Meg 455: Fear the Future

[IndigoPrime]

Dreadnoughts on the cover, but the mag leads with One-Eyed Jacks, which I'm still enjoying as it blazes along with its dual timelines. Niemand is clearly having lots of fun, not least with the Fargo twist.

Spector makes me feel a bit sad, because it's so... final. But it's also good to see Ezquerra's final 2000 AD work hasn't been abandoned. As ever, the art is fab, and I don't envy Dan Cornwell in having to take over. As for the story, it feels in some ways a bit of a throwback to a classic era of 2000 AD thrills, but it's solid and fun. The way the lead is trying to figure things out raised a smile several times.

Death Metal Planet continues to exist. It looks OK, but I'm dragging myself through it every month. Unlike Devlin, which had some fantastic moments, especially with Kafka. Although I'm also apparently too dim to fully clock what the last speech balloons are talking about.

It's been a long time since I've read Matt Smith's Anderson, but the opener is thoroughly enjoyable, and the Critchlow art is fab. It's a pity Tharg isn't able to clone himself and do a few more of these. Also from across the pond, Mega-City Two is over. Thank heavens. Some nice art, plenty of ideas, and a few good moments; but, my word, this needed an editor's hand (or pen).

UK reprint is effectively an advert for Jane Bond. It's a solid glimpse of the strip, if not really any kind of standalone.

Then we get Dreadnoughts. I kind of wish the Meg wouldn't add original strip at the back, after the reprints, but there you go. As for this opener, it's brutal. 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.

Anyway, a good Meg, on the whole. I'm sorry to see Devlin end, but Lawless replaces it next month, so that's something to look forward to.

Dreadnoughts > Waugh > One-Eyed Jacks = Spector = Anderson > Jane Bond >>>>>(!) Mega-City Two > Death Metal Planet

[matty_ae]

LAWLESS NEXT MONTH - YESSSSS!

[Richard]

Don't worry, I didn't get the end of Devlin either.

I'm delighted that they're seeing Spector through!

[broodblik]

So Dan Cornwell will be taking over from part 3 onwards for Spector.

Yip Lawless is back next month.

This was a good meg except MC2 I completely skipped, just cannot read another page of that. Death Metal I believe it is time now to let the Dark Judges rest for awhile. The new Anderson strip from IDW is really good.

[Hawkmumbler]

I've several years of Megs to catch up on (crikey, 2018 to now...) and yeah, the Dark Judge material is the stuff I'm finding most daunting.

Seems an awful lot for some dudes I always felt worked best in moderation....

[Colin YNWA]

Seems an awful lot for some dudes I always felt worked best in moderation....

I have similar misgivings about the Dark Judges, but will say I think the new series, of series, has worked much better than I would have hoped.

Also you have a tonne of Lawless to catch up with so it doesn't matter what the rest is like, that strip is just SO good.

[Southstreeter]

Now there's a dilemma. I haven't read the Meg for a while but really want to read Dreadnoughts. But the last Lawless I read was the musical one and I'd rather wait for the last series to be collected before starting the new one next month. Maybe I should just hang on for both to be collected...

[broodblik]

I just do not have the patient to wait for something to get collected. I already have Lawless withdrawal syndrome waiting for the new series to start

[Bad City Blue]

A decent issue.

DREDD keeps rolling along, but the plot is not much fun.

DREADNOUGHTS is the best thing here, glad it's back.

ANDERSON has a decent start, and I look forward to more of it.

Very glad SPECTOR is finally being completed, and so far it's great.

DEVLIN WAUGH was a real poop fest this time, and I usually enjoy it, just boring.

Whilst I love Nick Percival's art, DARK JUDGES is a no from me, a real waste of his talents.

The DAVE GIBBONS interview was good, looking forward to seeing him at the LAWLESS convention next month. Still tickets left...

[nxylas]

I like Dan Cornwell's art, but he seems an odd choice to replace Ezquerra, since his style is very different. I was amused by Jane Bond being on a mission to rescue John Simm. Shame that was the most entertaining thing about it. I'm not sure who the audience is for the collected edition, I assume there must be one.

[Swerty]

Loved the Ezquerra and Chrichlow art.Wonderful stuff.One happy bunny here.

[IndigoPrime]

I like Dan Cornwell's art, but he seems an odd choice to replace Ezquerra, since his style is very different.

Maybe that's the point. You can't replace Ezquerra in like-for-like fashion, and so what's the point in trying? Best to instead draft in someone who Wagner clearly enjoys working with, and continue the strip as best everyone can.

(Note: I'm not saying any artists are interchangeable. But you do get certain artists who align more readily than others. It always surprised me that while we've seen countless people heavily inspired by Bolland and Bisley, no-one's really done an Ezquerra. Man, I miss those chunky outlines.)

[nxylas]

I like Dan Cornwell's art, but he seems an odd choice to replace Ezquerra, since his style is very different.

Maybe that's the point. You can't replace Ezquerra in like-for-like fashion, and so what's the point in trying? Best to instead draft in someone who Wagner clearly enjoys working with, and continue the strip as best everyone can.

(Note: I'm not saying any artists are interchangeable. But you do get certain artists who align more readily than others. It always surprised me that while we've seen countless people heavily inspired by Bolland and Bisley, no-one's really done an Ezquerra. Man, I miss those chunky outlines.)

Good point. Probably the closest would be Henry Flint. I can see traces of Ezquerra in there, along with the more obvious McMahon and O'Neill influences, though of course his style is all his own. Anyway, it's John Wagner's call to make, not mine.

[GordonR]

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

In fact, I've just written a story featuring a classic Ezquerra character that was very much written with Dan in mind.

[Batman's Superior Cousin]

I'm sorry, but have we seen the perp in Mega-City Two before during the story or not...?