MEG 327 - Dark Reflections

[nicklarr]

Tales from the Black Museum: fun to see some Swedish language in there, don't think I've seen that before in the prog/Meg..? 

[Proudhuff]

Anderson -

Anderson's face. I almost couldn't read this because I was concentrating so hard on it. It's so confusing. The fact that she's never-ever-ever had the same face from her first appearance to now is one of the weirdest things about 2000ad IMO.

http://www.schamper.ugent.be/files/imagecache/regulier/images/Rowley%20Birkin%20QC.jpg
"How old is she?"

That's not the point, she's psychic and she's blonde

Glad its not just me who thinks this, anyway That's not the point, she's psychic and she's blonde:

[Mardroid]

Cover- Lovely and evocative.

Dredd- Good if sad finale. I love the art style.

Black Museum - Oh yes, I liked this a lot. And the idea of tatoos being storage devices is very interesting. I think I prefer these short stories overall to the Future Shocks, at least the recent ones. That strikes me as strange considering a Future Shock is less defined, as in it can be set anywhere and be about anything as long as there's a twist. (I include terror tales and Time Twisters here.) The Black Museum stories are all Dredd-world and (mostly) set in the Meg, yet I find most of them very compelling. Mind you, as John Wagner said concerning the Judge Dredd strip in interview recently, it's such a big city you can tell any kind of story there. Black Museum isn't Dredd, but the same rule applies.  And I think the extra pages help.

Snapshot - Good as ever, but better read in one go.

Paranoia prose piece - Not much happens at all, but it's good. It's a character psychological piece and it works very well.

Judge Anderson - Early, but I enjoyed this first instalment. It seems to be a very thoughtful story which is no bad thing. As for criticisms about her repetitive revaluations, I'll admit I didn't really notice, but considering what she's been through each of these times it seems appropriate. And her face may be very different from the early stories, but it seems consistent for this artist. (It also matches the artist who did the cover, even though the art style is very different.) One difference that did strike me in this (and it might be my imagination) Anderson looks more mature in this strip. Not 50 year old mature, and certainly still young but not quite the 21 year old look-alike from the previous strips.   I'm hot sure if it's actually a depiction of her age or the trauma she's been through. Either way, this is a good thing for me.

If I have a criticism of this strip it's that I find myself wondering, if she is psychically affected by the nuked out sector, how is she affected by the chaos day victims everywhere else? Okay, part of her reaction to the nuked out zone is personal guilt that she didn't prevent it, but I do wonder if such a massive event as Chaos day will have repercussions in this strip too. Or is this set before? Or is this a different world to the Dredd main strip, just set next door (so to speak)?

Marauder - I read this back when it ran in the Prog, and quite enjoyed it. I would prefer to see a story from the earlier days I haven't seen yet - this just seems too recent to me- but it's not bad having this as a complete story.

[Proudhuff]

Judge Anderson -  One difference that did strike me in this (and it might be my imagination) Anderson looks more mature in this strip. Not 50 year old mature, and certainly still young but not quite the 21 year old look-alike from the previous strips.   I'm not sure if it's actually a depiction of her age or the trauma she's been through. Either way, this is a good thing for me.

Yes she's had Judge Death in her, been encased in boing, seen horrors beyond believe, survived a nuke  and she still looks like Billy Piper, when she should be more like Chief Judge McGruder at the end of Deadman!

[Hawkmumbler]

Did we ever find out what happened to anyone in Marauder?
Billy? Krunt? Burnet? What happened to everyone????

[DrJomster]

Good Meggage this month. Particular shout out for the articles which were informative & well written.

Only minor gripe, a mere quibble really, was the Big Bad at then end of Anderson doing a Springheel Jack style leaping getaway. A little out of keeping in style with the rest of the strip. Too jarringly comical really for my taste.

I should also say that the Expectations Dredd won me over after my initial doubts over part 1. Good job droids!

And what's more, I'm usually not a fan of the Black Museum but this month was really quite good, both story and art wise.

Looking forward to next month's Meg now. Definitely recommend picking up a copy if you're not a regular reader.

[Proudhuff]

Did we ever find out what happened to anyone in Marauder?
Billy? Krunt? Burnet? What happened to everyone????

Hmmmm a possible opening for a Zarjaz tale?

[BPP]

The Dredd has been the best story / art in a very long time. Probably the best Megazine Dredd since the Wagner / Doherty Rat Fink (which is a floppy soon isn't it? If you don't read the meg you should treat yourself to that issue).

The first appearance of Dredd was 'yeah!' the final was '!'. Sublime storytelling, divine art.

Please Tharg, more Dave Taylor, he really is one of your very best.

[staticgirl]

Anderson doesn't just change from artist to artist but from panel to panel. I got obsessed by her nose in this one. It kept changing. She does look a bit older because Boo is drawing her with a variety of different types of straight honkers instead of the little snub nose she has in other stories by other artists. The development of more mature features is pleasing and I always love his colours and city scenes.

If the writers actually let her act more than a self obsessed angst-ridden adolescent they might get some more interesting stories out of her, she's been stuck in limbo for over ten years now. From what I can tell she probably would have PTSD and that seems to be more serious than the whinging and cockiness she manifests.   

She's always been my favourite Dredd character and I am losing my patience.

Also losing my patience with Snapshot (I think I'm in a bad mood) which is a succession of chases with only chunks of exposition every now and then. The writing is boring me but blimey the art isn't. I like the rough vitality than bursts out everywhere. Still wish there wasn't so many shadows over people's faces though.

The Black Museum tale was ace and I loved the piss take over the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. That makes me nostalgic for all the other piss takes that the 2000AD stable has perpetrated over the years. It is a fine, irreverent tradition. Great art too - I especially loved the depictions of Eliza's face. I also like that she looked like a teenager and Carver looked like a woman. I think a lot of artists don't get the age progression in female characters right because there isn't such a massive change in the features of a woman as there is a man as he grows older (which refers back to Anderson I guess). Lovely grey washes - it seems to give a lot of atmosphere to a drawing. There's a lot of gestural drawing in the characters too to make them more lively and tell the story without them becoming cartoons at one end of the scale or stiff photo refs at the other. The whole strip was a pleasure.

Great Executions came to its only possible ending but still it's very sad. Poor Charlie. A top story and beautifully illustrated. I love the delicate lines and muted colouring. It's so moody.

I haven't finished the text features yet but I'm enjoying them as usual. The interviews with creatives are always interesting and I'm looking forward to the text story.

[Judo]

the mr burns thing. Excellent. Great work from everyone x