Get Karter!

[DavidXBrunt]

I'll start off by saying that I was originally disappointed that the C.D.'s are going down to one every other month instead of monthly, but if it stops the delays that have been happening in the release of the C.D.'s then it's a good thing. But that isn't really anything to do with the actual C.D. has it?

I'll review it in two parts, the first part a general overview, and then a more SPOILER specific part, so be warned.

From the set-up in 'The Big Shot' and the cover blurb I'd got it into my head that this tale would be more of a gangster story than the family drama that it is. It's actually a relatively sleight story, but one with repurcussions for the characters involved.

It's a change of tone and style from earlier stories, slower and with less scenes. That works this time around because of the story they are telling but I wouldn't want to see too many C.D.'s like this. The link from 'The Big Shot' was appreciated but the tone is so different it was almost jarring, being a follow on from such a fun story, but that said I like the fact that links are being made between the C.D.'s, such as plot threads from 'The Killing Zone' being carried on here. Particularly nice is the fact that they are used in such a way that you don't need to have heard previous C.D.'s.


The regulat cast are fine, they're well in the swing of things by now. The performance I was most interested in though was bound to Trevor Littledale who plays Armitage. I wasn't expecting a John Thaw impersonation, but I'd assumed there'd be touches of Morse and Regan in the performance but it sounded a lot closer to Cary Grant than anyone else. Not a bad Armitage, but like Mark Gatis' Judge Death a valid interpretation, just not close to the way I'd imagined him to sound.

The thing that really grated for me was the score. As background mood setting it was fine, but for some reason when it was used to break scenes up I found it annoying. It also sounded like it was taken from the album 'Now that's what I call background music from a cheap Godfather rip-off movie #42' and make me think of anything but London. Bbut then what would? Chas and Dave play 'Run Dredd Run' in the background?

Overall I enjoyed 'Get Karter!' but would rather tales like this be the exception rather than the rule. And I'd be happy to hear Armitage in another adventure.

SPOILER SPECIFIC STUFF!

DEVONS DADDY LOOK AWAY NOW!

I find it hard to believe that the Judges hospital is bugged, but it's as good a way as any of recapping the dialogue from the end of 'T.B.S.'.

The revelations of Amy's family history are all well and good but wouldn't the Judges have found all this out when she tried to enroll at the academy, or do they not run checks? Now that events have come to an end with Amy I'm not sure whether we'll see her again. Hope so, but any appearance would have to build on the events or what would be the point of the whole C.D.

Oh, and the 'Big Finish Talks Back' section at the end was fun, but felt like a stop gap to lengten the C.D.s running time. At least we get to hear what da Bish sounds like.

Grief but I've gone on. Did anyone read this far? Why you fools, you've wastsed your precious life. You'll never get the time you wasted reading this back!

[Quirkafleeg]

Last night I remembered reading something ages ago. Perhaps in the comic, perhaps in a collection, perhaps the Meg... sometime in the (early?) 90s. Was something like ABC Warriors or Nemesis. Any way there was one bit where a character was writing some sort of report or letter home about him being in Neo/New-Amsterdam and staying in this fleshpot/depraved sink-hole of humanity called The Last Waterhole...

The that struck me at the time was I had been to Amsterdam in 89 and stayed in a ... well 'hotel' might be stretching it... called The Last Waterhole. Rough has hell and on the edge of the red light district with a bar with live music.

At the time I thought it too much of a coincidence that place mentioned in the strip was not inspired by the place I'd stopped in. Anyone got any details to confirm my hazy memory?

When I was back in 'dam a couple of years ago I tried to find the place again but with no luck.

[moly]

thought it was good liked the little talk about by the actors at the end, one think though as you said this is going down to every other month does this mean there not selling? and will probaly be cancelled in the near future ?

[DavidXBrunt]

Well the reason they give is that with all the other ranges they took on too much work when they made this a monthly series. So they are doing this to reduce the workload and make it easier to hit the deadlines.

It's uo to you whether you believe that or not.

[Devons Daddy]

DXB
thankyou
i looked away  and feel great for doing so. first half, as always well written and informative,looking forward to getting my copy soon
thanks. you are a true gentleman.

any one else who is still not on board on these CDs. give them a try. start with the SD one, down to earth DXBs reviews are very accurate . i would not have anything to add or change about the ones he has posted. the CDs are worth the price.