Prog 1378

[ukdane]

Nice cover (although it's a standard VC's pose).

Not read the prog yet, but does anyone know why Valkyries is double length AGAIN this prog? It means there are only 4 tales (and when I noticed this, I had hoped that it was a double length Dredd instead!)

Review will follow...

[Steamboy]

I don like double episodes, always feel like I'm getting ripped off. Maybe Valkyries is double length to get it out of the way judging from peoples reaction to it, just think if its 8 parts then its already half over.....

CU Krestel

[ukdane]

Heh, I thought about that, but I doubt it.


I wondered if instead the story (Valkyires) had originally been written for some other publication, because there's a border around most of the pages, which could indicate that it was drawn for a publication of a different page size (although it could just be because 2000 just changed page size).

(BTW: EE3 is HUGE.)

Looking forawrd to readn Red Seas this week,  it looks fantastic. Yeowell has pulled out all the stops on this series of RS, as has Edginton!

[ukdane]

Funniest Droid Life yet!

[Mr D]

Can't wait to get home and read this!

I doubt that'd be the reason Valkyries is double length, reactions have been good and bad. I'm personally looking forward to it!

[Slippery PD]

Heres my take, it has spoilers above so dont read on....
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Better prog all round this week, I think the double episode of Valkyries is a waste.

Cover - Nice cover by Harrison.
Droid Life - very funny and it seems to portray the nerve centre nicely
Dredd - now this is an interesting sideline by Wagner.  Possibly "dodgy" clone, being taken in by Dredd and Rico.  Best thing in the prog.
Valkyries - its been a long time since I struggled through a story and I think that says enough and its too long.
Red Seas - I liked the first series, but this really raises the bar.  Nice revalation about Dancer and Aladin.   Second best thing in the prog, by a whisker.
VC's - its much better when its a fire fight...

Yer Slips
 

[Art]

Wasn't it originally scheduled for last year, when the page size was different? That would explain it.

[The Amstor Computer]

Just got my copy.

Brothers of the Blood is fantastic - and it's even got a neat piece of trivia for anyone wondering about Lawgivers and palmprints.

Another double-length Valkyries? It's not going to have anything to do with reader response, as this issue would probably have been at the printers by the time the last prog was released.

I must admit, I did wonder whether it was being run double-length to get it over with as quickly as possible, but I doubt it. I'm still irritated that so much of the prog is given over to this dreck, though...

More later.

[DavidXBrunt]

Valkeries is the first strip that I've stopped reading and skipped over to the next tale since I jumped on board over 100 issues ago. I got to where it should have ended, realised it was double length and thought "I could be reading 'The Red Seas' instead of this". It's bad, worse than Bison...

The cover is dark and muddy. A bright, white, background would have helped, as it would also represented the ice moons surface.

Dredd was fantastic, as it should well be.

V.C.s has been a good read this time around, the splitting of the narrative between two groups is unusual in 2k, and the writing in clear chapters has made it perfect for the weekly pace.

As as has been said before, 'The Red Seas' continues to improve on it's already great start. Last year was fun this is cracking stuff. Good to see new foes as well, as good as the doc was last time around it'll help with the series potential longevity. Here's hoping we get a lot more of this story. Although a title page like Valkeries got would be usefull 3rd time around...

[paulvonscott]

So jealous of you guys, I've been reading a LOT of Wagner Dredd in my catch up of progs I missed, and when he's on a roll, he's unbeatable.

[The Amstor Computer]

PVS - going on just the first ep, he's definitely on a roll with this. The bloodline stories have always been some of the best Dredd tales, and "Brothers of the Blood" looks to be no exception.

[GermanAndy]

Cover - nice one

Dredd - Wagner adresses a few interesting questions in this one. This "I could leave the academy and get a family" for instance was a surprise. Somehow I always thought that the boys and girls at the academy kinda get of brainwashed. I mean, the whole Judge system has more in common with a religious order - the celibacy rules and the retirement by death only stuff - so it makes sense to recruit them young. But that they have a free choice of leaving, hm. Good tale.

Valkyries - didn?t mind the longness. Some elements of the premise are still silly, the mega-warrior looked ridiculous, but it?s so much better than for instance Synnamon. And I like the way they incorporate the sexual stuff as a normal part of the society instead of tacking it on.

Red Seas - on all accounts goodness.

VCs - I have to read it again when it is finished. I lost interest a couple of installments ago - I loathe this "it was a dream" stuff - but at least the ending seems to take up tempo.

And Droid Life was funny.

[thrillpowerseeker]

Cover was Excellent

Dredd..Best Dredd story in a prog for ages..even if Joe wasn't in it..9

Droid Life was mildly amusing this week..6

Valkyries..ah this is more like it!!..although I was mildly perturbed by an actual plot development getting in the way of the nipplage..8

Red Seas..after showing signs of flagging lately this episode was a cracker..I'll be sorry to see this one end..8 1/2

VC's..Wont miss this one tho..to be fair it was a better episode than the last 3..Give us Geeks being wasted Abnett..you know it makes sense..6

No input yet again..C'mon Floyd your post card mountain cant be finished yet... :-)

Overall prog..8

T.P.S

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

I have been reading since prog 224. Faithfully, every week.

This week's Valkyries made me question whether I should continue.

It is incoherent, rambling, nonsensical pap filling up a precious 12 pages of my prog.
I don't care if this is being run quickly to "get it over with". I suspect, no I hope, it is.

And yet, surely this is reeking with a lack of respect for us loyal readers? This is the kind of contempt for the reader that made so many people give up in the 900s.

I buy my prog for decent stories and, even if they can't all be as good as Dredd, I expect there to be some filter for quality and taste. This strip (pun intended) is just an excuse to show some tits.

I am not offended by this - I don't think I am prudish enough for that - but I am deeply saddened that someone at 2000ad thinks this is enough to constitute a story in the comic. If an editor has been foolish enough to commision this then he should accept they have wasted the comic's money. If it was, as has been suggested, picked up from another publication then his judgement should be questioned - why pick up the dross from another publication? If the publication has gone bust, does that not tell you something about the quality of the strip?

Printing crap just because money has been spent on it is throwing good money after bad. All it does is alienate the readers. People like me.

For the first time in 20 odd years I DID NOT ENJOY MY PROG.

Even Dredd couldn't save the bad taste Valkyries left in my mouth.

[petemaskreplica]

I'm surprised at some of the reactions to Valkyries. I'm not going to make any claims for it being a work of unfettered genius, but it's fun enough, IMO. Although I did raise an eyebrow when I saw it was a double length episode again.

Dredd: I've had high hopes for this story since I first heard about it, and on the evidence of this opening, I'm not going to be disappointed. A classic in the making? So after a few weeks of slightly run of the mill fare, old stoney face reclaims the title of "best thing in the prog" from...

Red Seas, which nevertheless continues to be huge fun. I enjoyed the first series, but this one's come along in leaps and bounds from there.

VCs picks up again this week, it's OK I guess. Maybe it'll read better in one go, blah blah...

Droid Life: genius! :)