A pretty good prog - probably my favourite of the year so far.
Having said that, there's a narrowness in the range of styles to both the writing and art which I think is a shame and doesn't play to 2000AD's strength as an anthology. This is probably more noticeable in the art. What excited me as a young reader was that you could have "realistic" artists like Smith or Bolland rubbing shoulders with more "cartoony" artists like Gibson or even highly stylised artists such as O'Neill or Belardinelli. With the writers also seeming to be be making more of the visual potential of comics than I think the prog has done recently, there are some scenes which seem to be crying out for a Weston or a Flint to really bring their full imagination to. That said, all the artists are fine.
Cover: Fine but, as all the regened covers seem to have Cadet Dredd beating up something non-human, nothing special. Would like to see one of the other characters on the cover for a change.
Cadet Dredd. I'm not a fan of the cadet version of Dredd. It's kind of patronising to the regened readers in suggesting that they couldn't handle an adult version of Dredd. Having said that, this is one of the better tales, some neat ideas and a lot of fun.
Lowborn High. There's an odd opening page which I guess serves to connect this episode to others in an arc but which has no connection to anything else. Once that's gone, the story itself is well told and avoids the cliche ending. I do wonder why I'm supposed to root for the main guy though. It's an odd thing to go from watching the news and finding new ways to hate the current P.M. to reading a story where a character who shares so many of his traits is the hero.
Future Shock - there's a neat little universe here which would make a neat series.
Scooter and Jinx - I couldn't recall the set-up for this series? What do the characters do? What kind of creatures are they? Made it difficult to get into the story at first without knowing/recalling these things.
Pandora Perfect - Definite highlight. There's a real craft here in that any of the Pandora stories could have been the pilot episode with everything a new reader needs to know being effortlessly introduced whilst also telling a fast-paced, inventive and humorous story. The characters are very likeable and, in the classic 2000ad way, are not traditional heroes but will do the right thing if need be. Would love to see this take up a semi-permanent residency made up of short tales just Robo-Hunter or Ace Trucking used to.
Cover by Peter Yong:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FV7mYMmWYAAAZO7?format=jpg&name=large)
Cover and Logo:
(https://dyn.media.forbiddenplanet.com/cz5PSEUFFhy2B-e-V2m8ufX9w6E=/trim/fit-in/779x1024/filters:format(webp)/https://media.forbiddenplanet.com/products/81/d9/a96f4136b5992bf25f5ae5521cc53c1037c2.jpeg)
Might be cool to see a different character on the cover of a Regened. Or maybe a montage?
I've no direct insight into Rebellion's reasoning, but I imagine the Dredd covers are for recognition. That and the old logo will snare parents of a certain age, in a manner some random bunch of schoolkids or Pandora would not.
Bit of a mixed bag for me. Dredd still feels like an odd character for a children's comic, given that he has all the charm of Walter the Softie, and the Judges – even in the neutered form here – are fun-loving killjoys. But beyond the basic premise, which still doesn't really work, the strip itself is pretty good, even if it does go a bit overboard explaining everything along the way in countless caption boxes.
Lowborn High would have been better off with a single-page 'previously' to bring people up to speed. The story itself was... I dunno. It's like a B-list Harry Potter with an unlikeable lead we're supposed to root for while his 'friends' knock him into shape? Again, the basic underlying premise feels flawed and at-odds with other children's fare – but in a manner that's almost anti-subversive.
The Future Shock was quite nice, with some great artwork and fun ideas. Then Scooter & Jinx rocked up. I like the art, but it could also have done with a 'previously'. Broadly, I liked this episode, although 1) there's still a weird underlying whiff of sexism in this strip, and 2) the relationship between the leads is entirely unearned. Not bad though.
And then we get Pandora Perfect, which was genuinely funny, had great pace, and honestly showed up how relatively lacking everything else in the issue was.
As a 2000 AD subscriber, I'm OK with this comic. There was as much 'good' stuff in here as in some recent issues (albeit not the better ones) and Pandora remains ace. As a parent, I can see why my almost 8yo struggled with it though. But also, I can see why she wasn't that interested, because the comic just doesn't compare with The Phoenix. I suspect Regened is aiming to be a stepping stone from that comic (although The Phoenix states its target is 7–14, so make of that what you will), but it could take some lessons from it, in terms of pace (add a few one- or two-pagers), tone and storytelling.
The last of those might come with experience. After all, the people behind The Phoenix have years of experience in talking to this specific audience, whereas Rebellion's output has primarily been targeted at adults. When The Phoenix can compress War and Peace into a handful of pages and my kid can understand it, that shows what it's capable of. Regened needs to have a similar level of clarity, to go with some of the things it already does quite well, such as variety and energy.
Pandora Perfect >>>>>>>>> Future Shock > Scooter > Dredd > Lowborn
I'm going to agree with the general consensus on this one. Some good bits ... Dredd was, for my money, one of the better ones they've managed. More 'old-school' Mega City weirdness and chaos than trying to be hip and 'down with the kids' ... Pandora perfect was as bonkers as always. Definitely the highlight. The FS worked well with some nice ideas to spin out given time perhaps? A 3-riller possibly?
Lowborn High really does feel like it's trying too hard. Would be interested to know how it got a second outing given that its first wasn't amazing. This one was such a blatant Potter rip-off its amazing Rowling fans didn't take 5 minutes off from panning Emma Watson to complain. When you consider how lacking in originality the Potter books are ...
Scooter and Jinx is one I definitely don't get either. It's hard to put my finger on it but there just doesn't seem to be anything to it.
Bit of a mediocre offering this time then. Sorry. 8-(
Quote from: Funt Solo on 27 June, 2022, 05:07:36 AM
Might be cool to see a different character on the cover of a Regened. Or maybe a montage?
Yeah but I kinda get why they don't, its a shame though.
Inside what is now a generic Regened cover there's a mixed bag as others have said.
I enjoyed the
Dredd which is curious as I tend to find these work best when they play wth the Dredd, Rico dynamic - I guess they can't all be that and so scraps in the Alien Zoo seem a good, fun way to go. Love the reunion on the final page. In Mega City 1 there's no need to explain if they even want the human to be transmogrified back!
I hate quizzes when it - if you answer mainly A you are... and this one had the answers firmly pastered on. Still nice to see them at least
trying this sort of thing.
Lowborn High was kinda fun. I like the way its not even pretending that its twisting Harry Potter. I really like the fact that after doing that its makes the apparent protagonist such a jerk, after all I think its Maisy we're pulling for. Art is okay, some folks will love it, just the style doesn't quite work for me.
Future Shock is pretty good, like Tom Newell's art and the story is pretty strong.
Scooter and Jinx is just so muh. I'm sure the creators have a sense of what makes these characters matter, aside from being named after a Sonic Youth song, but it just doesn't translate. So this just becomes a load of stuff that seems to happen. Then the lead kiss, for... reasons...
So we have a bum note, a lot of pretty good and then at the end we get the almost perfect
Pandora Perfect in a fantastic pitched, gloriously timed romp of such fun its untrue. Just a delight and its nice to see a strip go back to the regened after graduating to the Prog proper. Hope a couple more can do that.
So pretty decent if not earth shattering. These Regened can be frustratingly close at times!
The last few regen progs has been quite average all readable but unfortunately the trend continues here.
The saving grace are Pandora and the Future Shock. I believe it is time to make Pandora a permanent fixture in the regen it is excellent and works on all levels. Maybe it is time to have a different story becoming the anchor of the regen, Cadet Dredd is "readable" but I am not sure it works for the regen.
So, we will have another regen coming up in a few weeks from now and hopefully it can jump a few levels. Bring back Mayflies and keep Pandora please.
Not much for me in this one at all. Pandora was the obvious highlight both art and storywise with it's nicely defined characters and total mayhem, and not too sanitised either with [spoiler]both chicken and beggar lady meeting sticky ends.[/spoiler]
Beyond that I had a better opinion of Lowborn High than most here so far - looked great, very blatant about it's Potter-ripoff-isms and the Andy / Maisy dynamic looks to be the focus of the strip and as such I think this needs more time to get off the ground. Everything else was very bland. I'm surprised at how much praise the Future Shock has had here though, it seemed overly complex and jargon heavy for a young audience and the tale it was telling. I thought it was cool to see a quiz in there - it wasn't very nuanced but these never are. In my experience kids love these.
I've far less experience than they do in the area of children and childrens comics, but IPs comments ring true about the pacing, tone and clarity of storytelling here.. I still find the Beano and the Phoenix a reasonably fun read, even though they're not pitched at me: they're breezy, chaotic, often surreal and just fun. Regened often feels like a bland slog.
I suppose assume Rebellion know what they're doing and who they're pitching for, and I'm still ok with losing a handful of 'regular' Progs a year if it aids with the comics long term future.
Really struggling to justify buying this. A fiver for one decent strip (based on what I've read of the recurring strips in previous Regened progs) isn't a great return. Got all the Regeneds so far but the last couple only really out of a sense of completism.
B/W Cover:
(https://2000ad.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Cadet-Dredd-Inks-807x1024.jpg)
I read the last panel of the Future Shock and the the first panel of Scooter and Jinx without realising they were different stories. Which suggests firstly the art styles are too similar for adjacent strips and secondly I wasn't really paying attention. Only PP did it for me this time. I did at least get my Brink fix this week by reading nearly purchased Book 4. Look forward to the return of the ongoing story next week!
Honestly surprised that Cadet Dredd strip is getting a pass, I felt like it was easily the weakest one yet.
The story is a bit "meh" and the explanation doesn't make much sense. Why does no-one else in the zoo notice or question the strange new "aliens" appearing? If the perp has at this for some time as it's implied, why is there only one Phearax on display, what happened to the other missing people? Why are the bars on the cages so far apart??
The art was the part I struggled with the most. I actually googled the artist to see if it was their first job or something, but I see Joel Carpenter has plenty of credits including previous Dredd and Tales From The Black Museums, and his older art looks absolutely fine. So I can only assume the colourist took it on themselves to completely ruin it for no good reason.
I also agree that the Future Shock seemed very out of place and I would lay odds it didn't originate as a Regened submission
There is something very off about Lowborn High's weirdly blatant plagiarism, especially at a time when we could do without reminding that anti-trans bigot JK Rowling still exists. The ending where our POV character is saved from actually having to make a moral choice by the intervention of someone else felt like a massive cop-out, but also felt oddly in keeping with the Potter franchise, in which the titular hero is frequently saved from having to make difficult choices by a convenient plot contrivances - could be a meta-comment on how poor the writing is in those books, I suppose...
Quotewe could do without reminding that anti-trans bigot JK Rowling still exists.
That seems a bit over the top. Why don't you have a little lie down?
Quote from: Goosegash on 29 June, 2022, 09:18:19 PMThere is something very off about Lowborn High's weirdly blatant plagiarism, especially at a time when we could do without reminding that anti-trans bigot JK Rowling still exists.
Again, I hate to be
that guy, but calling Rowling a bigot is defamatory and untrue. She holds views in favour of women's rights to which some militant trans rights activists object. She has expressed these views - which are protected speech under the law and are consistent with both UK equality legislation and the broad character of public opinion - reasonably and compassionately, and for that has been targeted for threats and abuse both online and IRL.
Rowling's child fans have also been targeted for online abuse - including being exposed to sexual threats and paedophile imagery - by these same so-called activists. I find it extraordinarily depressing that so many - including you - are willing to side with such obviously evil thugs who have gone to such appalling lengths to smear, intimidate and silence women they disagree with.
So I am very happy to be reminded that she exists and refuses to be intimidated or silenced by the likes of you. The only bigotry here is yours.
Quote from: The Corinthian on 29 June, 2022, 11:43:13 PM
Again, I hate to be that guy, but calling Rowling a bigot is defamatory and untrue.
Rowling has explicitly stated that she regards the definition of women as "people who menstruate" and that's not even true of people who were born biologically female and identify as such. She's tweeted links to a site selling merchandise with explicitly transphobic slogans. Under her (somewhat loaded) Galbraith pseudonym, she published a book about a male serial killer who dresses up as a woman in order to murder women.
Whilst, on the spectrum of TERFery, she's not at the most extreme end, she
absolutely does have form in this area.
(This is neither an endorsement of, nor justification for, any form of harassment or threatening behaviour.)
Please can we draw a line under the JKR stuff on this thread? If not, I'll be slicing it in half and sending it to OT.
This is a pretty strawman argument Corinthian - If you are ssaying that if you are taking a stand on any topic, you have to support the worst elements of that viewpoint is pretty insane.
I like Doctor Who, but dislike Chibnalls run, but I am not Nerdrotic. I like modern2000aD with reservations, but anm not a MAGAverser with a "Not my Tharg" T shirt
I would suggest watching Contrapoints video on this subject as a good starting point to see why a lot of the criticism of JKs stance is justified, without condoning death threats etc.
As for this weeks, the Dredd I could write an essay on. I liked Liam Johnsons previous tale that I think Jake Lynch illustrated? BTW the art here seems like a pale mix of Lynch and Willsher.
The basic idea is solid, but the execution is all over the place, with lots of non sequeter occurrences tht could easily be fixed with a bit of thought.
Low Born High could be great in a Jaws = Hookjaw, One Eyed Jack = Dirty Harry way. It needs to be more savage in being a Working Class version -that would be pure 2000AD - but characters called Adrogeus doesnt really sell me on this being Grange Hill meets Hogwarts.
The rest of the prog hasnt really been read, as with the different artists and creators (for the most part) make it feel like something very different to what I personally am interested in - my bad really.
I do think they should lose the "next week" advert though, for the reasons we discussed at length in the previous thread!
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 30 June, 2022, 07:36:56 AM
Quote from: The Corinthian on 29 June, 2022, 11:43:13 PM
Again, I hate to be that guy, but calling Rowling a bigot is defamatory and untrue.
Rowling has explicitly stated that she regards the definition of women as "people who menstruate" and that's not even true of people who were born biologically female and identify as such. She's tweeted links to a site selling merchandise with explicitly transphobic slogans. Under her (somewhat loaded) Galbraith pseudonym, she published a book about a male serial killer who dresses up as a woman in order to murder women.
Whilst, on the spectrum of TERFery, she's not at the most extreme end, she absolutely does have form in this area.
(This is neither an endorsement of, nor justification for, any form of harassment or threatening behaviour.)
Quote from: The Corinthian on 29 June, 2022, 11:43:13 PM
Quote from: Goosegash on 29 June, 2022, 09:18:19 PMThere is something very off about Lowborn High's weirdly blatant plagiarism, especially at a time when we could do without reminding that anti-trans bigot JK Rowling still exists.
Again, I hate to be that guy, but calling Rowling a bigot is defamatory and untrue. She holds views in favour of women's rights to which some militant trans rights activists object. She has expressed these views - which are protected speech under the law and are consistent with both UK equality legislation and the broad character of public opinion - reasonably and compassionately, and for that has been targeted for threats and abuse both online and IRL.
Rowling's child fans have also been targeted for online abuse - including being exposed to sexual threats and paedophile imagery - by these same so-called activists. I find it extraordinarily depressing that so many - including you - are willing to side with such obviously evil thugs who have gone to such appalling lengths to smear, intimidate and silence women they disagree with.
So I am very happy to be reminded that she exists and refuses to be intimidated or silenced by the likes of you. The only bigotry here is yours.
Unfortunately for you I wasn't born yesterday, pal, and I know the tricks the GC mob use to provoke arguments so they can look like they're "winning" against the evil trans activists.
Let me just emphasise this - "Gender Critical" groups are a dangerous and manipulative cult, and if you've been suckered in by them I pity you, but there's nothing I can do for you, and I'm not going to play their games.
All I'll say if anyone is unclear on what the issues actually are here and why posts like the above are a problem, and also really, really concerning to see start appearing out of nowhere on a forum like this, I'd recommend investing some time into watching either of the videos below. You don't
have to obviously, but it helps to be informed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwI6py78gsI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pTPuoGjQsI
Anyway, sorry Indigo, if you want to shuttle this off to OT, please do.
Pandora Perfect really was the best thing in this prog by a loooooooong way. Dredd was ok but nothing special and the Future Shock was similarly fine. Lowborn High was definitely the low point. The underlying concept of, as Leigh put it, Grange Hill meets Hogwarts isn't terrible and 2000ad has form for this kind of subversion of pop culture. Sadly this is no Skizz. I can't decide if this is a case of not getting it because I'm not the target audience or that it's just a bit naff. Of all the regened strips it's the one I'd least like to see getting a longer run in the regular progs.
Pandora was great though.
Will the Kidz enjoy all the Jean Luc Goddard references in Scooters & Jinx?
Anyway, Pandora great Highborn terrible. Everything else ok.
Skizz is hte perfect comparison - its the plot of ET, but what if that happened in Inner City Birmingham
Set Low Born High in Nechells and it would write itself!
Quote from: sintec on 01 July, 2022, 07:40:51 AM
Lowborn High was definitely the low point. The underlying concept of, as Leigh put it, Grange Hill meets Hogwarts isn't terrible and 2000ad has form for this kind of subversion of pop culture. Sadly this is no Skizz.
Usually a fan of these, but this one was poor
Dredd was okay, but zero cleverness just a bog standard Dredd story
Lowborn High was so Harry Potter rip off it hurt.
The Future Shock was pretty good
Jak and Dexter, I mean Scooter and Jinx was so slow and non fun, yet still better than Peatty's other strip. Can we just send him back to AMerican comic please, as he's not very good at these.
Pandora Perfect was fun, but needed the central premise that Pandora is stupid, and she isn't.
Quote from: Bad City Blue on 01 July, 2022, 11:03:19 PM
Pandora Perfect was fun, but needed the central premise that Pandora is stupid, and she isn't.
I felt more it was a case everything she did went wrong and that is what made it a fun strip
Summary - I get this as a sort of training ground for new talent. That's how it seems, at any rate. Sorry if that's patronizing to the creators. But, it makes it difficult to read. Maybe it needs more close-in editorial steering? I wonder what this would be like if it were five-page stories instead?
The Regened idea of the first FCBD issue focused more on existing properties - it might be interesting to see other creators tackle existing characters. Young Slaine? Flesh: Origins? Maybe this is actually good and I'm too old to get it anymore. The Regened issues are mostly depressing. Sorry. Wish I could report otherwise.
In order of most to least thrilling:
Pandora Perfect - this was just perfect, and stood out head and shoulders above the rest of the comic. A page turner, with real laughs. Makes it all look so easy.
Future Shocks - Into the Void - this was an interesting concept that felt like it could have legs, but then abruptly ended (as you'd expect from a Future Shock).
Cadet Dredd - had to force myself to keep reading this to the end, because it was over on page #3, then again on page #9. Cadet Dredd can't seem to keep his age straight - last time, he seemed not much different in height from his supervisor, then this time he looked ten. That, and the Scooby Doo plotting and dialogue ("and I'd have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for you pesky kids") made this not very good at all. Just reprint The Alien Zoo. It's SO good.
Lowborn High - too many characters, the breadcrumbs at the start didn't take us anywhere, I never got into Harry Potter so I don't like something that's riffing on it, the main character is behaving like his own antagonist and I keep wishing he'd just die (the moping git), everyone is shaped and posed like a supermodel & some of the dialogue seems actually copied and pasted from the HP books. I had to force myself to keep reading.
Scooter & Jinx - another forced read. It's got some pretty poor story-telling. Brink gets away with lots and lots of dialogue because of the nature of its story - really, the dialogue is the story. Here, we keep getting talking heads telling us that things are happening. Just show us! Then, when they do show us, the perspective on the robots is all wonky - they seem giant, then normal sized all of a sudden. And their font is awful unless you zoom it way up. Bah!
"I get this as a sort of training ground for new talent."
Which seems odd to me. I mean, obviously new talent has got to start somewhere but why choose the most high profile and best selling issues of the year to do that? It's like in the '80s when filler would be pumped into the summer special - an issue which would be on the stands for months and get picked up by lots of non-regular readers- why not fill that with the best stuff? That way you've got more chance of enticing new folks into the fold.
Yes make it interesting so that protentional newbies will want to continue
Quote from: Funt Solo on 02 July, 2022, 06:11:04 AMI wonder what this would be like if it were five-page stories instead?
It is curious that 2000 AD has decided to run longer strips in these issues. That is also at odds with what you see in, say, The Phoenix, where the adventure strips are typically five or so pages and surrounded by a lot of much shorter stuff (four-pager Jamie Smart; single-page Squid Bits) to shake up the pace. Again, I can only assume Regened is targeting the upper portion of that age bracket (with Monster Fun at the lower end), but it goes mean some of these stories feel stretched out rather than punchy.
As for the new talent line, that seems to vary issue to issue. The one thing that is interesting is the most consistent strip being Pandora – and Roger Langridge of course has form in all-ages (notably with his hugely under-rated and pitch-perfect Muppets run).
I think Pandora Perfect and Cadet Dredd were both fine, but I didn't like anything else.
Quotewhy is there only one Phearax on display, what happened to the other missing people?
Well on page three there's an alien monkey wearing glasses.
I'm all for Tharg grabbing groats from any passing younglings, but this issue misfired on every available possibility. The Future Shock was to only thing with a bit umph, but it was dangerously close to the old troupe of being stuck in a video game/computer.
Dredd had so many plot holes there wasn't much story left, the ' open gate' seemed a lazy shortcut, oh and Harrypotter High just seemed a pale flashback to Lord Snooty but with prettier art.
I can't help but think some sprog picks up this and the following week picks it up again only to get HOPE in all its S&M glory.