Prog 1892 : BLOCK PARTY!

[8-Ball]

I concur with James Stacey. It was a lovely gesture.

[Frank]

I'm disappointed it doesn't have the highlighted visor, as per the original. I see no reason why this isn't still the Dredd logo, to be honest. All the others pale next to it.

The only decent version in the archive meant that at that size we used it you wouldn't be able to see it anyway. Also, while it was great to include it this time for Jan, the trouble we had making it work on the page means this is just a one-off.

Thought as much, but it was a fantastic gesture on the part of Rebellion and very much appreciated.

[Apestrife]

Great prog to start the day with

Recent Wagner Dredd been quite dark, and this was welcome. Walter being a loon and burglar dressed up as Death making a visit. Great stuff. Perhaps the Death impersonator will tie into the return of the real deal haha?

Aquila and Black Shuck got some really good hack'n'slash going for themselves. I also hope that Shuck will sounds even more Swenglish in future installments.

[Muon]

The prog seems to be picking up again after a slight lull.

Loved the old school cover and it was great to see the tribute to Jan Shepheard. I'd forgotten how iconic that old design was after not seeing it for a while. That and the old Strontium Dog logo, which I believe Ms. Shepheard also designed, somehow express the essence of 2000 AD to me. As blocky and forbidding as the Mega-City skyline and grittily futuristic, they're logos from a Clash and Pistols future rather than the sheeny Bon Jovi world you might find in American comics.

Dredd was fantastic; the story about the mutant was a little slight and rushed in retrospect. I love Colin MacNeil's distinctive vision on Mega-City One. Whereas other artists cram the page with a colourful supporting cast of Mega-City weirdos (which I also love), MacNeil seems to turn his attention to brooding cityscapes. His streets often seem deserted but somehow they're still full of the character of Mega-City One.

I liked the art in Sinister Dexter. Really atmospheric black and white stuff. I loved how the bar was an exact replica of the one in Edward Hopper's Nighthawks. Same barman, too!

Aquila is great fun. Each episode is packed with information and action without seeming rushed or clunky. I love Leigh Gallagher's detailed art. Each beautifully rendered building and costume makes the world of Ancient Rome a little more real.

Brass Sun became intriguing this week after dragging for a few episodes. The blind watchmaker seemed to be morphing into different scientists but I too wasn't sure who they were. It would have been funny if he'd morphed into Brian Cox. I'm still enjoying this story and I think the seeming lull of the past few weeks will read a lot better in a collected edition. This new insight into the background of this strange universe has the potential to bring what is already a great story to a whole new level.

Black Shuck is ticking on nicely. It seems there's something a little off about the hero: maybe he has dark powers, maybe he's a monster himself...

All in all, the prog seems to be gathering a head of steam again. The return of Jaegir next week will be very welcome, too.

[ZenArcade]

I'm confused, leapt straight to Brass Sun, And we appear to have an old Einstein , a young Einstein. And a Robert Oppenheimer?  Hmmm Z

[Grobbendonk]

Dredd: Loved the cover and the return of Walter. Was I the only one to feel sad at his apparent robo-senility? I loved Young Death, back all those years ago, so it was nice to see Mrs Gunderson and Death reunited (even if it is only in her mind - actually this is a fine farcical set up: Person A pretends to be person B, which convinces person C, except that person C never knew who person B was anyway, which then confuses person A even more. Or something!). It would be great if this was somehow linked with the real return of the Dark Judge.

Sinister Dexter: liked this episode again (like the last one) much more than recent stuff. Not entirely sure why. Maybe its because there is a lot of story in comparison to the pointless shoot outs? Very heavy on the exposition though, but still better than recently. Nice art too. I missed all the Moses story line. Is that him in the last panel?

Aquila: fun stuff - I'm liking the idea that the rise of Christianity was accidental, and caused by diverting a worse prophesy.

Bass Sun: Also verrrry heavy on exposition. I'm a bit dubious when confusing stories get explained by brand new characters that just happen to turn up. But it does help pull the various threads together. Nice to have a change of pallet too.

Black Shuck: Enjoying this. My first thought when the beast came out of the mist was that it was Black Shuck himself. I was wrong... but I too am getting the feeling he's not all he seems.

[Hawkmumbler]

Surely having a lankey git dressed as Sydney running around would make a prime victem for the three stooges. Nothing a little heart attack and dead fluids couldn't fix.

I want to add my praise to the Dredd story. Funny Wagner has been thin on the ground recently and this was just what I was wanting. Paeticularly loved:

[spoiler]Till bot: Your buys come to 377.75 credits.

Walter: Widiculous![/spoiler]

[Muon]

Just saw an earlier comment saying the blind watchmaker in Brass Sun was modeled on Mark Twain and Kurt Vonnegut, and I can see that now I've looked them up on Google images. I initially assumed the white-haired guy was meant to be Einstein. Interesting... And I wonder who the third person is... J.K. Rowling?!?

I forgot to mention it earlier that I liked how Judge Dwedd cracked a smile when Walter mentioned that he's a free robot now. It was kind of funny because Dredd usually just gets irritated with Walter (as any sane person would). Perhaps a subtle little touch to show his character progression? After all the shit he went through trying to change the mutant laws it was probably good to be reminded of a past success that didn't involve killing or arresting people.

[JamesC]

I think Dredd always loved Walter really. Didn't he buy him a new tap for his birthday? I can't imagine Dredd buying anyone else a birthday present.

[SmallBlueThing]

Fabulous Dredd- very, very funny and worthy of all those strips we loved as kids- the same careful balance of humour, horror and wild imagination that I think has been missing for some years. Sinister Dexter looks lovely and did more to move the story on (finally! Even I want the overall plot to speed up a bit, and I LOVE the strip) than the majority of what's been printed this decade. Aquila was okay- it's all a bit religious for my liking, but that's personal taste- the volume of incident, thrills, bloodshed and monsters make it a worthwhile addition to the prog at any rate. Brass Sun has sunk to a new low- I need to read everything published previously to understand a single panel of this week's, which isn't great. When I've done that, my opinion may change, but until then I'm afraid this may get skipped from now on. And Black Shuck, while it looks lovely, just isn't doing anything for me. Maybe I'm reading too much Sword & Sorcery elsewhere at the moment, but it feels like a waste of a fantastic title. A strip called "Black Shuck" should be dripping with British folklore and black dogs a-go-go. This just appears to be Slaine meets Northlanders. A shame.

Nice cover, reminiscent of progs past. Two and a half hits out of five, middling.

SBT

[Alien Goodness]

Just saw an earlier comment saying the blind watchmaker in Brass Sun was modeled on Mark Twain and Kurt Vonnegut, and I can see that now I've looked them up on Google images. I initially assumed the white-haired guy was meant to be Einstein. Interesting... And I wonder who the third person is... J.K. Rowling?!?

I immediately recognised Mark Twain (famous for wearing white suits) and Kurt Vonnegut, but struggled to work out who the middle guy was. Thought he was meant to be another famous author but after a while I came to the conclusion it was J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the inventors of the atom bomb and famous for quoting from the Bhagavad Gita: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."

[Eamonn Clarke]

Mark Twain

[Eamonn Clarke]

Kurt Vonnegut

[Eamonn Clarke]

and?
or Lovecraft?

[JamesC]

I think it would have been a good idea to name the people in the strip.
I'm familiar to some degree with all of these figures but I wouldn't have recognised any of them from a photo.