Prog 2367; A New Direction

[broodblik]

This prog feels like an up curve. Good start by the two new stories with a very strong Dredd series.

Dredd – This episode feels very much like a setup episode for the next phase of the story. It looks like Maitland has run out of friends as Dredd is more concerned about catching Major Domo. Good intriguing episode.

3riller – Solid start to the thriller as our hero gets stuck in a time loop. Let's see how this pans out but so far so good.

Full Tilt Boogie – I enjoyed the first series good to see the return of the series. It is still the first episode so let's see how it stacks up to the first one. The last 3 pages are where everything is happening and a lot of ominous signs.

Enemy Earth – Belting forward with more revelations and truths.  Shock in my admission that I enjoyed this 3rd series – so always remember stick to a series it might surprise you. Art is still my biggest gripe.

Thistlebone – Creep as always. Burning this candle slowly as the sign of doom is everywhere.  A combination of great storytelling and as always awesome art from Mr. Davis.

[Woolly]

This is already one of the best Dredds in years. If John Wagner was credited as the writer, I wouldn't question it. Hats off to the Wyatt and Williams droids, they're playing a blinder!
And Henry Flint is untouchable. Much as I love the work of Chris Blythe, no-one other than the Mighty Flint himself should ever colour the Mighty Flint's artwork!

As for the plot... I'm worried.
Maitland's plan, as mentioned in this episode, is commendable. Definitely the way forward in my eyes.
But... saying "One incident proves nothing. It's statistically insignificant." in the face of a juve getting beaten almost to death.
That feels pretty cold for Maitland.

[Jim_Campbell]

But... saying "One incident proves nothing. It's statistically insignificant." in the face of a juve getting beaten almost to death.
That feels pretty cold for Maitland.

1) She's right.

2) She's an accountant.

[IndigoPrime]

Also, if she does get defeated (either by her scheme being destroyed or her being taken off the board, one or both of which I expect to happen), this doesn't say remotely good things about justice department in and of itself. Not only would be be oppressive and knowing it doesn't act in the best interests of the people, but it would be a system maintained by seemingly a very large number of ambitious judges outright hostile to doing the right thing, even by their own standards. Again, there are echoes of some areas of modern policing (eg in the US and The Met). But if the judges are riddled with such levels of corruption and hostility, with only a minority (Dredd; Beeny; Giant; etc) doing the job in a reasonable manner... yikes.

(And, yes, I'm very aware there have been bad judges throughout the strip. But it's quite something else when they appear to represent the 'mainstream'. Also, what does Dredd do at that point? Being an incorruptible judge in a system teeming with horror doesn't seem like a great thing.)

[Proudhuff]

Prog 2367 - A New Direction?

Mr Robinson on cover duties may be slightly ironic but only for those looking backwards.

Dredd; Better World

Okay, let's start with Mr Flint on art duties.  Simple: wow! This is absolutely someone who is at the top of their game.  Possibly someone this story deserves.

Williams and Wyatt on scripting duties.  Well, there have been comments about the issues this story is dealing with.  Most specifically the behaviour of a certain type of channel and presenter.  How it influences practitioners ... "the law is impatioanl above all else".

Isn't that the point?  Maitland is completely impartial.  She follows the data.  Her approach is predicated on data.  Dredd neglects politics because his focus is on the law. Layers upon layers and then we get to Major Domo!

3Rillers: the English Astronaut

These are always a challenge.An extended Future Shock but can it work over 3 issues?  Certainly you can't fault Helsby's artwork. (Unless you are being particularly anal about military uniforms of the '50s).  Where is this going?  Hard to tell from part 1 but certainly the idea of time anomalies is in play. Does that have implications for the present day?  Good question, well posed, deserves an answer ...

Full Tile Boogie
Ocean's artwork is impressive, to be sure.  In fact there is little if anything to criticise from that perspective.  From a script point then: nope.  This is laying out the challenges the crew face: an 'ancient regime' intent on exacting retribution, the implications of clonage (gosh, I've got "Friday" on my mind ... ) and all the political ramifications.

Now this is where Regened works to my mind.  It take the sensibilities of modern mange, merges them through the punk mind-set of Tooth and then extrudes the most extreme aspects of SF (TBH I'm thinking of Heinlein right now but I also get a Reynolds' riff).

Enemy Earth. Hmmm, a. it of a Chris Carter moment here.  So all of the events to date are predicated on the 'dinosaur killer' event of yore.  Not a problem because that just laid the scene for all of the events to date.  TLDR: things are seriously hotting up.

Thistlebone.  Davis captures that seventies film-making sensibility that many of its intended audience will appreciate.  Where are things going?  Isn't that the question?  Certainly there are plenty of questions.  Isn't that the whole point though?

TBH this has proven to be a far stronger prog than many of late.  Full Tilt Boogie is one of the stronger offerings from Regened and really does seem to capture the sensibilities of Tooth.  3fillers are always hit or miss.  It's a challenge to work out whether they should have limited themselves to a FS or pushed the script to its limits.  Two more weeks to see ...

Overall though, a far better offering than we've had of late.

100% agree.

[JayzusB.Christ]

This is already one of the best Dredds in years. If John Wagner was credited as the writer, I wouldn't question it.

I agree 100%. Having lost All Ewing to the yanks, and later reading that Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Williams Dredd epic of a few years ago, I must admit I was worried for the strip's future. But this is more fecking like it.

I'm a sucker for good dialogue and hate when Dredd sounds a bit off. But his astute 'Something you want to say?' thing, followed by stony silence, was pure Dredd, exactly as Wagner would write him.

I still can't work out whether I want Maitland to succeed or fail. Obviously in the real world, success is what I'd be rooting for, but a nicey-nicey fluffy Justice Department is just not the one I grew up with

[nxylas]

Again, there are echoes of some areas of modern policing (eg in the US and The Met). But if the judges are riddled with such levels of corruption and hostility, with only a minority (Dredd; Beeny; Giant; etc) doing the job in a reasonable manner... yikes.

(And, yes, I'm very aware there have been bad judges throughout the strip. But it's quite something else when they appear to represent the 'mainstream'. Also, what does Dredd do at that point? Being an incorruptible judge in a system teeming with horror doesn't seem like a great thing.)

That's kind of how they were portrayed in the Urban movie too.

[Link Prime]

I still can't work out whether I want Maitland to succeed or fail. Obviously in the real world, success is what I'd be rooting for, but a nicey-nicey fluffy Justice Department is just not the one I grew up with

Jayzus, Jayzus, Jayzus - it's 2024 - you can't just get away with being entertained by fictional dystopian regimes anymore.
Eww.

[IndigoPrime]

There are more imaginative end points than merely a fluffy justice department. You could have ongoing points of tension with all kinds of resolutions. I suspect we're going to get something very close to a return to the status quo (and Maitland out of the picture in some way); however, Williams and Wyatt have both hinted that there could be major repercussions from this story. Although that's vague enough that it could mean anything. So we'll see.

Has there been any hint as to how long this story will last?

[Link Prime]

Has there been any hint as to how long this story will last?

Dredd horror strip 'Iron Teeth' is set to start in April.

It could of course be about a judicial liaison social worker applying for dental implant subsidy for a young mutie immigrant.

[broodblik]

Has there been any hint as to how long this story will last?

So far I have not read one article which state the number of episodes. This I believe will either be 6 or 8 parts

[JayzusB.Christ]

 

Jayzus, Jayzus, Jayzus - it's 2024 - you can't just get away with being entertained by fictional dystopian regimes anymore.
Eww.

I know, I know. I'm old school. I like my Justice Department like I like my women: secretly tranquilising unruly blocks on an ongoing basis, blackmailing a Democrat with the threat of abducting his children, forcing a haemophobe to give thousands of litres of his own blood during a long cube sentence, and using toys to coax children into informing on their parents.

[Funt Solo]

But... saying "One incident proves nothing. It's statistically insignificant." in the face of a juve getting beaten almost to death.
That feels pretty cold for Maitland.

1) She's right.

2) She's an accountant.

Unfortunately, being right (& being scientific in your approach) does not the populace convince. The story is doing a good job of echoing our own societal woes. A media, partly being directed by vested interests, undermines the facts staring us all in the face.

See also: Don't Look Up

[This post sponsored by Ben "A Bit of Politics" Elton.]

[Le Fink]

Yep good prog. Still, a bit surprised there are some saying the prog is noticeably better than what we've had recently. For me, the likes of Poison, Helium, Feral & Foe and Azimuth have been grade A thrills.

Maybe Devil's Railroad was so unappealing for some that it felt like it was dragging the whole prog down? I was enjoying it but the last couple of episodes were too unpleasant. It's perhaps a relief it's done.

[IndigoPrime]

I mean, yeah. I'm not saying it's better than the Prog has been in a year. But I'm preferring the current 5/5 to the previous 4/5 and a 1/5 that I detested. That said, more broadly I'd say the comic's been on a pretty bloody good high for some time now.