2000 AD Online Forum

Well, I still haven't got 264 yet, but I have got this one.

Horrified to see Satanus is still in the damn thing, and sort of amused to read the last caption, but it does seem to confirm my suspicions for the strips existance.

"Don't come back or I'll do it to you all over again!"

No sir.  We'll do our best.

And I'm not sure if it's Gordon or Boo I need to thank for the guy in Dredd who shares the same initials as I pretend to have.  It must be some weird sort of coincindence.

Nice to see PJ getting a nice feature and a plug for his new comic 'Fearless'.

And the rest of it which I haven't read, it all looks okay, but it would be better in the old days when nothing bad ever happened...zzz... mother make the bad things go away!

You arseholes :)

after initially disliking Grennie's semi-regular column in the Meg, i grew to love it and was sad to see it disappear (probably before he ran out of targets to abuse ;)

therefore it's nice to see he's found a home in this month's dredd strip to poke fun at (us) obsessives

"if it didn't come from a lawgive mark one then the shot never happened"

not to mention the extensive notes on spine design

thinky

So what's the line up? Please please PLEASE tell me we're seeing the last episode of Satanus this issue.

Also, spine design is serious business.

*crosses arms*

"THE END"

Thank god. Release the confetti!

Dredd made me genuinely laugh out loud at several points this month. Top marks to Gordon and Boo for this. Pray Gordon hasn't seen the 'population of MC1' thread or there may be a sequel.

Good little 'Tale from the Black Museum' from Al Ewing and always good to see Robin Smith's art.

Kind of unfortunate that both Satanus and Fink seem to have similar themes for their finales in the same issue. People/creatures being fed hearts.

Small press was OK and I enjoyed the interview with Simon Davis.

Returning character in Dredd next month. Can't wait.

I'd rather a 10-part series of Soul Sisters than any more Dredd by Mills.  What a load of wank, that only he could get away with having published.

I've heard it said that nobody deliberately sets out to create a bad strip.  Here's the apparent exception.

Dredd was HILARIOUS this month and I can see bits of all us lot sat around that table discussing the minutia of all things Dredd/2000ad.
In fact it looked a bit like a Dreddcon, lol.

Dredd made me genuinely laugh out loud at several points this month.

Dredd was HILARIOUS this month

Glad people enjoyed this; I thought it was the most cringe-worthy piece of cliquey, in-jokey fan-wank I've ever read.
I've only ever met one other(!) Tooth fan in the flesh, though, so while I desperately hope it's not accurate, for all I know we could all really be like that. How depressing.

But the truth of it is irrelevant. It's everything I don't like about Rennie on Dredd - while Wagner built a career on blowing minds with effortlessly fun mad future concepts and trying to predict where society would go in the future, all Rennie seems to attempt is lazy, bitter satire on the present. It isn't a story, just an excuse for a wink-wink nudge-nudge to us forum types, to the total exclusion of any and all other Meg readers. At least BOS, however misguided, was genuinely attempting to tell a story, it had a narrative; this is a sarky and unfunny 'joke' stretched over too many pages.

Can you tell I didn't like it? :-) I could go on, but  this is sounding unessecarily personal now, so I'll stop. Mere pages in a comic, too much time on my hands, yadda yadda. Sorry Gordon.

Blimey I didn't even realise the Meg was out this week I'm so disillusioned with it. thankfully it's the last one before the new line up in the xmas issue.

You are correct there satchmo. Next meg has the new line up.

I thought it was a good bit of fluff, yeah it's got some very cliquey in-jokes, but I thought it was fine.

I'm relieved that BOS has finished though.

- Steve

I thought it was a good bit of fluff, yeah it's got some very cliquey in-jokes, but I thought it was fine.

Hmm, now that the heat of my initial annoyance has faded, my rant does seem a bit needless. I think lately I've come to count on the lead Dredd strip to provide the meat in my otherwise tasteless megazine pie, so it got to me that it was a throwaway joke story that I didn't find funny.

Roll on the new lineup!

If it's any comfort Jimbo, it's not really something I wanted or even approve of (as I remember saying to Wils on Saturday, not knowing that by Monday it was my turn next).

However the strip is just a dig at pedantic fans and sadsack twats of all hues, it just so happens I'm one of them.  Though I am aware of it and hopefully have a sense of humour about it.

As for bitter satire on the present, that has been a big part of Dredd over the years.

Obviously I'm not too upset, it was only Rennie after all so it's not as if it counts.  If it was Wagner, well, then I'd be canon...

Well, if anything, it's interesting to see Rennie is now having his Dredd bully 'real' people, so theres some development!  :)

::  I didn't even realise the Meg was out this week I'm
:: so disillusioned with it

Funnily enough, FPI sent through a "your subscription is running out soonâ??resubscribe NOW!" notice to me a few days back. Looking at the dates in question (I have at least six months to run on all Rebellion stuff), it was somewhat premature, but it's rather telling of the current state of things that if I were resubbing now, there's no way in hell I'd bother with the megazine.

What I've read of this issue was average at best. Rennie's Dredd was mildly amusing, but in-jokey. Satanus was just dreadful, as it's been since the start (although at least the art was veering towards the quality we know Hicklenton's capable of), and the balance in the mag is really starting to grate.

I'm looking forward to the new line-up, but mostly because it won't be this line-up. Here's hoping the mag improves a lot, because otherwise they'll be one reader down at least.

I worry about the Megazine, partly because of the editorial attitude on Dreddlines.  That last person, this month, had a couple of constructive things to say, despite being negative about a lot of the content.  But the response seemed reactionary and defensive.

I wish I could know whether or not sales have improved over the past couple of years.  If they have, then I can safely realise that my low opinion of the current Megazine is in the minority and just stop buying it.

A new line-up is hoving into view.  Trouble is, it's going to be a new line-up, but will it be the same tired, mixed-bag, not-quite-a-comic format that I've come to loath?

Dredd great, rest not.

Is this new line up the proper begining of Matt's reign over the Meg?

I have high hopes for next month.

The latest Meg wasn't fantastic, but "clear-out" issues of the prog are often weak, so I'm willing to forgive it. I fear the Meg's on probation, as far as I'm concerned.

I enjoyed the main Dredd story, although the pastiche of fandom's been done before. I'm thinking of the Durham Red apocrypha thing.
The idea of listeners was a good one, though, and, like much of Dredd's strengths, based on real life. There are people who sit with police scanners and sell the information on. Not that a responsible journalist would condone such a thing. cough cough

I quite liked the Fink story and, as usual, I'll work my way through the text slowly, but the rest of the Meg was pretty pointless.

Roll on next month.

- Trout

Now Blood of Satanus has finally ended, I want to post a scan from an old Meg. It's from the serialisation of Thrill Power Overload, and deals specifically with Satanus.

Please look at the end of Pat's comment, in particular. Now we have the benefit of hindsight, I wonder if he was right...

I don't think so.

- Trout

I don't entirely understand why Mills gets such a bug up his arse about editors reworking stuff as they see fit. That's what editors should do (although they do so less and less often, in my experience)â??hell, it's what HE himself did for 2000 AD, once upon a time!

I don't get it either to be honest.

It's a dinosaur for crying out loud, there's not huge room for characterisation.

I'm not sure where he's going on the editor's choice of artist damaging characters - if he's talking about Satanus unchained - I thought Colin's Satanus was a whole lot better than, say Bryan Talbot's saurian lardarse (no offence to Bryan, I love his other work but I cringe when I see his take on Satanus)

Or is he talking about Andy Diggle making a choice of artists on strips he has written as well? I always got the impression that Pat tended to find his own artists.

I'm not sure where he's going on the editor's choice of artist damaging characters

He's on about the mish-mash of artists drafted in on the ABC warriors Return to Mars series.

Andy Diggle, on his retro trip, thought it would be a nice way to hark back to the stylings of the original ABCs series - while that lack of visual consistency had been one of the things that infuritaed Mills the first time around.

''Now we have the benefit of hindsight, I wonder if he was right...''

He's asked us to make our own minds up, I have.

I think Mr Mills is a great writer, but one that needs a firm editor's hand.

Huffski

any cover??

The change in artists on that didn't really bother me that much to be honest - 'I think harming the characters' is a bit strong - the ABC Warriors are pretty two-dimensional anyway.

That said, having Flint on board for the Shadow Warriors was great.

Did Pat choose David Bircham for the Secret Commonwealth, or was that an editorial decision?

Since I started to venture an opinion on this issue, I shall finish...

Thought the Small Press was interesting, fun and stylish, but the stories needed more bite.

Al Ewings story at last showed how deranged he was.  Hurray!

And I honestly don't know what to make of the Dredd, but I did laugh when I read it.

Letters column looks like a battleground, nice cover from Talbot, thank God Satanus has ended but I hope Hicklinton and Mills come back for more of something else and I don't mind the film stuff.

PVS signing off.

"Please look at the end of Pat's comment, in particular. Now we have the benefit of hindsight, I wonder if he was right... I don't think so"

I agree with you, but then from Mills' point of view we're probably the wrong sort of fans.

Regards

Robin

"It's a dinosaur for crying out loud, there's not huge room for characterisation."

I like the way he makes a big deal of the fact that he "created such a well-known character." I wonder how long it took him to think of a suitably savage species of dinosaur and then call it Satanus?

Regards

Robin

I'd much rather see another series of Satanus Unchained than Blood of, to be honest. He's a big dinosaur, but he's still simply a Dredd villain. I don't think Mills should be allowed to ringfence Dredd characters as his.

Cover - rather good.
Dredd - embarrasing fanwank (about fans, for crying out loud!)
Black Museum - excellent
Satanus - loopy, generally in a good way.
Fink - neither writer nor artist's finest hour, but not terrible either.

EXCELLENT interview with Simon Davis.  Michael Molcher's really done very well with these.

Not a brilliant reviews column, a letters page that lets people duke it out (yay!), and a stunning line-up to come.

"It's a dinosaur for crying out loud, there's not huge room for characterisation."

Link: Dino comics

I don't think Mills should be allowed to ringfence Dredd characters as his.

Be fair now - it isn't as though this is, say, Rico Dredd (whom, incidentally, Mills has had no problem with other writers using.)

Satanus's story began with his mum in Flesh - written by Mills - continued in The Cursed Earth - written by Mills - his son appeared in the ABC warriors - written by Mills - and his own reappearance happened in Nemesis the Warlock - written, of course, by Mills.

It only takes a moment to see that Mills does have a claim to the character far beyond simply 'wrote him for a Dredd story once.' Given how tied in he is to just about every other major Mills series, particularly the Nemesis saga, and that no other writer had ever written him, it's fairly clear that he's not fair game. Andy Diggle's claim that he 'didn't think of him as a Mills character' rings a little untrue to me.

If Harry Exton or Sam Slade had once appeared in a Dredd story and so were suddenly appropriated by other writers as being up for grabs, John Wagner would be entirely justified in having something to say about the matter if he didn't like it.

Er, anyone care to rundown the forthcoming line-up for nonsubs? I know I could just wait till Thursday to find out, but y'know.

Anyone. Anyone at all.

Don't all rush, now.

New in the next meg:
Dredd: What I did for Crissmass (John Wagner & Simon Fraser), Armitage: Dumb Blond (Dave Stone & John Cooper), Tempest (Al Ewing & Jon Davis-Hunt), plus: Bob the Galactic Bum (Wagner, Grant & Ezquerra), Alan Grant interviewed, Lost Girls reviewed.  And More, apparently.

Thanks! That definitely sounds promising. I'm guessing we're up for another PJ Maybe story judging by the misspelt(sp?) title. And "Bob The Galactic Bum" must be the mysterious creator-owned property that Matt Smith mentioned was going to be reprinted a while back. Interesting.

I don't think I was being unfair at all, Jimbo, Satanus is a Dredd character and that's all there is to it for me. But as part of the grander Millsiverse as Satanus clearly is, you're probably right.

It's the fragmentation into half a dozen different versions of Dredd/Big Meg that gets me pissed off, I think it damages the strip.

We've got 3 different versions of the Big Meg underworld (the simp, low life, lenny zero), a town made up of sentient city blocks that will never be referred to again, etc. etc.

All I was saying really was that Satanus Unchained actually felt like it was from Dredd's world, and Blood of really didn't.

I love Pat Mills but this is easily the worst thing I've ever read by him, and it makes me wonder why he bothered making a fuss about Satanus in the first place.

you dirty little goosegash, couldn't you wait?

This last run of the Meg with Satanus in my opinion has been an all time low for the Meg, I'm hoping that the new stuff will lift it back up to where it needs to be.

You can argue as much as you want but the artwork on Satanus in awful, the story is awful. This combined with silly self congratulatory 'I'm tryiing to be clever' movies reviews and other such like verbal grout makes the Meg look like bad tiling in a sophisticated bathroom, it stands out as being crap because it is surpassed and surrounded by much, much better products.

With 2000AD being on an all time high, beautiful trade paper backs, and well written books being produced by Rebellion the Meg stands out like a sore thumb. It's as though no one has ever known what to do with the Meg and it always seems to limp behind it's peers.

So the question stands, if you/we were the editior(s) how would the Meg be changed to make it better?

::"So the question stands, if you/we were the editior(s) how would the Meg be changed to make it better?"

Replace the editor, unless sales are up, in which case, cancel my sub.

Just a thought but we've got two stories about eating hearts but also two stories about brains being wiped... spooky!

I honestly don't know how I'd fix the Meg. The thing is, there is a strong foundation there. Dredd is usually strong and is at worst readable (well, if Mills isn't writing). The Meg has room for in-depth creator interviews that 2000 AD can't spare space for, and the brief nods to other comics and small press are acceptable in terms of potentially introducing readers to a wider market of comics and also in keeping costs down. (I've no idea what the Meg's rates are for copy, but I'll bet the page rate for text features is significantly lower than for a page of strip.)

The problems I have with the Meg of late have been: 1) 'bitty' stories (easily solved by upping the page count per story and possibly by keeping them shorter, perhaps running most of them over three or four months); 2) a possibly coincidentalâ??but nonetheless unfortunateâ??collision of rather naff stories (not least the dire Satanus, which seemed to be little more than Mills ventingâ??and from his 2000 AD stuff of late, everyone knows he's still capable of far better), and; 3) filler text features: the Dredd star-rating stuff has, for me, way passed its best, and the movie reviews are pretty pointless. By all means cover comic-oriented movies in a more feature-oriented way (interview the creators or the directors, or look at how something progressed from strip to screen), but reviews? There are hundreds of places I can go for them, and the Meg's aren't unique enough to warrant the page count.

BTW, isn't it a bit odd to have a feature on "top twenty sci-fi-deaths" and only be able to come up with seventeen?

"I honestly don't know how I'd fix the Meg. The thing is, there is a strong foundation there. Dredd is usually strong and is at worst readable!

In a way, I think you've nailed the problem there: Dredd is all the Meg has to offer on a regular basis. The thing is, 2000AD already provides Dredd four times a month anyway.

I said this that last time we had this discussion, but I wish the Meg would be cancelled. It's survived, but it's never, ever thrived. Cancel it, and invest any money left from that in 2000AD, along with the few good characters.

Regards

Robin

Despite BOS, I still think it has been worse.

I just don't know what you would do with the money saved from dropping the Meg - would the aim be to raise the profile of the prog?

Or would the idea be to increase the number of pages, maybe have more extended progs like the end of year specials?

As dismayed as I am with the Meg I wouldn't advocate cancelling it. The only time it has ever come close to fulfilling it's potential was when Alan Barnes took over. That led to my longest stint as a reader, (up to the present) before that I never had any loyalty to the Meg, because I never thought it was any good.

Of course I was often wrong, as I keep finding out while collecting the Wagner Dredds from volume 3.

Satanus is just another in the long line of Dredd characters who have been lessened by ill conceived spin off stories (Chopper, DeMarco, Mean Machine, Anderson, Angel Gang, etc).

And while I have no problem with stories set in The Big Meg, and writers putting their own stamp on the material, I just wish they were all a bit more consistent. How could you not be inspired by the magnificent richness of Mega City One?

Forgot to say, while I can't be bothered to get this months issue yet, I am genuinely excited about the Xmas issue.

"Bob the Galactic Bum" is being reprinted?  Why?!  I already have every issue of that!  That's a disapointment... it is fun, it's by 2000AD creators and will be good for readers who've never seen it, but not for those of us who read it a long time ago.  

Well hopefully it will replace the movie reviews or rather pointless looks at past Dredd stories.  I do enjoy the interviews with artists though, more of those please!  Great to see PJ getting a couple of pages this month.

They seem to have fallen back on Dredd world stuff, which I can only assume is historically a safer bet.  That said, the Megs real run of greatness under Barnes seemed to shy away from that, and just told good stories.  I'd prefer that approach to be honest - new worlds, new ideas, new writers and artists where possible, rather than being promised more body horror from Armitage.

As I've said before no-one at Rebellion or Fleetway has ever defined what the Meg is for. Is it for new creators? Is it to explore the wider Dredd universe? Is it for cheap filler?

Whatever it is I gave up paying for the privilege to watch someone sort the mess it is in out.

As I've said before no-one at Rebellion or Fleetway has ever defined what the Meg is for.

It's for reading. And pontificating about.

ho ho ho

An enjoyable Dredd in the Meg this month(though I can see how it might offend some of the more anally retentive readers)livened up by some fantastic Boo Cook art. You can tell Gordon Rennie delighted in getting his own but on some of the more hysterical elements of the Dredd fan base and I, for one, enjoyed his mischievous slap round the chops.
It is good to see the line-up change in next months issue, which appears to sport a fine Cliff Robinson cover. Hopefully this will thaw the rather frosty responce The Meg has recieved of late.
On the future of The Meg debate, I would offer the opinion that over the many years that it has been running, it has printed some seminal stories. Dredd has had the classic America saga, PJ Maybe's continuing adventures, the excellent Regime Change, the powerful Burry My Knee At Wounded Heart, the action packed Mechanismo, to name but a few. Judge Anderson has had the excellent Childhoods End, Satan, The Jesus Syndrome. There's been some excellent experimental stories like XTNCT and less conventional fare, such as The Bandetti Vendetta.
I'm sure there are plenty more classic stories to be told and I would be very disappointed if The Meg was to fold. Along with the weekly, it is one of the highlights of the month-long may it comtinue.

Dweezil.

I haven't bought the Meg for 'kin years but the Grennie comments from this thread compelled me to dip into my pocket and visit my local WHSith.

I found the listener absolutly hilarious because its true, from a certain point of view. The sad thing is after reading it I felt compelled to air my views.

The more I see Boo Cooks artwork the more I like it.

Bryan Talbot drew Satanus much better in Nemesis than on this months cover and his Dredd seems dull to the way he used to draw him.

I cant really comment of BOS III or fink as I haven't followed the stories. But with Hickleton, I was never a fan of his art even back when he did his Nemesis stint.

No time to read the rest at the moment as I have a nipper to keep entertained.




V

I just remembered Wagner did a story about Judge spotters back in 95 with Tom Carney doing arts.

Vol 3 No 11.


Hows that for saddo.



V

::"the excellent Regime Change"

Sino-Cit Judge: "Hah, soh!  Yesss, we will deal velly tellibly with Judge Dredd san." [twirls evil goatee and squints at the reader through milk-bottle glasses].

Dredd (wearing a Russel's Inflatable Muscles suit): "I am de luargh!"

[An entire fleet of Sino-Cit warships turns tail and runs.]

Dredd: "Now check out my McGruder tanks - they're named after Chief Judge McGruder, because they're tough as nuts and blow the shiznit."

[Some bulky, characterless tanks hove into view.]

War Marshal Foreshadowing back in MC-1: "Check!"

---

Yeah, excellent.  Uhm...

I think that was actually an improvement.

Good lord, funt - it's like reading it all over again!  Reckon you could do the same for that one with George Clooney?

i liked the dredd story,ok so its a dig at middle-aged over weight receeding comic nerds BUT rennie must remember it is we middle-aged overweight receeding comic nerds that are his bread and butter! without us he would be writing for dandy extreme or worse one of the cbeebies comics!

the simon davies interview was a bit disappointing and was unkind to us forum nerds. yep,we chat and discuss we share our feelings and thoughts on a subject we enjoy and sometimes we dont like it.
"...and i don't understand the need to be so critical about things"

if you dont like our critiscisms dont look.we live in a democracy(ish) and freedom of speech is what we have a right to. it smacked a little of not liking anyone not liking him or them. dont get me wrong i like his stuff and even the purple willy comments came under fire.did anyone find them"offensive"?

Mixed bag meg for me.

I enjoyed the DREDD story and found it vaguely amusing while at the same time finding it wrong.  I think I've said it before but if you are in a position to mock and take the mickey out of things, isn't it better to take aim upwards at people in positions of authority rather than downwards on us poor nerdy folk.  

(I'm just off to write some gags about Ginger people and Trainspotters - how daring of me).

I liked the artist interviews - Fearless from PJ looks great and like others was confused over the "willie" controversey. Was there one?  And I'm sure we object when female nudity is gratuitous.

(not like on the Underwear thread where it is an essential part of the comment we are making about attitudes to brains and beauty or something).

I could do without another film article that is just a big long list of things.  Isn't it better to pick 3 or 4 seminal vampire movies and spend a bit of time discussing them?

20 Movie Deaths was filler of the worst order. Unimaginitive, full of tired jokes. concentrating on what the author had seen last week and badly researched (According to my Alien DVD they knew what was going to happen in Alien; how do you think they got John Hurt and a false chest lying on the table with half a dozen puppetteers under it? The actors just didn't know the extent of the blood spray).

Didn't like the end to FINK ANGEL (just a bit too wierd - is he dead and just some animated husk when Dredd meets him?) but I'd liked teh previous episodes.

SATANUS wasn't my cup of tea. That shouldn't hurt anyone's feelings.

"liked the artist interviews - Fearless from PJ looks great and like others was confused over the "willie" controversey. Was there one? And I'm sure we object when female nudity is gratuitous."


That'd be me, again!

who was "del's diner"? was it the satanist or another lovable horned character? i did spot a right hand of doom on one of the posters in you...i mean the listers room .

I bouth the meg today... I've subscribed to 2000AD for a few months now, but haven't followed the Meg. Not sure if I'll continue, (this issue wasn't as good as 2000AD in my opinion, although I like the idea of expanding into Dreddworld more), but it wasn't that bad.

Didn't really like the Blood of Satanus thing.. art or story (although to be fair shouldn't realy judge the story having not read most of it... but the ending seemed pretty dire...) I enjoyed the one off Dredd though, I'm undecided on Fink (although I found the sick humor amusing if disturbing.)  I though Tales from the black Museum was funny though. "Boom!" heh heh. Obviously a "Tales from the Crypt" swipe, but good for all that. Is the propietor a zombie or like thing?

The interviews were interesting too, and I didn't mind the reviews but I have to agree much of the text stuff smacked of filler. Not that it bothered me much but this is the first uptodate Megazine I've read (I got an old one from ebay once, way back when I was deciding whether or not to get 2000AD or not). I can imagine it could get old quick on a regular basis.

It was an impressive write up of Simon Davis's work, by the Molch.

Worley sticks the boot into his first film. I haven't got onto what he's written about 'Shrooms.

The stories are okay. When reading Dredd, my meg felt fit, firm and healthy.

It feels like the steams running out of the rest of the titles in there, though.
Wheres the Lowlife, the Angeltown, East-blok, Brit-cit etc. Why isn't the world evolving?

The Black Museum was an interesting insight into life in the big meg.

Late reading this, but I enjoyed the Dredd story.  It was funny...PVS...heh!

Blood of...bleargghhhhhh....just total pants, and that is it.

Will read the rest later.

I'm seriously thinking about giving up the Meg. I'll wait until the new run starts, but for the last 12-18 months it had become steadily more rubbish.

I can take some text, but not this much.

I can take some filler, but not when it masquerades as original strips.

Frankly, I'd have been happier with a continutaion of Preacher rather than sit through the dross we've been served.

I don't mind other strips in the Meg as I don't read them, and suspect that is the case for the majority of readers (ie those not on the board). What bout Y the Last Man, or From Hell, or something like that?

Anything but Satanus.

While the meg has been poor for what seems like an unsufferably long time, this issue was a bit better.  And I think we should wait till we see it at Christmas and in the New Year, when the new material comes through and see then.

I suspect a reduced page count and a need to clear a backlog of previously commissioned strips has lead to a pretty uninspired Meg by default.

There's some new stuff about to come through which looks original and things like Tank Girl appearing mean that the Megazine is obviously going in a different direction.  I'm not the world's biggest Tank Girl fan, but it's going to please a lot of people and potentially bring in new readers.

It would be a shame to drop it now, just before it promises real change.

Tank Girl sounds like a good option, and could possibly be the start of a new direction.

Ugh no, can't stand Tank Girl meself. Even with nice art, it's just so bloody vacant.  Reprint more Charley's War, fercrissakes, what's wrong with that?

In an ideal world (for me), we'd see some (was it) BPRD - the Hellboy spin-off, or something similar as I've never read it, but TG I'm willing to give a go.

what's wrong with that?


It's shite.
'War is Hell'- we get it!! Now please, move on...

Ooops, misundastood, just saw the other thread.  Thought Tank Girl was going to be reprint.  Still not a fan, even if the art looks gorgeous, but at least this should be an injection of New.

Still want to see the rest of Charley's War, 'though.

I got a bot fed up of Charley's towards the end...I wouldn't want it to rush back (if at all).

The Armitage strip looks promising at least.

That old meg I picked up from ebay had an episode in it and whilst I admit I can't judge an entire story by that, it looked promising. There was also a story set in a Russian mega city involving a judge with a talking horse which was very amusing (although from what I've read it's not everyone's cup of tea.)

As for Tank girl, that's always been a seperate comic hasn't it? Are they going to include bits of the current graphic novels in future Megs, or will it be whole new stuff?  Haven't read much Tank girl, but the little bit I did read seemed a lot of surreal nonsense. Not that I mind a bit of surreality, but it didn't make any sense at all. (It involved her riding a bike through the sky and having orgasms... that and lots of colours like something out of a hippy dream or something.) Again that was a brief snippet from a quick perusal in a library. The entire story might be good.

The film showed promise... although it was kinda rubbish overall.

I was never a fan of Armitage, due to it being hard work to read. I thought the Meg suffered when it was trying really hard to tie evrything in with the Dreddworld - even Al's Baby had a Judge on the first page - which just seemed like it was trying to excuse itself for being in the Meg when it shouldn't have had to as that was a great story.

New Tank Girl is a great idea.  I'm sort of a casual fan so this pleases me.  For reprints, well, I don't actually read comics with the exception of 2000AD and the Meg and the occasional GN (I have a couple of Tank Girls, a couple of Alan Moore's, Maus and Jonny The Homicidal Maniac) so most of them were new to me and I was enjoying Preacher, so if that were to return I would be pleased, to be honest, as I have no idea where the story went after the Meg finished reprinting it.

I like the Meg, and want it to continue.  I usually read it all, but gave up on Blood of Satanus with the intention of reading it all in one go once it was finished, but I haven't got around to doing that yet and probably never will, which is a shame as it's probably the first Dredd strip I have ever avoided reading all the way through.  I enjoyed bits of it but then  it got to be too much effort, and I am very lazy.

Even Pat Mills said he felt he'd gone on too long with Blue's story, it's back to being Charley's tale with the next stuff.

Not keen on Armitage.  Never liked thwe old meg much.  But still some promising things ahead.

I've hardly read any of the Satanus story. Partially because a lot of it is physically unreadable for various reasons. And secondly because the story is shit.

Feeling slightly more articulate, I'd say that the Meg is like a stroppy teenager that isn't studying for it exams.

You know it has the potential to do well, to build a future for itself, and yet it seems reluctant to do the things it needs to do in order to better itself. Despite your frustration, though, you can't help but love it because - well, becasue it's yours.

That's the Meg. Our stroppy teen.

...so how long is Bob???...

...and i dont mean his KNOB!!!...

All I read was Dredd this month. A story about fat,sweaty,nerdy comic fans. Now thats cutting edge humour. Next month Dredd tackles some cursed earth new age travellers who need a bath,scrounge off the state and have a dog on a string. Utter, utter pish!

I cant even bring myself to read the rest. Thats how poor I find the Meg. I think its more habit than anything but as I've gave up the fags & booze lately I might just quit this as well. My crack pipe aint gonna pay for itself y'know.

I'll see what the new run is like but for me Tank Girl just reminds me of the 90's.

But a teenager might not want to do the things YOU think it needs to.  

The teenager might not feel it needs "to better itself" to fit in with your ideas of what it should be. It's happy doing what it's doing - "Why are you on my case all the time?".  

The teenager might have a completely different way of looking at things and trying to prescribe what worked for you, may not work for it.

I think you might have to listen to the teenager, find out what it wants and where it wants to go.  Then you can find out how best to support that journey.

And in theory* you have no strops.








* Aye, right.

Tank Girl started off as a bit of anarchic fun - but  that's all it was - it was otherwise completely and utterly vacant.  There were some nods towards a plot occasionally, but beyond "bizarre enemy tries to kill Tank Girl but fails" it didn't go far.  (Booga was under her thumb - only other bit of characterisation.)

Then suddenly, and for no apparent reason, she'd be in the UK, without her tank, and, frankly, I think this must have coincided with lots of hallucinogens being consumed by the creators.  There were tons of flowers, and lots of sunshine - and giant headlines like "Summer of Love", and one episode where they all drop acid.  So...it's not rocket science.

And then there seemed to be some kind of stance against the readers by the creators.  And the movie, which was pish.  And then more comics, still without a story.  You can see the same sort of thing with Gorillaz - it's all characterful looking without a story to go to.

So, I'm hoping the Meg version is nothing like what's come before (beyond there being a tank, that belongs to a female), and dares to include a story at some point.  

I finally got round to getting the Meg, after all that I think it was a pretty good issue. Admittedly the advert for next issue was my favourite bit :)

The Dredd story was actually quite good, the mention of Rupert Pupkin Block made it clear to me that it's target is mentalist fans of all kinds. It's nothing that I haven't seen before in Evan Dorkin's Eltingville series though.

The last line of Blood of Satanus proves the point. Don't worry Pat, no-one will ever want to see Satanus again now. A fiasco, but it's over now. However I honestly look forward to seeing more work from John Hicklenton, and the return of ABCs, Defoe, and Savage from Pat Mills.

Dredd Files: 3 stars for The Prankster? Are you kidding?! I love that story. And look at that page from The Starborn Thing. It ain't the sound of music!

The Simon Davis interview was really interesting, in fact this series of interviews are fab. His dismissal of 80% of Previews as "worthless shit" is pretty much true, but doesn't help his argument about criticism.

Short Fuse was mental and fun, and bodes well for Tempest next month.

Angel gang was Ok but didn't make a lot of sense.

That's all I've read so far, the small press looks good though, and I actually like the articles so will be reading them later.

Canny issue, Tharg!

I quite enjoyed this Meg, but it's a strange thing when the Simon Davis interview was the real highlight for me. Beautiful portraits, and a nice insight into working methods.   A very informative piece, continuing a strong run that includes great Abnett and Hicklenton interviews.  

Fink sort of lost his way towards the end - not like Abnett to labour the "heartless bastard" pun for a whole episode, and as Dredd might say, that's one hell of a mutation.

The film reviews get increasingly vicious, which is no bad thing.

The Balck Museum thing was fun, as Ewing usually is.

Of Satanus, the least said the soonest mended: art is back on mad form, script is pitiful.  At least it's over, but I hope it doesn't put Tharg off giving Hicklenton something cooler to work on soon.

If there was anything else in there, I've forgotten it already.

"Fink sort of lost his way towards the end - not like Abnett to labour the "heartless bastard" pun for a whole episode, and as Dredd might say, that's one hell of a mutation."

You may be right about Abnett - but then he didn't write it, did he?

As for the mutation, yep, that's a bit of a stretch. But I don't think the story's supposed to be taken seriously. Perhaps it's not supposed to be taken as canonical?

Ha!  You're absolutely right, shows how closely I was paying attention.  It is of course exactly like Spurrier to draw out a  pun for many pages and indeed episodes... it's part of his charm (comes right after the Jack).

::"Perhaps it's not supposed to be taken as canonical?"

If that were true, I'd be thinking "make up your own sandpit comedy hi-jinks mutants and stop playing jittery toybox games with classic characters".  It's like the 90s all over again.

Can't we just either have a story that's horrific, or a story that's comedic, and leave the ironic, comedy-horror to Scream, or Evil Dead.  And, I know we're not allowed to say that Steve Roberts art is cartoony (A, because he'll cry into his pint, or something, and B, because it's SO dismissive of his ART), but it's certainly not scary - it's absurdly cute.  When the evil witch docter spider monster thing stabs teh black heart of Fink Angel, surely I'm not supposed to be looking at it going "awwww - s'cute".  Eye getting scratched out by mutated rat: "s'like Scooby Doo".    Not cartoony, though.  No.

Well sorry about the delay but here's my two cents on the Meg this month

Dredd:as with last months story fine , throwaway fun.

PJ HOLDEN INTERVIEW : Again fine , Pj's a good artist and I hope fearless works out for him , it does show the difference to the old days when Fleetway ran the show, they would have acted like he didn't exsist for going to an American Company.

Simon Davis : Once again fine , an interesting Article and Davis shows what a fine artist he truly is ( How much does he charge for portraits?)

Black Museum: As always one of the stronger strips the Meg Prints.

Blood of Satanus : discuss after class

Sci Fi Deaths : utterly pointless!?!?!

Small Press : Grey Days , Not Bad needs some work but still fun especially the "Secrets" gag

New Films : Fine again you either agree With Mr Worley or you don't , on Thirty Days of Night I strongly disagree ( which brings me to his earlier article on Vampires which he praised Thirty Days but then dismisses it in his review well which is it Alec?) On shrooms I agree wholeheartedly ( but that's because I've actually met the Director once or twice and personally don't think he's very talented!)

Dredd Files : Again totally pointless filler

Fink Angel: A ridiculous ending but the story did end before it wore out it's welcome.

Overall an Average Meg but I do think there may be with the new line up a comeback on the cards . However I would like to adress one thing here ...In last Months John Hinkleton Interview and in this months Simon Davis Interview they refer to Pat Mills and his " Detractors" with the letters page trying to drum up support for Satanus ( And to a lesser extent Black Siddah)  Well I for one am not a " Detractor" but a fan of Mr Mills  but the simple truth is ..SATANUS was the greatest load of old shite that I have ever seen dumped on the reader , from start to end Nine months later this has been an  embarrasment to Mills , the Meg and the fans who had to read it...like I said  I have been a huge fan of Mr Mills work since I was Seven years old  ( Charleys war ( Bring that back by the way) , Invasion, Ro Busters, Abc Warriors , Savage)  all great characters but I know when Shit is Shit and Satanus was Shit! It's over now , lets hope Pat gets on form soon and writes great characters again but I do wish the editor would come out and admit that it was a mistake and that it will never happen again.!

::"I do wish the editor would come out"

What's his sexual orientation got to do with it?




Ba-dum tisch!

So, it's a little hard to make out, but I take it Satanus is dead right? I'm a little confused, does thismean he has already done the terrible thing which he would one day do?

..., does thismean he has already done the terrible thing which he would one day do?

I always figured that was chomping school buses in the Terror Tubes while ridiculously enlarged by Thoth.  And bad and all as that sequence was, I think I'll keep thinking that.

Reading the film review column reminded me of the TV advert I saw for Shrooms the other day. I laughed out loud when it was described as "Blair Witch on acid".

We had much the same reaction here - and I thought that Blair Witch was pretty much 'Blair Witch...on ACID', being that it was a gang of boggly-eyed twats running around in the forest, convinced that they were being stalked by an unseen 'witch'...

Rolling my puopils back into my head, I foresee that Shrooms is destined to become a cult classic for persons some two decades younger than most of us here.  Or something.

What...seven year olds?

seven year olds... on acid!

What...seven year olds?

You don't know you're born, Virgo!  Young people these days.

Dah! I thought I was being all gritty and gruesome!
Is it not just a touch horrifying?
sigh, maybe one day....


steve

Thank You I'll be here all week , please eat the veal!

Keep chasing that rainbow, Steve!  

Both Angel tales were pretty gruesome fare in places, and the McMahonesque inking was top stuff throughout... but still cute as a bundle of hobbits, I'm afraid.  Mind you, lethal bites aside, Ratty and his little bowler has always made Fink stories a little cutesy..

Anyone with Sky Plus may like to know that Vampirella is showing at 01:10 hrs this following midnight, on the SCIFI channel.

MegaCityAnnouncementsTannoyforPublicServicesLtd.

I watched part of that some while back. It sucked (not pun intended) big time, and the acting was terrible... although that gave it a certain comedy appeal. At least I got the impression it was very much toungue in cheek. It didn't keep me watching though.