Prog 2173 - Strike One!

[Colin YNWA]

Wait what two endings and both happy - somethings not right here.

Dredd - really enjoyed it but it felt odd. I mean the goodie / baddy got away how often does that happen?!? It was very nicely done and Jake Lynch's art is sublime but it felt a bit weird and the last page did feel a bit of a hand swipe. Very good story but compared to Kennith Neimand's other work this ending made it a feel a little off model... which actually might be a good thing of course?

Zaucer of Zilk rides off in the sunset set psychedelic mindscape family in tow. Its absolutely wonderful, if strangely unbitter sweet, just sweet. Nice... which is so un 2000ad... which actually might be a good thing of course?

Elsewhere business returns to normal. Sinister Dexter see Finny being chased by a horror movie staple, though a horror movie background and its all horribly well done.

Skip Tracer is an excellent piece of five page storytelling as Marvel's Deathlok is violently introduce to the strip... well except there's no real sense of introduction, except its not really introduced into the strip as it didn't really feel like it had any linkage. To be fair when I looked back at the end of last weeks Prog (which judging by the review thread no bugger has read!) they do set this up. So this will read fine I think in re-read or collection. Just hear it felt like it was a complete tangent. Mind as I say a very well done tangent and we'll see how it progresses as this was good.

Feral and Foe has another excellent episode of walls are raised, fates seem sealed and on the final page we get a reminder that sealed fates might not be quite as sealed as fated. Great stuff.

All in all a pretty fine Prog. Let's hope folks have something to say about it hereabouts!

[Richard]

I like Feral and Foe. If it wasn't for the swearing it would work very well as an "all ages" story.

[Colin YNWA]

Oh forgot to say (and not just to cynically boost the post count on the Prog thread) that Stickleback gets the Thrills of the Future slot. That's got to be good news for a lot of folks right?

[broodblik]

Oh forgot to say (and not just to cynically boost the post count on the Prog thread) that Stickleback gets the Thrills of the Future slot. That's got to be good news for a lot of folks right?

Great news

[Jacqusie]

Oh forgot to say (and not just to cynically boost the post count on the Prog thread) that Stickleback gets the Thrills of the Future slot. That's got to be good news for a lot of folks right?

Yes indeedy. Last year I sent a missive to Thargy wondering about the bony backed one who'd shed his outer spine and stepped into something more Sherlock and we've been left hanging on the fate of the empire ever since prog 1911.

So great news that Stickleback Holmes will be returning at last, as 6 years has been far, far too long since the great reveal in 2014.

[Eamonn Clarke]

Cliff Robinson with Dylan Teague colours

[broodblik]

In a mad, mad world we at least have a good, good prog. 

Dredd – The story comes to a fairy-tale ending. Once or twice we get it that “good” gets away. This can also be seen that Qgggl story is not at an end (remember Dredd always gets his man/alien)

Zaucer – The colour fest of a tale comes to a zauceriest zaucering end. This was a zaucefull story from end to beginning and hopefully some more in the future.

Sin/Dex – Yeowell’s art is the stand-out in the story and works great with the script.

Skip Tracer – Wow, this is maybe a first that I can say that it is numero uno for me in the prog.  The villain’s introduction is just great with Marshall keeping the standards high with his great art.

Feral & Foe – Hopefully we will have more than just one series of this and Abnett’s witty script plus Elson’s art makes this a must read.

Great news with Stickeback coming back. Next week we see the return of Aquila (have been waiting for this for years)

[norton canes]

All good this week. 'The Relic' closes with Dredd missing out; and for once, you know, I think that really is game over. SinDex is slight but fun, the highlight being Dexter's single-frame cameo. Feral & Foe is all over the place in terms of plot progression, with the Abnett droid apparently more concerned with the tank family vendetta against Bode then he is with the ongoing story, but it's all so entertaining it hardly matters. I didn't stick with Zaucer Of Zilk but I can see it got plenty of plaudits so now it's over I'll dig out the back progs and read it in one sitting. And Skip Tracer... knocks it out the park. Lots of talk recently about what would make a good story for the Regened progs - the answer is, this!

(OK maybe with some correction fluid over the intestines)

[Blue Cactus]

Really enjoyed Dredd, I like the occasional story where you are rooting for the perp and them getting away with it means a happy ending. Really liked Lynch's alien design and the colours (especially the eyes).

Sinister Dexter is fine, feels a bit like we need this set up story in order to get to the epic Tharg is talking about in the Nerve Centre. Which I am looking forward too - its a while since Abnett did a lengthy SinDex story and he has done a lot of setting up to get here. Given how great Abnett's current form is it could be a doozy. I'll happily see Yeowell and Charles on art for the forseeable too.

Zaucer was fun. I've enjoyed having this around and it's been a nice light change of mood with dazzling art. Not sure I want to live in a society where the ruling Zaucer can just say 'right, this guy's in charge now because I said so' but there you go.

Skip Tracer has been solid so far this time out. I still find Nolan's constant anger and grimness very unlikeable - I can't imagine this guy ever having a hobby, a partner, a love interest, or ever having any fun. I hope Hastings turns out to be an interesting character and takes the piss out of him a bit. But I'm enjoying the setup here, the villain, and I love the combination of Marshall and Teague.

I want to like Feral and Foe more than I do, but the story skips along at a good pace and Elson is always great. Both of them! Not sure why this strip hasn't fully clicked with me yet; maybe its some of the (intentionally) anachronistic modern military terminology, or maybe it's something about the lead characters. I trust the creative team though and no doubt I will end up properly invested.

The prog's going to be a real lifeline in the current weeks and months I reckon and right now it is a fab companion.

[Jacqusie]

Zaucer – The colour fest of a tale comes to a zauceriest zaucering end. This was a zaucefull story from end to beginning and hopefully some more in the future.

I kind of got the feeling that this was a natural conclusion to the story with the Zaucer heading off into the psychedelic sunset and leaving it all behind. I hope I'm wrong as the prog needs more Brendan McCarthy and it was great to have Peter Hogan back scripting again 

[Colin YNWA]

... and it was great to have Peter Hogan back scripting again 

Yeah the more Peter Hogan we get the better I say.