Prog 2320 - Birthday Blitz

IndigoPrime · 23 February, 2023, 09:54:42 AM

Nice cover, with the usual grip (MC1 law enforcement apparently all being white men).

Dredd worked for me (despite demographic issues). Sure, there could be some refinement of dialogue. But the premise worked for a one-and-done. The last frame probably would have worked better without the gun flashes.

Joe Pineapples remains awful. Trope city. Rough dialogue (to put it mildly). Another female character seemingly fridged. I guess only the MEN are made of sterner stuff, etc. At least it's quite nice to look at, but this is just bad.

The Out: everything Boots said regarding dealing with a bellend and writing dialogue that sounds like speech.

The Order comes up for air and becomes comprehensible again, and trojan octopus was fun.

Vex continues to excel and, again, nudges ahead of The Out for me.

Vex > Out > Dredd > Order > When Will It End? Two great / One very good / One readable / One dire this week, I think.

nxylas · 23 February, 2023, 11:25:00 AM

Quote from: M.I.K. on 22 February, 2023, 11:53:14 PM
Quote from: Leigh S on 22 February, 2023, 10:39:02 PMI did think about the long gestation of Pineapples potentially making the anti-vax reading a bit of a stretch, but the MMR vaccine nonsense has been alive and well for a good while before Covid - either way, I dont think its a good look for the story to say theres no "killer bugs" and that we should do our own research based on what we feel.

Also, just because the bulk of it may have been written some time ago, doesn't mean there haven't been alterations made to the script since.

If it had been a single line of dialogue, I might have agreed, but it seems too closely integrated into the theme of the story to be a later interpolation. I think it's more likely that Mills had been flirting with anti-vaxx conspiracy theories before Covid, and it was too late to change it.

Art · 23 February, 2023, 05:32:06 PM

IIRC Mills was writing the scripts as the art came in, so some of it may be fairly recent.

nxylas · 23 February, 2023, 06:31:25 PM

Quote from: Art on 23 February, 2023, 05:32:06 PMIIRC Mills was writing the scripts as the art came in, so some of it may be fairly recent.

I know he likes to edit against the art, as does John Wagner, but that just involves making sure that the word balloons and captions match the art. For example, sometimes an artist will split a panel into two, or merge two panels into one, necessitating some minor tweaking. It doesn't usually mean a substantial rewrite.

WhizzBang · 23 February, 2023, 09:32:49 PM

I seem to be alone in this but Joe Pineapples is the second best thing in the prog for me.

The Out should be in second place but I am struggling with this latest story after thoroughly enjoying the previous ones.

Dredd > Joe P. > The Out > Order = Vex

Link Prime · 24 February, 2023, 10:59:22 AM

Quote from: WhizzBang on 23 February, 2023, 09:32:49 PMI seem to be alone in this but Joe Pineapples is the second best thing in the prog for me.

Me too. Killer artwork by Clint always helps of course.

This week I'd go; Proteus Vex / Joe Pineapples / The Out / Dredd / The Order.

norton canes · 24 February, 2023, 01:03:15 PM

Still amazed that anyone would consider Niemand's uber-terse take on Dredd's dialogue 'verbose'. Sure, some of the lines may be a little clunky but that's often the way when you have to include chunks of exp. I mean exposition.

Quote from: Leigh S on 22 February, 2023, 10:39:02 PMThe verboseness I get from Neimands are just some redundancies and repetition or wordy phrases in one or two sentence balloons

To point to a few this week::

"Showing him the ropes as part of his pre-assessment street exp"

"and all the rest of it I havent even told you about yet"

"Wanna lead on this one, with us as your back up?"

These are a bit redundant, yes. And 'exp' seems like such a clumsy little word to pronounce.

Quote from: Jacqusie on 22 February, 2023, 08:29:06 PMI'm really scratching my head as to why 4 judges would kick down the door, fire all their guns at once (at what?) whilst telling the perps to put down their weapons or face erm, the Judges opening fire on their perhaps now injured or already deceased arses...

Firing over their heads as part of the 'suck and awe' tactic, I guess. Or do Lawgivers have a 'blanks' setting? Anyway 'Taking Doors' is a neat concept for a one-shot and executed well, even if the details don't quite click.

Why Tharg, with this seven page Pineapples instalment you are really spoiling us. You shouldn't have. No, really. Does this count as a fridging for Sue?

Imperious stuff from Proteus Vex once again. Have we been told at any point why Midnight Indicating Shame is so damn kick-ass not even her own people can stand up to her? Did I miss an important piece of exp?

norton canes · 24 February, 2023, 01:04:16 PM

Quote from: norton canes on 24 February, 2023, 01:03:15 PMFiring over their heads as part of the 'suck and awe' tactic

Oops...

norton canes · 24 February, 2023, 01:04:53 PM

Blaming the autocorrect

Proudhuff · 24 February, 2023, 01:40:06 PM

Quote from: norton canes on 24 February, 2023, 01:04:16 PM
Quote from: norton canes on 24 February, 2023, 01:03:15 PMFiring over their heads as part of the 'suck and awe' tactic

Oops...

Hahhahaha

Proudhuff · 24 February, 2023, 01:42:45 PM

Quote from: norton canes on 24 February, 2023, 01:03:15 PMDoes this count as a fridging for Sue?

Well she is a Mill's female, soooo

Blue Cactus · 24 February, 2023, 03:52:29 PM

Quote from: norton canes on 24 February, 2023, 01:03:15 PMHave we been told at any point why Midnight Indicating Shame is so damn kick-ass not even her own people can stand up to her? Did I miss an important piece of exp?

I was wondering this myself.

Richard · 24 February, 2023, 06:03:44 PM

Quote from: Jacqusie on 22 February, 2023, 08:29:06 PM
Quote from: Barrington Boots on 22 February, 2023, 02:34:12 PMTuesday Prog!

Dredd – This was an alright Dredd - interesting concept, but not especially funny or exciting in its presentation. Not bad, but not up to the usual Niemand standard imo.

It was a bit clunky for sure. I'm really scratching my head as to why 4 judges would kick down the door, fire all their guns at once (at what?) whilst telling the perps to put down their weapons or face erm, the Judges opening fire on their perhaps now injured or already deceased arses...

A panel isn't always a snapshot in time, sometimes it can illustrate several seconds of action (i.e. the time it takes to say all the dialogue in that panel). Do this panel could be showing the judges kicking in the door, saying stuff and then opening fire when the peeps reach for their guns.

nxylas · 24 February, 2023, 06:27:04 PM

Quote from: Link Prime on 24 February, 2023, 10:59:22 AM
Quote from: WhizzBang on 23 February, 2023, 09:32:49 PMI seem to be alone in this but Joe Pineapples is the second best thing in the prog for me.

Me too. Killer artwork by Clint always helps of course.

I'm finding it a bit all over the place, but there are enough flashes of the old Mills genius to keep me interested. I certainly don't hate it. And, the criticisms in my previous posts in this thread notwithstanding, I found this week's episode one of the stronger ones, with a more coherent theme and storyline than is sometimes the case.

The Corinthian · 26 February, 2023, 05:08:35 PM

Quote from: norton canes on 24 February, 2023, 01:03:15 PMHave we been told at any point why Midnight Indicating Shame is so damn kick-ass not even her own people can stand up to her?

She has the potential to be a queen - and the Hive Regalis queen we've already seen looks quite formidable. And we've already see how go very effectively on the rampage against her own people before, at the end of 'Desire Paths'.