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The completely self absorbed 2000ad re-read thread

Started by Colin YNWA, 22 May, 2016, 02:30:29 PM

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broodblik

The Simon Roy art reminds me of the artwork on the IDW Dredd series Mega-City Zero. I did not enjoy both but then again that is the beauty of the anthology setup where a new artist can be put to the test for one episode.

The rest of the prog was quite interesting as well: I liked the Slaine (the font choices where the fun one in this series), Kek-W was busy with his second stab at Indigo (he for me did a good job on the whole Indigo series not bad at all), the rest where good as well Rennie and Abnett doing their normal thing.

So yes not a bad prog at all.........
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

broodblik

That cover personally was one of those covers which just did not work for me. I do no like to use this word "Bad" since Ben Willsher is a great artist but that is how I felt about it.

When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

norton canes

Heh, I haven't visited this thread in ages (sorry, only because I rarely venture into the 'Other Reviews' section) and when I do it's just in time for The Simon Roy Dredd. So I'll just say that as a fan of Prophet I was thrilled to see Simon (or should I call him 'the Roy droid'?) take on a Dredd, and for me the results were fantastic. Did he get the styling of the Judges quite right? Perhaps not, but his realisations of the aliens and their tech more than made up for it. Besides, how many great art droids have turned in slightly 'off' work on their first Dredds, only to go on and nail it after a few progs? The only shame was that Roy couldn't come back and do a few more.

That cover is a bit pants though.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: norton canes on 09 July, 2021, 10:50:02 AM
Heh, I haven't visited this thread in ages (sorry, only because I rarely venture into the 'Other Reviews' section) ...

No one should ever, EVER feel the need to apologise for not reading my mindless drivel!

Colin YNWA



Its the end of 2017 as we know and the dog surfing is fine.

There is much to talk about in the Progs running to the end of 2017 - but the thing I remember causing most kaffuffle was Dredd surfing a dog down a slue of molten iron(ish) stuff. I mean its silly, hyper-dynamic nonsense but we've seen Dredd do all sorts of silly hyper-dynamic nonsense a million times before, so quite why this one kicked off such a fuss is beyond me.

Now Dredd using meteors as targeted weapons - that is just bonkers... all this takes place in the first story of Mike Carroll's Russia story arc - Black Snow with the magnificent as ever PJ Holden on art duties. As you might be able to tell its all rather high tension, high tempo Dredd as action movie nonsense and frankly it works perfectly well in that context.

Elsewhere Simon Davis' time on Slaine comes to an end with his art being as magnicient and perfect for Slaine as it always was. Alas the story has continued its decline into over long Millsian trope, after over long Millsian trope. Such a shame the art didn't find a better platform.

Grey Area has another magnificent storyline as desert warfare goes wrong in the four part storyline Homeland Security in Progs 2050 - 2053.

Sinister Dexter really builds momentum (which will alas be lost down the line as I recall) as Steve Yeowell doubles down on this fantastic work on the strip with the brilliant fast food war in 'Aztex Comeraderie' (one of Dabnett's more stretched puns) still this series has a big place somewhere in my heart and at this point we were oblivious to the problems the epic Bulletopia would have getting going. The build up will be so good, we'll be in dreamland for a couple more years yet.

There's some really nice, really nice one offs, showcasing Sinister Dexter's great versatilty. As the epic overarching story steadily builds we get the glorious 'The Sights' which reads like one of those Dredd episode's in a launch Prog designed to introduce new readers to the world and character. All elevated by fantastic Steve Yeowell art. In 'Billie No Mates' Paul Marshall drops in on art duty, and drops in reference from the strip's rich history - I particularly like the way he drew Billie's shrink in an Andy Clarke style making it clear its the same shrink Ramone saw back in the day - in a story that sets the scene and builds the underpinning tension for what's to come next. Both superb. This really is a golden time for S&D.

'Absalom - Terminal Diagnosis' is another delight in this run of Progs.What struck me was how focused the the storyline in this series is. Read in this condensed way - the way a re-read will allow you - I've realised while it builds and develops steadily its always got a razorsharp focus on the underpinning aim of building a team to rescue the titular 'hero's' grandchildren from the Satanic Mills. Its superb stuff.

There is also some wishy washy filler towards the end of the year.

All of which is lovely but what I've really come to discuss (though I'm not sure I'll have as much to say as I have about the other stuff!) is Indigo Prime - A Dying Art. As Kek-W takes over writing duties after two episode's from John Smith the series, as far as I'm concerned, remains on high ground, even if you think Tharg has slipped from his by passing it on after John Smith felt he needed to move on. There is no denying Kek-W sometimes leans a little too hard into the interesting technobabble - which can feel even more forced way that John Smith can do. It does give the series an almost poetic edge to it.

The hyper-reality is still - somehow - amazingly realised by Lee Carter. I sometimes wonder what he must go through when he gets a script, reads it and - in my head - he sits back in his chair, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead... muttering to himself "I gotta try and draw what now... I gotta draw what..." ... slowly shaking his head "...and PJ complains about how he's gotta draw Dredd surfin' on a dog down some lava or whatever... he has no idea..."

Still it looks amazing and he delievers everything asked of him.

My one real beef however is the introduction of Revere. Now Kek-W taking over the strip is one thing, Tharg and he must have reflected that to pull in another John Smith character would be like poking a hornet's nest over in social media land. But you know what if it felt like it was needed I'd have been fine with it. Its just that it doesn't really. It feels all a bit unnecessary. It doesn't really add anything and certainly nothing that means it had to be that character. With such a rich tapestry of characters already to hand, or who could be added reviving Revere just seems a little lazy and sensationist to me. Its a real shame as it leaves a black cloud over an otherwise promising series.

And so 2017 ends, not with a whimper but with the enraged crash of keyboard typing as we social media critics rally and scream about the bits we don't like - and praise and draw fonted swords for the bits we do... and they say 2000ad doesn't have attitude anymore!

Colin YNWA



FCBD Specia....

So like I read the FCDB issue, now compressed into a nicely bound US sized bundle... which is a real shame (and forced on Rebellion as I recall) as it means the FCDB doesn't stand out quite as much as it has in previous years. That said its still head and shoulders above the rest (well the one's I've picked up) brimming with fantastic new content the way it does. New Dredd (very good Dredd too from Matt 'Tharg's little helper' Smith and Phil Winslade), decent Anderson and a fantastic Blackblood story by Uncle Pat and Kei Zama. A story reminds us that while Uncle Pat can make a LOT of misteps these days when on form the man's still a wonder. There's nice reprint material too.

Its a fantastic baggage.

And so I was reved up for the Specials.... but there weren't any... what... huh.... well okay I'd read the 40th Special in place but there was nowt else. Weird. I've got used to there being LOTS of specials and thought that kicked off around this time. But no the 40th took this years Special slot and nowt else...

HOWEVER a lovely 1 page story by Henry Flint in the back of that wonderful FCBD issue tells us why. The story marks the purchase of the Treasury of British comics and the wonderful things that will give us. There are more Rebellion specials. there's a Scream and Misty Special this year BUT this is a Prog Re-read and as such these fall outside the remit and will have to wait for another time.

There will be no glut of specials... just as the glut of specials indeed begins.


Colin YNWA



2017

ARRRRHHH how could I do this. Just started reading 2018 and released i didn't round of 2017... stupid me.

So lets look back quickly and to be honest its been quite interesting to quickly look back and see what we got in the 40th year of this glorious comic. Of course we start with my predictions:

QuoteWe are also in an extended period of celebration with Prog 2000 leading nicely the 40th birthday and I think just has 2016 has lived up to the scale of the task building up to this period, so 2017 will be up to the task of taking these new heights forward and sustaining the new higher ground.

2017 was another... just another ... great year. Not without its wobbles of course, but what 2000ad year doesn't have those. What matters however is how much the strip isn't just leaning in on the old classics. In fact Mr Mills is starting to wrap some up - even if he doesn't know it yet and that's, sadly a good thing in my mind. As some of the older strips are getting tired the space they leave opens gaps for 2000ad to do what its does best and that's continue to push forward. After forty years its the change and innovation that still stands out and that is incredible.

I mean really incredible.

2017 is a year of celebration and the comic lives up to that. What's most important though is it does rest on that. Fantastic year.

in 2018 that isn't going to change. The comic will start to lose strips from one of its masters. The king may be dead (well not yet!) but long live the Prog as the strenght and momentum its established under Rebellion drive it forward to what I think will be more and more great thrills. the big difference in 2018 over older Golden stuff is we've got used to the quality and take it a bit for granted and I'll try to look at 2018 with fresh eyes, however much it buffers against the now and review it for what it will be... which I think will be great.

Anthony Garnon

Don't forget the Dark Judges strip from New Scientist!

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Anthony Garnon on 07 August, 2021, 09:49:52 AM
Don't forget the Dark Judges strip from New Scientist!

Oh good call. I should have dug that out as part of the read and call it a special...

PsychoGoatee

Good stuff, cool to see so much prog reading and thrill zarjazness. I'm aiming to read more comics (and 2000AD especially) this year, so it's always inspiring to see fans who have read so much.  :thumbsup:

Colin YNWA

Quote from: PsychoGoatee on 08 August, 2021, 03:54:32 AM
Good stuff, cool to see so much prog reading and thrill zarjazness. I'm aiming to read more comics (and 2000AD especially) this year, so it's always inspiring to see fans who have read so much.  :thumbsup:

Many (at least in my house) think I read too many!

Jim_Campbell

Quote from: Colin YNWA on 08 August, 2021, 08:54:26 PM
Many (at least in my house) think I read too many!

But, presumably, you didn't think it too many. ;)
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 08 August, 2021, 11:26:53 PM
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 08 August, 2021, 08:54:26 PM
Many (at least in my house) think I read too many!

But, presumably, you didn't think it too many. ;)

Man that I didn't land that line just goes to show how much I've fallen out of love with Slaine!

Colin YNWA



East, East...and... East...

As we enter 2018 Prog 2061 has two ongoing thrills - which really cements the regular Prog in beautiful bumper sized form. We'll take about Bad Company when that done. The second is a fascinating failure in Mike Carroll's second stab at an epic... or is it an Epic? Mike Carroll covers JD's adventures across Russia in Black Snow (at the end of 2017) with PJ Holden, Echoes (which starts in the bumer 2061) with Colin MacNeil and The Shroud which runs up to 2068 with Paul Davison. So at 14 parts it feels like its trying to be significent. It has the through thread of ... well being in Russia and some interesting themes in Echoes suggest its trying to be something... but it fails.

It drifts from story to story and the only real consistant theme is how bad ass Dredd is. In a way it falls into the trap of the worst of Garth Ennis stuff. Just focusing on how bloody hard he is. There's not enough variety to make it really an exploration of the setting in the way Cursed Earth and similar stories are. Its just these three stories, hung together and I can't get a sense of what the idea was.

So when I say fascinating I mean frustrating. The individual stories aren't quite enough to be worth it and the collective somehow makes them lesser. Given how much I've enjoyed much of Mike Carroll's Dredd I can't ignore this... and yet I don't have anything useful to say...

Neither does a similar story in ABC Warriors where Uncle Pat might have themes but they are long played out and the truth of the matter is its just this string of set pieces and Robots being tougher than tough but not engaging at all and the whole thing just not hanging together as anything of value...

... man am I being a negative nelly... well I'll make it back with the good to balance it out as Brass Sun and Savage provide the real contrast and Bad Company an intriguing middle ground.

Colin YNWA



take me Back to the Future 3

So the other side of the draw then, from 2018's opening line-up and all three of these thrills leave us here, for the time being at least and I feel like they end too soon... well maybe one  we need to examine that a little more closely... or maybe two...

Bad Company - Terrorists is the awkward second album (if there is such a thing!). They got the band back together and it worked really well. The ideas of the first return story really worked. It played with typical Pete Milligan themes, identity, the truth and the driver of the original Bad Company what war does to your humanity. It did it wonderfully, for all the fury it drew from some quarters. The idea that Kano was a methaphor for the brutality of war and of course that the first victim of war was truth and indeed that war is the construct of stories and ideas that powerful folks want us to believe for me quickly dismissed the idea that so many folks seem to rall against, that we 'knew' most of the characters to be dead and now they were back.

It worked in that earlier story and here, the awkward second album, they throw more of what worked the first time. Ideas and themes that explained why we had our legends back. The trouble is the first story did it so well we didn't need it again and this one didn't really draw out new ideas and felt like it was treading the same ground and that's just so unMilligan.

So why then would I want more, well I feel it set up more, it got that retread out the way and Pete Milligan could have taken us to new territory in the way a story like 'Kano' did (I love 'Kano' I should note) and so I'd welcome this back. Alas I wonder if we'll ever know.

Savage - The Thousand Year Stare, not the strongest of Savage stories as it turned Bill into the story that Uncle Pat is doing elsewhere... in fact in this very run of comics with ABC Warriors. But I'd always welcome Savage back as it a wonderful strip and when it pulls Pat to do different things and play with Bill as a character if works wonderfully. His madness is bubbling up in this one and its that which makes me want it back. It may well go down ideas that Pat has made trite now. BIG BUSINESS BAD. THE ESTABLISHMENT BAD... you know what Uncle Pat we got that, we got that 10 - 20 years ago and not from just you. We need to move on. If he's dialed that down and used The Complex as just a villian with which he could explore Bill and his new companion Nika this series still has places to go. I love the idea of a Bill Savage romance story. Come on Uncle Pat write me that as your swan song for this series. Bill deserves it.

The saddest lose though is Brass Sun - which I'm sure will come back, but its hard waiting 3 1/2 years. Especially since this story opened up so much new space. The series has played with scene shifts mid series before, but the one here explodes things. The world shattering end to the first half of the story is thrilling and brilliant, The leap forward deftly executed and Ian Edginton and INJ Culbard so skillfully spring us forward, yet leave us no gaps (well except killing Ramkin off panel - that was almost unforgivable). They set up so much more I want to explore ... and we are robbed... okay that give INJ time to do Brink BUT I WANT BOTH!!! I love Brass Sun. I love where Engine Summer took us and were it pointed ahead to what might be. Tharg bring this one back PLEASE. I need to know we've not lost Septimus entirely... I need it to do what it promising and be 'Coming Soon'.