Prog 2122 - Your Planet Needs Thrills!

[Proudhuff]

I love Alex's art, but after recent events on Westminster Bridge, I find that choice of image unfortunate.

Judge Dredd: Machine Law is the stand-out story this week with a very fitting finale.
I see what people are saying about Dredd's reaction... 'Report to SJS for re-assignment' might have been a tad more old Dredd, but the Big W is the man who knows his man so I'm happy with that.
I've hugely enjoyed this story from the get go and totally satisfied with the outcome.

Jaegir as always, a far too short run on this, other series go on and on and on like an unwelcome house pest, while this seems to go in fits and starts (if it fits it starts), Tharg get the GRenniedroid tied up in a Gordian contract that makes him tie up every hanging chad from every story ever written....seems fair?


Tooth and Nail ends well, I kinda hoped the dog was the killer 

Grey Area is literally just talking heads... so I read the first and last couple and got the gist 

Skip Tracer finally finishes, really not seeing the point of this, sorry chaps, its all perfectly serviceable but doesn't really bring anything new to Tharg's stable.

Next week: Kingmaker(boo!) and Survival Geeks. (yeah!)

[Trout]

Top Dredd, including the dialogue. These were major events and we're getting insight into Dredd's character from the writer who created and developed it. To say it doesn't sound like Dredd is to call for a formulaic approach to all Dredd dialogue. If Wagner wants to script it differently, we have to trust him on it. This had impact.

I loved this Dredd story. Every panel of art was excellent and the story was compelling and even ended with a twist. This is good comics, and John Wagner is (IMO) the most consistently good writer in comics.

Jaegir was exciting stuff, too. I'm anticipating the next series and I loved the way it suddenly switched to the team story that Grennie has clearly been building up to quietly. Also Coleby is a bloody good artist who doesn't get enough praise.

The rest of the comic didn't grab me, especially the story that included four pages of 16-panel layouts showing talking heads. I'll look forward to more Brink instead. When Dabnett is good, he's great.

Cheers

- Trout

[broodblik]

Again, very good prog, cannot wait for the return of Kingmaker.

Cover – this feels like a retro 80s cover and it so cool, love it. It oozes of cover of the year

Dredd - Mister Wagner knows how to spin a tale and mister MacNeil know how to give the tale form and image. This was a great Dredd story. A lot predicted a certain outcome and Wagner delivered of a slight twist.

Skip Tracer – Although the final parts where quite adequate I found the middle part of the story to much of trying to add too much without really adding anything.  This is one of those stories which I do read and enjoy when it is the prog but if it never returns, I will not miss it.

Grey Area – One thing I can say is that Abnett has mastered the art of telling a story with just dialogue and no action. This was for me a great introduction and the path to the next chapters.

Jaegir – Firstly I am very much disappointed that we again only get 6 parts and hopefully we do not have to wait another year for the next part. This was one of the highlights for me the last few weeks and Rennie has created a world within the Rogueverse that in many cases has surpassed the original story-line

[CalHab]

Just to repeat the above, I hope Jaegir is back soon as well. Simon Coleby is outstanding on this and the series is one of the best things in the prog in years.

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

I've not got my prog. It has started to come on a Thursday! I want my sub back on a Saturday.

[Jim_Campbell]

I've not got my prog. It has started to come on a Thursday! I want my sub back on a Saturday.

Down to the ‘Royal’ Mail, unfortunately. :-(

[norton canes]

In Tooth and Nail, every scene that wasn't of the guy who was tied to a chair and being interrogated was only a depiction of the story that guy was telling his interrogators. He was an "unreliable narrator." He told them he was some harmless guy who met Nail, but he was lying; he himself was Nail all along

I get this, but... the interrogee does actually change appearance, doesn't he? From page 5, he's suddenly not the kid from the rest of the story. Has Staz Johnson just drawn him more 'macho'? No, the face is different, and he's bigger. Am I imagining this?! If not, then either the child in the chair is as imaginary as the flashback sequence, or he's actually got shape-changing powers.

Confused. Please help.

Anyway on the subject of whether this belongs on 2000 AD - don't forget Invasion, another non-SF prog classic.

[Richard]

I thought that was artistic licence, and he didn't really change his appearance, but only for our benefit. But maybe he did and he's some sort of shape-shifter.

Arguing against my main point here, but Invasion was set 22 years in the future.

[Colin YNWA]

Yeah that was my issue. I nothing about the story suggested it was either a change for the reader to emphasize the deception nor a physical change for the character but it was one or the other and I'm not sure which - this is a significent problem with the story... or more for bieng dumb!

[Dark Jimbo]

Arguing against my main point here, but Invasion was set 22 years in the future.

But by that logic, Button Man is also sci-fi as it was set '22 seconds into yout future' or something similar.

[Sinx]

The only problem I have with contemporary fiction (like the 3hriller) is the tendency to ignore the effect of smart phones even though they may be present in the story. "Who the hell is this guy? Send me a pic of him before you off him". Even on cheaper burners now.

Thought Jaegir was just awesome.

[norton canes]

I thought that was artistic licence, and he didn't really change his appearance, but only for our benefit. But maybe he did and he's some sort of shape-shifter

Hopefully future installments will shed some light...

Anyway away from Tooth and Nail, this was a really interesting prog. First of all, that's a cover and a half from the Ronald droid. He drew the cover for prog 2016, my 'return to the fold' prog, so I guess he should take the credit for enticing me back to 2000 AD after 27 years!   

Machine Law concluded smoothly, with a poignant twist. I didn't have a problem with Dredd's action on the second page but the phrase 'gang of losers' did grate a bit, yes. And I'm sure Harvey's memories and personality algorithm could be downloaded into a new body but I guess it's the symbolism of his sacrifice that counts.

So was that the last Skip Tracer ever? I wonder if time will be kind to this rather maligned strip. For my part I've always thought it's been full of great ideas, and the art of Marshall and MacNeil has never been less then stunning. As others have said, the biggest let-down has been the lack of charactersiation for the protagonist.

Have people really been giving Dan Abnett stick for including a talking heads interlude? Merciless! All I'll say is that it's perfectly placed after the hectic action of the last few progs - and even if dialogue-heavy strips aren't your thing then surely it's worth it for the gorgeous amber colour palette alone.

Finally, the only problem with Jaegir is we don't get enough of it! 

I see Kingmaker and Survival Geeks are back next week. I love Survival Geeks and can't wait. Ian Edgington isn't one of my absolute favourite script droids - both Brass Sun and Scarlet Traces have nice concepts but kind of drift vaguely on - but Kingmaker has a more solid background and I'm looking forward to it. It says in the Nerve Centre that the upcoming SG story has a 'dungeon crawler' theme - should be interesting, given that Kingmaker is also basically a slanted look at the D&D genre.

[Satanist]

Tharg should give the 2 droids on Dredd another go at it as that was a master class on how to tell a fantastic Dredd tale.

[wedgeski]

Tharg should give the 2 droids on Dredd another go at it as that was a master class on how to tell a fantastic Dredd tale.

I doubt anyone here would disagree!

[Tiplodocus]

Still loving my prog.  What a line up of talent veteran and (relatively) new.

Really liked the cover. Just oozed modern technique on old school sensibilities. Dredd obviously great - and we have heard the big man spout corny out of place dialogue before under Wagner - almost as if sometimes emotion fights its way out and he doesn't quite know how to express it. (I'll admit, that's a stretch...)

Jaegir and Grey Area could have permanent residence and I'd be happy.

And I enjoyed Skip and Nail too.

"I'm all for a bit of fascism..." in the letters did make laugh. Then worried.