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enjoyable if lightweight wrap-up prog this week, complete with mike carroll's interesting take on a sci-fi classic twist in time-twisters

however i have to note that e-progs are on their way courtesy of mr tharg and clickwheel...

thinky

Spoilers please + cover

are you saying that you're wanting spoilers, or that i should spoiler what i've written? it's hard to pick out the true meaning from your verbose polite request...

in any casethe cover isn't up yet, but when it is it will appear here replacing the red X

thinky

Ends of Mandroid & Button Man were slightly unsatisfying.

FS & BB were very enjoyable. Red Seas ends well enough.


Bring on Prog 2008 (but can I have the issue without Kingdom in it please).

Spoil the damn plot(s)

ignore Batson!!!

This is a spoiler thread. I like stories to be spoiled before reading them. I apologise if I annoyed/offended you in any way.

I like stories to be spoiled before reading them.

Technically, would they be spoiled if you enjoyed them?

Cover ok nothing to shout about.

Dredd had an alright ending with nate taking the cowards way out. Still had incompitent Judges in background running straight for armed soldiers with no cover, weapons pointing away from perps. At least the prog got his just deserts. Whittle got abit bitchy at the end Meowwww.

Loved the time twisters, Adolf and Eva, you gotta laugh.

Twisted Tails was more understandable this time but do we need two short stories on one prog. I know its just filling for the big 2008 but still.

Button Man didn't finish violent enough for me but you cant have everything in life.

Red Seas just leaves me wanting more, at least Jack is still Knocking about.





V

No prog...

:(

I find it enjoyable to be spoiled and then reading/watching to see for myself.

Congrats to Mike for the excellent little Time Twister - and not a bad effort by Gary Erskine either - and just think, in years to come I'll be able to tell any potential kids that I might somehow have obtained that I once knew the famous Mr. Carroll (not the Peter Pan one, obviously)...

:-)

Thanks Byron!

But... Peter Pan? Do you, perhaps, mean Alice?

-- Mike "please buy my books" Carroll

All things considered that was a blinding prog, that was.

Dredd and Button Man finish off nicely, indeed the last panel of Dredd was the highlight of the series.  I'd not be averse to seeing an Adele spin off from Button Man some time, and maybe the return of Ransome for Harrys continuing adventures.

Bob Bakers Bit (I know) was clearer this time around and much more fun. I liked.

Future shock made me laugh out loud at the end, and was a humorously told, albeit familiar, tale. The change to colour was spoiled by my scanning the prog. How did other readers find that?

Red Seas was the perfect finale to the prog, a great ending and a great set up for future tales. Perfect, really, but I still want me more Red Seas, and soon.

"But... Peter Pan? Do you, perhaps, mean Alice?"

Damn, blast and buggeration! I've been reviewing the Black Dossier and my brain's become muddled with disparate authors (at least, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!)

Judge Dredd- Good. It's a shame they nearly always kill of the villains (well ok Nate is more victim that villain but that's even worse) in the Dredd comics though. I wish they could have come up with something else leaving the option of using the character later. As long as it's not just a rerun of what's gone on before.
That being said he's a tragic character so the end was fitting.

Time Twisters- I loved this! Grey funny ending. Have they done time twister tales before? Do they use these to test new talent like they do the Future Shocks and Terror Tales? As for the change to colour, I liked it. It made sense moving from the monochrome of world war two to the colour of prehistory.

Twisted Tales- Liked this. Overall I enjoy these tales, although I didn't like last week's much. this was a good un though. I wonder if the alien left thinking the dog was the sentient life form? I wonder what happens to the dog  now his master is dead. You don't see him go up with the alien, maybe he goes feral. And what is that big exclamation mark on the last panel for?

Button Man- I never really too to this strip much but it was ok. Ok ending.

Red Seas- Ok ending I suppose. I don't entirely get this strip though, mainly through coming to the overall story part way through. If I'd read the ealier strips and seen how it happened, maybe I'd feel differently. I did understand this episode though.

"I wonder if the alien left thinking the dog was the sentient life form?"

The dog *is* a sentient lifeform - sentience doesn't neccessarily mean self-awareness, though you might argue that dogs and cats display some rudimentary intelligence.

"Have they done time twister tales before?"

Yes, they date all the way back to prog 294, and have produced some of Alan Moore's best work for the comic, such as Chrono Cops, D. R. & Quinch Have Fun on Earth and The Time Machine.

Link: Time Twisters

I was inordinately pleased that an end-of-the-line Prog had five full stories, rather than doubling up episodes to fit the end of something.

An endearingly silly Time Twister to complement respectively heavy handed, murky and mouthwatering ends to Dredd, Button Man and Red Seas.

Good work.

Very pleased to see the Time Twister banner back, and Mike didn't let it down with an entertaining story.  Full marks go to Gary Erskine's art, which is lovely.

I get the impression Mike saw Downfall and wanted to give it a 'happy' ending...

Dredd and Button Man both had good endings after slightly wobbly stories which really didn't need to be half as long as they were.  I also couldn't help but notice those sentries had been covered up by the Dredd logo to hide their incompetance.

Red Seas had a good end to a good story.  I almost wish this was something new, because I fear the next series of Red Seas won't be half as much fun.  Let's hope I'm proved wrong.

And more twsited tales from Bob Byrne.

If I was a charitable man, I'd say this was a good prog.

It was good...
Dredd...made by the line thay questioned Dredd.
Red Seas...nice all round.
Mike's Time Twister...sorry Mike, can't take another A&E Ending.
Button Man ended nicely.
Byrne Better, but telegraphed from PG1.

>Mike's Time Twister...sorry Mike, can't take another A&E Ending.

I understand completely, WoD! For the past eight years I've been one of the judges of an international SF short story competition, and after a couple of years I was so completely sick of cliched stories about Hitler, Adam and Eve and time-travel that I lobbied to get a ban on such tales included in the rules (unfortunately I was overruled).

Earlier this year I was thinking about the competition and I began to wonder if it would be possible to combine a bunch of very over-used ideas into one story, just for the heck of it. Once I spotted the similarities between "Adam and Eve" and "Adolph and Eva" I just knew I had to write it before someone else did!

-- Mike

>Mike's Time Twister...sorry Mike, can't take another A&E Ending.

I understand completely, WoD! For the past eight years I've been one of the judges of an international SF short story competition, and after a couple of years I was so completely sick of cliched stories about Hitler, Adam and Eve and time-travel that I lobbied to get a ban on such tales included in the rules (unfortunately I was overruled).

Earlier this year I was thinking about the competition and I began to wonder if it would be possible to combine a bunch of very over-used ideas into one story, just for the heck of it. Once I spotted the similarities between "Adam and Eve" and "Adolph and Eva" I just knew I had to write it before someone else did!

-- Mike

Oops - double-post! Sorry!

The dog *is* a sentient lifeform - sentience doesn't neccessarily mean self-awareness, though you might argue that dogs and cats display some rudimentary intelligence.

I thought sentience meant more than just a rudimentary intelligence... I thought self-awareness was integral to the whole point... but I'll look up the definition, double check...

Anyway, what I meant was, I wonder if the alien leaves thinking the canine species is the most advanced life form on the planet...(although the whole concept of advanced it dabatable obviously.) To be sure, that was one smart smutt, much brighter than his close minded 'master'.

My tuppence worth:

Cover - Meh...

Dredd - As expected, a downbeat ending. I would love to have seen Nate become a really tragic, recurring bad guy where the reader is privvy to exactly why he has fallen and has our sympathies firmly with him. Looking forward to reading this in one lump.

Time Twisters - Loved it! The ending made me laugh out loud and the art was cool. Infinately superior to...

Bob Wotsit - Hate it, sorry. If it has to stay can it move to the Meg please?

Buttonman - So so ending to a so so series. It would have been so much cooler if Harry had offed the judges mussus, just to give the strip it's edge back. Again, I look forward to reading this in one lump but I stand by my Shark Jumping thread of a few months back. For me this series has tainted what was my favourite ever strip after Dredd.

Red Seas - Mental, in a good way!

Overall, an average prog as you'd expect at this time of year with Dredd and Time Twisters very much the highlights. Bring on prog 2008!

For what its worth:
Cover: Like it but do feel itâ??s from the Frazer period of minimum effort maximum pay cheque or does he just make it look so easy?

Dredd: Have enjoyed Mandroid but at times its like when Iâ??m watching a war film and Mrs Logan walks out after I keep pointing out the things that are wrong with it. Could have ended any other way, Iâ??m glad Nate has gone so he doesnâ??t become one of those recurring bad guys that you get bored of.

Time Twister:  Nice art, liked the title, could see the punch line coming but it still made me chuckle a good palette cleanser in anticipation of Prog 2008

Twisted Tales: Still donâ??t see the attraction in ether story or art, for me these arenâ??t what Iâ??d like to see filling up 6 pages of my Prog and wonder how the average reader relates to them. Canâ??t see them ever being a classic or talked about much in the future.

Button Man: Loved it, once Iâ??d got used to Frazerâ??s artwork itâ??s been a great read. Going to sit and read the whole thing in one sitting before Xmas and soak it all up.

Red Seas: Havenâ??t really been reading this properly but now its ended will sit down and give it my full attention, it shouldnâ??t be that hard its only 5 episodes long and from what I can see here it seems to have gone down well so will give it a go.

Red Seas does got brilliant twist ending! :)

Erm. Very suprised nobody has mentioned clickwheel yet?

Me too!

Link: The Year of the Digital Prog

Erm. Very suprised nobody has mentioned clickwheel yet?

except that i did in the first post of this thread! if only i had the messageboard clout of a PVS i too could claim the glory ;)

unless of course i've been killfiled by everyone... hello?

thinky

Er... I did read that, it entered my brain, then at some point dissapeared again.  Sorry Thinky :)

"I thought sentience meant more than just a rudimentary intelligence"

In terms of etymology, the word dates back as far as the 17th Century when it is defined as "capable of feeling", derived from the Latin word 'sentientem' (also the root word for 'sentence').

Link: Online Etymology Dictionary

In terms of etymology, the word dates back as far as the 17th Century when it is defined as "capable of feeling", derived from the Latin word 'sentientem' (also the root word for 'sentence').

Thanks for that. Actually following the link, it also means 'conscious'. In the strict sense I guess you'd class a dog as consious since it's awake, running around etc., but conscious in the 'self aware' sense? I'm not sure...

It's all quite a grey area anyway....

Anyway, in response to other posts, whilst I agree it's a somewhat unusual strip to have in the prog, I think it's good that it's included for that very reason. Quite often I've been initially put off of stuff because it's not what I'm used to, then when I've given it a go I sometimes end up liking it. Besides, there is plenty of other more conventional strips in the prog, and this one is only periodical.

There is a self aware dog already in Red Sea's, maybe the healing ray made the dog inteligent.




V

Dredd's art certainly had the 'hurry up the deadline's here' feel to it, with some very minimal and rushed moments. For a climactic episode it was really lacking. Shame. Interesting how other Judges view Dredd, though.

Time Twister - I liked this one, despite some rather stilted artwork.

Twisted tales - they'd work better as one page shockers, two pages at a pinch.

I'm glad I've re-subbed, Red Seas is certainly worth it.

I actually enjoyed the punchline to the TIME TWISTER but couldn't it have been done in 6 panels?

Again, I don't think I enjoyed too much of the prog.

MANDROID could have done in half the time.

RED SEAS was just people I don't know about fighting about something I don't know about and being saved by something I don't know about. But I'm sure I've read all of RED SEAS so maybe it hasn't engaged me like it should have.  Or maybe I haven't tried enough.

Never got into this BUTTON MAN either.

Bob Byrne was actually fun - I had to stop watching Celtic qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League to give it full attention - surely a good sign.

Overall, I'm glad this run of stories has finished and hope something more to my liking pops up soon.

There is a self aware dog already in Red Sea's, maybe the healing ray made the dog inteligent.

I thought that too, but you'll remember the dog tried to stop his master from killing the alien in the first place, as if he knew it was the wrong thing to do (ironically causing his/her own death at the hands of his/her master. And then resurrection etc...)

Cover: Excellent - mundane at first glance, brilliant at second and subsequent glances


Judge Dredd- Good, moving stuff. I think they had to finish off Slaughterhouse. So many awful things have happened to him that anything but annihilation would be an anticlimax


Time Twisters- A good story. I didn't see the ending coming (not a complimnent - I never see twist endings coming). Well told. One quibble, Hitler looked nothing like Hitler - he looked like a strange cross between David Duchovny and Harrison Ford wearing a toothbrush moustache

Twisted Tales- Way good. I didn't see the ending coming but (see above).  All hail Bob Byrne for doing something new and cool.

Button Man- I never really too to this strip much but it was ok. Ok ending.

Red Seas- my meh of the week. Possibly it'd be more interesting if this wasn't the first one I'd read in this story. Uusally I like Red Seas

Droid Life; not their best but a bit of a giggle, as usual. dang it, I have an irrational urge to buy the Droid Life book, but I can't afford it and my England-dwelling sister won't buy it for me because I'm a grown man (I don't see the relevance, but that's sisters for you).

Cover, good image

Droid Life, entertaining enough.

Dredd. It's been a slow burner, probably read better in one go. Disappointing ending, don't know what I expected but it just seemed a little flat. The other judges last comment does tie it in nicely to the current wider Dredd arc. Isn't something major supposed to happen next week?

Time Twisters, good fun, I liked it.

Bob Byrne, the best yet but just not my thing on a personal level. And I think two one offs in one prog is too many.

Red Seas, I think I like this but having not read the older ones I don't have a clue what it's about. Like the setting though, somehow reminiscent of Zenith but that might just be Yeowell.

Button Man. Unlike many others I have really enjoyed this story. However Like Dredd I found the ending a bit flat.

Overall, I don't think this prog was as strong as it has been lately. Personally I was loving the mix of Dredd, SinDex, Dante and Button Man and this one seemed either full of filler or flat endings. Roll on next week.

A bloody good prog - especially for a tail-ender, in story terms - with five strong thrills!

My favourite was the Red Seas, but I enjoyed it all.

A special mention for the Time Twister, for being about Hitler and time travel and not being shit!

Only a week to go before the annual bumper special of goodies!

- Happy fish

Dredd: I like that fate of the general!!! not sure which is best, that or fate of Booth in Origins!!!

Cover: Competent enough, but it doesn't really scream "BUY ME", y'know? OK Stuff.

Droid Life: I'm not usually keen on the strips where P14 comes up with a "hilarious" new angle on a popular thrill, but the last panel was definitely worth it. Good Stuff.

Dredd: Somewhat anticlimatic, as I guessed back at the start this story is merely one part of the Emo-Dredd arc, which is fine, but we could of had 2 or three shorter stories in the same time frame as this, plus Wagner wouldn't of shot his load on the Mandroid sequel. Anyways, Good Stuff.

Time Twisters: I really liked the art, apart from Hitler himself. If I hadn't read Mike's intentions on here first, I don't think I would of got the joke, but I guess that others who read more SF than I do would. Good Stuff.

Bob Byrne: Beautiful art and story. Slightly put off by the redneck's heel turn at first, but then I remembered this was supposed to be "Twisted" when he got chomped. Great Stuff.

Button Moon: The bit where Harry says kthnx and goodbye to the Judge was cool, but this suffers from the same pedestrian feel (BTW I'm not just talking about the pace) as the rest of this tale. OK Stuff.

Red Seas: The thing I love about this strip is that's it's more about the discoveries our heroes make, so a fighty episode is a bit of a letdown, but we still discover some cool artefacts, and Jack is still about. Very Good Stuff.

Yeah, pretty good for a clearout prog.

Cover: Competent enough, but it doesn't really scream "BUY ME", y'know? OK Stuff.

Droid Life: I'm not usually keen on the strips where P14 comes up with a "hilarious" new angle on a popular thrill, but the last panel was definitely worth it. Good Stuff.

Dredd: Somewhat anticlimatic, as I guessed back at the start this story is merely one part of the Emo-Dredd arc, which is fine, but we could of had 2 or three shorter stories in the same time frame as this, plus Wagner wouldn't of shot his load on the Mandroid sequel. Anyways, Good Stuff.

Time Twisters: I really liked the art, apart from Hitler himself. If I hadn't read Mike's intentions on here first, I don't think I would of got the joke, but I guess that others who read more SF than I do would. Good Stuff.

Bob Byrne: Beautiful art and story. Slightly put off by the redneck's heel turn at first, but then I remembered this was supposed to be "Twisted" when he got chomped. Great Stuff.

Button Moon: The bit where Harry says kthnx and goodbye to the Judge was cool, but this suffers from the same pedestrian feel (BTW I'm not just talking about the pace) as the rest of this tale. OK Stuff.

Red Seas: The thing I love about this strip is that's it's more about the discoveries our heroes make, so a fighty episode is a bit of a letdown, but we still discover some cool artefacts, and Jack is still about. Very Good Stuff.

Yeah, pretty good for a clearout prog.

 I havent read this weeks yet but i am a bit sad to see the end of slaughterhouse as i felt the character had potential as there was a certain amount of depth to this character that could have been explored further possibly.Death was inevitable  in the end it seems.


 I didnt have a problem with the length of this strip either.I didnt lose patience with a 50 week strip either so this story could have gone on and i would have been happy to read it.

I forgot to mention I really enjoyed Droid Life.

- Trout

Just got my prog, a bit soggy but intact. (it's been pissing down for about 3 days now here!)

The cover made me chuckle. "The hardest button to button". Is Tharg a White Stripes fan?!

Great Prog.

Cover:  One of my favourites of 2007, and possibly with a double meaning, as it seems it may be the last with the current (excellent) design.

Dredd:  Ho-hum.  This went on  bit too long, and was a bit too depressing, and I feel Critchlow's art slipped slightly this week, with odd proportions and poses.  Still, I imagine it'd read great in one go, and it had the courage of its convictions.  If only Narcos had got hold of that suit.

Time Twister:  Go Mike!  A genuinely fun TT/FS, although since Mammoths died out less than 5000 years ago, I question the Fuhrer's certainty that he is the first man.  

Twisted Tales;  Loved it, long live Bob Byrne, a breath of fresh air.

Button Man:  A perfect ending to a solid tale, and hopefully more to come from either Adele or Harry.  Maybe both?  

Red Seas:  A lovely teaser.

Woo-hoo, Stickleback and Kingdom next week!

Just picked it up. Mandroid and Buttonman - just a bit too long, and both not as good as their respective predecessors.
Have to say, I thought the Adolf and Eva punchline was genius. Has no-one ever spotted the similarity before? Nice work, fella. Especially when coupled with the second punchline of everybody alive being a child of Hitler. (It's bad enough that most European people are suppose to be descendants of Genghis Khan)

Yeah - fantastic Time Twister...

Good solid endings to Dredd & Button Man - neither were too long for my liking, it's good to give stories long enough to breath sometimes.

Loved Red Seas, don't know if we'll go back to the piratey times next, or stay in 'the future'...

Didn't really get the ending of Bob's Twisted Tale... was it really 'and then he went home for tea'?!

Not worth a thread on it's own but the new issue of Marvel Zombies 2 (issue 2) has a 1 page Dan Abnett interview that mentions 2000ad favourably. As he's not connected with the zombies title it'll probably be in most of this month's Marvel issues.

Happily they include a helpful glossary for those hard to follow British terms.



Clearly not enough said.

Yeah, shouldn't that be 'vacation'?

Dredd: A tragic end to the tale of Nate Slaughterhouse. When he realised the truth about Kitty he just gave up. Very sad, and all told a black day for Justice Department. But the last page, bloody hell. Wittle is pissed off! Dredd has been breaking his balls since the beginning, and he doesn't like it. Is this the start of a whispering campaign against Dredd from the Street Judges, who have traditionally been his biggest supporters? With one panel John Wagner turns Mandroid into part of the Fargo revelations/ mutant rights storyline.
The best comic strip in the world.

Time Twister: Made me laugh out loud, hugely entertaining story. More time twisters Tharg!
From the same creators if possible!

Bob Byrne: Back on form for Bob, I loved this one. He manages to be funny and horrifying at the same time.

Red Seas: Great ending for this mini series, which is one of my favourites and I hope it's back soon.

Button Man: A satisfying end to a slightly patchy series, but it grew on me a lot towards the end.

Overall a fantastic prog to cap a great years for tooth. Off to re-read Dredd for the fifth time now!

I must be missing something with the Time Twister.

Whilst acknowledging it's fantastic for Mike - who is surely the gentleman of the board - and that the story is a bit of fun, I don't get the influence that the US soldiers have on the plot.

I mean, the only thing the tank smashing through the wall has does is speed things up a little - Eva is committed to joining Adolf in the machine irrespective of their impending attack.

Also, is Wells dead? He just seems to skip off at some point. And if you were in an armoured tank like that last soldier, why would you jump out with your tommy gun and expose yourself?

Finally, imho the change to colour would have worked better if the background was of some arcadian Garden of Eden, rather than the prehistoric landscape. It would also have been cool if the time-jump had stripped Adolf and Eva of their clothes.

(Sorry to nitpick - slow day here...)

M@

Nope, not ready for a naked Hitler here.  The Schicklegruber Job is as far as I'm prepared to go.

M@ writes: I mean, the only thing the tank smashing through the wall has does is speed things up a little - Eva is committed to joining Adolf in the machine irrespective of their impending attack.

:(

That's actually not MY fault! In the script, Hitler is wounded by a flying brick (you can't beat a good flying brick!) when the Americans arrive. Eva automatically rushes to his side and drags him to the relative safety of the time machine, at which point it activates. It's not that she has the intention of using the machine to save him and herself. So the Americans' arrival does have an impact on the outcome, albeit an indirect one.

I was pretty surprised to see this change when the comic arrived, but, hey, I'm not complaining! If Tharg thinks it works better this way, then who am I to argue? He knows a lot more about writing for comics than I do.

And thanks for the comment about me being the gentleman of the board...! So I'm not the hard-bitten, bitter, savage cynic I thought I was, eh?

-- Mike

Cheers Mike,

I guess my post was just a long-winded way of wanting to see whether, indeed, Hitler has a mere one ball.

Looking forward to your next strip. Comic strip that is...(!)

M@

Since Mike's around to take compliments - very, very good Time Twister. Genius spin on a couple of old favourites, and lovely Erskine art to boot.

Thanks for all the kind words, you lovely people! :)

As a reward, I've decided to allow everyone here to buy my new book at a special 0% discounted rate of only â?¬10 - which includes postage and packing to anywhere in the world!

-- Mike the Charity Case

Link: www.quantumprophecy.com

The brick does make more sense, Mike.  otherwise it wouldn't matter if the Americans were just about to burst in.  Still, enjoyed it a lot.

If you want to read more comic strips by Mike, then you should make sure to keep an eye open for the next proper issue of Zarjaz...

Bolt-01, never miss a pimp...

"Bolt-01, never miss a pimp..."

Shouldn't that be 'never miss an opportunity to pimp' or is there something you're not telling us?

The only thing that would have made that awesomely cool time twister better was if the story was the last one and the last page was the back page of the prog

I told the police that it was an accident, but it took me weeks to get that pimp out of the tyre tread....

Bolt-01

The Hitler story - a few little quibbles.

First, Hitler's bunker was /a bunker/. The only way I could imagine a tank being able to force its way through into the structure would be if it could somehow miraculously tunnel through the Earth like the Thunderbirds' Mole. I mean, what's the point otherwise of building a /bunker/ above ground? Did they paint a target on the walls or something?

Second, it's remarkable that the timetravelling Eva and Adolf didn't materialise inside solid rock, half a mile up in the air or the middle of the ocean. Or maybe bump into Johnny Alpha and Wulf along the way ...

Third, at the time those big mammals were around in the panel on the last page, it's probable that humans were also around, spreading outward from Olduvai Gorge. I don't think Hitler would have liked their company, bearing in mind that he was one of the most maladjusted bigots in human history - but he'd have had very little choice, because two organisms on their own are not enough to jump start any kind of species. Not enough genetic diversity - which, again, is a source of much ironic laughter.

Lastly, can you honestly believe that the founding father of nazism, instigator of the Holocaust, would be prepared to be the progenitor for what would eventually be /every single human race in the world/ ... including all the Jewish people that will ever live, from Abraham on up?

All I could think of, when I read the story, was "Oh dear God, I hope nobody in my synagogue read this week's 2000AD, because they'll be burning copies of Prog 1566 up and down the length and breadth of Britain." It was nice to see a 2000AD tackling the topic of nazism and bigotry ... only, erm, I think you were kind of giving off the wrong signals, kind of like that New York grocery store which, this week, tried selling "delicious hams for Chanukkah."

Anyhow, otherwise a deliciously irony-free prog. Looking forward to the big one next week. What will you come up with for us then?

Shalom.

The Hitler story - a few little quibbles.

First, Hitler's bunker was /a bunker/. The only way I could imagine a tank being able to force its way through into the structure would be if it could somehow miraculously tunnel through the Earth like the Thunderbirds' Mole. I mean, what's the point otherwise of building a /bunker/ above ground? Did they paint a target on the walls or something?

Second, it's remarkable that the timetravelling Eva and Adolf didn't materialise inside solid rock, half a mile up in the air or the middle of the ocean. Or maybe bump into Johnny Alpha and Wulf along the way ...

Third, at the time those big mammals were around in the panel on the last page, it's probable that humans were also around, spreading outward from Olduvai Gorge. I don't think Hitler would have liked their company, bearing in mind that he was one of the most maladjusted bigots in human history - but he'd have had very little choice, because two organisms on their own are not enough to jump start any kind of species. Not enough genetic diversity - which, again, is a source of much ironic laughter.

Lastly, can you honestly believe that the founding father of nazism, instigator of the Holocaust, would be prepared to be the progenitor for what would eventually be /every single human race in the world/ ... including all the Jewish people that will ever live, from Abraham on up?

All I could think of, when I read the story, was "Oh dear God, I hope nobody in my synagogue read this week's 2000AD, because they'll be burning copies of Prog 1566 up and down the length and breadth of Britain." It was nice to see a 2000AD tackling the topic of nazism and bigotry ... only, erm, I think you were kind of giving off the wrong signals, kind of like that New York grocery store which, this week, tried selling "delicious hams for Chanukkah."

Anyhow, otherwise a deliciously irony-free prog. Looking forward to the big one next week. What will you come up with for us then?

Shalom.

Gosh, a double post. Dreadfully sorry. I'll try not to make it a triple. :)

Even without the flying brick (which should have been left, in, definitely makes more sense) the story still works. Even if Eva was intending to go with Hitler all along, it's doubtful with the 1 only rule that she would have been allowed, i.e. she would have been forcibly detained. The tank sequence served as a disruption hence Eva was able to get her way. Only her little funny 'tached husband could prevent her and he was taken by surprise.

As for the above ground bunker stuff.... some bunkers were above ground. Actually Hitlers wasn't, I don't think, but in the world of the story it is. That's ok by me. And the fact he's the father of the human race including those he tried to exterminate, well surely that's ironic too and just serves to prove the foolishness of race hate.

I agree that humans probably existed at the time of the mamoths in the real world. However being realistic and setting it in an earlier time period with small mammals wouldn't have had the same impact, mamoths are iconic. I.e. we get the point and thats what matters.

On this weeks prog

Droid Life : strangely brilliant

Dredd: What other way could it end, also a simple throw away line at the end hints at the future.

Time Twister: Seriously , how long has it been since there was a Time twister and a fine story to start with , I think those who are nitpicking Mikes work are thinking too hard , it's supposed to be a bit of pulpy fun...( as most of the great Time Twisters and future shocks of the eighties were)I will say however that the artwork wasn't the best the last page in particular, I have to ask what was Erskine thinking....

Bob Byrne...Simply Brilliant.

Button Man..Ok I love Button Man but this is simply pointless, well written but where was this going..and why is Harry Heading for Ireland? In the original Buttonman some of the Buttonmen were Irish so why go there?...and as for fraziers art..Don't get me wrong He is a fantastic artist but his style is just unsuitable for this character..can sonmebody tell me again why Arthur didn't do this  story?

Red Seas : Good fun

an ok issue ,far stronger than the Meg , Micheal Carroll and Bob Byrne  should be given far more to do , they seem to have more enthusiasm and Ideas than other writers( Cough, Mills,cough Grey Suit cough!)at the moment.
 And I can't wait to see what the hell happened in the Red Seas!

Anyhow, otherwise a deliciously irony-free prog.

Well, your copy certainly seems to have been!

Have to say - well done Mike.  its' a nicely put together story and its always a thrill to see a new naem in the writers credit box.  I also thought the American soldiers seemed like a bit of padding, but as you described it up there, they were integral to the plot and the reason for Eva and Adolf both being transported much more fun - a very odd rewrite that, taking away some sense rather than adding it! Love to know whether that was a Tharg rewrite before the art went, or a way of fitting the art into the script. Though given Thargs mysterious ways, we'll probably never know...

Just to critique some of red-fans space-maths here...

Hitler's bunker had access to the Chancellery gardens (unless The Downfall misleads me, and  I rather doubt it does), so at least part of it was at ground-level - who's to say that isn't where the Time Machine was kept?  After all, who wants to re-appear 10m under ground?

Mammoths as a genus of Pliocene elephants are about 4-5 million years old, only becoming extinct maybe 4-5,000 years ago.  So Hitler and Eva could either have been the first humans, contemporaries of Homo Erectus, or trespassers in some farmer's fields.   It all sort of depends whether the time machine shifted them in space as well.  And I think any useable time machine would have to have that facility, otherwise you're going to find yourself in a vacuum pretty fast.  

"But the last page, bloody hell. Wittle is pissed off! Dredd has been breaking his balls since the beginning, and he doesn't like it. Is this the start of a whispering campaign against Dredd from the Street Judges, who have traditionally been his biggest supporters? With one panel John Wagner turns Mandroid into part of the Fargo revelations/ mutant rights storyline.
The best comic strip in the world."

My thoughts exactly. You know, I had to agree with people that this story was a little slow and drawn out, and I thought Nate's final actions were a waste... and then we get a final page of potentially enormous significance. Wagner never ceases to impress me.

I quite enjoyed the rest of the prog, too.

Regards

Robin

"My thoughts exactly. You know, I had to agree with people that this story was a little slow and drawn out, and I thought Nate's final actions were a waste... and then we get a final page of potentially enormous significance. Wagner never ceases to impress me."

Agreed. Like I said in another thread recently, for all the "Worlds will live, worlds will die" gubbins other publishers throw around (or even for the unwelcome - and thankfully now seemingly abandoned - trend of increasing bodycounts in the Dredd epics) the real power of Dredd is in Wagner's ability to drop in lines like this and shake the strip to its foundations.

Cheers

Jim

Ok,a bit off topic to start, but on the Dog Sentience thing, doesn't anything which is capable of even the most minimal acts of self preservation display some degree of self awareness?

'Course, this doesn't mean Dogs are intelligent, I'm a Cat person myself, I heartily advocate the idea that Dogs are special needs pets for the emotionally retarded, but that's a different argument for a different time (Usually when I'm more drunk...)

Back on topic, twas a good prog this week, I liked the cover, everything wrapped up neatly, nice short stories...

One quibble, is it just me or did Red Seas seem to be missing something through this current run, I dunno, Pirates?

One quibble, is it just me or did Red Seas seem to be missing something through this current run, I dunno, Pirates?
I believe that's what made it so mental.