MEG 319 - AMERICAN REAPER: DON'T TRY CHEATING HIM.

[Alski]

A good issue for me. I like MCarroll on Dredd, and this looks like fun. American Reaper is super cool, and the appearence of The Darkness reminded me of Skunk Anansie in the film Strange Days. Armitage was brilliant, and has hooked me more than any of the previous stories, with Goddard doing a great job on art as well. And so to Strange and Darke... I don't much like John Smith in general, but this has started really well, making me want more. Love the wanking fairy as well...

[radiator]

I'm not a big fan of Nick Dyer's art either. Nothing to do with it being "cartoony" or whatever. It's just a personal, subjective dislike of his style, particularly the massive eyes.

To be fair he doesn't really seem to do the big eyes any more.

[Proudhuff]

happy new beer an aw that!

This would be a fine Meg except for the Jackie Photolove story with added beat combo? Seriously, is Mr Mills seeing how much pish can be ripped?

Armitage is cracking along well with that Nimrod Dredd splash page a beaut.

Mr Carroll's story is another fine piece o Dredd, but I do now want him to spread his wings and explore MC1 as he sees it, not only weaving past stories into the present. Liking this artwork too.

Text and film gubbing all good, just sad to see no letters page...

[The Cosh]

I'm not a big fan of Nick Dyer's art either. Nothing to do with it being "cartoony" or whatever. It's just a personal, subjective dislike of his style, particularly the massive eyes.

To be fair he doesn't really seem to do the big eyes any more.

Yeah, I noticed this on a second read and felt a bit bad about having singled it out.

[DrJomster]

Only read the floppy so far, but pleased to say this was my favourite one since The Balls Brothers! Great art from Carlos, including some nice paintwork on some of the landscape shots, and a nice Strontium Dog vibe to the whole thing. Slightly off-putting gratuitous camera angles in places and not really happy with the "Strontium Bitch" tagline but fairly minor quibbles.

Slightly daunted now at the reports of The Darkness I've seen above... 

[radiator]

Quite enjoyed the Dredd, nice old school flavour to it, helped by nick's artwork - always enjoy his Dredd. I was a bit hesitant when I twigged that it was revisiting an old story, but having Dredd literally revisit the original story, Back to the Future 2 style is a neat twist.

Strange and Darke was good too - exceptional artwork and colouring. Love to see the constant evolution of Macniel's style.

[Hawkmonger]

Strange and Darke feel's like a rip off of Derek Landy's exeptioanl fantasy horror novel series Skullduggery pleasent.

[Greg M.]

A lot of wanking fairies in that, are there?

Well, overcoming my grave misgivings about novelty pop band tie-ins, I decided to return to the Meg with this issue, Strange and Darke being my in-road. This strip at least has definitely whetted my appetite for more - excellent and original central concept, lead character who looks like Judge Mortis in a hat - loads of potential here. Really exciting to see Colin Macneil's art evolving - the increasing stylisation and use of thick lines are almost reminiscent of a more detailed Adrian Salmon.

[James Stacey]

Sullduggery Plesance just ripped off grim fandango

[The Cosh]

Also, Inspector Strange and his fabulous bestiary first appeared in a Devlin Waugh story about seven years ago.

[Proudhuff]

How does he inhale those fags anyway?

[Greg M.]

Well, he's got lungs... it's just his face that's skeletal, isn't it? I do like the panel where the smoke comes out of his eye socket though.

[JOE SOAP]

The Dredd story is good fun and Dyer's art a great match, especially his rendering of the flashbacks. I suspect Mick Carroll was hoping for Brendan McCarthy who drew the original to scratch the sequel out but I always look forward to Dyer more than nearly all other new-school Dredd artists. Only thing that stood out is Judge Ramon just happened to have a Mark I Lawgiver handy for Dredd to take with him. Not sure if that really needed to happen.


Waiting for American Reaper to finish before I read it.


Strange & Darke had a great start but this type of thing doesn't really need to be a Dreddverse story but I suppose it saves the writer from a lot of exposition, if needed.

[BPP]

American Reaper is great, huge panoramic comics with great design work and clearly an attempt to do something different in terms of page structure and reading experience. Yes once or twice a face does look a bit roughly photo-shopped but at other times the art is just fantastic.

[Hawkmonger]

Sullduggery Plesance just ripped off grim fandango

Lies!!!! Burn the heretic!!!!!!

Also, Inspector Strange and his fabulous bestiary first appeared in a Devlin Waugh story about seven years ago.

Never read any Devlin Waugh.