Prog 1733: Down among the Mutie Men

[radiator]

Poor cover-line this week - is that even a pun?

Pretty good cover by Liam Sharp, Flesh ends with the promise of more to come, but what is really of interest to me at the moment are Dante (amazing double page spread!) and Absalom - cracking script with stonking artwork - Trevallion is fast becoming one of my favourite new artists. There's an added bonus of Absalom in that it makes a third trade collection of Caballistics Inc more viable as there currently isn't enough Cabs material alone to be worth collecting.

Cadet Anderson starts next week, and Tharg reveals that Lee Carter is doing a Dredd strip soon - looking forward to seeing that!

[Colin_YNWA]

Well thats one of the things about 2000ad, when one things ends the sadness is normally tempered with the joy of whats to follow.

So we find out, to my surprise at least, that Flesh is taking a break after this week. This is tempered by the news that Anderson will replace it. The episode that brings this current run of Flesh to an end is quite probably the best so far and yet any sadness at its departing is quickly put aside by a quite brilliant opening to this weeks Dante.

The prog over all is far from bitter sweet however its just plain sweet (do people still say that???). Its class through and through. Dredd continues to be a wonderful action romp. Its high octane and mighty fun. Absalom builds well on last weeks solid opening and continues to please. The Red Seas turns things up a notch and in many a prog would be the best thing of the week.

However this week the two thrills that I first mentioned are just shining examples of the form. Flesh ends quite perfectly with more character work, a visit to the past and a quite stupendous set up for the second half. Not even this piece of brilliance wins the week however as Dante packs in such a fantastic summary of the character and the series as to make all other thrills, however good pale, in its reflected light.

The Galaxies greatest has been on fine form for the last couple of years (is that actually longer now?) so for a prog to stand out it has to be quite something. This is just such a Prog. wonderful.

Great Prog.

[Richmond Clements]

Merged!

[Proudhuff]

Poor cover-line this week - is that even a pun?

Isn't it from 'Down among the dead men let them lie'

[radiator]

Isn't it from 'Down among the dead men let them lie'

Yeah, but that's still a shit pun. 

[Colin_YNWA]

Merged!

Whoops sorry promised that wasn't there when I started!

[James Stacey]

That really is a cracking double page spread. Dante really is delivering. I'm sure another book or so could e squeezed out of it. What was with the camel jockey making a hole in the sky though? I assumed he'd hit a solar panel reflecting the scenery but the hole is there in the splash page too ??

[Dark Jimbo]

What was with the camel jockey making a hole in the sky though? I assumed he'd hit a solar panel reflecting the scenery but the hole is there in the splash page too ??

That would be the 'continent-sized array of solar panels', one presumes?

[radiator]

I thought he'd hit the laser defense screen thing...?

[James Stacey]

Neither make sense though. The continent sized range of solar panels are clearly seen stretching off in the distance of the double page splash though. I'd have assumed it was that if the hole wasn't in the sky as well on the splash (there are a couple of pieces of smoke amongst them to attribute it too.) Laser defense grids I assume don't dent what with them being lasers and all.

[JUDGE BURNS]

NO PROG AGAIN ON SATURDAY!!!!!!

Is it just us scots who dont get their progs delivered on a saturday??? Why do we have to wait until monday or tuesday for our thrill power to be re-charged????  Are the Royal Snail holding it back down south for an extra day just to annoy us???

AM gonna go up ta 4 on them as am gettin mighty angry !!!!!!!

[Keef Monkey]

Another corker!

Dredd is still rollicking along, Absolom and Dante were brilliant but unexpected highlight for me this week was re-reading Flesh: Texas from episode 1 and discovering that it holds together far better than I expected. Works far better in a oner I reckon. Really looking forward to more, and that's quite a turnaround as I wasn't keen initially.

Red Seas is still just ticking over for me, and maybe I just haven't been paying enough attention but surely the whole mutiny was a bit sudden? I didn't notice any reservations about Dancer being seeded at any point, it seemed them traitorous crew members flipped from 'loyal' to 'making deals with Satan and torturing folks' in the space of a prog.

[Mardroid]

I picked it up not long ago. I'm writing this in the library.

Dredd- Pretty good continuation. And that Judge girl keeps losing her clothes. Are those leathers that flimsy?

Flesh- It's okay. Mostly natter this week, but a bit of history for us newbs to the strip is no bad thing. Who didn't see that ending coming though?

Dante- Great as always! I wondered at the hole too. I wondered if it was some kind of futuristic implosion weapon but considering the lingering hole...

The Red Seas- Mr Wood Finger is a berk. It was okay though.

Absalom- I'm enjoying this trip a lot. SO that wasn't the vampire, but another monster? I wonder if we'll see the vamp? Looks like the other 'normal' members of the family have a bit of monster in them too. I'm also wondering if the new member of Absalom's team is some kind of undead too what with the reference to her 'cold hands'. Obviously it's not unusual for ordinary people to have cold hands but the fact it was mentioned makes me wonder if this is a bit of foreshadowing. I'm not suggesting she's evil though. (I imagine this is a universe with layers of grey with species etc, since they have vampire informants.)
Oh, and poor cat!

Good all round.

[Mikey]

Dredd - Cracks along, pulling me merrily with it. All good as per.

Flesh - I was really sorry to see this was the last episode of this run. I've lapped this series up - it's been pure entertainment from the start imo. However, I'd liked to have seen a one off aspect to it rather than it having (I imagine) last at least 3 books. No harm meant to the creators because I'm looking forward immensely to the rest, but a longer run of a self contained arc would have been nice. I feel that it was only getting started! Also, pleasingly, the Interior Seaway gets a mention but I'll leave the palaeogeography alone for once  

Dante - Sumptuous scribbles and colours abound! A great opening page and lush splash to follow, with a groovy new baddie to boot. And about the hole in the sky thing - was it something to do with the Huntsman rifle? Can it send you someplace else? It looked a bit like a wormhole or something.

Red Seas - I like it ok, but it just doesn't unfurl me spinnaker and leaves me tops'l flagging, me hearties.

Absalom - C-Absalutely the tops this week again. Everything so far has been perfect on this, it's very quickly established itself as The One To Beat for me. I thought it might be hard to follow Reardon on a Cabs related script, but TT is indeed knocking it out of the park. Great!

I'm also wondering if the new member of Absalom's team is some kind of undead too what with the reference to her 'cold hands'...Oh, and poor cat!

I wondered that too Mardroid...but it's also just a nice throwaway chuckle as she had her hands in his trousers! And the kitten made me laugh guiltily...

Good proggage!

M.

[TordelBack]

Red Seas - I like it ok, but it just doesn't unfurl me spinnaker and leaves me tops'l flagging, me hearties.

Well no wonder.  No such thing as a spinnaker until at least the start of the 19th C.  You're probably thinking of a jib staysail.