Another strong Meg with the Death of Dredd question being addressed strangely early.
Cover - A great S B Davis cover which holds great intrigue for the Anderson strip.
Dredd - for some reason, Tharg can't bring us the final part of Hot Night in 95 (aaaaaagh, I can't wait another month to see what's the matter with Hershey!) so we're treat to 'Dredd Set.' Liam Shap's art, for the most part is freaking amazing, just like the James Bond episode in the Christmas Issue. However, some panels near the end lack the incredible detail of the rest of his work. I wonder if he was asked to submit his work early to compensate for Hot Night? Still a fun story with some cracking in-jokes and, in places, breath taking art.
Anderson- A real action-packed starter with, as you'd expect, lovely art by Boo Cook. There's a nice nod to the Judge Minty film in panel one and a superb DPS that's filled with fun little Dredd references - Pie In The Sky, skysurfers, weather control, Chopper and more. I can't tell you how much I love Boo's colouring, it makes my pages glow! All good stuff!
Numbercruncher - I adore this, it's genius. The premise itself is clever enough but then add the accident gun, iskins, organic architecture, triple crosses and recirculation algorithms all wrapped up in PJ's ingenious two tone artwork. Just brilliant.
Insurrection - speaking of brilliant, this strip takes a very sinister turn this month. The rebels continue to find clever ways to get one up on the evil Justice Dept. but I fear face hard decisions in the future. Colin's artwork is magnificent and I can't for the life of me work out how he's made those simple robots on the last couple of pages so unsettling. Ace!
Not read the articles yet but we've got - interrogation of Lawrence Campbell, a review of a new Alan Moore biography, an article on Flesh, Dreddlines and film reviews. There's also a fabby Ian Gibson Dredd-based floppy, yay!
A cracking Meg.
Ah yes, this is what Christmas Eve used to be like...
Whistles noncon nonchen nonte
Just fucking whistles ok!
;)
Pete - I wondered the same thing about Dredd Set - although I have to admit I quite like the 'unfinished' look of those later panels. Maybe even prefer them.
letters page with NO Buttonman again :lol:
Quote from: Proudhuff on 28 March, 2011, 05:40:05 PM
letters page with NO Buttonman again :lol:
Bang wrong once again Tom.
My issue arrived with the letters page including the following classic :
Dear Dreddlines,
Well done on a cracking Meg 307 - even the heavy anchor of Samantha Slade in the bonus book couldn't stop this one being a winner.
The cover was a bit confusing though - the mutated, staggering freaks made me think you'd sent me a Greenock holiday brochure by mistake!
It was great to see John Wagner on the Dredd and the story already looks like a classic in the making. I could've done with less of Logan wittering on about his replacement arm but I'll reserve judgement in case we find out that it fires lasers and saves the day in part 4. Dredd does seem a bit indulgent however and I'd have expected him to cut through the small talk with a well placed 'bugger off'. Nice to see Hershey back in the fray and it would be good if she became a series regular, especially if we can delve a bit deeper into her character.
'Number Cruncher' and 'Sam Squad' continue to intrigue and I think both are a fine addition to the Meg's thrill roster which has been lacking a few returning hits for a while. Speaking of hits 'Insurrection' was great despite there only being 20 words of non-aarrgg dialogue in the first four pages. Colin Macneill's work is so lush and detailed that it doesn't come over as a quick read, especially when every page is worth salivating over.
The features were their usual mix of information and complaining and Pete Hogan certainly surpassed my pre-expectations by seeming a nice and friendly chap. His work was always a little offbeat for my tastes but his continued success is testament to his undoubted talent and he certainly belongs in the firmament of 2000ad stars who have genuinely 'cracked it'.
The movie reviews were a lot more balanced than the recent slash fests although ballet movies may a step too far in the other direction! Still she's got creepy eyes so we'll let that go!
Anyway, thanks again for a great issue and I can't wait for the Megazine year to come.
Regards
Stephen Watson
OK the paper didn't match and there was Prit-Stick all over the place but I was happy!
Great Meg, with Numbercruncher and Insurrection really hitting the spot.
And yay, I spotted the helmet on a post in Anderson!
Has anyone else had a badly printed meg 309? On the second to last page of Insurrection the lower half of the last panel is missing in my copy.
not read it yet but scanned the floppy during lunch does gibbo get royalties for his reprints? are rebellion sweetening him up for a possible return to the prog?
An adequate Meg, enlivened by some yummy art by liam sharp, more entertaining numbercruncher and a flesh feature.
Anderson though; sorry, i know she, alan grant and boo cook have their fans, but this really isnt for me. A simplistic, dull, story that doesnt even reward me with a cliffhanger, rather it's just a chopped up trade. The episode could have ended at any of the pages previously and it would have had the same (lack of) impact. Boo Cook's art is okay; nice and colourful certainly, but does nothing for me whatsoever. How old is Cass supposed to be now? The woman portrayed here is 25 tops, which goes against the script and the minor bits of characterisation Grant puts in.
As for Insurrection, i remain to be convinced. Colin's art is chunky and gorgeous as ever, but i'm not feeling the story this time around.
Reviews of films i shant be seeing, a fairly interesting interview with lawrence campbell, whose art looks nice, and a letter that made me seethe (which is the best kind).
The floppy was just dismal, too.
All in all, middling. But i did like the new numberbox on the cover. How long's that been there?
Oh, and no missing panels in mine!
SBT
Ah, perhaps the Minty thing I was thinking of is in a later Meg. :-(
It's the gift that keeps on giving :)
Gotta say, I agree about Anderson. Maybe her time in Boing froze her age or something. Ranson was, for me, the only guy who really nailed the art for a middle-aged Cass. Boo's art is great, but it's like Anderson from another time—or after quite a lot of cosmetic surgery.
Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
Was that a gag about the Ma-ma Dredd thing in the queue? That's pretty obscure :)
Quote from: Steve Green on 31 March, 2011, 06:30:40 PM
Was that a gag about the Ma-ma Dredd thing in the queue? That's pretty obscure :)
no. so your answer says more about you ;)
Cover - Am I the only one who thinkings seeing the next Meg cover inside the previous Meg takes something away from the thrill?
Dredd - I wasn't too thrilled with this, I never really 'got it' the first read through
Anderson- If this had been from her case files it might of been better but she's 50! stokie glands I tell ya!! I really don't expect any surprises in this tale.
Numbercruncher and (
Insurrection ) spoiled by me turning over two pages instead of one, confusion she reign. A re-read sorted it out,
Insurrection will we see the MC1 affected by this? hmmmmm
read the articles: interrogation of Lawrence Campbell, I for one felt un-nerved by that illustration of the wee girl, a bad move showing that with no reference/reason.
a review of a new Alan Moore biography:never really brought anything new to the table, did it?
an article on Flesh: This had a fair old number of rockets in it from Mr Mills and yet no response from this board/fandom? are we all suitably cowed now?
IMHO Mr Moore and Mr Mills need a firm hand wealing the blue pencil, thier best stuff happens when they have something to kick against
Dreddlines: No Buttonman!
Film reviews. Nicely done, warming to this as long as it stays away from horror
Ian Gibson Dredd-based floppy: a good bit of bedtime reading
overall a vaguely unfulfilling Meg... a bit like when Gregg's have sold out of pies and you have to settle for a doughnut, nice but not what you really wanted.
Started reading the Meg again a couple of months ago because of Numbercruncher and it continues to be the best thing in print.
Insurrection iOS enjoyable and trying to remember if there were genetically engineered Gorillas before Harry Heston?
Laurence Campbell interview was interesting (I was a Bison disliker, happy to say it out loud, but because of the story and not art)
Flesh interview, more room for Pat to have an odd moan or two but the Meg really isn't that good.
The Dredd story was rather dire and as it still is the Dredd Megazine then surely the Dredd story should be better.
Anderson is enjoyable and at times some of Boo's Anderson images are sublime.
Film reviews have never been on my list if things I want to see and gave up even reading them a long time ago.
Once Numbercruncher finishes I'll give the Meg a couple of months and maybe drop it again.
The supplement can hardly be called "The Ian Gibson Collection" when it has another artist on the last dozen pages. But never mind, it had some good Dredd stories.
Someone should tell Boo Cook how old Anderson is though.
Cheers for kind words! Re. the art that doesn't seem so good - that was a stylistic choice I made. Each bit is done in different styles, and also it lets the big reveal really pop. I've always been a fan of comics that really USE the medium - faster style for faster pace, etc... It's in the dark, it's frantic. There's no point lavishing extraneous detail in that instance. I guess it's just a matter of taste in the end!
Funnily enough it's my wife's favourite bit. She's not so keen on the over-laboured art.
Cheers all.
L.
Quote from: Pete Wells on 26 March, 2011, 08:43:41 PM
Numbercruncher - I adore this, it's genius. The premise itself is clever enough but then add the accident gun, iskins, organic architecture, triple crosses and recirculation algorithms all wrapped up in PJ's ingenious two tone artwork.
I'm enjoying this too.
Re PJ's artwork - it's like he's taken elements of Mort Drucker and Jim Mahfood and made something new - not something that sounds like you'd expect it to work - but it does.
(http://www.linesandcolors.com/images/2006-04/drucker_400.jpg)
(http://media.onsugar.com/files/ons1/296/2966096/33_2009/1a4c95b79144a9e1_goodtimes.jpg)
Quote from: Liam Sharp on 05 April, 2011, 09:19:29 PM
Funnily enough it's my wife's favourite bit. She's not so keen on the over-laboured art. L.
Liam great you can drop by, much appreciated. I agree with your wife, different strokes I guess
Quote from: W. R. Logan on 02 April, 2011, 06:56:30 PM
The Dredd story was rather dire and as it still is the Dredd Megazine then surely the Dredd story should be better.
Ouch. :'(
Quote from: Steve Green on 31 March, 2011, 06:30:40 PM
Was that a gag about the Ma-ma Dredd thing in the queue? That's pretty obscure :)
It's that all the other Dredds lined up have home-made costumes. They don't know he's not an actor, and they don't think his costume is real. They're pissed off because they think he's jumping the line...
It may be my art that's killing it rather than John's script here if it's not terribly clear! Sorry about that!
Lastly - Boo Cook's art ROCKS. Fantastic work. Really enjoyed it. (That's me being a fan there... ;))
how long has it been since a duff Meg? 1 year plus? 2?
Every artist in that this month is REAL craft. Boo Cook's Anderson is lush (silly opening episode but meh, who cares) and I don't care if she's 20, 40 50 or 80. The 'dredd ages with the strip' is fine but Anderson dosn't really have to. Its just a story about Anderson and PSI and stuff. Leave the huge plot arcs to Wagner & Dredd.
Gotta say much as I've no interest in Spandex-heros... that Copter full page drawing by LC... WOW. DANG. *picks jaw off floor*
Dredd - Silly Dredd Story, One and done, excellent fun.
NumberCruncher - 10/10 AGAIN.
APES IN SPACE - Fabulous twist. Masterful art.
Anderson - Boo Cook (long over his kipling mud-problem) LUSH. His colour palette is something to behold.
Cover - lovely.
Ian Gibson Dredd - wasn't. BOO. Gibson is my #1 Dredd master - this wasn't a proper collection. Still, ya know. Great.
Articles connected to 2000AD - yes
seriously folk... forget CLINT... Buy the Meg.
Quote from: BPP on 12 April, 2011, 12:02:43 AM
how long has it been since a duff Meg? 1 year plus? 2?
Have to disagree, whilst the Meg has moments, Numbercruncher being the recent one I'm finding that it's been a long time since the Meg really knew what it was.
Whilst it still thinks it's The Judge Dredd Megazine more often than not its just a Jimp.
disagreement's cool. Just think the current band of stories and everything pretty much since 300 have been firing. Looking back the last time i felt 'hummm' about a Meg was when Tank Girl and Tempest were both taking up slots. And both had plenty of fans just didn't work for me.
Don't really see the 'is it JD Meg' or 'Meg' thing - its just more 2000ad stuff a month to me - and it works. Especially since the series of creator interviews started up 2-3 years back - that really helps to ground it as '2000ad'.
The test to me is just list out the last 20 or so stories - be they individual dredds or series of the other stuff - and do a total - i'd say about 80% has been really good stuff. Which is about the same as the prog.
The truth is you can NEVER produce a perfect run, because it's purely SUBJECTIVE. What you love somebody else will hate - guaranteed. I think both 2000ad and the Megazine are exceptionally good, and great showcases for the generally UK-centric talent they present. We should applaud it and appreciate it, not knock it like we could, for sure, do better ourselves. Having been the other side of the desk at Mam Tor I can only take my hat off to the people behind it. There's no need to seed negativity. It just makes people feel glum. What everybody needs is goodwill and encouragement, and that ALWAYS gets the best results.
L.
Quote from: Liam Sharp on 12 April, 2011, 02:24:46 PM
Having been the other side of the desk at Mam Tor I can only take my hat off to the people behind it.
Mam Tor? I only know this as a (beutiful) hill near Edale overlooking the Hope Valley. I'm guessing you mean something else, as I didn't see any desks last time I was up there!
Although I'm a bit lazy when it comes to posting full reviews, I do remember thinking a couple of weeks ago, when prog and Meg landed on my mat on the same day, that for the first time in ages there wasn't a single story in either that I didn't really like. It's the strength of the anthology format that one man's duffer is another's gem, and there's allways something good, but a 100% thrill-sweep is a rare but satisfying occurence
Quote from: Dandontdare on 12 April, 2011, 02:48:15 PM
Quote from: Liam Sharp on 12 April, 2011, 02:24:46 PM
Having been the other side of the desk at Mam Tor I can only take my hat off to the people behind it.
Mam Tor? I only know this as a (beutiful) hill near Edale overlooking the Hope Valley. I'm guessing you mean something else, as I didn't see any desks last time I was up there!
Ha ha! Well being a Derbyshire produced art droid myself it's only natural I would name my publishing company after a landmark that always held both an evocative sense of place and history, and great memories of my youth. Mam Tor is also a publishing house: www.mamtor.com I set up with my wife in the early 2000s, and we also produced two well-received anthologies.
So mystery solved! :)
Best,
Liam.
Quote from: Liam Sharp on 12 April, 2011, 04:37:44 PM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 12 April, 2011, 02:48:15 PM
Quote from: Liam Sharp on 12 April, 2011, 02:24:46 PM
Having been the other side of the desk at Mam Tor I can only take my hat off to the people behind it.
Mam Tor? I only know this as a (beutiful) hill near Edale overlooking the Hope Valley. I'm guessing you mean something else, as I didn't see any desks last time I was up there!
Ha ha! Well being a Derbyshire produced art droid myself it's only natural I would name my publishing company after a landmark that always held both an evocative sense of place and history, and great memories of my youth. Mam Tor is also a publishing house: www.mamtor.com I set up with my wife in the early 2000s, and we also produced two well-received anthologies.
So mystery solved! :)
Best,
Liam.
Aha, that explains it! That area is a regular camping spot for me and my friends, I shall now think of you every time I slog up that hill for the stunning views over Hope and Castleton
Liam! while you're around and talking about mam tor- did four feet from a rat ever go to ish 3? I have the first two and really enjoyed it. After a couple of months had passed, and i was next in forbidden planet, i asked for it and the staff looked at me as if i was mad. 'The freebie comic you used to give away at the tills', i said. 'You mean this?' he replied, holding up an A5 leaflet...
SBT
Quote from: SmallBlueThing on 12 April, 2011, 05:39:30 PM
Liam! while you're around and talking about mam tor- did four feet from a rat ever go to ish 3? I have the first two and really enjoyed it. After a couple of months had passed, and i was next in forbidden planet, i asked for it and the staff looked at me as if i was mad. 'The freebie comic you used to give away at the tills', i said. 'You mean this?' he replied, holding up an A5 leaflet...
SBT
Short memories...
It ran to four issues and was loads of fun - Dave Kendall's fantastic and terrifying wraparound cover of a zombie XMas was AMAZING. Issue three was the funniest, with a brilliant Boris Johnston spoof, dreaming he was an old Empire big game hunter and hero... You can see the rest online still I think. Try www.fourfeetfromarat.com and see what comes up... :)
Best,
L.
Cheers Liam! Are three and four available as printed comics, or "just" pdfs? I'd be quite happy to pledge that fiver, by the way. Do you know if that offer is a) still current, and b) close to getting a thousand yet?
SBT
Quote from: SmallBlueThing on 12 April, 2011, 08:17:34 PM
Cheers Liam! Are three and four available as printed comics, or "just" pdfs? I'd be quite happy to pledge that fiver, by the way. Do you know if that offer is a) still current, and b) close to getting a thousand yet?
SBT
Frankly I told Mother the pledge method wouldn't fly - but they persisted! And no, nowhere near. I hope anybody whoDID pledge got their money back. That was very much Mother's thing, not Mam Tor. Will check if we have copies. I know we were very short on one of the four. If I have them we can send them to you if you post us an envelope. Will let you know! :)
Best,
L.
I'll hold you to that Mr Sharp- it'd be nice to finally get them all. There was some quality stuff in the first two. Cheers, sir, very kind and much obliged!
SBT
Quote from: Liam Sharp on 11 April, 2011, 06:36:31 PM
Quote from: Steve Green on 31 March, 2011, 06:30:40 PM
Was that a gag about the Ma-ma Dredd thing in the queue? That's pretty obscure :)
It's that all the other Dredds lined up have home-made costumes. They don't know he's not an actor, and they don't think his costume is real. They're pissed off because they think he's jumping the line...
It may be my art that's killing it rather than John's script here if it's not terribly clear! Sorry about that!
Was clear as day to me, didn't see a problem with it. I thought it looked brilliant myself.
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 13 April, 2011, 09:29:06 AM
Quote from: Liam Sharp on 11 April, 2011, 06:36:31 PM
Quote from: Steve Green on 31 March, 2011, 06:30:40 PM
Was that a gag about the Ma-ma Dredd thing in the queue? That's pretty obscure :)
Was clear as day to me, didn't see a problem with it. I thought it looked brilliant myself.
Cheers! Appreciated. :)
Okay, Stevie's a bit behind on his progs & megs, but here's his 2 cents worth on what has read so far:
Dreddlines – Stevie concedes Judge Pal's point that yes, the House of Tharg does publish horror strips. In fact, for the most part, Stevie has quite enjoyed these too. But the number of Meg articles devoted to the genre does feel rather disproportionate. Anyone else keen for the occasional article on written SF, what with it being the engine of the genre & all?
All hail the New Flesh – delicious stuff. Think that Carl Critchlow would agree with you on Legend of Shamana there Pat. More of this type of thing please.
Earning Your Stripes – the board getting another drubbing from a droid but it's all in context. In fact, with a fancy display of finger work, our boy Molcher whips out the banjo for a cheeky wink & a "Turned out nice again!" at the end.
Love to see Mr Campbell back in the prog, or failing that, an ongoing Punisher title with that Mr Williams they're so keen on.
Knowing the Score – snut, that's one for Stevie's want list.
Dredd Set -- Stevie's a touch unsure as to the reason why Dredd saw fit to take Krelb with him to The Hater's hab, but that may be down to being distracted by Yo La Tengo playing in the background whilst reading. However, nine actors playing Dredd are murdered before it comes to the Justice Department's attention? They really should keep a tighter reign on their out-sourcing.
Only just finished this, and I really didn't like the part of the Flesh feature where Pat Mills blames the readers for the absence of Ramon Sola's artwork on the new strip. I think that kind of background info could quite easily have been omitted from the interview. Completely unnecessary, especially when we're constantly being told on the board how positive we're supposed to be.
Quote from: chris_askham on 29 April, 2011, 09:09:28 PM
Only just finished this, and I really didn't like the part of the Flesh feature where Pat Mills blames the readers for the absence of Ramon Sola's artwork on the new strip. I think that kind of background info could quite easily have been omitted from the interview. Completely unnecessary, especially when we're constantly being told on the board how positive we're supposed to be.
Sola's artwork got a VERY negative response at the time of publication - certainly on 2000adreview if not here (I voiced an opinion that it was great). As Pat tells it Sola would have wanted to do more but backed away upset by the criticism. That is perfectly legitimate to recount. Its a point I've heard Pat make several times and one he adheres to vehemently. Pat often is generous about readers views (often saying things like 'well they didn't take to it - fair enough'), but when it comes to Sola (or Hicklenton, or an artist Pat KNOWS has done so much for comics and for 2000AD) its pretty fair of him to say 'Readers, hold the fuck up a minute'. More relevant is that he is telling it in the context of why he has at this juncture returned to Flesh and as such it is, to me, an interesting and relevant adjunct to the topic.
Mill's always champions his artists - he is hyper enthusiastic and often takes the heat of any negative reaction on his own shoulders - and astoundingly generous position and a boon for 2000AD's quest for new talent. A corollary to this is that he defends those artists to the hilt and wont mince his words. He really is an astounding civil man (for a leftie anti-christ corrupter of the nations youth that is).
Now that the clickwheel version is visible...
Enjoyed this Meg. Much has already been said however in brief I really liked:
- Numbercruncher. More creator owned material please if this and Lilly are the benchmarks.
- Insurrection. Gorgeous art, really gorgeous. The initial scene cutting through the wall. And the firefights... Very, very nice. Good turn in the script too.
- Liam's Dredd art was very good indeed.
- The cover was very eye-catching too. Probably a bit better than the strip itself, something that interestingly seems to have just happened in the Prog debut of cadet Cass, although obviously I'm more than happy to see the nam Ezquerra appear in either the prog or the meg!
- loved the Lawrence Campbell interview from Mike Molcher. Those 2000AD boarders, you've got to watch out for them... ;)
Re the Ma-ma dredd thing, I only meant it was obscure because it was an in-joke at the expense of whoever had Ma-ma Dredd as a character on the IMDB listing.
I wasn't having a pop. I like these kind of things, was just surprised to see someone pick it up.
I liked this Meg generally speaking. I find myself a bit lost with Insurrection, but I think that's largely due to a)missing the first series and b) having a mind like a sieve.
As for Numbercruncher, I'm enjoying it a lot. I'm a bit confused as to when the chap did the second deal with that other agent though. It seems to have happened during the course of his second life. I thought these deals were only made after you had died. Maybe that's just information that will be filled in later though.* There's obviously a big chunk of time we haven't been privy too, what with following Zane's POV.
*Or maybe I'm just being very very thick, and just missed something.