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JUDGE DREDD: IDW #1

Started by COMMANDO FORCES, 21 November, 2012, 03:29:11 PM

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COMMANDO FORCES

Just read the two stories in issue one and what can I say........

First up is RIPE by Duane Swierczynski and Nelson Daniel. It's 16 pages long and introduces Dredd and a couple of other Judges, as they are called to a robbery at a Pleasure Mall. The artwork is okay but I don't like all those (no idea what the technical term is) dots on people. The script is very clunky and that's putting it politely. Some of Dredd's actions and dialogue are so way off it stopped me in my tracks as I mussed over it!

Next up is Protection Racket by Duane Swierczynski and Paul Gulacy. This is 6 pages long and is spot on with being the Dredd world strip that we have come to enjoy. Joe only makes his entrance at the end of the story, with it's typical 2000 AD punch line. As for the art, we have been warned, so I won't say bugger all about this!!!

In the end I would give this a 5/10, with it's saving grace being the second backup story but not the art!

There's a nice adverts from Planet Replicas and 2000 AD inside.

We all know the variant covers available.

4 basic variant covers.
1 Carlos RI cover.
1 Subscription cover
1 Stahl sketch thingy cover
At the rear of the comic it has a checklist of all the Retailer Exclusive covers and there are  :o 19 :o I've managed to bag 4, so not many to go  :'(

James Stacey

Quote from: COMMANDO FORCES on 21 November, 2012, 03:29:11 PM

The artwork is okay but I don't like all those (no idea what the technical term is) dots on people.

Halftone?

Cheers CF. I suppose it was too much to expect for a new writer to 'get' Dredd. Let's hope the series picks up as it goes on.

COMMANDO FORCES

The interesting thing is that he gets it in the backup strip. Very little Dredd but the city and it's people are spot on in that one!

Proudhuff

DDT did a job on me

Steve Green

Letratone? Rufus uses it a bit, Kev O'Neill also used to use it.

Don't think I'd mind it that much, but unless you're going for a particular feel, I could see how it might jar.


Hopefully it sounds like a progression on the script on the backup strip, see how it goes.

pauljholden

In the US the effect is also called benday dots, or halftone dots-a trick to allow low resolution printing processes print in shades of grey (or, in the old four colour world, you'd use 25% benday pure red to get a pink colour).

Now it's used as an artistic choice. I've used it in the past on some b&w art where I could easily have used proper pure grey where the dots are invisible to the naked eye. But I like the effect.

Letratone is the UK manufacturer who made rub down/sticky dots - only sold to people drawing manga these days.

COMMANDO FORCES

Thanks for the info, that explains a lot looking back at the pages!

Link Prime

Quote from: COMMANDO FORCES on 21 November, 2012, 03:29:11 PM
At the rear of the comic it has a checklist of all the Retailer Exclusive covers and there are  :o 19 :o I've managed to bag 4, so not many to go  :'([/color]

Do you want me to pick you up a 'Big Bang Comics' Retailer Exclusive CF?

COMMANDO FORCES

Yes please. I've just emailed them but it will be easier for me doing it your way ;) If they reply I'll let them know that someone is picking one up for me.

Link Prime

Quote from: COMMANDO FORCES on 21 November, 2012, 04:53:04 PM
Yes please. I've just emailed them but it will be easier for me doing it your way ;) If they reply I'll let them know that someone is picking one up for me.

No bother, am heading over there after work.
I'll PM you later.

COMMANDO FORCES


Steve Green

I think it has its uses - it can either be a stylistic choice for the whole story, or a shorthand for something within the story.

Professor Bear

My only issue with bendy dots is when they're used in a strip that's going to be coloured, as is the case here, as it doesn't look right once it's coloured over.  A good colourist knows how to work with shadow - actually, I imagine even a bad colourist knows what shadows are and wouldn't need their hands held with bendy dots that end up getting in the way of the final colours, though the colourist here seems to have abandoned any notion of shadows and stuck with flat colours and some "old paper" textures slapped on everything regardless of being appropriate or not for the surface depicted.
I see what CF means about Dredd sounding way off, especially when he says "yeah, well--" to a perp, clearly hesitating and cogitating in front of the people from whom he is supposed to command respect and fear. He all but negotiates with perps and it comes off as being very sub-Lawman of the Future-y.

From comments from writers elsewhere I gather that this forum in particular isn't allowed to pass comment on the US Dredd series because we don't know our place or understand big boy writing for US comics, but speaking as a paying customer who is offering an opinion on the product in his hands as is my right, this reads like they had the licence for a property whose cinematic outing underperformed so now the actual book is zero priority but they need something out there because they've paid for it, and looking at it like that it actually seems okay, I guess, like those free comics that came with He-Man toys that were pretty awful but you read them anyway because you liked He-Man and needed a distraction while you ate your fizz bombs.  So yeah, as shovelware this book is probably fine, but I don't see anything in it that would attract US readers.

pauljholden


COMMANDO FORCES

For all those collectors out there, here are the shop variant covers!

ACE Comics
Big Bang Comic Shop
Cards. Comics and Collectibles
Discount Comic Book Service
Disposable Heroes
Forbidden Planet
Gifts For The Geek
Heroes For Sale
Jetpack Comics x 3 versions
Larry's Comics x 3 versions
Planet Comics
Pulp Nouveau Comix
Serieborsen
Tate's Comics
Third Eye Comics