Prog 2202 - The Bite Stuff

[broodblik]

Whole lot of Flash Gordon goggles going on with the SJS.

There seem to be more analysts there than street judges!

In a authoritarian system you also have more eyes than boots. Everyone watches everyone even the watchers

[norton canes]

So. How do the Judges' helmet respirators work?

Also, rather disturbingly - in Skip Tracer, since Paul Marshall draws everyone realistically, India Sumner has presumably had extensive surgery to make her look like a manga character, yes? Including eye enlargements (by the injection of extra fluid? Ew!) and lip removal.

Good strike rate this week. Fiends tops out with a superbly-realised origins tale. Hookjaw is good fun but seems to be floundering a bit (sorry) with a slightly vague concept of what the threat is. Agreed that Skip Tracer is, for an ostensibly action-oriented strip, too leisurely at times. Stickleback is great even though I'm unlikely ever to catch up on the backstory.

A thought - is the concept of the 'one and done' strip dead? Pretty much every new strip I can remember over the last few years has promised (and usually delivered) a book II. I get that if ideas are there, and characters/settings are flexible enough, then strips should continue. Are writers being encouraged to create sufficient content for collected volumes?

[TordelBack]

Whole lot of Flash Gordon goggles going on with the SJS.

There seem to be more analysts there than street judges!

I suppose that makes sense for what's primarily an internal investigative division*. The bikes only roll when there's a corrupt helmet to judge (which is most weeks), I can't imagine much patrolling.


*With a giant space armada fighting interstellar wars,  of course.

[TordelBack]

Aaaaand I just realised the Enigmatic one was comparing the SJS to Street Div,  not discussing internal division of labour Must aim for more than 2 hours sleep a night going forward.

[Dark Jimbo]

A thought - is the concept of the 'one and done' strip dead? Pretty much every new strip I can remember over the last few years has promised (and usually delivered) a book II. I get that if ideas are there, and characters/settings are flexible enough, then strips should continue. Are writers being encouraged to create sufficient content for collected volumes?

I think simply more a case that it's labour-saving for the creators. Why would you do the heavy lifting of creating new settings, characters, plotlines and designs each and every time you appear in the prog - particularly when you won't own the rights to the same - when you could do that just the once and spend time exploring the same in greater detail?

Plus they'll have a chance to grow, to gain a following, and as you touch on - more material means more commercial oppurtunities. There's lots of good one-and-done stuff from the House of Tharg that's struggled to get a reprint owing to a really short length.

[JayzusB.Christ]

A thought - is the concept of the 'one and done' strip dead? Pretty much every new strip I can remember over the last few years has promised (and usually delivered) a book II.

Well, there was Ulysses Sweet, if you count that as one and done.

It's a long time ago now, but there was also Cradlegrave, which must not ever have a sequel.

[Dark Jimbo]

A thought - is the concept of the 'one and done' strip dead? Pretty much every new strip I can remember over the last few years has promised (and usually delivered) a book II.

Well, there was Ulysses Sweet, if you count that as one and done.

Two Future Shocks and two multi-part series? Er... I can't say I would!

[Daveycandlish]

I’m pretty sure Skip Tracer is published just so we have a base line and can see how awesome the other strips are in comparison. It’s really not doing it for me.

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

I like it.

I liked Synamon. I genuinely did. And this feels similar.

[Tiplodocus]

Good all round proggage for me!

[TordelBack]

I think Skip Tracer has found its feet this time. Part of this is the extra oomph Marshall has injected into the art, and part is because we're going back over elements that have already been established, which helps create a setting.

My main gripe with the first few runs was that I could think of nothing that made the world distinct from every other overcrowded multi-species environment with militaristic government, space-colonial tensions and good/evil psychics.

By this time, we know Nolan is a grumpy ex-military bounty-hunter-slash-private-investigator, he has the Shining, there's a regular supporting cast, known minor threats in the eugees splices, established technologies (gateways,  teleportation) and locations (the Cube, its Underneath, noodle bars). I'm still a bit vague on the broader factions beyond the regrettably-named Consociation, but on the whole I think it's becoming its own thing now.

It's definitely taken its time finding its feet,  but I think Tharg's unusual patience may well have paid off here.

[Darren Stephens]

Awesome cover and a selection of really good strips, but......Fiends is a bit special, isn't it?

[JayzusB.Christ]

A thought - is the concept of the 'one and done' strip dead? Pretty much every new strip I can remember over the last few years has promised (and usually delivered) a book II.

Well, there was Ulysses Sweet, if you count that as one and done.

Ah. Fair point. I'd forgotten about the other, Grant Morrison, multi-part series.

Two Future Shocks and two multi-part series? Er... I can't say I would!

[Jacqusie]

 Stickleback is great even though I'm unlikely ever to catch up on the backstory.

Oh I really would if you can, for me it's been gloriously the best strip in the prog over the last 12 years or so, apart from Absalom, which coincidently was also a modern take on the Black & White strip.

[Proudhuff]

Whole lot of Flash Gordon goggles going on with the SJS.

There seem to be more analysts there than street judges!

In a authoritarian system you also have more eyes than boots. Everyone watches everyone even the watchers

For once I'm way behind on my progage: delivered late and I was away for a few days, so just read this Prog.

I was a bit confused by the sheer number of SJS Judges in that one panel, I put it down to dramatic/artistic license Given the number of bent helmets (!), secret ninja factions, Judge conspiracies we've seen over the years, they really aren't earning their keep are they?
I prefer to, and will continue to, think of the SJS as a kind of spartan Sweeny Todd (TV series), but with tighter boots than anyone else.

Elsewhere this Prog is flying, near perfect in the balance or great stories (Loving the Maitland/Dredd arc) and art, each story beautifully rendered especially Mr Booker's chiaroscuro.

The only misstep I feel is Skip Tracer: what was the elevator pitch?  Harry 20 on the High Rock meets Bladerunner? really not working for me, but skipping one story is the price you pay!