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Hmmm... Is that an incredibly uncharacteristic bit of dialogue from Joe on the last page of the Dredd tale or what?  Great PJ art, I have to say.

The cover's growing on me, but definitely not going to be a favourite of the year.

Shimura is really pants, isn't it?

Byron gets a boost from Mr Bishop in the most interesting instalment so far.

Cursed Earth Koburn looks great and is my highlight of the prog.  Mind you, haven't read Anderson or Middenface yet.

speaking of which..i'm gonna speak up for Alan Grant here..not his biggest fan but his 2 stories here Anderson and Middenface are both excellent..Anderson has grown on me a lot after a big re-read from the start of Half life and definately is improved as a story with a one chunk sitting..Middenface too has crept up on me after a steady start..Cheers Alan, keep it up..

::"Is that an incredibly uncharacteristic bit of dialogue from Joe on the last page of the Dredd tale or what?"

He didn't put his respirator down when the mandroids were smoking the pot, that's the reason.  The editor cut out the following piece of dialogue for space reasons:

Dredd: "Like, look at the stars, man, they're making shapes in the sky, and those trees - you can see them breathing!"

Judge Dredd: Warzone
This is an exciting adventure for Dredd - although the setting, and his job, seems more like something Johnny Alpha would do.  It seems a bit odd that the goodies essentially walk straight into an ambush, where the enemy have a tactical advantage in terms of numbers, terrain and firepower, but the goodies still win just by charging headlong into battle, rather than doing anything smart (except for JD with his heatseekers).  There's a good cliffhanger.

I'm finding the art incredibly hit and miss, with some very odd angles.  The ruined city and the heatseeker frames are sublime, but that close-up of Dredd with an over-sized chin and just about any shot at all of the giant GI just seem wrong.

Shimura: The Harder They Come
or Robbie Morrison: My Pitch For Marvel

It's been a while (decades) since I bought american superhero comics - I'd got quickly sick of those ridiculous stories where The Hulk (essentially a loner) would team up with The Goodie Gumdrops against a team of super-villains (who would never really work together because they were all megalomaniacs and would just never agree on anything).

So, everything moves along pretty fast in this extended superheroes vs. superbaddies fight fest, and is good fun at that level.  A shame that the excellent cover image promise of Shimura & JD scarpering from the dragon, is replaced in-strip with the dragon getting nixed by Dredd's first shots of the fight.  Pah!

Also, Stan Lee has really lost his touch as a great assassin.  His target is the woman - so what does he do when he has her at his mercy?  Talk.  Brag.  Boast.  Threaten.  Uhm - how about killing her, Mr Best Assassin In the World?

Then he has Dredd at his mercy ... obviously another opportunity to wax lyrical rather than actually kill him.

Then he faces off against Shimura - who voices my frustration as he says "Are you going to talk me to death?"  Well, yes, apparently.

There then follows a deus x rescue that only serves to extend this big superhero battle for another instalment in 4 weeks.

The arts great, and I am enjoying this - but it's all a bit WWF wrestling.

Anderson Psi-Division: Lucid
Okay - so 5 Sisters Of Death now.  Bit of a stretch - but then this is turning into a sort of mythology all it's own - so I'll roll with it.

Any chance of a happy Cass story set in the caribbean?  Ranson must run out of beige soon, and it'd be nice to have some bright, primary colours in this depressing world.  Love the "switch off the drokkin' machine" line.

Young Middenface: A Scottish Sojer
Is that a head in the fridge in the last frame (well, 2nd last, because the last frame is just black)?  Why's it there?

I'm enjoying this as Middenface has so many weaknesses in his character - he keeps fecking things up for his comrades.  Loving Shaun Thomas's art - especially the opening frame, and the wicker man on the last page.

Cursed Earth Koburn: Malachi
Eek.  It's a bold dramatic choice to show the final firefight from the perspective of listening to it over the radio.

This is excellent - mixing so much stuff up in one episode - a real smorgasbord of a story - with the funniest thing in the Meg added in for good measure:  "He's doing his best old stoney-face impression".

15 years, Creep
A very interesting article exploring the heyday of the Meg.  I absolutely loved Missionary Man: Place of the Dead (both art and script) and thought it the best of what were mostly very good stories.

I found it a bit ironic that Darkies Mob was hailed as a complete success story for the Meg - with no mention of the uproar it caused in Dreddlines.  (The irony being that Darkies Mob features a complete reversal of the actual fortunes of British soldiers in Burma.)  Ah well - paint it positive, I guess.

Is that a head in the fridge in the last frame?

Yes.

Why's it there?

The helicopter needs a biometric match before it starts - like an anti-theft device. Unfortunatley for poor Rabsy, the device doesn't need the match to be alive.

That's my take on it anyway. I'm a bit disturbed at how quickly I read the Meg this month. It really didn't feel as if there was anything substantial in there.

Cover - Dragon doesn't stand out enough. Nice and Macneilly in general though. Good Stuff.

Dredd - Nice PJ art, although it isn't as good as Johnny Woo. The twist seems a bit lame, & should of had a bigger panel me thinks. Otherwise this is enjoyable, kinda like "Damned Ranger Mk.2" without horrid computer spaceships and cliched down-and-out type characters. OK Stuff.

Shim to tha Ura: This is just farcical, it looks like something Michael Bay would come up with after too much fizzy drink and anime. If Andy Clarke and Chris Blythe had been kept on this, then I probably would have had to conceal incredulous laughter on t' Tube due to the sheer excess. Colin does a Good job of keeping it slightly subdued, but nothing can contain THE POWER OF MORRISON . The best/worst bit was "Fear the ridiculously powerful Bad Guys [That Robo-Triad thingy is verging on Millar-esque] and their leader, who, erm, is really good at Kung - Fu... [off-microphone] is this right?" And Amber is lame too. Bad Stuff/Very Bad Stuff.

The Adventures of Cassandra Anderson & her Asian Chum: A bit anticlimatic, but fun nonetheless, although I'm still not sure about all this drugs business. Good to see Shakta getting work though. It does seem a bit ridiculous having so many Sisters, but Ranson does a good job of rendering them so I'm happy. And their threat seemed credible and avoided cliche-town, as I could picture Cass getting killed up. Good Stuff.

Young Middenface: Nice set-up before the madness begins I hope. These pop-culture references are a bit grating, but at least they don't take up the whole episode. Thomas's art is lovely, and really adds an edge to this story, as he captures both horror and comedy.OKStuff.

Cursed Earth Koburn: This new villain is really good, I hope he lives to massacre another day at the end of this story. The humour is deftly handled, as is the firefight (of sorts). I really like how Malachi seems like more than just a cheap Death rip off, plus Bonaventura is in this. Great Stuff.

15 Years Creep: Really interesting, especially the stuff about deadlines. OK Stuff. (It's still text).

Bolland: Not as interesting as the first part, this just seemed to be about business deals really. Nice to see a lot of art though. OK Stuff.

Heatseekers: Nice to see a new face, even though Scott Gray would of been my last choice to go. (Apologies to Rob Williams and editorial type people, I did like the column). Spurrier is on good form, although I'm slightly weary of anyone saying that Family Guy is enjoyable. (It's SSSHHHIIITTT). OK Stuff.

Overall: The Meg's in good hands, although this isn't the best start ever. I read through it all in about 20 minutes, but I still felt as if I had gained something from it. OK/Good Stuff.

You know how some people really dislike Pat Mills stuff?  They think he's been churning out the same story for a decade or so, and is only employed because of who he was, rather than what he can do?

Thats how I've come to feel about Alan Grants stuff.  The new Sisters in this months issue were a real "Satanus reborn" moment for me.  Just wrong headed at every level.

I disagree with the anti-Mills faction, but I can see there's potential substance in some of the arguments they put forward against his stuff.  But, having said that, at least Pat Mills seems to have a bit of passion behind his writing, even when it's a Satanus sized mess of obscure obsessions.  With, Grant, i don't even get that.  Middenface has been intermittently enjoyable, but Anderson has just droned on and on in the most unengaging fashion possible, retreading past classics like Neropolis to such an extent they now lie battered and sullied in the mud that seeps from these new tales.  Then there's the lacklustre Robohunter, which has none of the charm or density of the original.

Still, there seems to be a good number who still enjoy his Anderson, but after years of thinking there's a flicker of something about to happen of interest in his stories, only for them to time and time again disappoint, I can only conclude thatI've given up on seeing anything that registers more than an OK for me - unless there's a Savage style rekindling of his interest just around the corner.

I've thought all the recent Andersons have been way too similar, but why the fuck shouldn't there be more sisters of death?

Five sisters against four dark judges. In fact we were briefly introduced to a third sister in Necropolis Deleria, so we knew tehre were more when the Sisters first appeared.

So that's six sisters of death. The next arc is 11 cousins of despair and 15 nephews of nastiness!

heh - well, Deleria wasnt exactly introdcued as a bona fide Sister - more a hallucination in the addled mind of Anderson.  i wouldnt necessarily mind more Sisters if they were a bit better thought out than Vampirella, Bag Lady and sunblock gal.

Question:  how long is Charley's War?

It's good and all, but it doesn't half last a long time.

Loads and at if someone wants to count then they're all listed on the Charley's War website, just follow the link.

Link: Charleys War Stripography

Loads and if someone wants to count then they're all listed on the Charley's War website, just follow the link.

Link: Charleys War Stripography

Balls

I'll break with my usual tradition and be a little negative, to start: electronux? WTF?

I know it's possible, given Dredd and Alpha have met, but it seems like a cop-out to me.

The whole strip seems laboured. It's a tragedy that (IMO) Colin's not at his best on it. I'm a CM fan and a bit disappointed by the messiness and confusion of it.

Also, the Meg history article is now providing a history of articles on comics history. Oh joy. Sorry. I just find it annoying. I do read and enjoy bits of it, though.

My favourite bit of the Meg is Koburn. It's a bit Judge Death, but I don't care. It's a proper story, well-told, and it's got strong art.

I'm a bit bored with Anderson now, but more happened than usual. I enjoyed Middenface.

As for the lead Dredd strip, it's okay. I found myself wishing it was in black and white, for some reason, or at least a little more gritty.
No offence PJ, but I don't think your style suits it.

Overall, a mediocre Meg, but not one that's actually bad.

PS: I love those Invisible covers!

- Trout

Heh. Sorry! Typo.

I meant those Invisibles covers!

Invisible covers would be a bad idea.

- Trout

It DOES have an invisible cover. Intangible too.

Then he faces off against Shimura - who voices my frustration as he says "Are you going to talk me to death?" Well, yes, apparently.
Lee replies by shouting "hai", doesn't he?  That's "yes" in both Cantonese and Japanese. ;)

Quick brain teaser:

Robbie Morrison strip, published by Rebellion, seven letters, starts with 'S' and ends with 'RA', and it's about a futuristic main character who's tough as old boots, who faces a motley assortment of super-villians led by someone described as "the greatest assassin" - the first story ran its course, and the strip has been treading water ever since.  The art's still good, but there's still that rubbish dialogue that Frank Miller would be proud of to let the side down.

Any guesses?

SHAKARA!

At this point, I'm not sure meself.

Nor, apparantly, is Robbie Morrison.

Jings, I'll keep it brief.
I felt this Meg was a bit flat, I really didn't like that cover. out of all the 'action bits' of this issue that isn't the best, and the foreshorting is like something I would draw( thats bad!)

Dredd, Much as I was looking forward to Mandriod after the story in the Prog, this wasn't what i hoped for, none of these guys are anything like the couple who came back for the off-world wars and the art doesn't seem right for the story sorry guys but this hasn't worked.
On a pedent's note: why would Dredd get off a bike with BF cannons to fight on foot? if he's even wanted info before he normally drives by and knock the perp over, I know petty stuff, as for his self destruction speech, I'm sure he's thought about it given the number of races he's helped destroy ;)

Simura: Now i remember why I detest yankee comics, how bloody silly is this/ Please Matt no more of this kind of tosh. Silly silly silly.

Enjoyed the BB interview, I find the background details to why things I liked disappeared/stopped/reappeared or limply staggered on interesting, no doubt the reasons behind decisions about current stories start/stop are the same?

Anderson: Poor anderson different hair cut same story over and over again, how many times can this one story be rehashed with only slight differences? Maybe she's still stuck in the BONG having a recurring nightmare?

Middenpus: Great stuff, funny, moving, pathos, action, nice references to current culture well developed story and characters, Micthy me!How can this be written by the same driod as Anderson? (and the art is top notch as well!)

15 years Creep! Perhaps we are too close to the subject to be objective about some of this eh? Give it ten years and maybe we can revist it.

Charleys War: excellect as ever, one day all war stories will be like this, hopefully showing the horrors in the current conflict.

Heat seekers: nothing caught my eye/interest here move along please, not a lot to see.

Major Easy: great stuff looking forward to the face off, hopefully a bit o background next month

over all top notch Middenpus and Koburn the rest kinda , well flat.

Huff the leveler

For me, the main problem with Shimura was that here you've got a gang of bad guys, any of whom individually would present a challenge to Dredd or Shimura, but get them all together in a group and they go down like skittles.

As it happens, I enjoyed it more than the average Shimura strip because it had superheroes and lots of killing in it. Generally I don't like Shimura because it takes for granted that anything with a Japanese setting *must* necessarily be more cool than anything set in the west, and I always, always hate the plot. At least this one didn't have a plot - that's something to be thankful for.

I've got to say I'm a little dissapointed that the cover for True Brit wasn't reprinted in the Bolland article, for obvious reasons of vanity.

Speaking of Bolland covers would a special be feasable reprinting them in all their glory. I don't know about anybody else but I'd gladly spend ?3 for a collection of images like that. Doubt it'd be cost effective though.

I may even review the Meg eventually but the fact that apart from Koburn nothing much lingers in the memory is probably more telling than anything else.

I have to de-lurk here and say my ha'penny worth. Grumbly old sod that I am, I'm deeply unimpressed with the Meg at the moment- about the only thing that I like (other than Charley's War, which is saved for last and for reading in the bath, because it is fabulous and, despite my suspicion that it'll be dumped soon, deserves to stay exactly where it is until it is completed) is Koburn. especially this particular Koburn episode, which had every single element of strippage that i have come to desire from Tharg's stable after nearly 30 years of devotion. Marvellous.

But- Anderson? Bleuh. Nothing to say and ugly art. Dredd? meh-ish art, dull storyline. Ludicrous Dredd pictures in which he looks like he's got elephantiasis of the face. Shimura? Am I the only one who can't stand the art? Colin Thingie (i've temporarily forgotten his name, would you believe! Excellent- maybe the part of my brain that held that piece of info is now storing the more interesting items off the 'Hot Potato's menu and their wine list) was good back in the days of 'America', but now... Horrible. Stilted, puffed up figures, interchangeable faces, copy/paste, copy/paste. Horrible. And the cover was appalling. As for Young Middie- well, I like the art, and I'm sure if I had an interest in contemporary Scots politics I'd get more out of it, but as it is, no.

As for the features- I learned nothing, was interested in nothing and felt, not for the first time, they were a cheap filler.

And since I'm moaning- Is the highlight of the Meg, Charley's War, now being printed at a *slower* rate than it's original publication? I don't have my copy to hand, but weren't there only 3 episodes? I had been hoping that they'd give us an xmas pressie, a collection of CW- like that Fiends collection a year or so back- that would bolster it along a bit, but no. I can see why people may want it gone- but really, it's the one thing of constant quality in an otherwise extremely dodgy package. How the meg has slipped since a few years ago, when the future looked so rosy. Once again, I'm fearing for its future.

Again, deep apologies for being so negative- but that's honestly how I feel and after supporting the comic for so, so, so many years- I feel my voice should at least try to make itself heard.

Steev (wearing a WW1 helmet and awaiting the inevitable flaming barrage- with my mate Charley and the gang)

A little bit of hive-mindedness going on:  I had exactly the same thought about printing a large chunk of Charley's War as a supplement.  I don't want to see it go - but it is a very long-running strip - and variety is the spice of thrillage.  It did get a break recently for a 5-issue stretch, and maybe that's what's called for:  Charley's War in chunks.  (Of course, it's tough to call, because that extends it's run even more.)

I think Anderson Psi is suffering from over-exposure:  it's been in 24 out of the last 28 Megs - and all the tales are directly linked to Deadworld - all by Ranson.  I don't think that they're not good as stand-alone tales, just too much of the same schtick for too long.  It's gone stale.  Also, as much as I love Ranson's artwork (easily forgiving what I consider awkward posing), his work in this month's Meg seemed below par.

Young Middenface: 14 out of the last 24 Megs.  More over-exposure, despite the gorgeous artwork.  And where's the character going, anyway?  As a series of classic novels converted to comic fiction, it's an interesting thing to do, and I loved Midnapped, but the constant modern Scottish analogy is beginning to really grate as contrived and clumsy, or perhaps even twee.  If I'm reading a story about a bunch of people being burnt alive in a giant wicker man, shouldn't I feel some kind of emotion beyond ennui?

Shimura never really went anywhere after the initial run, with it's astounding artwork.  The characters seem stuck in limbo.  I did really enjoy the reinvigoration of the strip with Executioner and Deus X about a year ago, but this recent run has taken it from the sublime to the ridiculous without passing go.  What happens when you stick as many characters as you can in one story:  Helter Skelter.  It's a huge disappointment.

Judge Dredd is suffering from bad timing - after the sublime art and plotting of Mandroid, the promise of "a whole platoon of mandroids" sounded too good to be true in terms of how good it would be.  That kind of hype has bitten back, unfortunately.  Another disappointment - despite being a pretty good take in it's own right.  Still, we recently had a new PJ Maybe adventure - and that was utter class.  Dredd's obviously not going anywhere, so I guess we have to accept it will be hit and miss.

And yes, what's saving the Meg is also what's been the real shining light of the last year and a bit: the new thrills of Cursed Earth Koburn and The Simping Detective - both astoundingly entertaining and beautifully crafted.  (I'd include Zancudo in this, because I loved it, but I realise it received a somewhat mixed response.  Others might include Johnny Woo, but I found that a bit of a damp squib, alongside the misfiring Bendatti Vendetta, The Bogie Man and Darren Dead.)

In terms of the articles, that's another mixed bag for me:  I love the creator interviews with the likes of Morrison and Bolland, and I also get a kick out of 15 Years, Creep, but the British Icons series left me cold, and I simply never read Heatseekers, because I have no desire to.  To be honest, I'd rather more strip, even reprint, than what I see as filler text - but I know there's people who disagree, so I happily leave that aside as swings and roundabouts.

Personally, I think we need more variety, and slightly less reliance on the established creative old guard.

Quick brain teaser:

Robbie Morrison strip, published by Rebellion, seven letters, starts with 'S' and ends with 'RA', and it's about a futuristic main character who's tough as old boots, who faces a motley assortment of super-villians led by someone described as "the greatest assassin" - the first story ran its course, and the strip has been treading water ever since. The art's still good, but there's still that rubbish dialogue that Frank Miller would be proud of to let the side down.

Any guesses?

Link: Funny you should say that...

I'd have to disagree with you spooky as In my own opinion the Megs the best its ever been.

I'd quite happily keep it as it is as I like the page count and don't mind the cover price but the only way its going to pull in new readers is to drop the page count, get rid of half the text, bury Charley's War and reduce the cover price.

Whilst I wouldn't go so far as to say the best it's ever been, I would say it's the best it's been in months, largely due the the variety currently on offer. Get rid of Anderson and we'll have more variety still.

Month after month of Shimura, the Simping Detective, Anderson and Devlin Waugh was doing my head in.

And I think this Megazine was the first in months that the new material was actually stronger and more entertaining than Charley's War.

Shimura is a very mixed-bag series... when it's good, it's great.  But when it sucks, it sucks donkeys. And this tale is a donkey.

Dredd- just can't get into this tale. What's Dredd supposed to be out there for? Why send Dredd, surely he'd be better used on the MC1 streets?

McNulty's picking up again, Anderson's dropping...

Koburn was great.
Charley's War is quite great, but It does seem to go on forever...

"when it sucks, it sucks donkeys. And this tale is a donkey"

I had this brief mental image of a ronin donkey sucking itself off.

...which would've been better entertainment then Shimura at the moment!

Sheesh, am I the only person who liked Anderson this month and isn't tired of it?

I thought this tale was probably one of the best for awhile - Certaintly better than the one before it. It seems like a good time for poor Cass to take a restbite though, let something else take the space for a bit and I'm sure the next tale will seem much more fresh.

Dredd was ok, can't get over how one guy has a Rogue Trooper helmet and the other is basically Hulk-Rogue though. Funnily enough, they're the only things that stick out...

Well, i suppose i should put myself in the firing line: Im enjoying Shimura!
I think im enjoying it because its such a no-brainer (hey, theres nothing wrong with popcorn!), but mainly because of Colin Macneil's work. Even when slightly substandard, Macneil's work shines!

Also enjoying PJ's Dredd artwork, my only gripe being that its a little cluttered at times. The plot is a little confusing, but i trust Wagner enough to pull it all together in the end!

Anderson: Yawn-o-rama.

McNulty: Must confess to not having read any of this yet. Gonna wait till its finished and give it a go then.

Charley's War: Sublime! Nuff said!

Koburn: See above!

The Bolland interview was pretty boring, the heatseeker pages were as pointless as ever (just how much free stuff do the writers get for plugging stuff in these pages? Im guessing Spurrier got a free Frightners DVD!) and the Metro Dredds are just embarrasing.

All in all, a good Meg. But its time to clear the deadwood...

"Free stuff"


Heh.  Good one.

Have you tried?  Didn't someone score shitloads of free CD's in the early 90's for Roxilla's page?

Shouldn't that be a freeeloader who scored loads of shit CDs?

All in all, going through all the above, its easy to see wher the board/ hive mind would like the Meg to go, but any signs of this happening? or new and different stories at least? or is the Meg's audience bigger and more mature that us?

Heatseekers? yea or nay? is it just a cheap way of filling pages or a worthy comment on the medja world?

Personally I think one could find unlimited comment on the web so unless it's relevant to the Megacity it shouldn'y really be in there. But the idea of artist or writer venting their spleen I find fun.

and, one last thing, when was the last time you saw a WOW! cover on the meg?

Huff  

A 'WOW' cover? As in one that made me go 'WOW'? Well, that 'bastards' cover springs to mind...

May as well add my thoughts here too.

Shimura. This , to me, feels like a dreadful Marvel Team-up. Then again it did begin with the 'Hey 2000ad readers, buy the Meg it's got Judge Dredd in it as well, you know' issue...so I can understand. It did start well.

Warzone, is just poor. Another team-up. The characters are dull and well, I have come to expect a greater degree of sophistication form the meg over the years. This is just, well, naff.

Koburn is very good. having been away from the meg for a few years (the reprint years killed me), this is the first I have seen of himmand it'll do me niceley. It's the only story that has that quirky meg humourous streak that is blatantly missing from the other strips.