2000 AD Online Forum

It really upsets me when I hear the hearty thump on my doormat and I leap, skyclad, from my bed and rush into the hallway only to discover the postie has cruelly brought me a Meg but no Prog. I will try not to let this prejudice my opinions.

Al Ewing delivers a neat little Dredd story. Again, he seems keen to make use of the full supporting cast with Rico & Giant taking more of the focus than Dredd here. Which is interesting.

Black Atlantic comes to a fairly silly conclusion. This story has seemed pretty inconsequential. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

Anderson also comes to an end. This has been an interesting one as there's been almost no furrowed brow psi action. It could just as easily have been a Dredd story and it's nice to see Anderson getting involved with some daft future crime rather than the more common outlandish threats to the city and the sisters of death.

Sadly, the Canon Fodder supplement only includes the first story. I think I will hold off from reading it until my crumpets are toasted.

If its not too much trouble, could someone tell me what next month's Meg 'GN' is.
Thanks.

Quote from: "radiator"If its not too much trouble, could someone tell me what next month's Meg 'GN' is.
Thanks.

A collection of Christmas Dredd stories.

Next month's GN, from the editor's letter: "a collection of some classic Christmas tales from the likes of John Wagner, Alan Grant, Cam Kennedy, Arthur Ranson. Barry Kitson, John Ridegeway and more."

Just finished the prog (excellent form!) and will digest the meg at a leisurely pace over rest of weekend....

oops, Cosh beat me to it!

just the first series?!?

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

QuoteNext month's GN, from the editor's letter: "a collection of some classic Christmas tales from the likes of John Wagner, Alan Grant, Cam Kennedy, Arthur Ranson. Barry Kitson, John Ridegeway and more."

Hmmm. Great idea in theory, but I hope it will be stuff from annuals/specials or more recent 2000ad/meg stuff that hasn't been/won't be collected in the Case Files. Just had a quick look on Touched by the Hand of Tharg, and these seem likely candidates....

The Santa Affair, 2000AD Winter Special #2 (1989), story by Alan Grant, art by Arthur Ranson

Auld Acquaintance, 2000 AD 1992 Yearbook (9/91). Story by John Wagner, art by Cam Kennedy

A Christmas Carol, Judge Dredd Megazine vol.2 #18 (12/92). Story by Wagner & Charles Dickens, art by Barry Kitson & Robin Boutell

//http://www.2000ad.org/thrillpower/

what about that its a wonderful life esque two parter from vol 2 of the meg?

I think they should replace the free GN with a sample of de-hydrated thrill power.

Dredd:  That was excellent.
Tank Girl: Daft as ever.  I am loving Rufu's art on this, and thoroughly enjoying Tankie being in the Meg.
Black Atlantic: Weakest strip in the meg yet still really enjoyable.
Anderson: Fun story, great art.  Good to see Cass doing some straightforward Judge stuff.
Text bits:  Not read them yet.
Canon Fodder: This was much better than I remembered.  Do I dig out the old progs to read the second story or do I wait for Monarch's new campaign to reprint it pays off?  The two other stories in the supplement were weaker.  Dredd: Caught Short was always just an excuse to have that cover on the Prog, I feel :>

Really enjoyable Meg, all in all.

Yeah, a decent Megmag, especially the Al Ewing Dredd. He's just showing off now!

- Trout

My hat is off to Monarch - Canon Fodder was a thoroughly decent little tale with a genius premise and gorgeous art. Well worth a repeat showing. I spent several years championing a reprint of Armoured Gideon only to be thoroughly, horribly dissapointed when I got to re-read the first series in the EE.

Also thoroughly pleased to find that most of the current stories ended this issue, most only having been two/three parts long. Not a comment on their quality, but I often find a heavy sense of fatigue hanging over me when I read the Meg, when in the middle of stories that have already been around for four or five months and still have several parts to run. To keep interest and, most importantly, momentum, I think Meg tales need to be short, punchy affairs, ideally never more than four parts long.

Hmm...not got mine yet...

I would dig out the second series it could be five years before it gets reprinted

Cannon Fodder is one of the most gorgeous things ever in Twoth but as with most Millar tales a great premise full of plot holes and a profound laziness to make any kind of story or character sense, plus some ropey humour. A great shame as Weston is just AWESOME, he deserved better.

Dredd: Very very good, More Al-Edriod please! let's hope he doesn't burn his circuits out to soon.

Tank Girl: Enjoying this especially DeeDee, but we do need Johnny, Tommy and Joey as back up!
Hey Rufus could do a sort of gorlliaz/Monkees/bananasplits type o thing for DaBruddasRamone, how cool would that be?
Anyone wishing to be bored rigid about how I got a Ramones plectrum,narrowly avoided  getting chopped up in a ventilation shaft and actually saw it raining men all in one night ,just buy me a pint of Stella and ask

Black Atlantic: seemed a bit weak and unsure of itself or did i miss something?.

Anderson: Am I getting an Anti -green feeling from the House of Tharg these days?  Pat's anti carbon-police rant then Mr Grant's eco terrorist scare, what next extint animals only have themselves to blame in ol' One Eye?

Text bits: Great stuff here and Pat Mills putting GFD up for sainthood, rightly so say I! The Telly bit was enjoyable but nothing new ( we do good stuff on telly but its just labelled for kids bah!) oh and Ivanhoe gets written off with a throw away comment, Sir Walter wouldn't be impressed  


Canon Fodder: I had hoped this would  be better than I remembered it. But it wasn't it was worse as one story.
It was the first time in ages i found myself growing more pissed off as I read, the question Why? kept on coming back to me after each part of the set up. And a lot of Hows appeared too,  questions never answered I fear. Once they were in heaven it improved somewhat(I remember a night out in London very similar). Even if it had just started with Shirley Holmes and M deciding to kill God then finding Morningstar on his throne it would have been better than the guddle that introduced the story, the faith in God thing was recently used in Red Seas and untilised much better.

Looking forward to the Xmas issue, might just keep it to read on xmas morning if i'm not building a lego Police station or mixing eggnog

Dredd was ok, but I think my love affair with the Meg may be coming to an end. Before the full divorce proceedings take place we may go for a trial seperation and some relate counciling before the xmas festivities and see what the New Year brings.

Thank you Proudhuff!

I'd loooove to have all the Ramones, but we only have permission to use Dee Dee ( I knew him and his wife Barbara, and she gave us permission)

We will have more obscure Muso moments, as Alan and I are music geeks... In the last year we've had Mud, Adam Ant and Dee Dee... so we're covering all pop angles...

ruf

That Dredd was downright excellent - a neat little story, well told and cleanly drawn, and Joe himself sounded just right (even if he did seem to go quite easy on the Rookie).  The use of the Family Dredd made it feel a bit Renniesque, which isn't a bad thing in itself, but I thought the way that Rico's specific presence was actually relevant to the story was terrific.   And the Giant/Rico banter made me laugh out loud.  That's 3 for 3 for Mr. E.

Just read the Dredd so far, and I thought it was excellent. If I had to nit-pick, I'd say that I found the banter between Rico and Giant a little jarring - I've always seen Rico Jr. as an even more uptight, humourless version of Dredd, but then I suppose that doesn't give a writer much to play with.

For anyone wondering about the rest of the contents of the Canon Fodder GN, its Judge Dredd: Rest Stop, by Weston/Rennie from prog 1194, and Pulp Sci Fi: Feast of Skin by Smith/Weston from prog 1163. I must say I'm still really enjoying these (despite Snow /Tiger being a bit poo).

Next month's is called Judge Dredd: Season's Beatings, and looks to feature the Dredd's I mentioned above, as well as a Cal-Hal Justice(!) New Year special, and a Tharg the Mighty one off.

Cal hab justice?!?

Really never thought we would ever see any of those again

Quote from: "+rufus+"In the last year we've had Mud,

Mud, My first gig- 1973!

Mrs Huff on the other hand always trumps me with her first gig: Junior Walker and the All stars  

Good Meg.

I have to admit, there were a couple of issues a few months ago that never actually made it out of the envelope, so great was my apathy for the contents.

This month, though,  I enjoyed all the strips ... the Ewing droid is definitely showing more promise on Dredd than many more experienced 2000AD writers and I hope for many more stories of the quality he's delivered so far.

I particularly enjoyed the Gerry Finlay-Day piece. I won't say I was convinced by the arguments put forward, but it was nice to read such an active and spirited defence of GFD's contribution the the Galaxy' Greatest. The additional context of GFD's career was particularly fascinating.

(I'm starting to suspect that Pat Mills has just written a programme to spit out variations of the same old shite whenever called upon to contribute to this sort of piece, however.)

I'm not sure what mix of contents made this issue work for me, but something is right here that hasn't been up until quite recently. If Mr Smith is reading this: good work, sir. More of the same, please!

Cheers

Jim

I misread that to think that Calhab Justice was coming back instead of just reprinting a one-off.  Well, the double-take I did must have been a sight, as I'd have lost all kinds of money on that bet.

you and me both mr goggans you and me both

V excited about Christmas Collection next month.

I've only been suggsting it for the past three years.

//http://www.2000adonline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=15029

Quote from: "radiator"Just read the Dredd so far, and I thought it was excellent. If I had to nit-pick, I'd say that I found the banter between Rico and Giant a little jarring - I've always seen Rico Jr. as an even more uptight, humourless version of Dredd, but then I suppose that doesn't give a writer much to play with.

Yeah, Rico's character was the only thing that jarred a bit. In Sector House he's as grim and taciturn as Dredd, to the point where Dredd himself, of all people, has to tell him to loosen up a bit and remind him that they're only human! Still, a great tale all the same, and always nice to see Paul Marshall on art duties.

Quote from: "Dark Jimbo"Yeah, Rico's character was the only thing that jarred a bit. In Sector House he's as grim and taciturn as Dredd, to the point where Dredd himself, of all people, has to tell him to loosen up a bit and remind him that they're only human! Still, a great tale all the same, and always nice to see Paul Marshall on art duties.

How many years ago was Sector House. Maybe it's the feared Character development.

Hmmm, the various Rico/Dolman/Vienna stories have shown a more human side of Rico II, or at least shown him as far less isolated than Uncle Joe - admittedly starting from the point in Sector House where he was completely isolated.  The banter with Giant II (his senior) wasn't that different from what Dredd has indulged in from time to time.  It was also a pretty clever joke about being genetically suited (although Giant II isn't a clone).

Normally I'd be the one bleating on about how the characters didn't sound right in a non-Wagner strip.  Not this time.

Quote from: "radiator"Just read the Dredd so far, and I thought it was excellent. If I had to nit-pick, I'd say that I found the banter between Rico and Giant a little jarring - I've always seen Rico Jr. as an even more uptight, humourless version of Dredd, but then I suppose that doesn't give a writer much to play with.

I think I get what you mean with the banter. It's not so much the banter itself, it's that line about 'which of us speaks with the 90s retro jive' that made me think 'how would Rico know how Giant senior spoke'. I can't see Dredd telling him that.

As for Rico being uptight and humourless, well he overlooks Vienna's tea supply and he pretty much introduced Dolman to her for a cheap laugh.

Back to the strip itself, I thought the two tales intertwined brilliantly and I look forward to seeing more of Al's Dredd as he clearly understands the character and MC1 better than most.

Grud, I've struggled to find this issue, anyone else have problems? I looked everywhere.
Finally got it yesterday in a comic shop ironically, I was horrified to learn what a loser that makes me in the thrilling article about comic shops.

Dredd and the fantasy TV and Gerry Finley Day articles definite highlights, I've got a bit of a soft spot for Black Atlantic too.
Xmas Dredd next month!

So I finally got round to picking this up. Looking forward to reading Cannon Fodder as I remember kinda liking Book 2 the best.
...
...
...
... So, wheres the rest of it then?

You know, it's just dawned on me that I don't think I received this Meg.

Which is probably a sign of how dispensible it is that I haven't actually noticed until now.

QuoteSo I finally got round to picking this up. Looking forward to reading Cannon Fodder as I remember kinda liking Book 2 the best.
...
...
...
... So, wheres the rest of it then?

Must resist urge to make sarky comment about tharg secretly enjoying recycling my letters....