Prog 1561 - State of Emergency

[paulvonscott]

MOnday mid-day and nobody has started the thread?

Well, looks like a very nice prog. Lovely cover by Boo Cook.

Dredd takes a tragic twist, though I expected it to, it wasn't how I imagined.

Looking forward to reading the rest, Arthur 'Ex-pat' Wyatt has a story in and I've been warming to Button Man.

Nice to see Patrick Goddard is back on a strip.  Be interestign to see his Savage, looks a lot more old school.

And reassuring news for those who haven't read their progs yet, seems subs knows, and is waiting for the backlog to clear.

Also subscrbiers can buy that McMahon T-Shirt.

[+rufus+]

Err...McMahon shirt?

8-) Ruf

[paulvonscott]

Heh, the Dredd one that was available to new subscribers, the yellow one with Dred don the Lawmastr, is now available to all subscribers for £9.95 +£2 post.  Offer only available by post.

Just read Arthur's FS, it's the familiar 'aliens virally taking us over' type future shock, but was doen very well, had some nicely original stuff in I thought and some very suitable art by Vince Locke.  A success.

Also, I had my reservations about Button Man, but never underestimate Mr Wagner, I'm enjoying it now.  I do see it as an interlude with Mr Irving's art on instead of Mr Ransom, but it's an entertaining interlude.  I like the fact Harry is barely in it.

[Rob Spalding]

I've only just had 1560 delivered!
The Royal Mail time warp portal of doom is still working strong.

[DavidXBrunt]

Turns out I could have gone to Manchester and back in the time it took for the post to turn up at my folks. Still probably meant I didn't spend money I can't afford.

I'm hoping Savage has at least another three books in it. I know it wsa talked about as a four book story but with the first three collected as one tale it'd be interesting for it to carry on with a new artist on board. It's all very well defeating the invader but rebuilding? Lots of room for Pat to explore the real world in this parallel.

Dredd rolls along, the Kitty revelation wasn't a surprise but the details were. Momentum should carry us to Christmas.

Dante feels like it's never been away and is a strong addition to the mix.

I'm really enjoying Sin Dex even more for all the stories coming together and moving the status quo along. If you can do that. You know what I mean.

FS, well written, nicely drawn. Nothing shockingly new but a tale told well is always welcome.

Button Man feels like a telly show that has continued after a lead actor has become unnavailable or unwilling to do much. I'm enjoying it and, oddly, for all that the art is more stylised it feels more 'real world' than previous books. Very odd.

[paulvonscott]

Yes, ditto the the three more books of Savage.  If we get another three books by Goddard and ultimately a third collection I'd be very happy.  

That way we would have Invasion, Occupation and the struggle for Freedom.

Button Man does feel a bit like a TV spin off.

[Mardroid]

Shortly after the strike I got two issues the same week. Then last week 1560 never arrived. This morning, there on my ooorstep is the familiar envelope... only it is 1561.(Not that I don't want the latest issue) So now I've missed an episode....

I wonder if it has gotten lost in the post, whether I'll need to buy it as a back issue (hope not, that's extra expense..)... I'm evem a bit paranoid my Dad's wife found the envelope and stuck it in a bag somewhere, which she does from time to time. 'Tidying' apparently.

Anyway, still picked things up well enough. Looks like I didn't miss much appart from the Mandroid confrontation with his boss. I liked the remote control idea... creepy... and cool new villains in Sinister Dexter.

And of course us heterosexual males got some interesting antidote from all that wanger display from previous issues in Dante. Hope he doesn't fall for her charms though, that'd just be predictable and kinda tacky.

[philt]

The thing about Mandroid (SPOILER BEWARE)









isn't it convenient / coincidential / corny that General Vincent just happens to have a dying woman kicking around his house who needs a new body? And isn't it odd that the Judges haven't thought mmm General Trig Vincent has got Kitty's body (the one being held under lock and key remember), Nate contacted him - na there's no connection. And worse it seems that Trig has only just realised that Kitty and this new charactor's tissue is compatiable so it wasn't like he'd manipulated it so that Nate would escape.

It doesn't make a poke of sense.  

[Funt Solo]

Hi Mardredd - I got 1560 and 1561 today.  You're probably in the same boat, and I bet 1560 will turn up.  Stuff in the strike backlog is taking longer to get delivered than newly posted stuff, it seems.

---

Top prog - great cover.  Best line goes to Dredd:

"He didn't bother checking for the gold dust."

[Funt Solo]

philt - the Judges don't know that Trig has Kitty's body.  It was stated in a previous episode that he bought it from them through an intermediary.

As for them not realising the connection - they've just rectified their mistake in this episode.

Anyway - none of that's important, because the Judges have a warehouse full of Mechanismo units and what looked like robo-Mantas.  Cool!

[Dr Feeley Good]

anyone got a scan of the cover? my prog has not arrived yet,and i am still missing my mean team EE !

[philt]

I must have missed that Funt but that still doesn't explain the rest. It's too convenient that the person trying to overthrow the judges gets an accomplice whose wife's body just happens to be a match for the same person's dying partner. He then buys her from the judges via third party in order to force Nate to assist him in his plot. Sorry I can't suspend my disbelief. This entire story is based on coincidence and charactors acting out of charactor - Dredd's easy acceptance of Vincent's story about the phone call, being case in point - well upto the point it becomes dramatically necessary for him to become suspicious. I don't buy it I'm afraid.

[vzzbux]

Loved the future shock this week. IMO it was written like the shocks of the olden days, not too complicated and straight to the point.

Dante passing up a shag? at least we got to see a bit of tit.

Good to see a bit of reality with Dex struggling for form.

Button man still plodding along, picking up a bit of pace now.

Happy with the way Dredd is panning out, Maybe Wittle on the prof's payroll. Still reckon they should bring on Guthrie.

All in all enjoyable.



V

[Funt Solo]

I'll tell you this - I figured it was a bit daft that they didn't at least search Trig's apartment the first time they interviewed him.  But - here's the thing, I never even thought of them interviewing Nate's pal in the cubes, and neither did you by the sounds of things.  So ... we're not Sherlock.

Anyway - I'm really enjoying this Mandroid tale - and loving the art from Carl "Black Currant" Critchlow.  It's great to see him drawing something other than those fucking stupid lobster claws.

As for coincidence - which is what you're complaining about - this is Judge Dredd.  He's managed to avoid an almost constant 99% chance of death since prog 2.  It's about time the perps got some luck.

[McNulty]

And now my comments if I may...

Judge Dredd: The Kitty revelation caught me for a loop. In my last communique, I condemned the Judges for authorising her for organ donation, and now I find that she really has been brain dead all this time. Perhaps, like Slaughterhouse, I was in denial. In using the Sergeant's wife as a meat puppet to control the mandroid, the General has no justification for what he is doing. Even so, this was not the worst thing I witnessed in this week's Dredd strip.
 Using torture for the purposes of extracting information is the last thing Dredd should be condoning, let alone advocating. It is not only immoral, it is illegal under Mega-City One law.
(see "A Knock on the Door", Prog 195.) It disturbs me when script writers make Dredd act of character, especially when it is Wagner. It is wrong.

Dante: Dante tries to do the right thing in this week's episode by spurning the advances of his half-brother's intended. We'll see how that progresses.

Sin/Dex: I wondered how long it would be before Tracey made an appearance. Ray's obviously got a lot of rehabilitation to go through after all those months in bed. As for Appellido, the whole interview with the genetically altered humans had the feel of a scene from X-Men to me.

Future Shocks: A cross between Star Trek's Borg and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Button Man: The showdown that must come between Adele and Harry Ex is going to be worth waiting for. I've a lot of sympathy for Adele, she was groomed to be a button woman from childhood by her b*****d uncle. Harry on the other hand has no compunction of killing for money, he just doesn't like the idea of someone controlling him. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

All in all a good prog, but I'm still not happy about the Judicial torture I witnessed.