Prog 1819: Dangerous Minds.

[TordelBack]

So late it hardly seems worth it, but...

Cracking Prog, cover to cover - as well as being independently entertaining, every story delivered a splendid pay-off on previous installments or storylines.  This is the sort of balance I like.

Dredd:  More nice work from Rob Williams as his grasp on writing Dredd grows ever more sure. We really are spoiled these days, the whole crop of Dredd writers have massively improved the precision of their work in this most difficult of slots, and I hardly miss the maestro week to week. 

Harren was a revelation, love his stylised Dredd and his organic city.  Even the SBDavis-meets-Cloverfield monster worked well, and I think Blythe did a superb job bringing the whole thing to vibrant life, and maybe papering over a few minor cracks in the process. 

Best of all however was the punchline, which turned a familiar psychic-revenge-trap short into something memorable.

Savage: Hey, at least it wasn't 'Big Jobski', which it would have been 30 years ago.  Possibly uncoincidentally Pat continues to hit us over the head with his 'no big ideals, just big business' message, but you know, I don't mind.  As an overriding theme it serves a good story, and best/worst of all, it's true.  Again, terrific art from Goddard.   

Red Seas:  Oh my, that was a welcome twist. Good on ya Cap'n, why does God need a starship?.

Ampney: Davis lavishes all the love that this great strip deserves.  As intriguing as it gets, and I'm delighted to see the seamless way the two worlds are stitched together, avoiding any suggestion of Trifecta shenanigans.

Strontium Dog:  Yeah.