Prog 1796: Normal to the Max

[DrJomster]

Pleasantly surprised at how well the Max re-intro is being handled in Lenny Zero. Sometimes these "and here's a character from the 80's I'm bringing back" schticks really don't work for me (Sherman for example) but Mr Diggle has his ticking along quite nicely. Mr Willsher is doing fine work on the art duties too, he really is.

A quick shout out for the Holden/Carroll Dredd while I'm typing. Thank Tharg for a post DoC story that actually feels post DoC! I'm starting to think PJ's Dredd art is getting its own identity quite nicely and could become one of THE iconic looks in due course.

[TordelBack]

Another strong Prog, not quite up there with last week's, maybe.

Cover: Lovely image from Willsher, fair tugged at the old nostalgia strings when I saw it.

Dredd: A somewhat cluttered ending to a really excellent story, and the first episode I've had any sort of niggles about at all. 

Basically I feel that events on the last two pages really needed more space, and despite PJ's confident storytelling the two parallel sequences, and the denouement, could have use something to clearly distinguish them - maybe a colour cue between the bottom and top of the block, and another for the calmer moments of the aftermath.  I also didn't get the impression that Dolman had been injured until the last panel (although that he would be was obvious), and Dredd's hand was mysteriously healed, even before he sent someone to help the legless judge, which seemed... odd. 

Leaving aside why Easter didn't just shoot Dolman after he hobbled her man, I couldn't understand why Maxell deferred to Dolman, and indeed why he was there at all - he seemed totally passive and surplus to requirements, and his little accident could have been dumped to allow the climax to play out in more considered fashion.   

Still, that was a bonzer little epic, very well done to all concerned.  I don't think Mike has quite knocked Al off the  current number 2 podium, but he's only one or two emotionally-engaging tales away.  I'm always saying this, but the stable of non-Wagner Dredd writers has never been stronger, not in the whole history of the strip. 

Red Seas:  Nice conclusion, even if it does dredge up some unhappy Dr Who memories, some good surprise turns and Yeowell at his very best.  Liked this a lot.

Aquila: There's no point me commenting on this, like Flesh! before it, it's pure green kryptonite for my inner pedant.  Hell, I even like the lettering.  Do you hear me, Tharg?  This is what I like, and plenty of it.

Ichabod: Love the design of the beasties, and really enjoying how this is ramping up now.

Lenny Zero:  Yeah, this is how you do it - witty, well-balanced and dense.  Again, I'm not sure that the post-DoC setting was a good idea, despite Diggle's manful attempts to make it fit.  This series really is Willsher's moment - streets ahead of anything he's produced for us so far, the greytones solidifying his figures and his cheeky design sense running wild.  Great to see Max play his part.  Lenny gets the coveted Top Banana this week.

[Taryn Tailz]

Should any of you be interested in reading my ramblings on this Prog then the review is now up on the Brit Cit Reviews blog:

http://britcitreviews.wordpress.com/2012/08/20/prog-1796-normal-to-the-max/

[maryanddavid]

Lenny Zero, love it, Ive said it before, Willshers art is just brilliant, he is fast becoming one of my 2000ad favourites.
All the rest were enjoyable too, special mention to Aquila, a new story and its top of the prog for me, and please Tharg, please give Mike Carrol his own series. He has delivered the goods on Dredd, once upon a time writers had to prove themselves before the Dredd gig was handed. Mike has done it backwards, and done it well.

David

[The Sherman Kid]

Pleasantly surprised at how well the Max re-intro is being handled in Lenny Zero. Sometimes these "and here's a character from the 80's I'm bringing back" schticks really don't work for me (Sherman for example)

Wash your mouth out

SHERMAN WILL RETURN!

[BPP]

Just read this prog, don't want to be negative but I think this Dredd story has been terrible. The action has been totally confusing, the characterisation just B-movie 'A-team' fare and the stuff with the shooting of Dredd's handcuffs just well, kiddie-comic. Couldn't understand who was where in the last episode at all, took about 3 reads to get Dolman goes up the Gravity-well (yeah, with all those rocks, more A-team logic). Worst of all it relied on added too many unrealistic implausibles for no purpose - Dolman shooting the judge in the leg without any come-back, that was unnecessary, unlikely and would have had different consequences 'in reality'. Here its just superfluous unrealistic 'cool'. It reminded me of the same problems the California Babylon story from a while back.I know MC reads these boards and I don't want this to seem as an attack but I just don't get it and I hope its seen as fair enough to explain why. I certainly wont be repeating it ad nasueam like some creators have to endure. Maybe its just me.

However - the ending of (pt 2?) episode with all the boots appearing, that was great, very visual flare to show so little of them but ramp up the menace, and the 'arrest yourselves' line was excellent too.

Everything else in the Prog was top dollar.

[PsychoGoatee]

So happy to see Max Normal back. It seems like anything I want to happen will happen eventually in 2000AD, might take years, but they'll try anything.