Prog 1934 - Warp Factor Ten!

[Tjm86]

This has to be the most appropriate tag line this year.  For a jumping on point  all the stops have definitely been pulled out, anyone who fails to be turned to the tooth by this is past saving, that is all I can say.

Davies' cover is a stunner for a start, twisted even for him.

Great to see Macneil back on Dredd again and a nice start to this tale by Carroll.  Glad to see him doing what he does best, focusing on the supporting characters in Dredd's world.

Absalom's back.  About blessed time, that's all I can say.  The art is definitely worth a closer look, like the graffiti in Newcastle.

Slaine, not quite my cup of tea but Mills and Davies pull me back in.

And then there is Helium.  Anything with Edginton and Disraeli is always worth a look.  Despite some brief similarities with Leviathan in places it starts off nicely.  Looking forward to seeing where this is going.  Also gets my vote for quote of the week:

"Kids!  They're like stubby half made people that you're not allowed to punch."

[Link Prime]

Was hoping to catch an update on this Prog this morning, cheers.

I'm quite looking forward to seeing the Carroll & MacNeil Droids first creative pairing on Dredd.

Unusual that a Thrill is carrying over to a jump-on Prog.
Anyone have any idea how long this current run on Slaine is due to last?

[JamesC]

The cover's well painted but a little too brown and murky for my taste.

Dredd was really good- sets the story up well with plenty of action.

Absalom was another decent opener. I really like this strip and the art if fantastic.

I skipped Slaine

Helium was really entertaining. I'm not normally a big fan of Edington's - he has great ideas but the plots and characters are often a bit weak in my opinion. Having said that, Constable Hodge seems like a great character. Cautiously optimistic about this one.

[blixab]

Unusual that a Thrill is carrying over to a jump-on Prog.
Anyone have any idea how long this current run on Slaine is due to last?
[/quote]

Two more weeks according to Thargs nerve Centre

[Prodigal2]

Do we know what replaces Slaine?

[I, Cosh]

Yep, really enjoyed this week's Prog. Thought the cover looked better when it had a speech bubble on it, but you can't have everything.

I'm not a massive fan of Carroll's Dredd, but this was a strong opener. Good to see Colin MacNeil back in action too. With the upcoming PJ Maybe story, it seems he's going to be busy.

Great to see Absalom back. Definitely my favourite new Thrill of recent years and the first episode here seems to be right up with the previous. Wonderful art as ever from Mr Trevallion. Surely not Biffa Bacon's first cameo in the Prog?

Slaine carries on much as it has. Too much talking alongside the fountains of gore, but I'm morbidly curious to see Davis' rendition of the sloughing next week.

Ian Edginton's characters always seem to have the same voice - things like the contracted "Y'" for "you" - but I've never been able to work out what accent it's supposed to be. That aside, an enjoyable and extremely pretty start to Helium. This first episode was maybe superficially similar to the last Brass Sun outing, but I'm sure it'll go its own way soon.

Do we know what replaces Slaine?

Think it's ABC Warriors.

[JudgeOiNK!]

Well officially this was never called a jumping on issue by Tharg, just that three new stories began, so while it's a good starting point it's not the best for new readers, with three good but slow starters and Slaine still going.

Judge Dredd: Like all good Dredd stories since I started reading with Prog 1900 (and there hasn't been a bad Dredd story yet!) it sets up the premise nicely, focussing on character and slowly drawing us in.  Will look forward to seeing this develop.

Absalom: Really rather enjoyed this, my first dabbling into his world and I think he'll be an enjoyable character for me, even if I can't help feeling there's a family resemblance to the Crypt Keeper from Tales from the Crypt.

Slaine: This is my first Slaine story and after weeks and weeks of talking and not much else happening I've even found the action episodes rather boring too.  It could just be that because I'm not up to speed on the full thing, and so don't fully understand the background story, that I'm not being reeled in as much as I should.  But now that stuff is happening it just feels like repetitive stuff.  Still, spectacular art though.

Finally, Helium: Not sure if I'm that taken with D'Israeli's artwork on this after my first encounter with him was the superbly crafted Stickleback, but it could grow on me.  Nice setup to the story with the war, the poisonous air, the corruption in the local government, Constable Hodge's past... all-in-all it actually introduces us to quite a bit of potential story threads here.  Good stuff.

(Oooh, Day of Chaos Mega Collection... tempted, tempted...)

[Eamonn Clarke]

[Magnetica]

(Oooh, Day of Chaos Mega Collection... tempted, tempted...)

Tempted isn't the word that comes most readily to mind...more like compulsory...even after having recently borrowed the 4th Faction from my local library, and having the Progs relatively to hand.

[Taryn Tailz]

Looks like Simon Davis is harkening back to his days on "Stone Island" with that cover. Very reminiscent of the monsters he drew for that strip.

[Hawkmumbler]

Quite possibly the single best line up of creative talent since....ages.

Not a single person workin on the prog this week that I don't consider a top ten writer/artist in the peog.

[Hawkmumbler]

Peog? Oh dear....

[Colin YNWA]

What a rip snorter of a Prog, loved it.

Dredd has an action packed opener and I'm excited to see my favourite nonWagner Dredd writer return to characters he's crafted well in the past and team up with an artist I enjoy very much. Great opening to a story I'm quite excited about.

Absalom likewise has blistering opening, followed by a nice intro to our lead, ended with a bit of intrigue. Nicely structured and presented opening.

I really enjoyed Slaine, I know that some people aren't seeing this story building on the great work of Simon Davis' debut (in terms of story, if the art seems as popular as ever) but I'm liking it. Love the way Pat Mills uses the glory of the warp spasm we've all been waiting for as a back drop to another transformation. He knows we just want to see what Davis will do with Slaine warping so he gives us that while he gets on with other things. I think that's smart efficent writing. Adored what Davis did with page 5.

Then we get to the story that's a little hard to work out... well its not, but it is. I mean Helium should surely feel like a pastiche of everything that Ian Edginton has done before. So many motifs are there. Surely he and D'Israeli have done all this before, surely this is tired and dull, a well worn path that feels cliche. A greatest hits collection for a band for whom you have all their albums anyway. BUT you know what its bloody brilliant. Absolutely loved this opening. Again Edginton uses the 10 pages he's graced with to do a lot, but with a deceptively easy pace. He sets his world, he crafts his led and a few support characters, gives us a couple of bits of conflicit to chew on and just like Dredd and Absalom throws in a nice bit of intrigue at the end. It looks devine and it moves with a confidence that I adored. Okay so they might have done all this before, but by God have they been perfecting the art of doing it. Just brilliant.

I'm very, very happy with my Progage this week. Very happy and we have Outlier back next week, which is a very welcome return for me at least. Get in there Tharg.

[Link Prime]

Two more weeks according to Thargs nerve Centre

Ah, cheers.
I guess, as JudgeOINK stated, it wasn't an official jump-on-Prog (next one at 1950 obviously).

I've being dying to see the Carroll Droid's take on The Emerald Isle for years, someone put me out of my misery- Spud Guns?

[Darren Stephens]

Two more weeks according to Thargs nerve Centre

I've being dying to see the Carroll Droid's take on The Emerald Isle for years, someone put me out of my misery- Spud Guns?

[spoiler].......not as yet![/spoiler]