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Gave it a read this morning, around 04:30. A better start of the morning than a bowl of cereal. Great prog. Wonder what the next Dredd will bring, and if it'll deliver after such good episode as MC1 Confedential.

Dredd - Really liked this one. While it didn't have the collapse feel post DoC, it showed what happens when things come back to normal. And while the whistle blower got killed, the story itself felt quite optimistic. Not everyone involved got killed, the project is said to be banned and MC1 Confedential started to talk out against the judges. While no revolution, there where some steps. Really hope this collected soon enough, I really do!

Slaine - Good art, and it feels like there's some story taking form. A pleasent read. While not gripping, it's nice on the eyes and feels it's building. Love the art, it's use of colour.

Sinister Dexter - Mostly felt like some pew pew pew.

Outlier - Got aliens and skinning in it, but still didn't really catch my attention.

Jägir - Continues to feel like something I'll try to read from start to finish later on. Like the art and feel of it,  feels promising.

I'd say it one of those situations were any given title works fine on its own, but you get more from reading the whole bunch.

So you could defo read his 'Batman and Robin' stuff on their own, you could defo read all the 'Batman Inc' stuff on its own, but it does all also read as a complete story.

I suppose the biggest problem with reading all as one is that the start of his run in Batman is for me by far the weakest part (the first arc Batman and Son) and so might be off putting? That's not to say its bad, far from it, just not as good as the rest. I started reading it with Batman and Robin and then eventually went back and bought the trades of his Batman stuff as it goes and that worked a treat for me.

I'v eyed some of the early stuff, and the thing I was most uncertain about was the art in some issues and some of the characters. Faces falling of people and the Bruce Wayne super model girl friend Jez Jet felt a bit off putting. But I'll give it another go. Especially if it'll get some sort of omnibus treatment. So it'll be possible to read it from start to end.

Can't wait for Grant's Multiverse (looks insane) and his Wonder Woman book (due in 2015). I love Azzarello and Chiang's Wondy, and I think Grant will also do some cool stories with her (whom I'm not the biggest fan of outside Azzarello and Perez stories.). I don't read many Superheroes, but the recent WW has been a big guilty pleasure of mine 

In short, great prog. I get up at 04:20 to catch the train to work, and having one a these once a morning each week really helps

I think the recent darker DREDD: MC1 Conf. will end on a more light tone, with some nonsense secret that only could have been big in MC1. I think Dredd's "face it, Styler. You were neve going to keep this under wraps forever." is hinting towards something anticlimatic.

Slaine keeps on sinking in for me. Never read the character before, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. And I really like the art. The use of colour is mega.

Jaegir feels cool, and the art is good. Will probably wait and read this in on go when it's finished.

Outlier was entertaining, but not much more. "Fracka Fracka Boom", dudes in strange sun glasses piloting jets and stuff.

Sinister Dexter, nah. Not really ma thang.

This one was a bit of a dip for me. While the art in Anderson still looks good, the rest of it was a bit of a let down.

Early eps. felt grounded in current events, got Anderson feeling relatable and jumping on roof tops with a lawmaster, but this one felt like the 100th reminder of Orlock, Judge Death, Satan and what not. I really hope it's all there to build towards something, tying up some ends and ending them.

I really hope she goes down the route and thinking about what her (and/or perhaps Dredd's) role in everything is. Her constantly looking back at the time she hugged Orlock on Mars isn't nearly as exciting.

And for Dredd. Got his head bashed in by some mutant. Could be fun getting to know where that goes. Haven't read the rest of the Meg stuff, but as it seems most of it's Dredd related. Looking forward reading it.

Grant Morrison ...

Anyone a fan of his Batman run?

Very much so. It has its ups and down but there's certain sections, in particular the post Final Crisis stuff, so Batman and Robin and Batman Inc (both runs) that challenge the Grant + Breyfogle run for my all time favourite Batman stories.

They way he played with the whole nature of a long form comic book character, everything has happened and will happen again is quite superb. His handling of the transition between Bruce and Dick was wonderful and the whole Damien story beginning to end just fantastic. Great character work, wonderfully meta and innovative and most importantly damned good fun.

Since I'v gotten a good in on Morrison's superhero stuff (thanks to Animal Man, Doom Patrol and Flex Mentallo) maybe I'll give the Batman a go. It and Allstar Superman (whom I'v tried to like, but Sups as a character makes it hard outside Azzarello's Luthor book).

Is it possible to read his Batman just through reading the inc? Then I'm thinking this http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2014/03/absolute-batman-incorporated-to-feature-new-chris-burnham-art/ could be interesting one day, when it's released as a Deluxe ed. size instead of abs.

In violent agreement, though this is from memory and the re-reads will be when I get round to it...
Doom Patrol & Animal Man were tremendous.
Invisibles felt very laboured and smacked of someone trying too hard. Not enjoyable.

I'v given Animal man a spin. Really liked that one too (not as much as doom patrol, but still). I really liked that it (as Flex Mentallo also does) is questioning why "realism" must be achieved through pessism and similar negativity.

While Brian Azzarello is my fav. when it comes to comics with meta qualities, Grant Morrison has definitely done some really really good stuff. Especially with Doom Patrol and Flex Mentallo, closely followed by Animal Man and WE3.

Anyone a fan of his Batman run?

Is the "Fingers off the triggers, sphincters unclenched" (heard too much about that one) line intact in this one? Anything else missing?

Either way. Really thinking about picking this up. Looks like good fun.

I'v read that the "reboot" thing where dropped shortly after Kreeler conspiracy (who at first was a manuscript for a tv adaption), but it probably works.

But any thoughts on where Blood moon fits in? Shortly after Johnny became a Search and destroy agent?

Been (in some cases trying) reading some Grant Morrison lately.

Doom Patrol, Flex Mentallo, The invisibles and The Filth.

And I must say, I really enjoyed Doom patrol and Flex Mentallo. As strange (meant in a good way) as they are, I really felt the characters and their stories. While both are big on sadness, they also feel like stories with a big drokkin heart in them. Robotman Cliff asking Jane to Come in out of the rain is comic book magic. Wouldn't be a surprise if the Doom Patrol omnibus will grace my bookshelf this summer

As for The invisibles and The filth, I'v tried to read those before. And I'v really tried to like them. But I'm finding it hard. Not only is it the art (where Doom Patrol and Flex Mentallo is beautiful all the way through) but, foremost, the stories themselves. It still (for me) just feels like a bunch of characters who like to dress in leather and say something non sequitur. While I "get" what they want to say, too much of it get's in the way. But I'll probably give them another try since I find it interesting that some seem like their lives turned around thanks to them.

I'v read WE3 (love that one also) some the batman inc, eyed the Allstar Superman and a couple of pages of Big Dave.

Anything else I should dig out? Animal man?

[didn't]

Slaine still mostly look nice. While it was kind of fun seeing him contemplating killing the guy, the "gal in danger that needs getting saved" (who, knows could turn into something else, like that she didn't to) was a bit hum hum for me. I'm not the biggest fan of fantasy, and I don't feel the character. But perhaps it'll get to me. If nothing else, I really like the art.

The title - A Simple Killing - suggests a more stripped down and straight forward approach, after years of travelling through time and the history of myth. Works for me, especially since the way this episode didn't turn into a fight suggests things aren't going to be as predictable as the name suggests. I like the art, and Sláine's already looking a little less like the artist, but the quality of finish is starting resemble the looser style employed by Davis on Sin-Dex and Ampney.

I really like Davis's work, but the nature of Sláine's world means the strip works best when it's in the hands of an artist who relishes the depiction of cultural specificities. I don't think every page should feature finely detailed studies of Iron Age torcs, but even Bisley broke up the panels where he was energetically applying thick paint directly to the art board with a page where everything was rendered in fine detail and finished off nicely.

In other ways, Davis brings something new and vital to the strip. The expressions playing across Sláine's face in the hilarious sequence where he's weighing the different options for murdering the droning Karn are as good an example of face acting as you'll get outside of Garbo, and really help convey the comedy required by that scene. That's a great example of Mills writing to the strengths of his collaborator, and his use of speech balloons to indicate Karn's drunken rambling was wonderful economy.

I'll definitely keeping my eyes on it! Any Sláine story that's a good introduction to the character?

I love a good mystery, and therefor love Dredd. Have no idea where it's heading or what the section 7 is, but it's a really exciting read. Dark and chilling. Lovely times being a Dredd reader. First Titan, and now this.

Slaine still mostly look nice. While it was kind of fun seeing him contemplating killing the guy, the "gal in danger that needs getting saved" (who, knows could turn into something else, like that she didn't to) was a bit hum hum for me. I'm not the biggest fan of fantasy, and I don't feel the character. But perhaps it'll get to me. If nothing else, I really like the art.

The rest worked quite fine.

Dredd really shined, the rest fell a bit in it's shadow. Still a good prog!

I almost think Carlos's art is the most essential thing about Stront, but I'll give The final solution a try later on.

But about Blood moon. I really really liked it, especially Alpha killing Moon. Up there with Kreelman and Max. The bit where he thinks of cutting of his head but leaves him to burn was very powerfull.

Btw, when is the story supposed to take place? Before or after Kreelman died in outlaw? Feels very fitting if it took place before it, serving as a sort of a Johnny Alpha: First hate story.

Really liked this one.

Dredd started of with a great and a bit chilly mystery. I really felt felt with the main character. Really well written, and at times as only Wagner can deliver. Art by Macneil was also tops! I'm really really intrigued to see where this story goes. Worth the price alone.

While I'v never read any Slaine before, I'm enjoying the art of this more than the other stuff I'v seen of it. Is this Slaine by the way some sort of reboot of the character? I'v heard talks that some story with him was supposed to be that.

The others wheren't bad either. Some nice sci fi. Will definitely eye those the upcomming issues!

Pages out of order, with some missing and overlaying images on top of the main strip. All in all quite terrible really

Sounds it matches the covers (wonder what went wrong with those...) then. A shame. Bloc Mania and Apocalypse war deserves better.

IDW doesn't have a license for digital releases of material we already offer digitally.

Okay, makes sense!

Other than that, IDW's Dredd output seems a bit woeful. The on-going series is not my cuppa, and the recoloured Apocalypse War series was riddled with errors. Bit shocking, that last one.

What kind of errors? Haven't read any of the classic JD since it haven't been made available digitally. Been asking IDW alot to release those on comixology, but gotten no replies.