2000 AD Online Forum

Wrap around Clint Langley cover is an oddity - good to see all that material from the ABC Warriors novels seems to be permeating the strip, as it is enjoyably bonkers Mills at his finest.

Dredd is not, as I suspected a Wagner mutie storyline, but happily, it is an Al Ewing mutie storyline, and so far (this being a multi-parter) a very intriguing one with a nice twist applied.

Nick Dyer returns on the future shock

Havent read Ampney Crucis or the ABCs, but looking nice artwise.

QuoteDredd is not, as I suspected a Wagner mutie storyline, but happily, it is an Al Ewing mutie storyline, and so far (this being a multi-parter) a very intriguing one with a nice twist applied.

Interesting. I've long thought that it would be a good idea to have other writers contribute to ongoing storylines in the main Dredd continuity, as it seems up to now there's a very clear line between Wagner and non-Wagner. It would also be cool if current events in the main Dredd strip were referenced more in spin off strips like Low Life etc - to help create the illusion of a consistent world. Not at the expense of the story - I'm not talking Marvel or DC levels of complexity!

Is it Si Fraser on Dredd art?

QuoteHavent read Ampney Crucis or the ABCs, but looking nice artwise.

Did you spot any cocks?

It is indeed Si Fraser on the Dredd

no show from the Si Davis on his signature appendage, but I wont deny the possibilty I overlooked a hidden or not that hidden one!

Only four strips again?  Is one a double?

Stalag 666 hasn't finished yet.

Man, after a pretty naff few weeks that was an excellent prog and next weeks looks to be even better!

Cover - Meh. I heart leapt when I read that I was getting a wrap around Langley ABCs cover but this has left me underwhelmed. I want the Warriors, dammit!

Dredd - Hooray! Conversely, my heart sank when I found out that the Mutie-themed Dredd wasn't going to be Wagner (much as I enjoy Al's Dredds) but it's a cracking story. Nice to see some departmental friction between Oldham and Dredd, let's hope the young upstart gets put in his place next week!

Future Shock - Really good anti-creationism rant. I like Dyers art too - his version of Piccadilly Circus was great!

Stalag 666 - Good stuff, reminiscent to Dredd's crucifixion in the Jonni Kiss tale. I really hope it works out for the POWs and there's not some horrible twist at the end of the tale.

ABC's - Enjoyable episode though it's a bit jarring that this graffiti kick seems to have come out of nowhere. I enjoyed the little Banksy pastiches and that Sturn bloke could be Dredd unmasked!

Ampney Crucis - Great first episode! The bee-dude was horrible, the nightmare was even more horrible and Ampney seems like a likable sort. I've got high hopes for this series already!

Can't wait for Dante next week! Hopefully this will herald a spectacular run in to the end of year prog!

I've not checked, but does the Langley wrap-around, add on to the last cover image he did, in anyway?
Wouldn't it be groovy, if Tharg suddenly published a "key-cover", which linked his previous covers into a mega poster

Nah it doesn't 'cos Zippo is on both of 'em. Nice idea though!

Cover- Nice art showing a good gag. Not sure the wraparound was really needed though as the back just showed lots of city.
That being said I love the idea of a wraparound cover.

Droid Life- Amusing.

Dredd - Great first episode. Simon Fraser's Judge costumes look rather different to what I'm used, particularly the eagle. Interesting interpretation, mind, but the curved eagle gives it a reclining look, and I think the straighter jutting version looks more militant somehow.

Future Shock -I'm not over keen on the anti-creationism message. Not everyone who believes in creation is necessarily a totalitarian nutjob, but to be  fair, this kind of sci-fi story is supposed to take things to extremes. It just makes me a bit uncomfortable, but that's no doubt my own hang-ups. The important thing is, the story is great, and the twist was a surprise. Job done. . Nick Dyer's art works well in this FS too. [spoiler]I still don't quite get how the little girl got past the scanners though. Then again, technology isn't the city's strong-point.[/spoiler]

Stalag 666 Although not that much happened this episode I found it fairly interesting. [spoiler] Some kind of twist in the storyline would have been nice though as everything seems to got to plan. Then again, we've still got a few episodes to tgo.
Oh and I like the Art. I don't discount what people have said about it (i.e referring to the way hands look etc. I didn't notice but I didn't really go out of my way to check to be honest, but it's doesn't seem bad as some make out. Not to me anyway.

ABC- More zippo stuff. Great art and amusing gag. I particular liked the bit where the henchmen of the main dictator admire the artwork.

Ampney Crucis- One of the goriest pieces I've seen in a while. And it was great. The blue toned art makes me wince a bit at first glance (not due to it being bad, cos it plainly isn't, just something I'm not used to..... yet it works very well for this tale. Great first chapter.

Cover : Clint Langley awesomeness.

Dredd : Great stuff. Agree about the Eagles looking a little too 'soft', but other than that, tops.

Future shock : Ok stuff.

Stalag 666 : .....was ok this week. Still cant wait for it to end though. Sorry to all involved, but this is'nt my cuppa at all.  
ABCs : Glad its back after the short break. Business as usual, really. I like.

Ampney Crucis: Interesting opening episode to this one. I hated stone island, so i've got my fingers crossed this does'nt dissapoint.

I thought this Prog was rotten when I first read it in bed on Saturday morning with a stinking hangover, but I've just given it another go and it's actually quite good.

If the main bloke from Stalag 666 turns out to be on the level, I'll eat my Prog.

Who rites this week's FS? Is it Alec Worley following up on his previous opus in which we learnt that electronic surveillance is bad and that any body who approves is a bad and evil person.

Man, after a pretty cracking few weeks that was an disappionting prog ... not too sure why

Cover -  fine, see Scargill get another mention

Dredd - Hooray! it's a cracking story with some nice Dredd/daystick action.

Future Shock - Good stuff, the logicial conclusion of Creationalism... Robot could have been more obvious...

Stalag 666 - not for me, something jars not too sure what.


ABC's - that Sturn bloke could be a certian zombie killer from the 1600s unmasked!

Ampney Crucis - Great first episode! I've got high hopes for this series ! No knob-ly bits yet

Cover - very poor. Murky stuff that means hardly anything to people who read the comic and even less to casual readers.

Droid Life - An excruciating pun. Almost as good as "A weak Id's a jung crime in poll tactics".

Dredd - Serviceable stuff in both script and art. Nothing leapt out as brilliant or bad but it was fun enough. Actually, I hate it when a character says "I'm touching cloth here, I'm going for a dump" and another says "Dump! By jove, you've got it! The body is hidden at the dump". Does that ever happen in real life? (This isn't a crit of the script by the way, because it happens all the time in films and comics).

Future Shock - great art, poor tale, reasonable twist. It actually might have been better longer!

Stalag 666- continues not to rock my boat in any way shape or form but now we have [spoiler]hallucinations.[/spoiler] For fecks sake.

ABC Warriors - This does not engage me in either script or art. What size are those cone things meant to be? Art seems very flat at times. (And a murky mess). Sorry, I'm sure it's technically brilliant but I just don't think it's good comic art.

Ampney Crucis - Good if decompressed start - I'm sure we could have done that in three pages if we'd tried.

Cover - Oh wow, love that cover, nice spread of it! nice to see back of shhhh cones!

Droid Life - funny! welcome back!

Dredd - good plot, and does those judges looks like judges 30 years ago???

Future Shock - good art, and good twisting, it same as that film big BIG heavy spoiler [spoiler]Gary Sinse's Impostor. which was bloody good twisting ending![/spoiler]

Stalag 666- art was always not that good. but I DO love that last image! anyone scan it and put it on here???

ABC Warriors - nice triva to Banksy! Is that Dredd??

Ampney Crucis - very simple to Stone Island? nice flashback to The Great War

Cover: TOO DARK. OK/Bad Stuff.

Dredd: Absolutely loved this, in both script and art. [spoiler]The hippy getting shot[/spoiler] was hilarious. Hope this keeps up the pace. Great Stuff/Really Great Stuff.

(F)FS: Wow, this is some deep shit. Creationism is like, really bad and stuff. Just imagine the outcry if Robbie Morrison had written this. More from Nick Dyer please. Bad Stuff.

Stalag: Continues to be the poster strip for "OK Stuff", as our intrepid guy in a vest has hallucinations that carry a hint of Eau de Filler. OK Stuff.

ABC: Bored of Mills' empty sloganeering and tedious zeitgeist bandwagon jumping. Bad Stuff.

Ampley Crusis: Kinda worried that this 'll be three months of Edginton anachro-dialogue like all his other historical or steampunky futuro-historical strips (OH WAIT THAT'S ALL OF THEM). Doesn't do much to dispel my theory that J. Smith and Si Spurrier could make him their bitch all day long if they could. That said, it looks like it will most likely be a lot of fun, and Simon Davis's art is as beautiful as ever. Very Good Stuff.

Droid Life: Is this some sort of post-modern riff on the nature of most DLs? Good Stuff (DL scale).

Cover: I don't know about Langley. The focus is frequently off so that the writing doesn't really look like it's sprayed on the surfaces. Some very obvious Photoshop effects too. But I like seeing Zippo hanging on the chain there!

Dredd - only problem with it is what a silly character this Clavier is. I find it hard to swallow that someone so out of control, unpopular and outspoken (to his own detriment) could (a) keep a job, and (b) pull off this natty scheme. Most successful terrorists are the quietly plotting types, aren't they?

Future Shock - not bad, but didn't think it was a particularly original twist.

Stalag 666 - still enjoying this, and didn't think this issue was filler at all. The hallucinations gave us some closure on the dead characters and there's something very worrying about how well the plan has gone - makes me think there must be a grisly twist ahead. Holland's beard doesn't grow very fast, does it?

ABC Warriors  - Looks nice, but hard to follow the art. Also, isn't this more backflashing?

Ampney Crucis - good characters and top art, but doesn't go very far in its initial five pages.

QuoteI find it hard to swallow that someone so out of control, unpopular and outspoken (to his own detriment) could (a) keep a job, and (b) pull off this natty scheme.

To be fair, Dredd was himself surprised at this turn of events, personally I think there could be a lot more to this plot.

Cover - The fact that I'm trying to get my head around using Photoshop elements makes me realise that this is an example of technical wonderance, but that's it.

Droid Life - Ha Ha Haaaaaaa! Always a bonus.

Dredd - Nice. Fine script from Ewing, and Simon Fraser is an art droid I'm always happy to see more of. Gary Caldwell's colour skills are a noticable boon to the whole look of the strip as well I reckon. Not sure about Fraser's interpretation of the Judges uniform though, putting aside the swoopy shoulder eagle, the whole nose guard/visor area seems a bit odd and varies quite a lot from panel to panel, but that's just nitpickery. Looking forward to next weeks instalment.

Future Shocks - Storywise it's a bit of a sledgehammer but there you go. Artwise I like it, Nick Dyer is very much from the Cam Kennedy school of figurative drawing and that's no bad thing. For a sci-fi take on the creationist thing Ken Macleod's most recent "The Night Sessions" is an enjoyable read, another well realised Scotland of the future from one of it's national treasures.

Stalag 666 - Not my cup of tea.

ABC Warriors - Lost me. What ever happened to bloody great robots kicking the crap out of each other eh? Lets just get onto the rebooted Ro-Busters shall we. Thankyou. Oh and Mr.Kroll needs to lay off the wagawaga fronds, look at the state of his eyes, or maybe it's paint fumes.... Yeah paint fumes, thats it.

Ampney Crucis - Good start. A buxom wench in a nightie? Wielding a shotgun? Whats not to like. And as for the healthy eating Lovecraftian monstrosity who doesn't like skin on his human, very new wyrm. Can't quite understand what possessed Si Davis to use Trigger from "Only Fools and Horses" as a model for Ampney though.

COVER: Great. Nothing else like it on the shelf. I know its my 2000ad.

Dredd. Well this writer is proving a formidable performer, the madness is tightly wound here as an alternative threat comes into play. Because it is Davis on daubs, I nearly veered into the recent White Army storyline. Then the hippy got shot in the the shin.I agree, it was funny and the remark with it was well added. As it stews over for another week I am hoping to see a lot more of Gorilla Head.

Next up, the future Shock had great lines in and I feel that the entire shock is more controlled around the fact that us sweet dear Darwinists would never dream of going to such extremes.The creationism was but a mere extremism safely put in play for its examples of hard nosed force. The writer is obviously from a taut creationist background and the message was made a lot clearer thanks to him writing what he knows about rather than what he presumes to know. That said he could have whipped up any imaginary cultures. That could have taken a few more pages of explanation. Conscise and inscisive.

Stalag 666 is good old cheesy fuun, I have come to believe. It deserves a read through and I'm a sucker for any up to the neck burials since, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. It was potrayed well and the stark indifference to suffering is held firmly.

ABC has me at a moan, because the sign says strictly no talking yet there is an optional TALK in there. Shouldn't it say "In case of emergency TALK, SHOUT etc". And the way the other scrawler goes on, am I supposed to imagine the horror or is it in his head? To me it all looks like an oppresive regime where evryone goes down the pit un thart. It doesn't show much of the Pol Potian passion of Thatchers Britain much. Killings etc. Just oppression and the fun of being a scrawler. The art takes time for you to be on its side but when you start to consider the immensity of what is going on around the characters, you can feel the whispering of it thanks to the art.

Mr Amply Crutchis is a stonker of an opener. This is how 2000ad reminds us there was a war and Rememberence Day is just round the corner eh? I think the bee guy has been hunting where he shouldn't've been. Ah and the elementary butler. Gawd lavs ya. MORE!

OOh and check outr those T-SHIRTS! CHOPPER! CHOPPER! CHOPPER! I wish they'd take postal orders.