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Whoops. Apologise for mispelling your name Grant - that's pretty embarrassing!

PM'd you PJ. Fingers crossed!

Just finished it and while its fair to say I'm predisposed to enjoy it, being a fan of War comics particularly those by Garth Ennis this one was a beaut.

I was a little worried at the outset that it'd fall into the cliche of new boy having to prove himself to seasoned vets yet while this was certainly in there it was moved aside well enough and served the purpose of getting us bonded with the characters along with Harding (is that a Mike Harding reference?). I should have trusted him as I should now I have the slight fear that its going to become a fatal last mission yarn. I'm looking forward to finding out that's for sure. Thought that final scene was brillant.

As for the art well not wishing to creep (but what the hey) I loved it. Was particularly fond of the way you changed the tone with the mood. So the light breezey art of the opening mess hall scene, darkening when the conversation turns a bit more grumpy, shall we say, outside then moving even further down with the inflight stuff. Brillant. That inflight stuff does defo remind me of McMahon as I've said before but then so what. Another 'look-a-likie' art wise I got (or imagined) is a couple of shots of the Wellington the double page spread and the first panel when it came under fire kinda reminded me of Bill Sienkiewicz - but that's probably just me reading too much into these things!

Over all bloody good read old chap.

Its second to top of my read pile. I'll post my thoughts tomorrow BUT what I can say now having flicked through it is I was stunned by the two page spread right at the beginning. That sir was pretty incredible.

Also taking Grant's point how much of that drop is in fact due to product not reaching the people who want to buy it thanks to Diamonds poor distribution?

...and to be honest doesn't get too far.

Following on from Grant's great recent work challenging the poor distribution of 2000ad in America Rich Johnson has taken on the crusade and put questions direct to Diamond themselves. To be honest he doesn't get much of an answer to the specific problems Grant's talked about just a blanket 'Nah its been going fine'. Anyway see for yourselves.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/01/17/2000ad-the-usa-diamond-and-bill-schanes/

[if he could dial back on the action a bit and do something more character-based, I'm sure he could write an excellent Dredd epic.

I'd love Ennis to have another crack at Dredd. Hopefully with a little more commitment this time. I enjoyed his early Dredd stuff, while it is often seen as too referencial it showed he could do the character. If he wanted to, and I guess that's the key, he could defo turn in a great Dredd story.

I'm a big fan of the stories you've mentioned. Of coursed Arthur Ransom's was a joy but also I really Grant's ideas were pretty cool. I remember at the the time it felt the direction he was taking Anderson in felt fairly radical. Having read them not to long ago while I don't feel they read as quite as exciting (in terms of direction) they still stand up.

Couldn't find a thread for this bit might have misses? Finished watching it this morning (arh long gone the days when we could easily watch a film in one go) and while there are some issues with low production values and typical schlock horror acting its damned good fun.

It has a funny enough nip at the heels any any number of horror tropes and approached in the right frame of mind is a very enjoyable film.

Doesn't help that Carlos' art is as weak as he ever gets, so much so that the Flint episodes shine by comparison.

Actually yeah great point I meant to mention that. Was it this story that his house fell down around his ears or something?

Well wow, simply wow.

I made a mistake with this. I thought rather than review each story as I go along I'd review the Tsar Wars in one fell swoop. The trouble having got to that point its just seems too bigger prospect, its just so epic in scope. Both in the scale of the events that occur but also in the way it handles and changes Dante's characters. Having read this story after hearing so much about it I was wondering if it could live up to the hype. It does that and more. Having read it I feel I have a far greater understanding of the post 1500 stories I've read and really can't wait to return to them to enjoy them again seen with the depth of affection I have from this character and his co-stars gained by this story arc.

It wasn't quite perfect. Towards the start, in say the first couple of books I wanted a 'war room' scene to set the stage. To give me a sense of the geography of the conflicit rather then just chopping along viewing the war from the perspective of Dante. I except this may have been somewhat stiffling on the flow of the openning but anyone who's read Cerebus' 'High Society' knows how this type of scene can work.

That aside I'd have... no reckon that's about it.

Someone said on this board not thaat long ago that its a shame that when people have reviewed comics of the decade Dante has been ignored. You know what whoever it was (apologise for not remembering who said it or where) was damned right. This is the story of perfect comics. Its 'Charley's War', its Dredd, its simply brillant.

Christ this isn't so much as a review as a gushing exultation but sod it it deserves it. You know I thought there wouldn't be anything that would look the first 4 books of Nemesis square in the eyes and say 'Oh sure you're good but look at me'... I'll know if its the best when I do my planned Dante re-read in a year or two. But the thing is it has a chance.

Just finished 'Vermin Stars' and now even the issues I have with the art seem to have cleared up. Lierally.

Mark Harrison's art in the second book of this series is so much lighter and fresher. Its an absolute joy. This then added to a great Dan Abnett story and we have a winner on our hands. Its great and fair rattles along covering an incredible amount of ground.

Result!

[think]

'Helter Skelter' is my favourite Beatles song. Nowt to do with the strip or my review there of but thought I'd share hey.

Actually go on I'll make a laboured link. The song is such a dramatic exciting ride full of passion. The strip could have been but ended up a little damp. Well that's not fair its was fun and entertaining all the way through. It was clear that Ennis was trying to write a love letter to the early days of 2000ad, yet strangely at the same time his heart didn't quite seem in it. In this 'letter' he express so much more than he managed in the Dredd story

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2009/08/24/garth-ennis-when-2000ad-was-the-future/

I think this is what he was attempted to place in the story and some of the exchanges between Dredd and Kenzie seem to try to explain quite why Dredd is the hard ass he is. To be fair they're pretty good and do a fair job if it the trouble is would Dredd feel the need to make the 'speeches' he does?

That's not the stories biggest problem. For me that lays in the fact that it offers so much yet fairs to quite deliever. Just like Judgement Day the concept is there, all the elements seem to be in place but did doesn't quite come off. The appearance of 'Old One Eye' sums it up best for me. I was so excited to see here in Mega City One, it was a fantastic way to have a brillant romp without having to worry about the consequences. After all who was to say it was the Old One Eye from the dimension Mills wrote about. Perfect. Except she gauges herself and falls asleep. May, kinda, just like Ennis does. He gets all the toys out the box but can't quite decide what to play with and say doesn't really have much fun and before you kow it he's got to out them all back again.

Close but no Stogie.

Well I'm very happy to say I'm back on the Prog. 1666 arrived Thursday and so Friday night and this morning I've been able to catch up. And boy its been fun. Ok we're not up the the highs of the middle of last year yet but its a good enough start, not great but good.

Now Mills and Langley on ABC Warriors, this works, this is great, this looks fantastic. Slaine of late I've really not enjoyed but everything seems so much more in place and suitable.

Dredd this week, even without Wagner was fantastic. A much lighter tone whats just preceeded but thats no back thing. The art is wonder.

Dante feels like a story slowly reaching an end. It lacks some of the shine of the stuff I've just read in the Tsar Wars but its still fantastic and the exchange been Dante and the Tsar was superb.

Ian Edginton's stuff is always just fine with me. Its very rarely superb but on the whole enjoyable. Its also nice that I'm getting more out of this Stickleback story that previous ones. The art on both his strips is superb.

good stuff

Got a few X-Men Pocket Books, which has the Claremont/Cockrum/Byrne classic run.  I'm enjoying them far more now than I did at the time.  Can't stand Wolverine (over-exposed and not really my kind of hero either) but, as just another member of the team, although a little grouchy, he's working pretty well.

I was the other way round (except for not really liking Wolverine which I'm completely with you on). I loved the Cockrum/Byrne Claremont run when I was younger but when I tried to read it again a couple of years ago I found it really hard work. Really hard work. I know it the day it was ground pretty exciting but I didn't think it aged well. To be honest the longer the Claremont run went on the worse it got. I even struggled to get through the John Romita Jr issues which used to be my favourites.