatures and characters.  Not sure where things are going right now but it is becoming far more compelling as we progress.

The Fall of Deadworld Retribution Part Nine

In some respects then it was inevitable that this was going to struggle then.  It is ironic that Ken-W has produced one of the weaker strips this week given what he delivered in IP.  Kendall's artwork is as gloriously disturbing as ever.  Ultimately though it is hard to engage with the confusion of the direction right now.  Where that chaos works admirably in IP, it does less so here.

It was always going to be a challenge to weave the tale of events that led to the lifeless husk Dredd and Anderson encountered all those years ago.  Now that we are bogged down in an alternate version of the Apocalypse War mixed in with Necropolis.  Comments others have made about how things seem to have gotten away from Kek-W are not wholly unreasonable.  It may work after a re-read but as things stand at the moment it is struggling to hold its own against the competition this week.

Thistlebone The Dule Tree Part Eight

This is particularly so when you consider what the prog is rounded out with.  Eglington and Davis continue to weave their Hammer tribute tale in their own inimical style.  Davis' artwork renders the horror spectacularly, conveying such disturbing events with his usual panache.  What is fascinating is how he can combine cartoonish imagery with such perfectly formed figures and scenery so effectively.

As always this tale burns slowly.  Eglington allows events to linger, leaving a palpable sense of dread at what is going to happen next.  Then the pace steps up multiple gears towards the end before delivering the cliff-hanger.

This series is rapidly growing in stature.  The first few tales were impressive enough but this one is shaping up into one to rival Cradlegrave as one of the most effective horror tales in the prog.

I think it is fair to say that as slowly as the year has started, this week marks a serious step up in quality.  There is a fascinating balance of hard-core action, drug-induced mayhem, mystery and horror.  Creative teams are delivering the goods in style and even the weakest is still effective enough to leave readers pondering their judgement.

As we've said so often, the prog has its waves.  The lowest still leaves the competition in the dust but when it starts to pick up we're left in no doubt as to the quality of its output.  I'd make a strong case for this week marking a palpable step change and if it is any indication of where things are heading this year I'd say that we are in for some serious treats.