2000 AD Online Forum

Both the Meg and the Prog arrived today   :D

NIce dark cover by Clint Langley to bring in the final apisode of American Reaper.
The story finishes ona good twist and will return again next year.

The Dredd story brings us back to the Alien Zoo and what has happenend to the place since Choas Day.



The rest I shall read later..

Next month's supplement: Night Zero. WHY??!

Quote from: Richard on 15 June, 2013, 06:56:15 PM
Next month's supplement: Night Zero. WHY??!

Nothing wrong with Night Zero in my book, it's a good little tale.

So, on the plus side, American reaper has finished.  On the downside, it threatens to return in 2014. I do hope it doesn't.

Other than that, a decent issue, if a little heavy on articles and a tad light on comic strips.

Well American reaper was 18 pages this month hope they have some good stuff lined up for next month

Did we get any Dreadlines?   ;)

Oops, I meant Dreddlines!

There is indeed a Dreddlines and a fine Proudhuff free one at that.

I thought Reaper finished OK with the last part at least readable - doesn't justify its massive page count for the baby steps the narrative takes each week however.

So, does Rian Hughes comments about Robo-Hunter deserve their own thread?

Quote from: Leigh S on 16 June, 2013, 06:04:53 PM
So, does Rian Hughes comments about Robo-Hunter deserve their own thread?

Go on. What exactly did he say?

That Sam Slade wasn't Wagners finest creation, and was just Sam Spade with robots pasted on to make it sci-fi...

Sounds about right to be fair.  But it's the same as saying 'Star Wars' is just '633 Squadron' in space.  Yes, it is, but the changes make it rather good overall.

Quote from: Buttonman on 16 June, 2013, 11:44:30 AM
There is indeed a Dreddlines and a fine Butt'man free one at that.

FTFY BM  :D

Sexy Ostriches...Why Tharg? I too screamed out Not again! when yet another [spoiler]member of the be-quiffed hero's family is taken, [/spoiler] so next year will be a re-run of this year but but the[spoiler] daugther instead of the son,[/spoiler] please Tharg, no more Jackie love stories, and if you can't get those photo's back from Mr Mills at least just show us the drawn storyboards for this, you know like comics, rather than the eye arresting foto-lurve storee style.

Elsewhere in the Meg: Dredd a okay Dredd Tale, not too sure four Judges would stand in a group like that just to make an easy target, would have worked better as a JD story without 'back-up' arriving, it would have fitted post DoC as well, still its not Sexy Ostriches.

Mr Hughes does a fine dame, and Soho Dives, Soho Divas looks right up my Serge Clerc street. And not a Sexy Ostrich in sight.

Dan Fran. nice splash page, but hey [spoiler]ANYONE shots a Judge they [/spoiler] are a target, non?

i know we were promised Jetpacks ages ago, but we were also promised Lilly MacKenzie about the same time, I for one would prefer that to Sexy Ostriches anyday. Make it so Tharg make it so.

Quote from: Ghost MacRoth on 15 June, 2013, 07:34:06 PM
So, on the plus side, American reaper has finished.  On the downside, it threatens to return in 2014. I do hope it doesn't.

I realise how little attention I paid to it that I didn't notice American Reaper had finished. It really is a one-trick pony, isn't it? Old people steal young people's bodies. Or should that be: 

O l d  p e o p l e  s t e a l  y o u n g  p e o p l e' s  b o d i e s.

...given the pacing?

Enjoyed both the Dredd and Francisco strips for the art more than the stories, but still both good.

Resurrection - I keep expecting it to be great, any time now, but never really grabbed by the previous story arcs.

As for the articles - interviews with Rian Hughes and Inaki Miranda made me realise a Meg with those two in at once would make me a happy boy. I think I'm the only person that liked Really and Truly, but then I was high as a kite pretty much that whole summer. And I enjoyed Miranda's regime change art a lot.

I even managed to read the whole history of Superman!

eeek! forgot to say how great IN III was,[spoiler] 'How long was I dead?'[/spoiler]  made me laugh, and that last panel is a dooozie.

So that's nearly double figures for Meg Readers  :o

Quote from: Slip de Garcon on 17 June, 2013, 07:03:31 PMI realise how little attention I paid to it that I didn't notice American Reaper had finished. It really is a one-trick pony, isn't it?

I'm not sure it even has one trick, but then it does appear to be one of the most divisive stories a 2000 AD title has ever run. I just for the life of me don't see the appeal. The art is dull and lifeless, full of talking heads. The pacing is dreadfully slow, almost the antithesis of the kick-up-the-bum model Andy Diggle injected into 2000 AD. But the main thing for me is it's just boring. Brass Sun was also slow, but I found it intriguing and a bit different. Sexy Ostriches just goes on and on and on and on, and it's by Pat Mills, and so I imagine we'll be looking forward to Book Ten in a decade's time.

I've still yet to confirm my Meg sub, and the fact this is coming back isn't exactly a tick in the plus column.

QuoteAs for the articles - interviews with Rian Hughes and Inaki Miranda made me realise a Meg with those two in at once would make me a happy boy.

Hughes is fantastic. I'd love to see him do something for 2000 AD again.

Quote from: Proudhuff on 17 June, 2013, 12:06:27 PMDan Fran. nice splash page, but hey [spoiler]ANYONE shots a Judge they [/spoiler] are a target, non?

That doesn't mean 1) he wouldn't feel terrible about what happened, and 2) it wouldn't create a massive media shit-storm, not least given his role as a 'media Judge' and ex-position as Chief Judge.

Great cover!

The lead Dredd strip was grand...

...but the best MC1 strip this month was Dan Francisco: I'm loving it! It's zipping along wonderfully with some cracking art. Good stuff.

I'm obviously the lone voice in the wilderness regarding American Reaper because I really like it. It would benefit with a bit of compression or read in one sitting, but I think it's got some great ideas and I also like to see something a bit different artwise. I wasn't keen on how Langley used it in Slaine, but it suits this well imo. And how can you not love Fay Dalton's work on the Reaper Files? I like how the vastly different techniques compliment each other so well. So there.

Insurrection continues to be pretty brilliant. Not much more I can say, but MacNeil does the best pained or sad expressions ever. Great stuff!

I enjoyed Black Light as much as I did the first time around  :-\ Looking forward to the Zero next month!

An enjoyable article on Supes and an interview with Hughes rounded things off brilliantly. Top Meg in my opinion.

M.

Enjoyable Meg for me this month. I have mentioned on here previously my liking for AR but this month did test my patience. It wasn't helped by the opening pages being utterly confusing on first glance as to whether or not the panels should be read down or across. I've also started finding it a bit difficult to differentiate between the young female characters in the strip. At first I didn't know if it was his daughter being kidnapped or her friend as they look too alike to me. And wasn't one of the earlier stories about his daughter being stalked/taken by the body-snatchers? It feels a bit like going over old ground to me.

Just finished reading the Meg. I enjoyed the Dredd very much, especially the frame on the final page with[spoiler]the Antarean Tentatees in a cool "Justice Is Served" pose with Dredd[/spoiler].

Elsewhere, I am enjoying Dan Francisco and haven't been quite grabbed yet by Insurrection. As for American Reaper, I have enjoyed previous episodes, but this one did go on a bit. Looking forward to seeing what replaces it the next month. Saying that, I quite liked the story at the end of the main story and the back cover of the Meg was fun.

Enjoyed the Superman article, and good to see Dreddlines.

I waited for the 2nd part of Black Light before making a start on the first. Read 3 episodes and I'm not convinced, but will keep going with it to see if I can get into it.

American Reaper- pray it's not positive.
Don't worry... it's not.
One thing that really hacked me off with AR (even more than usual) this time round was the fact that, considering the excruciating plodding of the story and the tree-scaring page count so far, there is still a WHOLE PAGE with just one picture and no dialogue or development at all- as if the Meg hadn't already thrown away half a forest on the story so far. That's all well and good to provide a pause in a rollicking story- but to pause in this? Um...
I don't get those who say the art is sumptuous, etc- sure, it's well rendered but in the main I find it mostly boring with no real sense of thought in page layouts other than 'talking heads again... hmmm... I know, I could do a long strip panel with heads in and blur the background a little...' It makes for really bad comic art (sorry Clint, you're waaaay better than this story shows- B&W ABC's and this are like cheese and chalk).
Saying that- my main objection is really that it takes up far too much space, runs too long and never really delivers anything. Please Pat, stop (or, at least, start... and keep moving)- you are also way better than this. Glad this is done with for now- truly appalling story.

Dredd and SoDF are fine enough and I enjoyed the Reaper Files too, but I didn't read the articles so Insurrection pretty much had all my attention. Enjoyed reading Blacklight again too. Can we get RETURN TO ARMAGEDDON in a floppy at some point, please Mr Tharg?

Overall it felt a bit lightweight but with no AR next month that frees up enough space for possibly a couple of new tales, each of which may have twice as much going on as Sexy Ostriches.
HURRAH!

Arrrghhh....had just typed a longish post, and my wifi glitched.

Condensed V2.0;

I love the following: Collins' Dredd, Insurrection III (best Ep of this series for me), The Streets of Dan Francisco (Tharg would need to be high on 'Cranston Blue' not to commission more of this), front & back covers.

I don't love the following: American Reaper.

I quite like American Reaper.

Cheers

Quote from: NapalmKev on 22 June, 2013, 12:20:13 PM
I quite like American Reaper.

The Marmite issue...

The Marmite issue...
[/quote]

Must be, can't stand Marmite and overjoyed AR has finished as don't like that either, although in my opinion, 2014 is too soon for it's return.

Aside from that, enjoyed the Meg this month and a great final page of Insurrection makes me look forward to next month's Meg for the hook up with Luther.

Is it me or are The Reaper Files more often much better than Sexy Struthio?

Quote from: Hawkmonger on 23 June, 2013, 03:33:50 PM
Is it me or are The Reaper Files more often much better than Sexy Struthio?

It's not you - the Reaper File is definitely better than the actual strip, so's the artwork. I doubt anyone would complain if the main strip was illustrated by Fay Dalton, with page count which actually counted toward the story. Having said that, after the disappointment of the last few episodea, this closing episode of AR was a tad enjoyable, especially that revelatory ending.

Gorgeous cover this month. If we ever have a Meg cover of the year poll, I'm voting for this one so far!

 By the look of it, the Alien Zoo's art deco entrance was designed by Berthold Lubetkin's Tecton Group. Just like Dudley Zoo. :D   



Stew.

Quote from: SKD on 24 June, 2013, 08:30:16 PM
By the look of it, the Alien Zoo's art deco entrance was designed by Berthold Lubetkin's Tecton Group. Just like Dudley Zoo. :D   



Stew.

As me'n'Ian are both West Midlands lads, and we both used to go there a lot as kids, we thought it'd be a cheeky in-joke to use Dudley Zoo-- a lot of the architecture I've drawn is based on the place but obviously scaled up for Mega City One.

Quote from: MIKE COLLINS on 24 June, 2013, 11:45:21 PM

Quote from: SKD on 24 June, 2013, 08:30:16 PM
By the look of it, the Alien Zoo's art deco entrance was designed by Berthold Lubetkin's Tecton Group. Just like Dudley Zoo. :D   

Stew.

As me'n'Ian are both West Midlands lads, and we both used to go there a lot as kids, we thought it'd be a cheeky in-joke to use Dudley Zoo-- a lot of the architecture I've drawn is based on the place but obviously scaled up for Mega City One.

So, basically, great spot SKD!

Quote from: MIKE COLLINS on 24 June, 2013, 11:45:21 PM
As me'n'Ian are both West Midlands lads, and we both used to go there a lot as kids, we thought it'd be a cheeky in-joke to use Dudley Zoo-- a lot of the architecture I've drawn is based on the place but obviously scaled up for Mega City One.

Nice one Mike. I knew Ian was from around these parts, but I didn't realise that you where too. I had a big grin on my face when I turned the page and saw that familiar entrance. I recognised the curved section from the old bear enclosure too. Considering that the zoo was designed and built in the 1930's, it sits very well in the future setting of Mega city One.

Stew.

The Meg has been pissing me off lately sorry to say. Apart from the ol' Stoney Face adventures - and The Streets Of Dan Francisco I find this organ on the whole pretty boring! Can't wait till September for the movie sequel, I'll persevere until then.

Quote from: ChickenStu on 26 June, 2013, 12:11:10 PM
The Meg has been pissing me off lately sorry to say. Apart from the ol' Stoney Face adventures - and The Streets Of Dan Francisco I find this organ on the whole pretty boring! Can't wait till September for the movie sequel, I'll persevere until then.

Has the movie sequel been confirmed for September? That's news to me! Wonder who'll be on writing and art duties? Either way looking forward to this.

The ending of Blacklight wasn't half abrupt. Guess it was cancelled/abandoned?

I liked sexy ostriches but it's taken a while to get to that cliffhanger; would of been a lot better if it was leaner.

Quote from: SKD on 25 June, 2013, 10:30:52 PM

Quote from: MIKE COLLINS on 24 June, 2013, 11:45:21 PM
As me'n'Ian are both West Midlands lads, and we both used to go there a lot as kids, we thought it'd be a cheeky in-joke to use Dudley Zoo-- a lot of the architecture I've drawn is based on the place but obviously scaled up for Mega City One.

Nice one Mike. I knew Ian was from around these parts, but I didn't realise that you where too. I had a big grin on my face when I turned the page and saw that familiar entrance. I recognised the curved section from the old bear enclosure too. Considering that the zoo was designed and built in the 1930's, it sits very well in the future setting of Mega city One.

Stew.

Ta! Yep, the architecture works fine in MegaCity One!

I'm from West Bromwich originally (home of John Byrne too!) tho live in Cardiff nowadays. If you go back through my work, every so often the Rotunda from the Bull Ring turns up in city shots-- in Dredd and in my US work. Always nice to have a tip of the hat to the old home :-)

Really liking the Steve Yeowell art in Black Light! Wish Red Seas had been like this....

Quote from: DrJomster on 27 June, 2013, 10:52:40 PM
Really liking the Steve Yeowell art in Black Light!

Not the colouring though.

Quote from: DrJomster on 27 June, 2013, 10:52:40 PM
Really liking the Steve Yeowell art in Black Light! Wish Red Seas had been like this....

It probably would look better in colour, but I like it just the way it is tbh.

I really wasn't a fan of the Yeowell coloring in Black Light. Or actually ever. I recall not liking his colored work in Nikolia Dante. I much prefer his work in black and white.

I think the only Yeowell colored work I've ever legit loved, was that 'Jack's Back' cover he did

I don't think the asthetics of Red Sea's would work as well in colour. I certainly never had the desire to see that Kraken from Prog 2013 in colour.

you need enough lines to fill the gaps between them if you want colour...

Quote from: Proudhuff on 29 June, 2013, 11:03:36 AM
you need enough lines to fill the gaps between them if you want colour...

Oooooooh! Saucer of milk for Mr Proudhuff please!

I stopped buying the meg while AR was running. Before then I was a relative newbie/occasional buyer. Guys may I ask what's replacing AR in the next meg?

Something really really cool. (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=46256)

Quote from: The Adventurer on 30 June, 2013, 12:24:41 PM
Something really really cool. (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=46256)

Oooo. I like the sound of that...

Quote from: The Adventurer on 30 June, 2013, 12:24:41 PM
Something really really cool. (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=46256)

Love the look of that.

Tharg's sister Marg should be using her PR skills and pimping this to f**k    ;)

Wow, that sounds great! I don't buy the Meg any more but I'm severely tempted now...

Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 01 July, 2013, 03:50:23 PM
Wow, that sounds great! I don't buy the Meg any more but I'm severely tempted now...

Me too.

So, after being away on holiday I finally got my hands on this month's Meg.  ::)

Firstly, I thought the Dredd story and art were outstanding - this and last month's have been particularly good for me.  Really loved the use of mimicry and the final page summed up how I understand Dredd to be.

Dan Fran - very good also. Love the artwork and the story really seems to be developing well.  I hope this story does not end badly for Dan as I would definitely like to see more of him in the future - I am really warming to this chracter.

Insurrection - fantastic, wondered where this was going after the cliff-hanger last Meg but it also seems to be progressing well.  That last page looked fantastic.

All of the above have been great and if all the Meg were like this then I would be very happy indeed. 

However, the fly in the soup is still American Reaper.  For me, it just takes up too much space and has too little progression.  12 pages for the main story and 5 of those had no dialog - AR still has not managed to capture any baddies and the twist at the end was OK but its something you would expect to have seen around episode 3.  The Reaper Files extra story, as always, outshone the main - if it does come back, can we have Fay on artwork for the main story also?  I like that stories in the Meg have more room to breathe but AR has not utilised that - I would have preferred to have had a reduced page count for AR and then another Dredd story (even a reprint would be OK).

With AR gone the next Meg has the potential of being the best of the year.  Looking forward to it.  :D     

Quote from: The Adventurer on 30 June, 2013, 12:24:41 PM
Something really really cool. (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=46256)

Get the baby delivered.

Quote from: The Adventurer on 30 June, 2013, 12:24:41 PM
Something really really cool. (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=46256)

Is...is that Mr Clements?

:-0

Hmmm, you decide:

Rich:



Ordinary Joe:

Quote from: Proudhuff on 09 July, 2013, 10:02:28 AM
Hmmm, you decide:

Rich:



Ordinary Joe:

Image rights and all sorts going on there.

Top outfit Richmond!

Cheers man!

I'm going to go all Grant Morrison on their ass..! ;-)

Oh my god! The character is a dead ringer of Richmond!  :o

Yes, he is very attractive...

I suspect he's based on the artist though..!

I thought he looked more like a normal-sized Molch-R.

 :lol:

HaHa!  :lol: 

I think we have got a potential new thread:

RICHMOND-ALIKES!

Richmond                                  Gordon Freeman

oh god...

Precisely what is going on here?!

Disturbed and frightened.

Richmond the Parksleeper




PJ Maybe

Rich



Percy the parkkeeper

It has its own thread! My work here is done...

Quote from: Proudhuff on 18 July, 2013, 01:57:08 PM
It has its own thread! My work here is done...

^This, has made my day!  :D