Prog 1869 - Psyche Out!

[Molch-R]

Really sorry about that Mike. The over-excited fanboy in me made me think I'd stumbled upon a tasty scoop and I blabbed without checking.

No worries, dude

[Dark Jimbo]

In my torrent of error-spotting yesterday (I only criticise because I care, honest) I completely forgot to review the rest of the prog.

ABC Warriors is still good stuff, although it was sorely lacking some caption boxes on the last page. - ''Those were good months. I'd called Thomas 'son' as a term of affection since I'd first known him. When he started calling me 'Pa' not long after, I didn't correct him. It felt right. For the first time in a long while, I felt the awakening of a part of me that I thought had died during those centuries in the martian soil.'' Something like that, but less wanky (I'm thinking on the fly here). It's already been established that this is Tubal telling his own story, so it'd be nice to know how he feels about suddenly having a surrogate son, especially as I assume [spoiler]Howard[/spoiler] is going to stick a spanner in the works next issue. Black Hole remains the Warriors' best adventure, and for me a big part of that is the wealth of first person captions that let us in on the hero's thoughts and fears. The modern stuff seems a bit detached by comparison.

Grey Area was a good actiony episode with art as good as you'd expect from Goddard, although it displays a lot of the problems Tordelback pointed out last week - namely Birdy, the clutzy, inexpierienced newbie, is apparently also a wicked sharpshooter. Flawed, but inoffensive fun.

Ulysess Sweet ended in fine style. Death by falling [spoiler]whale[/spoiler] was a great touch. I look forward to more, but I really think the character is only suited to shorter stories - 5 episodes max.

Stronty Dog suddenly rockets towards a conclusion. The mutants really can't catch a break, can they? I really hope [spoiler]Middenface[/spoiler] is dead - not because I don't love the character (on the contrary) but his ubiquitous prescence is part of the reason the strip is feeling a bit tired these days. And killing such a mainstay would help re-inject the element of surprise and danger that the strip lost when Johnny came back from the dead. Genuinely no idea how next week will play out or how Wagner can possibly resolve everything, but I can't wait to find out. (Double-length episode, please?)

[ZenArcade]

Ok Dark Jimbo, how many of the class of 79 would have been on Titan to say howdy to mean old Joe? I understand Grice and co's revolt would have rendered Titan empty. So I guess you'd be talking post 2116-17.

[Trout]

Oh no! Not [spoiler]Middenface[/spoiler]! Love this Stront story. It's twisty turny and I just cannot guess what's going to happen next. Best part of the prog.

In second place for me is Grey Area. I enjoyed it a lot. Fast-paced with great art.

I enjoyed the Dredd story, too, partly because I finally got the point. I liked the twist of Dredd being given that choice.

I didn't read the other two stories, but that cover is the best thing this Ulysses Sweet comeback has given us. Having Alex Ronald back in the fold has been a treat. I can't get enough of his work.

- Trout

[Goaty]

Great prog!

But Dredd: Titan was bit let down after great opening!

I did skipping ABC I just want it back to old time as ABC - Shadow Warriors...?

Grey Area and that Deadpool was ok-ish...

Johnny's end next week? and for Middenface, I feelings [spoiler]it was his lump blow off, again, so now many many lumps been off his head??[/spoiler]

[Trout]

Sorry, just realised I used this instead of [spoiler]this[/spoiler]. If a mod wants to fix it, I'd be grateful. Stupid iPad. 

[ZenArcade]

Front cover (wow).
Dredd: end is kinda satisfying....could come back and bite Justice Department.
ABC Warriors: plot meandering a bit on this. Art work first class.
Grey Area: think this is anodyne....
Ulysses Sweet: awwww, hope this comes back....loved it!
Strontium Dog: old dog alas no new tricks.
Good prog, cover one of the best I've seen since picking up on progs again after 20 years off.[/img]

[MercZ]

Good prog to me. Everything was fun to read, cover was nice too.

I'll say though in regards to the Dredd arc ending, I still can't get the appearance of Judge Gerhart out of my head. How the hell was he still walking? Though, he did survive from a rocket attack before I guess...

[Grobbendonk]

Nice cover! Very Frankenstein's Monster!

Totally confused by Dredd. So I'm going to book myself in for an epic re-read at the weekend!
I've noticed I'm finding it easier to get lost (or harder to keep up) since I moved over to digital... wondering if its an effect of the medium... anyone got any thoughts? I'd love to be still getting the print version, but simply don't have space these days.

Also finding ABC Warriors confusing and pointless - but gorgeous to look at - so just soaking up the rich monochrome really. No bad thing. Again will re-read when it ends.

I'm liking this run of short Grey Area stories. Good solid sci-fi action, only slightly marred by totally unbelievable dialogue.

Ulysses Sweet - loved the bizarre opening discussion [spoiler]"I think it's... yes, that'll be my lung!"[/spoiler] The rest is pleasantly silly, but not sad to see it go.

Strontium Dog has suddenly got me on the edge of my seat! The Ikan are awesome! Would love more of them. Nice to have all our thoughts about Johhny's off-the-rails behaviour confirmed! And... [spoiler]MIDDENFACE[/spoiler]!  ... Noooooooo!

All in all I'm loving the Prog at the moment - feeling genuinely excited each Wednesday 

[Frank]

A-a-a-h, SNOW. I recently heard Joyce's The Dead described as being responsible for more bad sophomoric poetry and critical analysis than any other work in the English language, so I'll just point out that Titan turned out to be a story about rejection, being found wanting in comparison with others, and the long chill of living with the consequences of the self knowledge that brings. If Rebellion use the following as the epigraph for the collected Titan, I want my forum status upgraded to Sub-editorial Unit:

Yes, the news­pa­pers were right: snow was gen­eral all over Ire­land. It was falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, fur­ther west­wards, softly falling into the dark muti­nous Shan­non waves. It was falling too upon every part of the lonely church­yard where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and head­stones, on the spears of the lit­tle gate, on the bar­ren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the uni­verse and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the liv­ing and the dead.

http://drmstream.com/2010/03/snow-was-general-all-over-ireland-the-last-paragraph-of-joyces-the-dead/

[Richard]

...how many of the class of 79 would have been on Titan to say howdy to mean old Joe?

There's Judge Kimble from the Prog 2006 story.

[ZenArcade]

Sauchie: ahhh that excerpt from the Dead....amongst the most beautiful and evocative words ever penned.

Richard:Kimble's one, I can't help thinking there are more.

[8-Ball]

Good prog to me. Everything was fun to read, cover was nice too.

I'll say though in regards to the Dredd arc ending, I still can't get the appearance of Judge Gerhart out of my head. How the hell was he still walking? Though, he did survive from a rocket attack before I guess...

My theory, which I posted elsewhere but I might as well post here, is that Gerhart actually didn't survive the rocket attack. I'm sure the SJS had his brain removed from his dying fleshy body and placed it in a strong robot one. Just like Call-Me-Kenneth planned to do to Dredd back in the first Robot Wars. If the technology was there in 2099 I'm pretty sure they could do it in 2135.

[ZenArcade]

Must be something in that, he'd be the divil of a boy to walk away from the clatter he got! 

[M.I.K.]

Richard:Kimble's one, I can't help thinking there are more.

There's a joke in here somewhere about one-armed criminals.