Meg 455: Fear the Future

[Jim_Campbell]

Having worked with Carlos a bunch of times and with Dan once, I can see clear resemblances between them.

Nonsense! Dan can only dream of growing a moustache as luxuriant and expressive as Carlos'.

[Colin YNWA]

So that was an interesting Meg (also phew didn't think I'd get to read this before the weekend a change of plans means I can).

Dredd - I love Niemand, the art is great. The idea of a Dredd / One Eyed Jack is so obviously brilliant its one you are amazed its not been done before. The way the two have been 'joined' together in a case is smart and intriguing ... and yet... this is just kinda hangin' around doing its thing and not really grabbing for ... well reasons I can't pin down. It should be great... but its not read month to month. I strongly suspect, with all those ingrediants this one will be well served read as one rather in monthly parts, where the ... parts ... just don't gell in my head.

Spector its a nice thrill to have as a marker of one of the greats and I'm glad its here and looking forward to the transition to Dan - for all the sadness that will have - as a signifier of change and passing of a torch. Its effective so far but the robot learning its way in a human world feels a little done. Spector has some 'Neat' vocal tricks but suspect it will take a while to fully engage with them as a character. We'll see how this one develops.

Death Metal Planet is more fun that it has any right to be and first part of a Sheffield double hitter (as I'll learn later in the Meg). The developments for Rosco mean I hope this is as far as this series of series goes as it feels as if things have stretch as much as they naturally, or well unnaturally, should and anymore will defo be too much. Looking forward to how this one wraps up though.

if it does as well as Devlin Waugh we're in for a winner. What a fantastic conclusion as a great way t wrap this... though I'm glad others have said they don't get that bit right at the end though and its not just me being super thick! Great conclusion to a great series and lovely to learn that series artist Rob Richardson comes from the world's greatest city like me and Nick Percival!

Dreadnoughts a sharp, hard opener asking all the right questions. This one's going to be good isn't it.

The rest of the text stuff and the 'floppie' content is... okay.

I'd say, even with up and downs that's a good comic AND we get Lawless next time so it'll be a GREAT comic then!

[A.Cow]

Dreadnoughts [...] I just hope some of the possible foreshadowing here doesn't end up like I think it might. That could be a bit... obvious? Not least given that we have a female lead.

Agreed.  I'm hoping there's something more subtle going on here.

One of my favourite things about Dreddnoughts is the clever way the title works on three different levels:

• As in "Judges should literally fear nothing."
• Comparing the firepower & historical impact of the Judges to the big-gun-wielding battleships that share the same name/meaning.
• As in "Dredd Version Zero"

Quality work, Mr Carroll.  Have been looking forward to this returning sooo much and it hasn't disappointed.

[A.Cow]

Damn you, lack-of-edit-button!  Of course, that should have read Dreadnoughts.

[M.I.K.]

4. Dredd doesn't appear - of Dredd there is nought.

[Barrington Boots]

I don't normally buy the Meg but I'm back next month for Lawless and picked up this issue because I wanted to read Spector.

It's my first one since the floppy was canned and with the reprint material included, it feels very dense. Coming into stories midway or at the end I didn't expect to understand everything but I found the quality very uneven. Dredd and Anderson both enjoyable, Death Metal Planet very unenjoyable and although I was prepared for it to be bad after reading everyone elses comments, I was still surprised by how truly dire Mega City Two was. I liked the Jane Bond, but I do like old comics like that.
Spector and Dreadnoughts superb.

[scrotnig]

Dan Cornwell is a great artist and, although the styles are not the same, as soon as I read he had completed Spector it struck me as being an ideal choice.

I can't explain why. I think it's as simple as I like his work in similar ways to how I like Carlos's.

[Jim_Campbell]

I think it's as simple as I like his work in similar ways to how I like Carlos's.

Leaving aside my (allegedly) humorous reply upthread, I think Gordon's right in as much as Dan has that all-important quality in a capital-G great comic artist that: 1) you can put more or less anything in a script and be confident that he'll deliver, and 2) in every single panel, you'll always know exactly what's going on, and who is doing what, and to whom.

Both those things sound simple and obvious, but they're qualities that are deceptively hard to achieve and a great many artists fail on at least one of those criteria... which was always the foundation (IMO) of Carlos' genius.

[A.Cow]

Any idea why the artwork on the back-page Zenith ad is different to the artwork for the same product on this week's prog?  The Meg art looks unfamiliar; is it from a reprint cover?

[nxylas]

Don't get me wrong, Dan Cornwell is a brilliant artist, I just find his style a lot "cleaner" than Carlos's. I'll be interested to see his take on Spector.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Just going to throw in my two creds on Spector- I love it. Wagner at his best: bit of Dredd, dash of Al's Baby and even a sprinkling of Bogie Man.

It's insanely exciting that we're getting Carlos art we haven't seen before, but heartbreaking that after next issue we never will again.  Still, Dan Cornwell is always excellent.

[Richard]

The Ezquerra pages were in the 2019 Sci-Fi Special.

[JayzusB.Christ]

The Ezquerra pages were in the 2019 Sci-Fi Special.

My mistake! Next week's too?

[Magnetica]

I've noticed something weird about the digital Meg.

The Rob Richardson interview starting on page 56 looks like it was meant to have a double page spread on pages 56 & 57, and 58 & 59 judging by the art. But is the digital Meg the pages don't fall that way.

A quick look at a physical copy reveals the digital Meg is missing a page! An advert.

And indeed the digital Meg is only 131 pages not 132 - it should be an even number.

(And strangely since the Meg changed format to fully bound there seems to be a discrepancy in the page numbering for the articles - they are out by 2.)

[Funt Solo]

I've noticed something weird about the digital Meg.

I'm not sure if it's permanent now, but I have noticed that occasionally with the digital Meg it doesn't quite line up with the published version.

The following digital Megs are missing one or more pages: M415-S, 427, 427-S, 428-S.

-S indicates the floppy.