Prog 1718 - Escape from Devil's Island!

[Colin_YNWA]

A box of cheap thrills, the prog delivered on time and in fine form. Let the good times roll.

We're in much the same shape as last weak really. The biggest change is in Dredd I'd guess. After 3 weeks of fine compact done in ones the pace drops a wee bit as the Juggernauts slow down and the scene is set. A fine set up and no mistake but strangely lacking after the last three. Still things will be up to speed again soon.

Necrophim is up to full revs and in cracking form. Even Ampney Crucis seemed to up a gear this week and hell Shakara and Kingdom have been in pole position since they returned.

So on a morning when we hear of more fears of price rises for petrol thank Tharg I'm fuelled by thrill-power.

Great Prog

[Darren Stephens]

Yeh, I'd agree with all of those comments, but would like to add that the covers a cracker....and the Liam Sharpe starscan was a fantastic surprise. 

[Colin_YNWA]

....and the Liam Sharpe starscan was a fantastic surprise. 

Yike, yeah can't believe I forgot to say that!

[The Cosh]

A decent set-up episode of Dredd. Has this Deller guy actually appeared before or is he totally new. The way Ewing often works in historical details makes it hard to tell.

Interesting flashback sequence in Kingdom. Gives a hint of how things ended up this way and where the silly names came from while the use of black & white cleverly continues the old movie theme. Nice.

And it's always good to see an original pin-up piece. How many of you will actually cut this out and stick it on your bedroom wall like you did when you were ten? None and that's a shame.

[radiator]

Damn good Dredd this week - perfect mix of grittiness and humour, looking forward to the next part already. AFAIK Deller is a new character.

The flashback bits in Kingdom are interesting, but in a way I'd prefer the origin of the Aux to be left a bit vague.

[Bolt-01]

I didn't like the cover, I think the chosen 'angle' of the image should be lower and to the side, to accentuate the movement. I also find the anatomy to be a little vague in places. Shame John Higgins didn't get to draw it, really.

[mygrimmbrother]

Thought it was a sterling prog this week. Dredd was a cracking set up, things are finally kicking off in Necrophim, Shakara is just bloody wonderful and makes me feel the way I did when reading Nemesis as a ten year old, and Ampney is an enjoyable romp.

The highlight for me - by a country mile - was Kingdom. Fascinating glimpse of the backstory, and beautifully rendered and coloured. I received the first 2 volumes of the much revered Fables today as well - something I havne't read before, and after putting down the prog and trying to get in to this I have to say the art was pedestrian at best and the writing just felt clumsy. The art picks up in volume two with Mark Buckingham, but in comparison with his Tyranny Rex again feels like it's had the life drained from it by the standard inking and flat colouring.

We really are spoiled by Tharg. That is all.

[malkymac]

feck! - I am still in the middle east and haven't got a clue what is going on in the prog until I get home in the middle of feb when I will have 3 months worth to read.

[House of Usher]

I'm afraid my copy got folded the wrong way by the postman - who's not my regular postman. Arses. I've delivered mail. I know the score. Only an ignoramus would fold an A4 envelope across its width for posting. Grrr. That will reduce my enjoyment of it considerably. I had a flip through. Shakara had no tits or ass in it. Not good. Anyway, it looks like another good Prog - as good as last Prog and the Prog before that. Nice to see they're keeping up the good work!

[Jim_Campbell]

I'm afraid my copy got folded the wrong way by the postman - who's not my regular postman. Arses. I've delivered mail. I know the score. Only an ignoramus would fold an A4 envelope across its width for posting.

Oddly enough, my prog was also somewhat mangled during the envelope/letterbox interface process. Must be a conspiracy.

Cheers!

Jim

[Martin Howe]

Dredd - interesting, have to wait and see, but could be good.

Shakara - "You are the voice that has no volume control."

(The prog was worth it just for that )
(The blood-and-guts frog captain was hilarious, too)

Necrophim - Lucifer is losing it but that sword of his worries me. And god.

Kingdom - still not sold on it but the movie link to the past is clever.

Yet Another Time Worm God From The Dark Dimensions - what another one?

[Proudhuff]

Soper fine prog all round, just one thing why didn't the escapees just climb up on the Juggernauts?

[Dandontdare]

Soper fine prog all round, just one thing why didn't the escapees just climb up on the Juggernauts?

Because then they'd just serve the rest of their sentences hanging onto the back of a truck hurtling around the slabs at 200mph, never stopping!

I didn't like the cover, I think the chosen 'angle' of the image should be lower and to the side, to accentuate the movement. I also find the anatomy to be a little vague in places. Shame John Higgins didn't get to draw it, really.

Yeah, I'm not sure what's wrong, but I didn't like the cover much. I usually like Karl Richardson's stuff, but this didn't do it. On opening the prog, well I'm always happy when there's a Droid Life!

I thought the Dredd was a good 'un. The basic plot (con escapes to seek revenge while being chased by both the mob and the law) is a pretty standard one, but there was enough cool MC1 details (interrupting vids, jingles-for-idiots etc) to make it fun - A solid mega-crime story, with lush art from Mr Higgins.

Shakara and Kingdom are both top class thrills, and both were delivering 100% this week. I was particularly happy to get three new brilliant doggy movie-star names in Kingdom. Seriously, between this and Sin/Dex, Dan Abnett should be made Minister of Naming Things.

Bix Barton vs Leviathan, I mean Ampney Crucis Investigates, carries on, but the plot doesn't grip. Still looks lovely though. I think Simon must've heard the last ECBT podcast as he's jettisoned the rest of his paintbox and is now using ONLY blue!

Necrophim just kinda washes over me, I may try a big re-read someday, but for now I've literally lost the plot.

And a lovely Hammerstein star-scan to round it off.

3 great strips, 2 average, a funny and a pin up. Now that's value in my book.

[House of Usher]

Soper fine prog all round, just one thing why didn't the escapees just climb up on the Juggernauts?

I know. Not very resourceful of them, that.

[Mikey]

Dredd - yeah, after the last few week's punchy one offs this was a real change of pace. Nice to see Devil's Island back in the prog and it's set up well for hopefully some thrills. However, I must have missed the memo on Lawgivers only exploding if someone else tries to fire them! I can get a perp using the Judges's own hand to fire the weapon, but when did the explodey thing change? Have I laboured all these years under a lie? I'm only picking fan boy nits of course, because it makes more sense than an expensive piece of kit blowing up when anyone else so much as touches it!

Shakara - What I said before - supoib on all fronts.

Kingdom - My prog highlight this week. Wonderful stuff.

Necrophim - Something's happened, which is good! I find at the moment I switch week to week from liking it to being confused and this week I'm liking it. I do think it requires a re read...

Ampney Crucius -

Bix Barton vs Leviathan

made me chuckle! Despite lapping up the vast majority of the Edgington droid's output, this feels pretty uninspiring fare to me. I can't help but feel I'm missing something and I liked the previous yarns...would another art droid help? Don't get me wrong, SB is doing a fantastic job here and is a joy to see, but maybe the art is actually too expressive for the tone of the current strip? Maybe there'll be blood and guts ahoy soon...

Good Droid Life and the Liam Sharp scan was a nice wow! moment.

M.