PROG 1432... CASUALTIES OF WAR!!!

[ARRISARRIS]

...aha, ive finaly got my copy on a saturday morning, mind you thats probably only because its a bank holiday monday coming up...

...Droid life is back,not the best but still funny, bring back the sexy photocopier i say...

...Dredd by Rennie and Cook, doesnt give much away in the first episode but the cliffhanger is in the old school vein that just wants you to know whats going to appen next...

...Tiger Sun, Dragon Moon, has turned into a load of pish for me, its obvious now that its meant as an on going series but it just ends here, and if im not wrong dear old Tharg probably wont commission the concluding chapters so that we end up with another unfinished series to add to the vaults...  

...V.C's returns for another geek hunt, just wish it had a more classic artist, Williams really doesnt do it justice..

...American Gothic, a titled stolen fro Swamp Thing and Alan Moore from the 80's drawn in a very crude style that would have fitted in better in a mid 90's edition of Scream comic if it had lasted,

...overall not a brillant issue for the Easter weekend, but thankfully not an Easter Bunny in sight...

[Endjinn]

Cover: Like it a lot. Suitably windswept.

Dredd: Looks great, nice little-post Total War, nods-to-9/11, underground bug-hunt vibe. Suicide arrest made me laugh.

TSDM: Whaaaaaaaat? Liked the series, but this was a bit of a crappy ending. Hope it comes back.

VCs: Mainly a tying-up threads opener, but at least every frame isn't the same this time round.

American Gothic: Rootin' tootin' limb-slicing action!

[Endjinn]

Oof, and I've just noticed Tharg's raised the cost of weekly thrills to ?1.75.

[The Amstor Computer]

...and oddly enough, I've got my copy as well!

Haven't read Dredd yet (been saving that, as I've been looking forward to Boo's take on Dredd for a while) so:

Tiger Sun, Dragon Moon -

After an entertaining first couple of episodes, this has come crashing down. I'm very, very disappointed with this, and while I don't want to risk the wrath of Tharg (2000AD Review readers will know what I'm talking about ;-) ) it feels like it's been had a very heavy editorial hand applied.

There are moments where Steve Parkhouse summons something wonderful (the death of Kabal is just such a moment), but this feels like a massive missed opportunity.

VCs -

To be fair, there are some good moments in this, but this opening episode also demonstrates everything that's wrong with DAbnett's VCs. It's just a bog-standard spacewar strip with none of the strangeness GFD brought to the original, and any promise the first series of this revamp had has long since vanished. It may not sink to the lows of the last series, but I don't expect much from this.

I'll also echo ArrisArris' comments above - Anthony Williams' art just isn't right. Everyone looks the same, the anatomy always seems wrong & there's no movement in the action scenes.

American Gothic -

I think this was discussed before, but the title of this series isn't ripping anyone off, least of all Alan Moore. "American Gothic" is a title that has been used on paintings, TV shows, comics and, I'm sure, books and dozens of articles.

I really enjoyed this first episode. Edgington's cast sound right (often a problem with "period" pieces), the atmosphere is spot-on & the lead character looks very interesting. Mike Collins' art has a scrappy, loose look that I think fits well here, where a cleaner line would seem out of place, and I'm looking forward to the next episode of this.

A slightly disappointing prog, livened up by the introduction of American Gothic but dragged down by the return of the VCs and a misfiring conclusion to TSDM.

[Byron Virgo]

American Gothic - Yee-Haaahh!

[DavidXBrunt]

Cover - I really like this. It's different. and sets the right tone and mood for the story inside.

Dredd - Following on from a V4 Meg Dredd? An excellent first episode that, as said before, fits nicely by making parallels between Total War and 9/11. Looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

Tiger - Feels like the end of part one and not much has happened. Would be nice if 'books' contained a significant event or had an internal beginning, middle, and end. I'm prepared to be blown away by any continuation which will give this perspective and more shape but for now it feelsl like an impressionistic blur. Nice tone, shame about the story.

V.C.'s - I really like this series and it's a welcome return. It may be a generic war story but it's done well and with more focus on the characters it should click be a long runner. I'd happily buy a book that collected the first three modern series. For that matter the original run is long out of print...

American Gothic - Ian Edginton is a favourite of mine and doesn't dissapoint. As with 'Red Seas' it's really nice change from what we're used to getting bringing in an underused setting and all that goes with it. For a first episode this has impressed me. And the art work - 15 months after seeing these pages at a convention - fits it perfectly. An impressive start to a new story. Minor worries that it'll be similar to the 'Saint of Killers' story have been placated. Fiends of the Western Frontier anyone?

[Art]

American Gothic, a titled stolen fro Swamp Thing and Alan Moore from the 80's

Um, no. Alan appropriated the title himself, it;s the name of a painting.

[The Amstor Computer]

Just read Dredd - it's a cracker. Bringing back the Troggies (and perhaps the beastie from the Rennie/Irving Meg tale?), linking in with Total War & all in what looks to be an entertaining thriller. Nice art from Boo Cook - I doubt I'll ever be his greatest fan, but there are some great moments here. I suspect that, like Belardinelli, his forte may be for stories with non-human protagonists, but this is good stuff - especially the panel introducing Dredd. Looking forward to next week.

"It may be a generic war story but it's done well and with more focus on the characters it should click be a long runner."

Hm. For my money, it's just a grab-bag of cliches competently put together. The "characters" don't really stand out, and I don't find any of them in slightest bit interesting. I'd actually quite like to see this series finish the "revival", but as strips like Sinister Dexter keep on returning, no matter how low they sink, I expect it'll be back.

[McNulty]

Both 2000AD and Dr Who on a Saturday! And all is right with the world...

[Dan Kelly]

Another Saturday delivery here, and its not half bad.

Agree with the downbeat ending for TSDM, shame really, could have done with goin up.  

Nice that the VCs is going for a change in direction, although were a couple of panels out of order?  And : "only detectable through the most invasive techniques"?

Been looking forward to American Gothic since Mike Collins was pimping this around at DreddCon, in what 2003?    Nice to see those pages with the words on the now ;)

And a nice Dredd from Boo and Grennie.  Can see Boo;s McCarthty influences creeping in in places...

[judge dreddd]

very cool, total war fallout can string on for the next 2,3 years...kewl...boom

[Trout]

I also received my sub on Saturday. Well done to whoever sent it out in good time before the holiday! I'm delighted.

Added to that, it's not a bad comic at all.

I enjoyed Dredd and was very pleased to see Boo Cook having a go at a chinface story. I was admiring his very detailed work on the first Asylum just last night.
Intruiging plot, too; nasty. I'm looking forward to part two.

I was also very keen on the atmospheric nastiness of American Gothic. It also had gorgeous art, as a bit of a departure for Mike C.
Normally his style seems "cleaner," if you know what I mean, and I was impressed with the messier look, which fitted well with the old west, IMO.

Thirdly, I was astonished to really enjoy the VCs fot the first time since the first series in its revival, despite the use of Williams, whose style I am less than keen on. It's just a personal taste thing.
Anyway, this was a skillfully-told reintroduction, full of emotion and great ideas, like the Arlington Maze. Well done to Dabnett, and I hope the standard stays this high.

Hooray for the return of Droid Life! :-)

Finally, TSDM: what? Er, okay.
I've nothing much to say about this. It started out so well and ended up a confusing non-event. I completely lost track of it somewhere but, in fairness, will do a re-read.

Overall: an above-average prog, helped significantly by the reintroduced policy of "bleeding" story runs over each other, instead of having regular reboots.
Despite my attitude to TSDM, I think it held my interest better to have things starting before other elements ended.

- Trout

[Trout]

"It also had gorgeous art, as a bit of a departure for Mike C."

I just realised how this might read!

I didn't mean to suggest it was a departure for it to be good! :-)

[MIKE COLLINS]

>"It also had gorgeous art, as a bit of a departure >for Mike C."

>I just realised how this might read!

I'm watching..... thanks for the complimenst-- yep it's a deliberate change: I wanted to go grittier for this. Later episodes -as they get set more at night, get greyer and even grittier... Lots of not-nice stuff happens in this strip. Ian is a very troubled man I suspect- but that's more fun for me!

Link: www.freakhousegraphics.co.uk

[Jared Katooie]

Got last weeks and this weeks progs! On Monday!

Cover: Bland. JUpe is here when he should be in prison. They're standing behind the grave instead of in front of it. This is basically nitpicking.

3/10

Droid life: Not very funny but inoffensive.

5/10

Dredd: Alright. It needs time before I can say more. The art is great but there are still some minor irritations in the script. Probably just me.

5/10

Tiger Sun, Dragon Moon: Yeah. It's been pretty rubbish. There was some good fighting but I'm going to shoot it down anyway because I'm still annoyed by the remarks Steve made in his interview. Jerk. ;)

4/10

V.C's: Awful, as usual. Boring, cliched ideas. I'm sure everyone still likes it but it was dead and buried from the V.R prison (literally!) stuff they did last book.

4/10

American Gothic: I like this. It's a little shaky but there are some good ideas.

7/10

Not a great prog.