Prog 2323: The Out

[Southstreeter]

It'd be interesting to see how The Order hangs together on a straight read-through. Red Seas felt like a mess – albeit an intriguing one – due to big gaps and loads of narrative threads. Then I read it in the UC and it came across very well. I hope that'll be the same for The Order, when I get time to do the same.

Think you're right there. I enjoyed The Order UC, and it all made sense. It was possible to get a handle on the characters, some of whom disappear for years in the prog. I'm very much hoping we get a second collection to wrap it up.

[The Corinthian]

I must be alone in finding that The Order has become too much of a straightforward adventure strip in its recent outings.

I miss the timey-wimey stuff from the first four serials, with the sense that we're watching cross-sections of a history-spanning conflict in different time periods. The more recent chase-chase-fight stuff has been a bit more sedate to me, and puts me in mind of Tharg telling Moore and Gibson to tone down the future-slang and tone up the action for Halo Jones Book Two.

[Barrington Boots]

I must be alone in finding that The Order has become too much of a straightforward adventure strip in its recent outings.

I miss the timey-wimey stuff from the first four serials, with the sense that we're watching cross-sections of a history-spanning conflict in different time periods. The more recent chase-chase-fight stuff has been a bit more sedate to me, and puts me in mind of Tharg telling Moore and Gibson to tone down the future-slang and tone up the action for Halo Jones Book Two.

No, I agree with this - the first four series are 100% the best of the series. I wondered if there was a move to get away from this to avoid it becoming too close to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which is a shame as LoEG goes well off the boil and The Order was doing great.
I'm enjoying (mostly) this run of The Order for its pulpy action, but it's certainly not as good as it was.

[Batman's Superior Cousin]

Still waiting for this week's Prog through the letterbox...

[Proudhuff]

I could just cut and paste my recent reviews of progs and delete the tinman stuff, Only Dredd working for me and Vex holding my interest.

[Southstreeter]

The Order has been in danger of falling into the same trap as a lot of other series, such as Slaine, where entire series are basically just one long punch up, with little plot development. I'm pleased to see things resolving themselves finally.

[Magnetica]

I haven't commented much lately, so this is more a review of the recent Prog, than this week's specifically.

Loving Manco's art, but not his depiction of the Judges' uniform or the contemporary looking MC1 - the clothes, the blocks and the cars.

The Out and Proteus Vex surely now take their place in the pantheon of top level thrills of all time.

The Order lost me years ago, so I read it with a level of acceptance of not knowing what is going on.

Pineapples has now finished (I known it's not in this week's Prog) and I'll not miss it, or the ABC Warriors. Which just goes to show how far the quality has dropped off.

[norton canes]

I've put my main comment on the recent state of the prog into an email to the Nerve Centre, so hopefully that'll be addressed by TMO himself.

(Sorry, that sounds right pompous!)

Cute Future Shock, liked it very much. Excellent cover but yeah, the photorealistic Cyd is a bit out of kilter with the way she's depicted in the strip (though not so much this week, funnily).

Loving Owlmask

[broodblik]

On the The Out the first page first panel when Cyd is basically ascending and you see a few aliens arounds her their speech bubbles are they also empty in the printed version?

[Jim_Campbell]

On the The Out the first page first panel when Cyd is basically ascending and you see a few aliens arounds her their speech bubbles are they also empty in the printed version?

I assumed that was deliberate — they're speaking, but Cyd is oblivious.

[broodblik]

That is what I was thinking as well but I just wanna make sure since I we had some previous cases where speech bubbles where missing in the digital versions

[SimonBowland]

Yep - deliberately empty balloons.

[Magnetica]

It's great when the creators take the time to come onto the Forum and answer questions about their work.

[broodblik]

Yep - deliberately empty balloons.

Thank You

[Hawkmumbler]

That will always be the problem with long-running series (especially when its over years) with a lot of characters and plot threads. Should read better in one big volume (hopefully we will be able to get one)

I call this Sticklebacks Folly.