Meg 332 - Slaying Double!

Rio De Fideldo · 17 January, 2013, 10:50:53 PM

Cheers for the heads up. Its my age I'm afraid (38). I struggle to remember what happens in the prog from week to week. Yes deffo my age and my children, constantly stealing my time and filling my head with stupid precious memories instead of cool future facts!

Link Prime · 17 January, 2013, 11:02:59 PM

Loved David Roach's art this month, and the promo for Witch's Promise was great.
Hope we see more of this AAA Droid this year.

NapalmKev · 18 January, 2013, 09:17:51 AM

Quality Meg!

I'm glad that American Reaper has returned, I enjoyed the first part immensely. The story is excellent and the artwork is striking/vibrant to say the least. Best story this month easily!

Regarding the floppies; I appreciate they're inclusion. Sometimes the reprints are of less than stellar tales, but it all comes down to personal taste, and I can't understand why so many of the so-called 'die hard' fans have a problem with them.

If you don't like it - don't buy it! Rather than get all 'Mary Whitehouse' about it! (if I don't like it, nobody should like it).

Cheers

sheldipez · 18 January, 2013, 09:28:49 AM

Quote from: NapalmKev on 18 January, 2013, 09:17:51 AM
Quality Meg!

I'm glad that American Reaper has returned, I enjoyed the first part immensely. The story is excellent and the artwork is striking/vibrant to say the least. Best story this month easily!

Regarding the floppies; I appreciate they're inclusion. Sometimes the reprints are of less than stellar tales, but it all comes down to personal taste, and I can't understand why so many of the so-called 'die hard' fans have a problem with them.

If you don't like it - don't buy it! Rather than get all 'Mary Whitehouse' about it! (if I don't like it, nobody should like it).

Cheers

There's been a lot of grumbling about how bad Disaster 1990 is but I've enjoyed it. A lot of the early 2000ad material hasn't aged well at all (that goes for the Dredd stuff too) but that doesn't make it bad, "Disaster" was good dumb fun IMO. I thought the post-apocalyptic world under water was novel and loved just how dumb some of the ideas were like how the University kept people away with their field of knock out gas.

Hawkmumbler · 18 January, 2013, 09:30:47 AM

I always wondered if the Disaster 1990 universe Bill Savage was the one killed in Armoured Gideon?...

Proudhuff · 18 January, 2013, 10:56:10 AM

Quote from: sheldipez on 18 January, 2013, 09:28:49 AM
Quote from: NapalmKev on 18 January, 2013, 09:17:51 AM
Quality Meg!

I'm glad that American Reaper has returned, I enjoyed the first part immensely. The story is excellent and the artwork is striking/vibrant to say the least. Best story this month easily!

Regarding the floppies; I appreciate they're inclusion. Sometimes the reprints are of less than stellar tales, but it all comes down to personal taste, and I can't understand why so many of the so-called 'die hard' fans have a problem with them.

If you don't like it - don't buy it! Rather than get all 'Mary Whitehouse' about it! (if I don't like it, nobody should like it).

Cheers

There's been a lot of grumbling about how bad Disaster 1990 is but I've enjoyed it. A lot of the early 2000ad material hasn't aged well at all (that goes for the Dredd stuff too) but that doesn't make it bad, "Disaster" was good dumb fun IMO. I thought the post-apocalyptic world under water was novel and loved just how dumb some of the ideas were like how the University kept people away with their field of knock out gas.

Agreed, I found it all really enjoyable and typical of the comics of the time: Defend the city with Swans! Gerrcha type baddies, insanely silly stuff with no regard for geography, if your gonna do this go totally overboard!

vzzbux · 19 January, 2013, 09:57:33 PM

On the front of the floppy it looks like Savage has been visiting Greggs far too often. How many chins?

V

Hawkmumbler · 19 January, 2013, 11:10:37 PM

Quote from: vzzbux on 19 January, 2013, 09:57:33 PM
On the front of the floppy it looks like Savage has been visiting Greggs far too often. How many chins?

V

Pete was a stand in model then.

Art · 20 January, 2013, 03:39:52 AM

Can't fight the Volgs without yer pie and chips.

HubertWindell · 21 January, 2013, 02:51:27 PM

Why does the Sgt. Streetwise thing I can't bring myself to read have to take up 16 pages? (18 if you include the less visually ...um ...experimental intro).

Mabs · 27 January, 2013, 03:32:35 PM

Wow!

I'm not exagarreting when i say that this months Megazine has been the best read since the Dredd Bumper Movie Special (#328). All the strips were rocking big time.

We started off with Judge Dredd: The Pits by Alan Grant and Jon Davis Hunt. It was a really great read involving Old Stoney Face and Judge Anderson, who go after a criminal ring that are stealing dead bodies from the Cursed Earth and selling it on the market as clothing/ fashion accessories! The artwork by Davis-Hunt was superb. The last panel in particular was great, showing poor old Cassandra at the end of her tethers...

Next up was Hondo City Justice: Revenge Of The 47 Ronin Part One; this was my first introduction to Hondo City and i have to say i really enjoyed it. The opening page was outstanding, giving us a glimpse into the history of the 47 ronin in feudal Japan. Robbie Morrison's writing coupled with Mike Collins magnificent artwork (and Cliff Robinson's superb inking) is a match made in Zarjaz heaven. The potrayal of the undead ronin in Hondo City 2135 AD was really cool, especially on page 6 with all their Sandman style speech bubbles and everything. Our protagonist, Judge Inspector Inaba has one hell of a case in her hands, especially where the undead ronin are concerned. Great opening, really looking forward to reading more of this strip.

American Reaper II Part One was up next. Written by Pat Mills and artwork by Cliff Langley and Fay Dalton - it was an absolute blast! I was apprehensive about the story because of the artwork - which is very photoreal, in fact it is possibly real, but my initial reservarions were totally blown away when i read the strip. The story is set in the future, New York 2062. Relating to identity theft wherin victims (mainly young) have their minds and personalities erased and their bodies stolen for rich, ageing/ dying donors. Special agents known as 'Reapers' are tasked with hunting down those that have illegally transplanted their identities, and take them down. It may sound quite far fetched (and believe me i couldn't help but grin when i read about people's consciousness or the 'soul' being transplanted from one person to another), but reading it was a surprise. You almost believed it could happen, and because of the style of the panels it almost felt like i was watching a live action film. Almost. The last couple of pages were really chilling, showing the ruthlessness of people driven by money, youth and long life. Pat Mills may not be firing on all cylinder's in the Prog right now, but here in the pages of the Megazine, he has firmly gotten the attention of this reader here. I cannot wait to read next months instalment.

Judge Dredd: Inversion was the last of the comic strips in this issue, and one i thoroughly enjoyed. But my enjoyment was more down to the outstanding artwork by David Roach. Rendered in black and white with grey tones and nice ink work.

As for the features Interrogation was a fascinating read, not least because Inversion's very own David Roach was under interrogation by Michael Molcher! It was nice finding out about Roach; his love of comics and his background. Such as collecting nearly 90% of British comics from well known ones to the obscure ones with his friend, and archiving them. Not to mention being an comic historian/ author aswell as artist on top of all that!

Some of the shots of his artwork were absolutely breath-taking to behold such as the one on the opening page (see above), which is for an upcoming Dredd tale entitled 'Witch's promise'. The level of detail in that panel is beautiful to behold. It was a great read. Normally i read all the Megazine extra's until last, but this time i read everything from start to finish, which made my reading of the last strip, Inversion - all the more enjoyable knowing that Roach was on artistic duties, and a story he mentions in his article too. That was really great.

Overall the Megazine was a really enjoyable read. In fact more enjoyable than this week's Programme if i'm honest and definitely the best since the Dredd Movie Special.

5/5

Mabs · 27 January, 2013, 03:36:38 PM

An EDIT button, an EDIT button, my kingdom for an EDIT button!

Sorry about the typo's guys...

Dark Jimbo · 27 January, 2013, 03:58:52 PM

I've been meaning to say for a few weeks, Mabs, but I really enjoy your Meg/prog reviews. Always a really good read in themselves with decent, even-handed critique and in-depth analysis. Your enthusiasm for this stuff really shines through and reminds me of when I'd just discovered Tharg's goodies for myself a decade (and a bit) ago and I couldn't say enough good things about it all - it's inspired me to try and be a bit less jaded in my own reviews - I think I've been spoiled by too much of a good thing!

Mabs · 27 January, 2013, 05:13:28 PM

Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 27 January, 2013, 03:58:52 PM
I've been meaning to say for a few weeks, Mabs, but I really enjoy your Meg/prog reviews. Always a really good read in themselves with decent, even-handed critique and in-depth analysis. Your enthusiasm for this stuff really shines through and reminds me of when I'd just discovered Tharg's goodies for myself a decade (and a bit) ago and I couldn't say enough good things about it all - it's inspired me to try and be a bit less jaded in my own reviews - I think I've been spoiled by too much of a good thing!

Thanks Dark Jimbo, really appreciate your kind words! What can i say i just love comics and just can't get enough of it. Since a young age i've devoted a large chunk of my life to it, and ever since i discovered 2000AD/ Judge Dredd Megazine not too long ago, its like a whole new world has been revealed to me. And being a fan especially of sci-fi comics (films and literature also) - its like i've died and gone to Zarjaz heaven!

and what a time to jump on board too with the whole preceding Trifecta storyline and so on - i've been spoiled rotten, lol.

Look forward to posting more on the Prog and Meg.

Cheers!

artdroid Roach · 03 February, 2013, 11:03:41 PM

Quote from: Link Prime on 17 January, 2013, 11:02:59 PM
Loved David Roach's art this month, and the promo for Witch's Promise was great.
Hope we see more of this AAA Droid this year.

Wow- thank you so much Earthlett. It does seem to be my month- with 2 Dredd strips and an interview. I hope to do some more as soon as I can. But, st the risk of sounding a bit out of the loop... what's an AAA Droid?