Blimey! What a great prog this week!
Highlight is the Terror Tale The Crow Gifts -- very bleak! A great script by David Baillie, but what really stands out is the detailed art by newcomer Joshua George -- I loved it. I want to see more from him soon.
A new Dredd story begins, by John Wagner and Patrick Goddard, and it's very intriguing. Can't wait to see what happens with this one. And we learn about some more of the long-term repercussions from Chaos Day. Also, Goddard is one of my favourite artists, so it's good to see him back in Dredd.
Defoe looks like he might finally remember his Leveller roots at last. That's good, because for me that was always the most interesting aspect of this character -- that he'd given up on what he believed in, but there was always the prospect of him turning on his new masters again.
Not much to say about the other two that hadn't been said already in previous weeks.
Prog 2016 will be on 16 December, so only two more episodes to go of the current line-up.
(http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r182/Caliban_photos/1958_zpstpjutwfz.jpg)
Leigh Gallagher does his cover version of the Flying Vizards "Money" - great stuff
Dredd doesn't seem like Dredd, leastways not the older Dredd, but all will be revealed no doubt.
Defoe is hunting heroes, he hasn't found any yet.
Brass Sun: Septimus pulls off the Green Arrow trick from DKR
Terror Tale by David Baillie and Joshua George. Great black and white art but the four pages isn't enough to sell the story idea to me. sorry.
And Bad Company prepare to replay the attack on My Lai with some Krool ewoks (I think)
The Damage Report has a bit of Cursed Earth backlash to boot.
Did someone leave the over out in the sunlight too long? :(
Grrr. Rashnfrashn-no-edit-button... Correction:
Did someone leave the cover out in the sunlight too long? :(
Yeah its a great cover but the colours do look rather washed out/faded.
New Dredd tale has a good opener. Is that really Dredd? Is the beaten biker wally squad?
Defoe and Brass Sun are pretty good.
The art in the future shock is superb - more from the George droid please. The story was rather thin though.
Those Krool looked rather sweet I thought, maybe that's what they were like originally...
Good prog!
Is the lack of comments on here a reflection that others haven't got the Prog like myself?
Yeh, no prog here Colin.
So, first prog review in a while due to work......forgive me if I generalise to include previous progs. ;)
Cover: Nothing to say really....not great, not terrible.
Dredd: Have enjoyed the recent run of shorter tales, and this one continues that trend. Great art.
Defoe: Art is great, barr the giraffe necked reeks which just look silly. Story wise, I've kinda switched off a couple weeks back. There's nothing overtly wrong with it, it just does nothing for me at all, unlike the previous runs which I quite enjoyed.
Brass Sun: Bores me rigid. The art doesn't help, as the simple blocky style occasionally causes a bit of confusion as to who is who, as well as just being a bit....crap. I know that's not everyones view, and many love Culbard's style, I just ain't one of 'em.
Terror Tale: Nice art, bleak and soulless tale.
Bad Company: Really not getting into this at all. Always felt that Bad Company should have ended at the point of the black box and diary left on arrarat at the end of the first outing, as everything since then has been a bit sub par. THis is definately the low point for the tale so far, unless some blindingly good explanation and finale get rolled out in the coming weeks.
Quote from: Geoff on 22 November, 2015, 11:02:21 AM
Yeah its a great cover but the colours do look rather washed out/faded.
Even the back cover looks a little washed out to me - grey and yellow rather than black and orange. Same thing happened to Meg 365, unless I'm imagining things - I wonder if there was some problem at the printers?
Quote from: Geoff
New Dredd tale has a good opener. Is that really Dredd? Is the beaten biker wally squad?
My guess is the incident was staged to test the integrity/loyalty of the security firm to whom Justice Department have subcontracted OCD operations. I reckon this Lars fellow is going to try to cut a deal with Dredd next week.
State-approved blackmail is dodgy enough; farming it out to the lowest bidder seems like asking for trouble...
Quote from: Geoff
The art in the future shock is superb - more from the George droid please. The story was rather thin though.
Agreed on both counts. It's an intriguing concept - like the world of The Birds projected 100 years forward - but, like so many Future Shocks and Terror Tales, there isn't time to do the idea justice.
QuoteThe story was rather thin
It's four pages. What do you want?
Wonder how well the FS artist could draw dinosaurs? Style would be a good fit for Flesh I would say
Love the start of a new Dredd thriller, and how much more exciting when it's Wagner!
I often wince a bit at Pat's politics, but some telling dialogue in Defoe this week suddenly made the shenanigans of the Vizards make perfect sense - if London is now the 'New Jerusalem,' central hub of the Angelic Renaissance and new Enlightenment, then of course the powers-that-be are going to want rid of shabby relics of the past like the Liberties. Bit dissapointed that the story's already veered away from the 'Defoe as Poirot' angle that I predicted last week, but if there's one thing I like about this strip it's that I can never predict where it's going next.
Like Ghost, I find Culbard's art remarkaby difficult to follow sometimes given what a 'simple' style he has. Brass Sun never really clicked with me, and this run hasn't changed things (at least it's been a huge improvement over the last book!) Wren may be the only tooth protagonist I actively dislike!
The Terror Tale was a whole lotta fun, with gorgeous visuals from an art droid I'd like to see again. The only negative really is the almost physically painful missed oppurtunity to use the word 'gobbets' in the second panel!
Bad Company trundles on - and sadly it is trundling, by this point. As someone else said on last weeks' thread, eight/nine weeks is an awfully long time to be 'reserving judgement' or 'giving the benefit of the doubt'. It's time to admit this hasn't really gelled with me. I'm still vaugely intrigued to see what the hell's going on, but I can't in any honesty say I'm especially gripped. Proof - if any were still needed - that the thrills of old are usually better left in the past. It's GREAT that it got Milligan back in the prog, though - very excited to see what new things he might bring us in the future.
A good solid prog that with one delightful surprise.
Dredd is all about set up, who is entrapping whom here is the question and I think we can all guess the answer... but we'll see.
Defoe has turned into Marshal Law, not really a problem but hasn't Pat Mills done this before. Still pretty damned enjoyable.
Brass Sun continues to be absolute class and I can't wait to see how it wraps up. Love this series
Terror Tale - The Crow Gift was indeed a beak and souless tale, for me that's what made it so chilling and geniunely creepy. Fantastic stuff and where the hell has Joshua George been all my life? Oh my giddy aunt that is some glorious art, had a bit of the David Roaches about it for me but whatever Tharg needs to be chaining this one to the desk and getting him drawing a full on series. Loved this and probably the best thing is a great Prog.
And so we have it Bad Company has set everything up, we've been reminded the monsters our undead soldiers are, we've seen that the Krool aren't all brutal beasts this week and all that left is to see how Pete Milligan and co pull it all together in the last episode. Its been a long time since so much has hung on an ending this story I've really, enjoyed BUT it needs an ending that really works. It really does. Can't wait.
Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 23 November, 2015, 09:37:08 PM
And so we have it Bad Company has set everything up, we've been reminded the monsters our undead soldiers are, we've seen that the Krool aren't all brutal beasts this week and all that left is to see how Pete Milligan and co pull it all together in the last episode. Its been a long time since so much has hung on an ending this story I've really, enjoyed BUT it needs an ending that really works. It really does.
As soon as Min Town was first mentioned, I suspected it would turn out that [spoiler]Earth had deliberately provoked the start of the Krool War, possibly doing something nasty to the Krool race themselves to turn them into the sort of all-out aggressors that people could easily hate - and the village of peaceable-looking Krool seems to point in that general direction[/spoiler]. The bigger mystery, of course, is why Earth still exists and how our dead heroes are still kicking - and the ultimate success or failure of this strip is
really going to hinge on that!
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 24 November, 2015, 12:43:53 PM
The bigger mystery, of course, is why Earth still exists and how our dead heroes are still kicking - and the ultimate success or failure of this strip is really going to hinge on that!
Yeah I got my answer to that all sorted and the clue was in the first part. I think Danny [utter nonsense speculation on]is the Krool Heart or at least connected to it still, and learning about the war from the Krool perspective [utter nonsense speculation off]. I have a long history of being very wrong about such things.
Danny is clearly the key here one way or another, but I don't really have any speculation of my own to offer there. Loved the Krool Heart theory as soon as I first heard it, though!
Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 23 November, 2015, 09:37:08 PM
Terror Tale - The Crow Gift was indeed a beak and souless tale...
Best. Typo. Ever.
Quote from: Woolly on 24 November, 2015, 06:44:51 PM
Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 23 November, 2015, 09:37:08 PM
Terror Tale - The Crow Gift was indeed a beak and souless tale...
Best. Typo. Ever.
Arh and you know whats funny about that is I was thinking as I typed that - there's a good pun in there if I wanted. It would seem my fingers decided to seek it out even if my tired old brain couldn't muster the energy!
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 24 November, 2015, 01:01:38 PM
Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 24 November, 2015, 12:57:02 PM
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 24 November, 2015, 12:43:53 PM
The bigger mystery, of course, is why Earth still exists and how our dead heroes are still kicking - and the ultimate success or failure of this strip is really going to hinge on that!
Yeah I got my answer to that all sorted and the clue was in the first part. I think Danny [utter nonsense speculation on]is the Krool Heart or at least connected to it still, and learning about the war from the Krool perspective [utter nonsense speculation off]. I have a long history of being very wrong about such things
Danny is clearly the key here one way or another, but I don't really have any speculation of my own to offer there. Loved the Krool Heart theory as soon as I first heard it, though!
I have a theory of my own ...
(http://i.imgur.com/fuHUKRH.png?2)
Bad Company Been very patient with this one as an old favourite, but 9 weeks in and its still an almighty mess. Regardless of the ending, (I'm beyond caring what the surprise is), its been utter garbage, made worse by woeful artwork.
Thankfully such missteps are rare, but this is definitely a big one.
I must admit Bad Company is a bit of a puzzler - it'll be interesting to read it all in one go, once its completed, but really liked this weeks helping.
I think the only weak link for me continues to be Defoe. I loved the previous helpings, but this one is grabbing me. Not bad by any stretch, just not quite clicking for some reason...
Though Leigh's art continues to be gorgeous.
Brass Sun continues to be marvellous, and the art makes me smile. Dredd is a curious one, this week. Mmmm, what is going on here, eh?
And a lovely bleak Terror tales.
A pretty decent, if not outstanding prog this week.
Quote from: Spikes on 25 November, 2015, 06:46:03 PM
Dredd is a curious one, this week. Mmmm, what is going on here, eh?
Somehow, I doubt Dredd's joined the long list of North American law enforcers silly enough to murder someone on camera. Not so much
satire as direct quotation:
(http://i.imgur.com/5kZZdet.png?1)
(http://i.imgur.com/2vLePyd.png?3)
(http://i.imgur.com/xr9GFEt.png?4)
The subcontracting of Roffman's blackmail duties to private industry is essentially a dramatisation of the current debate on the Political Thread (http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php?topic=28209.msg898557#msg898557) relating to the deleterious effect of corporatism on the health of the body politic- Dredd's definitely a big government man.
Sad to learn this is Leigh Gallagher's farewell to
Defoe; this series has been the best art I've seen from him, with this week capturing a Zenith: Phase Three atmosphere of (pseudo)heroes over an alternate London. Hope Leigh's coming collaboration with Edginton produces art as lovely as Culbard's quietly marvelous gay robots and Sergio Leone ponchos.
The biker's wally squad I assume? Z
He was brutally beaten to death, so no. Might be a robot though.
Sometimes it is not what it seems. Sometimes. Z
Slightly better Prog than last week, due almost entirely to a magnificent Dredd. Really great concept, laugh out load name (OCD indeed!). Great art. I can't remember Patrick Goddard doing Dredd before. The rendition of Dredd himself reminds me of Will Simpson. Plus there is a new take on the bike. I can't believe Dredd [spoiler]would actual kill that guy so obviously something else is going on. My guess is it is to bring down the OCD. But shouldn't that be the SJS's job?[/spoiler]
The rest - not much to say other than:
Defoe - not sure I understand the Vizzard's motivation in attacking the common man. That they view them as beneath them isn't enough IMO.
Bad Company - yes this was a bit more like how it used to be, but given it is part of this run, that doesn't redeem it. I say that with a heavy heart as it was a really good thrill before.
White cops kill black guys in America.
Dredd, who's black, kills a white guy in Mega City One.
Is that the twist?
As I have never seen any Bad Comapny I am free from expectation and am quite enjoying it. It's taken a bit too long to get to this plot point but I am looking forward to what happens next.
Gorgeous art in the Terror Tale. I hope that the artist doesn't end up grinding their hands to stumps like Leigh Gallagher.
Loving Defoe and the Dredd tale is clearly not revealing all yet, which is ironic given the surveillance issue.
I am afraid Brass Sun has started to bore me. The protagonists keep getting bogged down for too long.
Nice prog that, although I'm missing Sinister Dexter (almost as much as their enemies do).
Dredd: Who stings the stingers, eh? Gorgeous art.
Defoe: A logical change in direction to close out this book - never rests on those Cal-like laurels does Pat. Somewhat distraught to hear Leigh is ending his tenure, honestly can't imagine the strip without him.
Brass Sun: Myenjoyment of this strip waxes and wanes, but this is a good instalment. To be honest I've found the successive environments rather dull ever since Wren and 17 left that giant greenhouse, but I do like the characters.
Bad Company: Still enjoying this greatly, and still fairly sure I know where it's going.
Star of the show this week is the Bailie Terror Tale, which gave me that rarest of things, a genuine shiver down the spine. The art was spectacular, and as intended it completely wrongfooted me into thinking [spoiler]Olivia had tamed the birds >snore<[/spoiler]... until I read the caption, and looked closer, and brrrrrr. Job jobbed, gentlemen.
I enjoyed every story in Prog except one - Terror Tales. I don't know what to think about this story. In the beginning I was impressed with some ideas but the final execution totally doesn't work for me. Not at all.
Hey it's John Smith FFS. Z
David Baillie.
Now there's a misapprehension Baillie should be proud of! Definitely one of Tharg's little treasures, it seems a pity that after so many great one-offs (Crow Gift definitely being one) and two well-received 3rillers, it's Vertigo that gives David his first proper series - although at least Tharg hasn't been shy in plugging it for them!
Yeah I'd echo that. David Baillie really deserves a run out, he's not been entirely consistent but no doubt when he's good he's great. This and Ghostship Mathematica alone for me mean he deserves a series.
.
The great thing about tallying the number of writers who land gigs with Marvel and DC then return to create major works for 2000ad is that it leaves you with eight fingers free to do other things.
Quote from: Butch on 28 November, 2015, 05:22:54 PM
.
The great thing about tallying the number of writers who land gigs with Marvel and DC then return to create major works for 2000ad is that it leaves you with eight fingers free to do other things.
Yeah that's a fair point BUT hopefully David has his feet under the table at the Galaxy's Greatest early enough that there's a tell he'll want to tell there. Come on David wipe one iut for Tharg.
Quote from: Tordelback on 27 November, 2015, 06:37:57 PM
Gorgeous art.
It really is.
I've always personally liked Goddard's style, but I feel he's really stepped it up a gear over the past few years.
His recent turns on Savage, Aquila, Grey Area, Sinister Dexter and Dredd have been outstanding.
A rock solid modern 2000AD artist that Tharg is wisely deploying on numerous Thrills.
His Armitage story was phenomenal as well. Goddard is a real star.