Prog 2196 - Regened: High Speed Thrills

[JimmyNailz]

Best Regened issue so far, in my opinion.

Cadet Dredd - good to see Dredd and Rico as a team (though I do wonder why Joe gets a "Dredd" badge, and Rico gets a "Rico" badge. Is this ever brought up in Origins?) And is that a colouring error on the helmet in the 2nd to last panel? Also, the juves turning up to support Wasted Youth seemed to go unresolved. I was expecting Joe & Rico to win over the hearts and minds of the disenfranchised yoofs by winning the day. However, despite all my little grumbles, I thought it was a solid enough Dredd tale. More Rico in these Cadet Dredd stories please!

Pandora Perfect - highlight of the prog for me! Futuristic Mary Poppins with a rebellious streak and a robot side kick. Lovely art and genuinely laugh out loud #toaster

Finder & Keeper - I like the premise of this thrill and it always entertains. Never my favourite but great little mystery tales with plenty action and excitement.

Future Shocks: Boss Level - Twas ok. Felt like I'd read it before and the twist didn't blow my thrill circuits. So-so.

Department K - Really like the premise of this. Its Dreddverse but it's entirely own thing and I hope we get more interdimensional travels in the future.

All in all, my favourite Regened prog to date.

[Richard]

I agree, definitely the best Regened so far.

This Cadet Dredd felt like a proper Dredd story, instead of some other version of Dredd. That artist is really good and should be in the regular prog.

(I think the issue with the juves turning up outside was resolved, in the dialogue about how kids won't root for losers. And yes, Rico's badge is a bit annoying. His name is Rico Dredd!)

Pandora Perfect was a rarity: a comedy that's actually funny! I'd like to see more of this character in future Regened progs, or at least more stories from this creator team anyway.

Finder & Keeper is not my favourite, but it was alright.

The Future Shock was okay. I definitely approve of zombie dinosaurs!

Haven't read the last story yet because I don't want to finish the prog too quickly, but it looks promising.

I wasn't sure about the Regened thing when it started, but I'm sold!

[Richard]

I've now read Department K, it's another good one, with a colourful cast of characters not all of whom have been fully introduced yet, and I look forward to seeing them again.

Kudos to Jim for the speech balloon with a tail that goes around a corner.

[moly]

Best regened prog but still can't get my daughter to read it argh

[Tjm86]

Still mulling over my pastie-mauled prog.  Not sure why but something about is has left me feeling a little underwhelmed.

I mean I agree with the evaluation of this Dredd.  It's starting to firm up in its own right and we can see the foreshadowing of Rico's drift along with some of the more extreme attitudes of the judges.  I'm tempted to have a look at some of the ebooks set in this milieu.

Pandora perfect ripped off so many Mary Poppins tropes perfectly (sorry).  I'd say it had far more mileage in it than Finder / Keeper which would doesn't seem to fit.  Department K seems a little like a Dredd-verse 'Sliders' but not the worst I've read.  Sorry that's not much in the way of praise.

The FS though ... definitely left me flat.  Can't remember the FS from back in the day but the idea has been done before and far better.  Colin Wilson artwork to boot.  So much about it just didn't make sense.

I think I'm just going to resign myself to the fact that every couple of months one of these is going to come along, bite the bullet and see what comes of it.

[IndigoPrime]

I thought this issue was a lot of fun. Highlights, interestingly, were the new strips. It feels like Regened does better when it's not trying to figure out how to make Old Story X suitable for younger readers. Pandora was really funny and smartly written. I don't know how long it would last without losing its appeal, but I'd like to read more. Dept K reminded me of Black Science and although it works well as a set-up could easily run for a long time in an ongoing. Personally, I'd like to see both back for the next Regened, along with Cadet Dredd.

[The Monarch]

Yup def best of the regened progs

definate highlights are pandora perfect and department k i would like to see more of both of them

[Eamonn Clarke]

Neil Roberts

[JimmyNailz]

Forgot to mention the incredible cover art!
It instantly makes me want to read Brothers Dredd stories.

[Bolt-01]

That was a 'hoot' as I believe the younglings are about to stop saying. Many thanks young Joko!

[Colin YNWA]

Well I'm genuinely chuffed they've found the magic and got the Regened magic back after a couple of dull efforts.

Firstly the cover is fascinating. I've hated it everywhere I've seen it. Its looked like a terrible mid 90s computer generated advert. The kinda thing where folks found Word Art and got very carried away with it all. Yet in the flesh its just lovely and very striking.

Inside things get to a slow start. Cadet Dredd is solid, but there's not enough spunk to it to really mark it out as Regened. Its a solid, slightly toned down Dredd story. Perfectly enjoyable but lacking the fizz these things need in the Regened issues and the art while fine didn't help the feel.

But if it was fizz and spunk I was after Pandora Perfect has it in spade. Everyone who approaches a Regened story needs to read this as the model of what's needed. Its cheeky, as just enough edge, damned right funny - seriously hilarious but keeps it thrilling. This had better come back as its a beauty. The art is perfect too... I'm going to check the toaster.

Finder & Keeper has its best outing too. Good art and a bouncy story that had far more traction than previous efforts.

Now that's how to start a Future Shock. ! Karl Stock and Tom Newell set up a story I'd happily read and then spin off in a different, but related direction. Its fun zips along and okay the 'shock' at the end isn't too shocking up its a great conclusion and this is a ripping success.

We get the best saved for last... well okay second best nothing was topping Pandora why the comic didn't finish on that escapes me, anyway Department K is another near perfect example of how to do these stories. The tale bounces along, introducing characters that grip you straight away. An exciting concept with LOTS of scope all wrapped in a loving Jack Kirby tribute. And PJ Holden delievers on the art front as Roy McConville does on the story.

Another one we need back and the ending feels very like a beginning and we'll have this one back please.

So all we really need to do is get a Dredd like that in the first couple of these Regened issues (the Chirs Weston and that dino fight one in the FCBD), add in a game page like that one Henry Flint did and we'll have the perfect formula.

For the absolute highlight though we have to go back to the Pandora Perfect story of course. Regened perfection AND with a nod to the Flaming Carrot. Please tell me that's not a coincidence?!?

Well done Jago keep it up for the last one please and we'll let you stick around.

[Darren Stephens]

Enjoyed it all, to varying degrees. Best bit was seeing the colour work of Mr Soffe on Dredd. Bloomin' marvelous!

[JimmyNailz]

Re: Cadet Dredd. At the risk of being a stickler, I thought Rico got off easy [spoiler]saying his finger slipped having killed an unarmed Judge in a cold blood. I thought Joe could have used The Law to say firing on a cadet judge carries a death sentence, or something[/spoiler] This is just me overthinking it though. I really enjoyed Rico in this and think he makes a perfect foil for stickler brother Joe.

[Jim_Campbell]

This is just me overthinking it though.

[spoiler]They were using stun shots, weren't they?[/spoiler]

[broodblik]

This is the best regen prog so far. I can say that I enjoyed everything. The two new thrills are great new additions and I will want to see more of this in the future.  The art for these two new stories works as well. I will say that a toaster has now taken on a new meaning for me.

5 out 5 Jargo