Prog 1976 - Hit and Myth

[Link Prime]

I don't know why, but both series have given me godawful nightmares - which  I presume is the intention. So thanks for that, lads.

Funny you should say that, I had my first ever 'Dark Judges nightmare' a few months ago at the age of 38 (basically involving running down a dark metallic corridor as the four fiends pursued me...leading to a literal dead end).*
I'm sure both Dave Kendall & Kek-W would be happy to hear that I awoke shrieking like a little girl...

Prog is an entertaining read at the moment, digging Tainted and Dredd in particular.


* Turns out you don't die in real life if you die in a dream.

[ZenArcade]

Cover:  Ever so glad to see Liam Sharp's work grace the prog once again. A lush, colourful piece set out in a typically heroic pose.

Dredd: The story line is nicely divided between the brutal action occuring in the Cursed Earth and the brutal politics occurring in the Grand Hall.  I appreciate the Chief Judge needs alternate viewpoints from her advisers in order to inform her decision; but if I were faced with the serried ranks of whinging bastards she has before her, I'd be suggesting the long walk option to them.
Posted by: Magnetica
on: 11 April, 2016, 04:01:10 pm
Is it me or has Colin Macneil's minimalist artwork gone even more minimalist?
McNeill's art work has honed down to the bare bones. It is almost reminiscent of something you'd see in a Tin Tin comic. This by the way is not a criticism.

Survival Geeks: Like the art; the story I'm sure has a receptive audience.

Tainted: Again by far away my thrill of the week. The sheer unrelieved horror that is unfolding; coupled with the sense of hopelessness and the prospect of no salvation is a sight to behold.  The art is 180 degrees around from the minimalism of McNeill's Dredd, but is equally as satisfying. I could talk for hours about how much I like what I'm reading and given the chance probably will.

Future Shock.  A good wee story with some fine art.

Aquila: Great story line.  Your man the warlock dude is something of a bad 'un.  The art again is top notch.

Again we have a wonderful prog.  Two great stories, a splendid cover and the Grim juggernaught that is Tainted.  Z

[Frank]

OH MY GOD, JUDGE DREDD IS ACTUALLY DEAD!!! THEY'VE FINALLY GONE AHEAD AND KILLED HIM!!!

I expect next week's episode will be the funeral and Rico II changing his name to Dredd II, or maybe they'll just end the strip there. As a mark of respect.

[JayzusB.Christ]

I love Tainted too. Watching this world stagger towards Armageddon is fascinating to me.

Great to see a good old-fashioned Future Shock. Nice ending; can't be easy when you're walking in the footsteps of Moore, Grant and Milligan. Of these snappy little stories giants are born.

Can we stop making holes in Judge Dredd, please; He's 80 years old for heaven's sake.

[Frank]

Can we stop making holes in Judge Dredd, please

[Magnetica]

Posted by: Magnetica
on: 11 April, 2016, 04:01:10 pm
Is it me or has Colin Macneil's minimalist artwork gone even more minimalist?
McNeill's art work has honed down to the bare bones. It is almost reminiscent of something you'd see in a Tin Tin comic. This by the way is not a criticism.

Likewise, I think maybe I should clarify, in no way was my question meant as a criticism either, just an observation. I have said it before - we are blessed to have have artists such as Macneil, Flint and Willsher drawing Dredd.

[Dandontdare]

At least Magnetica is one of the few people who spell Mr MacNeil's name correctly!

[ZenArcade]

  Z

[Hawkmumbler]

Top hole progage, this is! Behind a marvellous painted cover (nice spot on the Beastmaster trace) are 5 stonkingly good thrills. The Future Shock was a glorious affair, very well executed.

[staticgirl]

I'm finding Tainted incomprehensible. I have no idea what is going on. I seem to have missed reading the Dark Judge stories you mention which is probably why.

[IndigoPrime]

Tainted is set in the period when Deadworld is being gradually taken over by the Sisters of Death—presumably slotting into the events towards the end of Young Death. We're just—for the first time—seeing things from the angle of people still alive on the world during those months.

[judda fett]

I'm looking forward to finding out which Dark Judge Fairfax will eventually become.

[DrRocka]

Looks like I'm alone in my opinion, but I'm really not enjoying the prog at the minute - the art doesn't seem to be supporting the stories in every case. I keep having to flick back a page to try and figure out what's going on. Who's Dredd, and who is he with? Who's who in Deadworld? Which of the geeks are captured? Why should I give a damn about Aquila?
I feel pretty disconnected about the prog right now, there's no sense of suspence about it for me, even with THAT Dredd ending this week. After the Awful Klegg story, I wonder if I'm a bit jaded? Ah well, that's the great thing about 2000ad - even if you're not enjoying it, it can all turn around the week after and shock you. I'm hoping it does sooner rather than later.

[Frank]

Whenever TB Grover needed out of a scene during a long form narrative, he'd break out some "LET'S RIDE!" and leave the hard work to the artist. TB Carroll's equivalent of this storytelling tic is to execute a handcuffed prisoner with a shot to the head at close range.

The Cursed Earth has brought out a gleefully brutal streak in Carroll. I had his Dredd down as whimsical and a little too elaborate, but the rugged self reliance of frontier life seems to have tempered his style until it's as cold and hard edged as Rambo's knife. Good stuff.

I can't decide whether this is a response to the desperate plight of MC1 [1] or if this was always Justice Department policy outside city walls.

 




[1] Obviously Anderson's execution scene in the 2012 film was an influence, but Carroll plays it much more matter of fact than that emotionally charged episode.

[staticgirl]

Thanks IP that does help a bit. I assume that a lot of the stories this is happening prior to occurred before I started reading 2000AD...