2000 AD Online Forum

COVER:

Already commented on this on the other thread, but this is a lovely, moody piece from the Flint droid. All the better for having very little of the page taken up by text or trailers for the other stories.

DREDD:

Very, very good. Dredd's "manifesto" is a perfect character moment:

"Me, I say nothing reasonable about terror. This is war. I make no concessions. Beat me fair and square and you can take the keys to the Grand Hall off my dead body -- but I'm damned if I'll hand them to you on a plate."

MacNeil's art is on top form again, and I can't wait to see where this story goes next prog.

SAVAGE:

Heh - first, he took out tanks with soap, now he's shooting down Hinds with tin-foil!

The story is beginning to pick up pace now, and with Freedom Day coming next prog, I've got a feeling things are going to get very, very unpleasant for occupied Britain.

My only criticism? You guessed it, it's the few moments of clunky dialogue. "Funk" is still bloody awful, but the worst offender this week has to be Noddy going on about his "vital fluids".

Still, this is Pat Mills at the best I've seen him in years, so I guess I can forgive it :-)

A.H.A.B.:

No idea where this is going now, but I'm looking forward to finding out. A.H.A.B. is back on form now he's within reach of his nemesis, and it looks like being a grand finale. Richard Elson's art is also much improved over the slightly rushed last couple of episodes.

LOW LIFE:

Guess who the villain is? If you're pointing at the Judge with funky glasses, give yourself a pat on the back!

Well, this "twist" was expected, but what wasn't was Farnsworth's motive. Very Robin Hood, and it succeeded in surprising me, so congrats to Rob Williams.

As someone pointed out over at 2000AD Review, this is basically one long "origin" story. It remains to be seen whether all the threads will be tied up by the end of this story, but Rob & Henry have done a great job of establishing a new ongoing series here.

A special mention has to go to Henry's work on the flashback panels - it's very subtle, but the slightly faded look works perfectly, without being intrusive in the way these devices can sometimes be.

CHOPPER:

Ah, well. I think most of us had high expectations for this series, but now it's come to the end & the character is no further forward - 8 episodes of this, just to have Chopper right back where he started? I doubt I'll be alone in feeling a little bit cheated by this.

The artwork is great, as usual, but even it can't lift this. A few good moments aside, this has been a real let-down, and it feels like John Wagner's just been coasting through a tale about a character he really doesn't care about anymore - and if he doesn't, why should we?

8.5/10 - A cracking prog, let down only by Chopper.

>Ah, well. I think most of us had high expectations for this series, but now it's come to the end & the character is no further forward - 8 episodes of this, just to have Chopper right back where he started? I doubt I'll be alone in feeling a little bit cheated by this.

I?d have to disagree that the character is no further forward. Look at Vienna, Rico, Death, Anderson, Strontium Dog & even Robohunter, they were written into a proverbial dead end with nowhere to go or even in continuity limbo. Wagner is the prime example of taking a character that we think has no where to go and in one story bringing them back, their first stories may not be anything earth shattering but it salvages them from other writers or from situations where you may not really care whether they appear again and places them back into the consciousness of the readers that allows them to come back again. With some of the characters above its not the first story that is anything fantastic but because they now have been brought back from limbo it allows the writers to do something with them.


La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

Fair point, Logan. I just feel that, apart from Jug's death, not much has really happened in this story. There's not even a mention for Dredd at the end, despite the build-up with him at the beginning & his determination to stop Chopper.

If Wagner does have plans for a future Chopper story, maybe this will be seen as a necessary step, if not a particularly great story. At the moment, though, it's hard not to feel a bit pissed off with a story that's run for two months only to land Chopper right back on a beach in Oz.

>At the moment, though, it's hard not to feel a bit pissed off with a story that's run for two months only to land Chopper right back on a beach in Oz.

But its taken Chopper out of the hands of other writers, has placed him back in to the readers consciousness and once John has taken back ownership of a character its not that easy then for other writers to do anything with the character without first asking if John has any future plans for them.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

Yeah, I understand that - and it certainly is good to have Chopper back in the hands of the guy who created him, but for me that's a consideration *outside* the simple question of "did I enjoy this story?".

Hmmm... not convinced by that, John Wagner could have written some other story and done the same thing surely?

Chopper continues, like Strontium Dog, but they havn't really gone anywhere yet have they?

As for John reninvigorating other characters, Death?  Mean machine?  Struggling would be a better word.  Enjoyable enough, but a bit tired.

Rico and Vienna weren't at dead ends, they were just characters that weren't being used (or in Rico's case, in all honesty a new character as a foetus in tank couldn't be described as being at a dead end as far as character development goes), and any writer could have brought them back if they'd wanted. The end results were excellent of course, Vienna and Rico have been the best things in Dredd, Dolman also.

Putting Anderson in a coma wasn't a great new launch for Anderson.  Grant seems to be the one who pulled the iron out of the fire here.  And it's Grant on Robohunter as well.

I'm happy enough to read just about anything Wagner puts out, but you've hyper-egged the pudding a bit here Logan.

I think the easiest thing to do in Chopper is just disregard the frankly appalling writing of Alan Mckenzie and Garth Ennis and carry on.  But as Chopper is such an iconic character, and seemed to symbolise so much of the anti-judicial feeling in the city, getting him mixed up in some industrial espionage seems to be a real anti-climax. Tthe best bits are merely echoes of older stories, and while it's enjoyable enough, it doesn't really feel like chopper's back to me.

Perosnally Chopper getting involved (even involuntarily via this woman) with the Total War movement would have been about a thousand times as exciting as a the formula of Pop's pop.

As I said, huge Wagner fan, but let's not go crazy here.

>I'm happy enough to read just about anything Wagner puts out, but you've hyper-egged the pudding a bit here Logan.

Personally don?t think I have but once again we could go round in circles so I?ll agree to disagree as usual.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

That's fine, just adding my opinions.

moan moan moan

that email by jason palmer

he IS the law

chuckle...zooms off into sunset..

Thought Chopper a lovely little story. So it lacked pathos and didn't add to Chopper's iconic status much, but it was perfectly paced, expertly rendered and entirely likeable.

It certainly gave this rapidly-approaching-30yr-old a schoolboy's grin this morning and made me genuinely glad that I still subscribe to 2Thou.

The depiction of Jug's funeral and death will become enduring images I reckon. And the use of the scribbled smiley in the 'twist' was a lovely touch too.

Great stuff!

M@

COVER:
Yay! Low Life's.... second(?) cover. And the best by far.

DREDD:
Enjoying it thoroughly. Not a foot wrong so far. Hooray!

SAVAGE:
No no no no NO!!

After picking up more and more each week, the ball is spectacularly dropped (for me) this week. The word 'Funk' seems to mean anything Mills wants it to. And to be honest, it shouldn't exist at all - it's a terrible fake word!! I can't tell whether Mills is TRYING to write a vague parody of his own work, but I doubt it. Seriously, I find it hard to read!! And last week there was the 'revelation' that the villain is gay. What a SURPRISE! In a Mills story? NEVER!!Argh!!
I hope this picks back up next week and doesn't contain ANY mention of people's sexuality or religion. It's a story about terrorists. It doesn't need any of it at all.

A.H.A.B.:
Hm, not sure how this is going to end at all! I'm loving it though, and can't wait to find out!!

LOW LIFE:
Hehehe, silly shades guy WAS the baddy. Well I enjoyed reading it this week, and the art is great (as usual). Can't say more than that really!!

CHOPPER:
I loved this tale. I'd have liked it to be an important story I suppose, but I think it was designed just to let us know where Chopper is and what he's thinking right now. From here further adventures can launch! I enjoyed this, and genuinely though Chop had been fool enough to let them lead him along all the way. The moment when she opened the box was priceless.

I've really enjoyed the art on this tale as well! It really suits Chopper, and I'd like to see the same team on any further adventures.

Fantastic prog, let down quite heavily by Savage.

Dredd - the idea of centering on the politics teacher instead of Dredd or Total War is a genius idea that really lifts this story from the norm. Great script, nice art.

Savage - No, we knew he was Gay from the first time he appeared, it was made clear then. Last week made it clear that the straight baddy and the gay baddy were equally awful, mind. I'm enjoying this and liked this weeks episode in a 'calm before the storm, segue into the action next week' kind of a way.

A.H.A.B. - More of what we're used to. If you're not enjoying it yet you never will. If, like me, you are enjoying this then you'll be caught up in it.

Low Life - It'd not clicked with me yet this one - competent script, Henry Flint on art, how could that fail? Well, the obvious baddy is revealed and things take off. It could go either way, will Aimee join up or shop him? Genuinley don't know.

Chopper - Yeah, it's light, but it's great fun. Lovely ending episode that brings two months of nicely paced, beautifully drawn, comics that set out to entertain and succeed. Come on - you've had some fun why would you want some major epic? And the smiley was a nice touch.

Cover - Henrys Flint = yay! Droid Life - absent = boo!

Had this weeks Low life spoilered at Bristol when NoisyPat showed me the last page. Looks even better in the flesh (so to speak)

Chopper finished nicely. Not an amazing story but the whole tale is a corker.

Tyranny Rex is back next week too.

Bolt-01

Almost perfect prog! let down by the lack of Driodlife / P14 and NO FLOYD K letter!

Chopper was fine by me, I'm glad he's back on the beach, no in the cubes or with that hussy!

Huffy B-)

No, we knew he was Gay from the first time he appeared, it was made clear then.

Did we? My mistake. I shall have to re-read.

Last week made it clear that the straight baddy and the gay baddy were equally awful, mind.

True, but the straight baddie is more a violent moron who's being led. The actual villain is the gay one. But regardless of what he's trying to say, why does ANYONE have to be straight or gay?? It has nothing to do with the plot at all!!

   Same with the repeated mention of Noddy's bedroom fumblings. If it were funny I'd be able to take it as a running joke, but...

No, you're right the gay character is senior and in leading but both are rapists. You're also right when you say that it shouldn't matter what the sexuality of the characters is but in this case it does seem to be.

I suspect that the senior of the two will be killing the other one to get in with the rebels so we'll just be left with the gay character.

Interesting how Mills' writing seems to make him seem prejudiced towards certain people - he's turning into Torquemada. Let's hope this evolution into the villains they write isn't going on with all the writers or I'm going to be worried about any one who lives near John Wagner...'Yer cannae kill wut disnae live'

Great prog!

Dredd: Class stuff.

Savage: weakest thing in the prog - it's okay, but I'm not wrapped up in the story as I am with the other 4 strips.
I'm actually on the Volgans' side now - that Savage is a psycho & needs to be stopped. I can understand the "one man's freedom fighter/terrorist" sentiments, but when Savage is belly-laughing as he kills people, and forcing them to run through napalm - well, that's *not* heroic.

AHAB - Brill! Brill! Brill!

Low Life - nicely nicely!

Chopper - good story, really enjoyed it by the end.

Well, enjoyed that more than I have a prog for a while.  Three stories that worked for me.

Total War is good and has helped pick the prog up for me recently from being pretty but dull.  It highlights that Dredd and Dredd's world is more complicated than some 2D backdrop.

Savage was another good episode.  Jack is a sick funk all right, I think it's refreshing to be sickened by the actions of a 'hero' as usually they kill anyone and we cheer them on, regardless of how sadistic they are.  Maybe because Savage is set in a slightly more real world than most, it is more squeemish for it.

Chopper, well, an okay story and it ended nice enough.  This is enjoyable, as most Wagner stories are, I don't think Chopper is a special character any more, which is maybe how it should be.  

He's grown up, there are only so many excuses that can be dragged up for wanting to go to the meg, when he gets there, what's the point?  He's way to old for supersurf.  His life in Oz is as good as you could probably get.  

Wagner could come up with some exciting stories, and sure I'd read them, but I'd be happy enough just leaving him lying in the sun. If the story has done one thing it's left us on a positive image, so maybe it was worth it for that.

I say all this because Chopper was my favourite all time Dredd character (even more than PJ Maybe) and a good rival for many a one in the prog as a whole, and he's never bested the moment in the Midnight Surfer when he shot the fox backwards.

All the prog looked great as is the norm at the moment!

I'm still enjoying the prog every week, and have little to add to that.

I liked the twist at the end of Chopper, Savage is still good, and I'm very pleased to see the return of Colin McNeil.

- Trout

I'm actually on the Volgans' side now

Wash your mouth out with anti-tank soap.

Heh! I'm a funker now!

Oddboy gets down & boogies

all this funking malarkey is distracting me from an otherwise enjoyable story. If he can't say "fuck", whay the fackin' 'ell can't that fackin' Savage fackin' talk like this, eh? surely that'd get the point across better.

Anyway, that's a minor gripe, otherwise the prog continues its strong run, Dredd being the standout this week for me. nice little twist made Chopper turn out as an enjoyable if not earth-shattering story, I presume Wagner's got plans for him if he's bothered to reclaim the character this way so I look forward to finding out what they are.

I'm actually on the Volgans' side now

Anyone read Red Son ? now there's the crossover deal they should do a cross over with Savage and the commie Superman universe, so you could end up with a "robot" Bill Savage acting all polite for a change  

Ooops - put this on the wrong thread, sorry.

Damn fine prog, yet again.

Dredd's manifesto will go down in the Great Sayings of Dredd book.

Savage doing naughty things to double-yellow funks won't be on my quotable quotes list, but it was just SO fine to witness.

A.H.A.B. came back to life when I'd given it up for dead. There have been pacing problems with this story - just feels like the writer was trying to piss a quart in a pint-pot. Elson art still bland, though. But in the middle of the Autumn Offensive this would still have been second only to Cabs.

Low Life - top strip, yet again. PLEASE don't let her shoot him and go back to the Judges... I want to see this Robin Hood kick unwind properly. And it doesn't look as though Dirty Frank has breathed his last just yet. Spin-off series, anyone?

Chopper. Well, I had a great build-up to this. I met someone on a work training course who turned out to be an ex-squaxx. She was raving about Horned God, Stronts, etc, so it was the same old story about progs drop off in quality around 700, reader leaves... Anyway, I was bigging up the current run (surely the best the comic's been in a decade) to her, and in the context of this I mentioned Chopper. From the reaction, I remembered what Chopper was - fun, the anti-Dredd, the voice of don't-give-a-fuck rebellion, the ultimate hedonist, one of us. Remembering all that made me realise just how great it was to see the scrawl on that page, and the letter to Popp. I agree with Logan (for once): Wagner has reclaimed the character from the too-serious writers for good. Go Chopper!

Keepin' this above the other one.

Liberal stalin says:

SUPPORT YOUR VOLGAN OPPRESSORS!

You're right of course..Welcome back Uncle Joe ; )

I thought that reading DREDD's take on terrorists/freedom fighters followed immediately by Savage laughing as the Volgs burned up made a particularly fine double whammy of a point.  I think Mills has done a good thing by showing Savage as, well, savage.

A.H.A.B - well, I reconsidered that nice Nigel's points the other night and I've decided after all that I they aren't "fair enough" after all.  This started out promisingly but for me has been lost in a maze of poorly motivated. It could have been asking BIG questions but, for me, it's just turned into a maniacal killing spree for a one dimensional villain (something that Ahab wasn't, if I remember).

Low Life - I really didn't like the clunky page of "He did this because of that and then she did this because of this" exposition and I didn't like the fact that Aimee had the plot explained to her (rather than figuring it out)  but I did like the way that the writer seemed to acknowledge the fact that the villain was not much of a suprise.  Yes the motive sounds interesting so I look forward to the next part.

Chopper - after a brilliant start, I actually thought the ending to this was dire.  Sure, they'd et on a ship and leave the city BEFORE checking out they have the multi-billion credit secret safe and secure.  And the fact that Chopper has actually been an eejit all along and only realised he was been played when he looked in the book made me wince.  Still, I'd like to have a whole series devoted to Calista and her nice tight white t-shirt.  C'mon Sir John, give us what we want.    

is it just me or was the cover shit?  i liked it when it was posted here, but when i actually held the prog in my hands it seemed dull and was hard to make anything out...

haven't actually read it yet.  it came in the same post as essential uncanny x-men volume one, so........

?A.H.A.B - well, I reconsidered that nice Nigel's points the other night and I've decided after all that I they aren't "fair enough" after all.?

Really? I thought I?d covered your specific points pretty directly. It wasn?t like I just made those answers up on the spot or anything ? this was all stuff that I spent a long time figuring out.

?This started out promisingly but for me has been lost in a maze of poorly motivated.?

What poor motivations are you talking about? And I know the plot is fairly dense but is it really a ?maze?? ? by that I assume you mean you are confused. I?m not out to bicker about this but I am quite interested. What motivated each character, I thought, was very clear indeed.

?It could have been asking BIG questions but, for me, it's just turned into a maniacal killing spree for a one dimensional villain (something that Ahab wasn't, if I remember).?

I don?t claim to be equaling the sophistication or intentions of a huge novel like Moby Dick in a nine part 2000AD series. And as for big questions, well I don?t know really. I?m addressing ideas such as making choices between personal goals and the greater good and I?m looking at obsession and ruthlessness. And we have a bit of spiritualism with Queequeg. I know I?m not flagging this aspect up a lot but I do believe it is there nevertheless if you care to look for it.

But it clearly doesn?t work for you and you have responded to the story in the way you describe and this really is fair enough.

Nigel

Ok Chaps here I go...

Cover:V.Dark...I like it!

Dredd:I love the way this ones panning out

Savage:I'd high hopes for this one due to the artwork but now I couldnt give a funk!

A.H.A.B: Still enjoying this even though it appears to have lost it somewhere in the middle

Low Life: Love this

Chopper: Extremely disappointing.It goes nowhere and reads like a massive summer special tale.

7.34 out of 10

I was kind of hoping Chopper would end up doing his thing in the Meg. Oh well - he's not looked this good since Cam Kennedy, so that was nice.

I think there's a spanner in the printing works. I don't think Elson is all that happy about the way AHAB has been turning out the past month either.

Nigel,

it's nice to have feedback on feedback. ANd yes, you did cover all of the points in a positive manner - it's just me being a bit picky.

One specific point I was thinking about was the thing about Izzie's kid.  Now I was thinking that this sub-plot was only introduced because you needed a reason to keep Izzie on the Elysium - pretty short story if she just hops off and we never see what happens after she left*

Anyway, you made the valid point that she was disguising her true motives from her shipmates.  Why does that mean she has to disguise them from the reader?  Wouldn't there be some interestingly tense situations could be had from us knowing that she's trying to keep this secret from her shipmates?  As I am a perspiring writer, I'd be keen to get a bit more information on your thought processes for stuff like this.

I think my "poorly motivated (characters)" thought came from this child thing, the moronic bloke that conveniently hands over all of the command codes to A.H.A.B. and A.H.A.B's actions when he wipes out the rest of his crew, burns his memories into the robot etc.  I know you said it was a hunter obsession thing but I just didn't buy it (this shouldn't bother you too much as everyone else seemsto think you've created a top villain, here).  His actions, to me, seemed TOO extreme for a hunter obsessed with a beast?

Oh and again, it was my poorly worded criticism about the "BIG questions". Of course your story asks a couple - I just felt that, for me, the cackling madman has overshadowed them.

And hey - you have got me thinking about the strip long after I've read it so that's a big positive.  A couple of the shock moments have also been very effective (A.H.A.B killing the captain and then the rest of the command crew)


OH and has anyone else checked out that advert on the back page. How many times does it say NEON EVANGALIS DIRECTORS CUT (or whatever)? ABout fifty! That's another ad designer working hard for his money.


MOBY DICK
S

P

O

I

L

E

R

*(though If I recall, this didn't stop Melville using Ishmael as a narrator for the destruction of the Pequod even though he couldn't possibly have seen it).

I think it would be a good idea to force a team up with Dredd and Chopper having to work together... any ideas how it could be done, I was thining along the lines of the next Supersurf, Chopper being forced in to having to work with Justice Dept., JD needs Chopper to infiltrate a 'Point Break' style band of Sky Surfer criminals... or it's a conscience type scenario where the end goal is beneficial to chopper's beliefs as well as JD's upholding of the Law? What do you reckon?

?it's nice to have feedback on feedback. ANd yes, you did cover all of the points in a positive manner - it's just me being a bit picky. ?

I have no problem with picky.

?One specific point I was thinking about was the thing about Izzie's kid. Now I was thinking that this sub-plot was only introduced because you needed a reason to keep Izzie on the Elysium - pretty short story if she just hops off and we never see what happens after she left*?

Anyway, you made the valid point that she was disguising her true motives from her shipmates. Why does that mean she has to disguise them from the reader? Wouldn't there be some interestingly tense situations could be had from us knowing that she's trying to keep this secret from her shipmates? As I am a perspiring writer, I'd be keen to get a bit more information on your thought processes for stuff like this.?

Okay, this is a question of how and when information on a character is revealed to the reader. A couple of people have said the matter of Izzie?s child came up very suddenly and without warning ? I don?t really think that is entirely fair. When we first see her her face markings obviously signify something. We then learn that she was once married to one of those aliens and we also find out that her feeling towards the race are pretty negative. The business with Tashtego also gives us a clue as to the alien race?s attitude to their women. It?s only after all this is established that the matter of the abducted child turns up. So this plot wasn?t just introduced on the spur of the moment it was planned from the beginning. I could have clued in the reader about this earlier but I decided not to. One of the things I try to do in my writing is to not leave too many dangling plot threads hanging around. So I?ll often wait until certain threads have run their course before bring up new business. So Izzie?s child is introduced after AHAB has taken control of the ship.

?I think my "poorly motivated (characters)" thought came from this child thing, the moronic bloke that conveniently hands over all of the command codes to A.H.A.B.?

?Conveniently? is a little unfair, I think. Spence was clearly manipulated by AHAB into giving him the command position. Spence was stupid but I?ve worked for people who were stupid before. There?s a certain kind of person who achieves authority but is actually an incompetent manager (academics and politicians spring to mind) these people are inclined to make the most astonishingly bad decisions ? particularly if they are out of their depth and know it. This makes a certain arrogant type defensive and not inclined to ask for help.

? and A.H.A.B's actions when he wipes out the rest of his crew, burns his memories into the robot etc. I know you said it was a hunter obsession thing?

No, that was a ?survive at any costs? thing. This all kicked off when Cornelius realized he didn?t have long to live. He was willing to sacrifice everyone else as long as he survived. This is nothing to do with the hunting of the Kohenyu, it?s to do with what lengths Cornelius will go to to survive.

? but I just didn't buy it (this shouldn't bother you too much as everyone else seemsto think you've created a top villain, here). His actions, to me, seemed TOO extreme for a hunter obsessed with a beast? ?

But on the matter of Cornelius hunting the Kohenyu right at the start of the story. This hunter business came from research into whaling. Not in depth research just enough to give me a feel. But anyway, there were plenty of examples of whaling ships that went out and didn?t ever come back. A lot were crushed by ice but many lives were also certainly lost during a hunt. One example I did find was a case where two harpoon boats went out from the main ship to kill a Sperm Whale. The whale smashed one killing some of the crew but the second boat carried on the attack regardless of the danger. So I really don?t have any difficulty understanding AHAB (or Cornelius as he then was) and his determination to kill the Kohenyu. I just quickly turned up this from Google:

?WHALING SHIPS OF WHITBY,  1753-1837

A total of 58 ships sailed during this period. Seventeen ships were lost. ?

Those are not great odds but the profits were so considerable that everyone must have thought it worth the risk. Obviously these ships didn?t just sail once out so it?s not quite as bad as it looks?

?Oh and again, it was my poorly worded criticism about the "BIG questions". Of course your story asks a couple - I just felt that, for me, the cackling madman has overshadowed them. ?

I don?t get this ?cackling madman? stuff. AHAB laughed once ? not at some nefarious scheme or at the point where he committed some terrible act. The only time AHAB laughed was when he reacted to Queequeg?s spirituality. He was sneering at Queequeg?s beliefs. AHAB has come back from the dead (in a sense) but he has no faith.

?And hey - you have got me thinking about the strip long after I've read it so that's a big positive. A couple of the shock moments have also been very effective (A.H.A.B killing the captain and then the rest of the command crew) ?

Thanks. I do think that there is plenty of depth in AHAB (obviously I would, wouldn?t I?) but it?s not flagged up with exposition or characters bearing their souls. I?ve tried to have characters be revealed through what they do not what they say about themselves. In the early part of the story AHAB was clearly a bastard but he never actually said anything menacing ? he was actually very civil.

Nigel

I read Prog 1394 last night, and I am still of the opinion that 2000ad is looking very good at the moment.

Judge Dredd (Terror) is excelent. I don't know why the bomber had to jeopardise himself and his terror organisation by trying to meet up with his fellow suspect, but there's always one, isn't there?

Savage is still good, though perhaps not as good as the week before. It hadn't even occurred to me that Savage's sadistic gloating over the Volgan helicopter crew made him less of a sympathetic character until I saw it discussed here. Admittedly I hadn't seen him as a sympathetic character from the beginning, but I still didn't see his behaviour as outstandingly unreasonable.

Dirty Frank put his finger on the thing that marred an otherwise excellent episode of Savage for me: "the worst offender this week has to be Noddy going on about his "vital fluids". "

(admittedly, there's also the danger of potential new readers being put off by the funking swearwords and mistaking 2000ad for a kids' comic or otherwise something badly written, but I've already got used to it.)

Low Life, Chopper and AHAB were all fine.

One thing I will say about AHAB though, is that a lot of the characters seem to have an almost philosophical (interested, not disinterested) attitude of 'let's just stick around and see what happens'. Like when Indiana Jones gave himself up so he could see what happened when the Nazis opened the Ark.

You just mentioning vital fluids has reminded me of Dr. Stranglove, or how I learnt to stop worrying and love the bomb- people who've seen it will know why

But he's a nasty homphobe! Surely even when old blightly's being rapped and pillage we don't just forget the progress we've made in the field of gay rights...

Okay maybe we do.

Personally thought the Prog was ever excellent with all five stories being near enough on top form, Chopper probably the weakest but much, much improved on previous eps with the twist well delievered and the art finally seeming to gell with the character. Still not great but you know a prog's good when a story of that quality is the weakest.

Also check out 411mania on Tuesday as my American submission editor who I managed to persuade to subscribe to 2000AD and the Meg is doing his first review of 2000AD. Should be interesting...

Will

Only just bought this, but:

Dredd: about time we had some more insight to Dredd's right-wing rationale.  Recent stories that had something to say about the character centered on the man himself, his family, etc, so it's good to finally see his views on terrorism get an outing.  It looks like he might be the anti-hero for this one, too.  The high point of the issue.

Savage: I'm not entirely convinced by the whole Mills/homophobe thing.  The references are there, I suppose, but you could just as soon argue that Rennie or Wagner are ranting hetrophobes because hetro men do bad things in their stories.  Certainly, there are recurring elements in Mills' work, but no-one's accusing, say, Garth Ennis of being a misogynist because his female characters all seem to distrust men, or that Robbie Morrison is a homophobe because of his 'bums to the wall' humour in Nikolai Dante, Savage is a cultural throwback to when such unsavoury types were condsidered heroes, a slope-headed thug who commits violent acts out of sadism, not heroism (and don't forget that in most westerns, the hero is usually from the American south, and more often than not fought for the south in the war.  The casual racism is something I've always found distasteful about cowboy movies).  I can only take 'Savage' on its own merits, and so far, I'm enjoying it.  Adlard's art is coming on well from his Armitage days, too.  The chopper crash was enjoyably spectacular.  The old 'Invasion' stories were more eventful, though.  I do miss that.

Low life: Good turnout for this episode.  I'm distracted by that lovely splash panel on the last page, mind. Nice.  My only complaint is the same complaint that I have of Frank Millar's 'Sin City', a one-off story is fine, but the same thing over and over again wears thin pretty quick.  I'm not sure it'll sustain my interest if every story is just going to be the whole noir thing.  Criminal types might be fascinating as character studies, but they make uninteresting heroes in the long run.

A.H.A.B.- It's been okay so far, I don't know why so many people have an issue with it.  I haven't had any trouble following it, and all the characters are pretty straightforward.  Elson's colours seem a bit murky, though.  Not my favourite strip.

Chopper:  Was that it?  Is it over?  I'm a bit disappointed by this one, as it reminded me of those lousy non-Wagner Choppers from way back, particularly that one where he went to Japan/Hondo City (and I genuinely FORGET what that one was about, so it MUST have been great).  It's probably a good story in its own right, but Wagner on Chopper is a pretty impeccable pedigree for old-timers like myself, and I can't help but feel disappointed.  Wagner might have better things in store for the character, but that doesn't excuse a poor outing for one of my favourite Dredd foils.  I haven't been this let down by a John Wagner script since Balls Brothers.

Tyranny Rex next issue, you say?  Hmmmm...

Good issue, overall.  Shame about Chopper.

Nigel,

Just wanted to say Thanks! for the replies you've been giving to Tips... I don't agree with most of his critique on AHAB, but your answers have giving me a further insight into the story.  Without Tip's complaints, we'd not have got these DVD Extras!

Odders.

Thanks for that.

But, of course, for me AHAB is endlessly fascinating and it?s great to have this opportunity to talk about it.

Those nine weeks sure went by quickly?

Nigel

O is it the final part this week? Hmpf! Don't want it to end!

*sob*

It's been good, and the Elson artwork really suited it, freaky spacemonstertastic!

We should petition 2000AD for more Kitching strips ;)