Meg 349: Psi-Crimes!

[IndigoPrime]

A package of contrasts in this Meg that ties most things up for the 350 leaping-on issue. The workmanlike and almost classic-era cover is for the conclusion to the best Anderson tale in a long, long while. Yes, there was the "oh, I was dead, but, hey, rapi-heal" thing, but this has been a mature (but not glib) take on the character, with some superb art by Dowling. For once, Anderson looks like a mature woman and not some 20-year-old glamour model. And although there's a sense of status-quo at the end, isn't there always?

Of the other strips, The Man From The Ministry appeals to me, offering a kind of Dan Dare vibe, but with a more modern feel. There are some odd bits of art (one element in the final panel looks more like a plastic toy than it really should), but it's suitably puppy. A one-shot about Two Ton Tony Tubbs is also quite amusing, even if the twist doesn't make that much sense economically. Dredd... well, I've not been a fan of Rad To The Bone and the conclusion does nothing to shake that. It just hasn't sat right with me, and it feels a bit off. Text features on David Pugh, Nick Percival, and Vince Locke, all of which were insightful.

The contrast: the Karyn floppy. Bar a decent Hershey one-off, this really feels like barrel-scraping now, dredging up the less-than-steallar strips from the Meg's decidedly duff era. Next month: Harke & Burr. Hmm. The rate things are going downhill there, we'll get Junker and Wireheads before long.

[ZenArcade]

Ah hey no need to start slagging Junker off again, so soon after it's last basting on the forum. Z

[DarkDaysBish-OP]

The Karyn floppy. Bar a decent Hershey one-off, this really feels like barrel-scraping now, dredging up the less-than-steallar strips from the Meg's decidedly duff era. Next month: Harke & Burr. Hmm. The rate things are going downhill there, we'll get Junker and Wireheads before long.

Barrel-scraping would be Dead Men Walking, Soul Sisters or The Straitjacket Fits - for the quality of the writing, not the art, I hasten to add!

Still, the reprint fees would be welcome... 

[Dudley]

Barrel-scraping would be Dead Men Walking, Soul Sisters or The Straitjacket Fits - for the quality of the writing, not the art, I hasten to add!

Still, the reprint fees would be welcome... 

Nowt wrong with The Straitjacket Fits.

Not saying a word about the others.

[Fungus]

No Meg for me till Wednesday, but...

the Karyn reprint last month was incomprehensible. Lots of people defend the floppy when it is questioned, but more Karyn reprint this month is kind of bewildering to me.

[IndigoPrime]

It doesn't really get any better. The art isn't good for storytelling purposes, and the script is iffy. It's irritating, in the sense that it really feels like the dregs. At the start of the run, you felt like the cream of 2000 AD was going in trades and the stuff that either wouldn't sell well or that perhaps couldn't justify a trade release for some other reason ended up in the floppies (or maybe the old Extreme Editions). Karyn is just dreadful.

As for "Dead Men Walking, Soul Sisters or The Straitjacket Fits", I don't recall much about the first of those; Soul Sisters never really grabbed me but at least is a bit different; The Straitjacket Fits, though, I remember enjoying at the time and, you know, Roger Langridge!

[Frank]

Barrel-scraping would be Dead Men Walking, Soul Sisters or The Straitjacket Fits - for the quality of the writing, not the art, I hasten to add! Still, the reprint fees would be welcome... 

Don't beat yourself up about your writing on those strips, David. I'd say any shortcomings they might have had were due to the editor.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Oh, Sauchie, you are a one.  I liked the Straitjacket Fits, and the Soul Sisters was ok too.  I honestly don't remember anything about the other one, sorry

[DarkDaysBish-OP]

Barrel-scraping would be Dead Men Walking, Soul Sisters or The Straitjacket Fits - for the quality of the writing, not the art, I hasten to add! Still, the reprint fees would be welcome... 

Don't beat yourself up about your writing on those strips, David. I'd say any shortcomings they might have had were due to the editor.

arf!

[Proudhuff]

Cover: Far from workmanlike this is a cover that really works (eh?) for me, clear clean lines, great poses and a fine MC1 ( could have done with a bit DOC damage, but that's a minor gripe)

Rad to the bone ties up nicely nicely with Boo cooking up a storm and doing that wonderful subtle thing with the Justice Dept panels
Interrogation is David Pugh and his take on Slaine, Pat and hippydom

Two Ton Tony trundles through the MC1 tropes, the artwork reminding me of Steve Parkhouse in places which is a good thing

The man from Delmote: loving the story, I feel the artwork needs something to help it lift off: more detail/ less white space?

Interrogation Nick Percival   sharing his scarey monsters
as does Vince Locke whose B&W work looks wonderfully victorian

Top slot in the Meg: Anderson Finale, Mr Grant seems to have got his mojo back with this one and the artwork reflects that, cracker all round, now let's let Cassy age and take on her menopause [spoiler]out [/spoiler] [spoiler]in the Mutietownships[/spoiler] 

And no Buttlines Dreddlines this month.

[johnfreeman]

Sorry the "Judge Karyn" stories didn't float your boat. Unlike "Skinner" (which was re-published in 348), that was to have been drawn by Kevin Cullen and written with his art style in mind, "Concrete Sky" was always going to be drawn by Adrian Salmon. Personally, I think it's the best of the small amount of stuff I did for the Megazine, but reading it now I can see things that I would, I hope, have done better.

"Cabal", also drawn by Adrian and coloured by Pete Smith, was originally intended as a longer story, I came across the plotlines this morning. But I was diverted to writing scripts for the short-lived Judge Dredd Adventures (none of which were published, I think), so it never happened. I imagine some of you above are sighing with relief, but I still appreciated the brief experience of writing for the Dredd universe at the time.

[Frank]

It really spoils the fun of slagging comics you read as a teenager when you know the guy who wrote them is likely to turn up and agree with you. My problem with any of the Anderson substitute stories was that they were further stretching a concept that was already looking exhausted by that point. Reader interest in the exploits of any judge other than Dredd is very low indeed, which is why the index page of the modern Megazine doesn't read like the staff roster of a Louisiana circuit court. John Freeman writes a little more about his Megazine work here.

[Eamonn Clarke]

Second month in a row that the Meg is late on the ipad app.

[M.I.K.]

Next month: Harke & Burr. Hmm. The rate things are going downhill there, we'll get Junker and Wireheads before long.

...and that just goes to show how subjective criticism can be, 'cos Harke & Burr is one of my most favourite things in the entire history of the Megazine, even if it does look completely out of place.

[Link Prime]

Next month: Harke & Burr. Hmm. The rate things are going downhill there, we'll get Junker and Wireheads before long.

...and that just goes to show how subjective criticism can be, 'cos Harke & Burr is one of my most favourite things in the entire history of the Megazine, even if it does look completely out of place.

I can't say the story struck a chord with me, but damn The Deans painted art from that period is sumptuous.

PS- Another fan of The Straightjacket Fits here. A Meg Vol 1 gem.