Prog 1956 - Criminal Damage

[Eamonn Clarke]

Postie surprised me as wasn't expecting this till monday.



Cover by Jon Davis-Hunt. Beautifully coloured and presented IMHO

Dredd: Sleeping Duty by Michael Carroll, Nick Dyer, Abigali Ryder and Annie Parkhouse. A nice Dredd-lite story.

Defoe by Mills, Gallagher and Parkhouse. We learn more about the Vizards which is cool with me.

Brass Sun by Edginton, Culbard and De Ville. Back inside Wren's mind with Kurt Vonnegut, the Blind Watchmaker

Sin Dex by Abnett, Goddard, De La Cruz and  De Ville. Moses got all blowed up and the strip sails off into the sunset for a short break.

Bad Company by Milligan, Dayglo and Bowland. Looks greta but I still need to read the whole thing throught to get caught up.

there's also a Droid Life and an advert for the new subscribers' free gift the 2000AD notebook. And there's some Halloween trick or treating in Damage Control

[Richard]

This is Michael Carroll's best story yet.

[ZenArcade]

A sin/dex cover, Colin will be salivating as we speak. Z

[Magnetica]

I Know this is in the spoiler section, but not sure we needed so much detail re SinDex 

[Richard]

(1) It's in the spoiler section, and
(2) we saw what happened to Moses last week.

[Eamonn Clarke]

(1) It's in the spoiler section, and
(2) we saw what happened to Moses last week.

Likewise.
Apologies, Magnetica, but I didn't think I revealed anything we didn't see in the last two panels last week.

[Minkyboy]

It's the prog review thread in the spoilers section. If you don't want to know details of what is in this prog, don't read this thread, Shirley?

Cover: Finny seems to have picked up an SA80 from somewhere? Much prefer these gloves to when he is drawn with red surgical gloves. Love the reds across the cover image pulling it together. Is that Moses' jacket flapping in the wind?


Dredd: Michael Carroll you genius. So good. Had me laughing at the payoff.

Defoe: Hic. Rich people are BAD and EVIL oppressing the INNOCENT and RIGHTEOUS poor.  Subtle as ever. I hope one day we get Defoe vs the "Good" angels who have been manipulating everyone.

Brass Sun: Top stuff. A whole page, 6 panels, of talking heads but the story carries it.

Sin Dex: Looks like the boys blasted Moses back to his own dimension, but without a body is he really dead? Lets funting hope so and the story can move on. Is this reality wide memory wipe a reboot device, or are they dead or in another wrong dimension? Who knows, but this has been an awesome run and a fitting end (I hope) to the whole Moses saga. I would hope for some more short-run hits and downlode puns!

Bad Company: "Let's skip to the good bit" as the Spugs are saying these days. Finally the nasty bastards are remembering who they are and Danny is remembering his conscience. No idea how it ties in with half of them being dead/andor Krool heart but looking forward to finding out.

Great prog made all the better by the fact I was expecting it on Monday!

[Echidna]

I've only read one or two Sinister Dexter stories before this, and the last one (The Generican Dream) did nothing for me, but this one was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to its return.

Absolutely perfect slice of Dredd from Carroll and Dyer.

[Magnetica]

Thanks Eamonn; it's fine.

[Woolly]

That is Jon Davies-Hunt's best bit of work so far for the prog, IMO. Very striking image, with a subtle yet effective colour job.
Great cover.

[I, Cosh]

Man! That is a cover and a half.

[Geoff]

Superb cover! And a nice little Dredd tale too.

[Old Tankie]

I do like that cover, it's awesome, as someone I know would say!

[Dark Jimbo]

Nowt amazing going on this week, but a sturdy mid-run prog.

Dredd not as good as last week's but good fun. Cracking premise for a one-prog Dredd but the dialogue stops it from being a true classic - bit workmanlike with no 'mega-speak' (but that's just my personal taste).

Bit surprised to learn that eminent diarist John Evelyn is the arch-tyrant leading the Vizards in Defoe - Jeffreys of course is an acknowledged wrong 'un, but I don't know what Evelyn did to earn Mills' ire. Good stuff though, if subtle as the proverbial sledgehammer.

Brass Sun is okay, but no more. It's the little niggles that annoy. The dialogue still irks a bit, and when Wren asks who the tock is Septimus says 'It's a long story.' No, it really isn't - you met him in the dining hall. That's literally all the story there is.

Sin Dex felt more like an epilogue than episode in its own right. This storyline has been dragging on for twelve years - given that, was this pay-off worth it? No, quite frankly. But hey, I'm pleased it has its fans. Lovely Goddart, too.

I like the emphatic reminder that Bad Company are not pleasant people. It's the sort of bite that was needed in a story that's had them as quite cuddly, beloved old characters. I'm still interested in the pay-off but this doesn't feel as essential as the classic stuff.

[Colin YNWA]

Well two covers in a row so good I can't resist commenting on them. I'm not always Jon Davis-Hunts biggest fan on interiors but man goes he give good cover. I mean look at it its bloody beautiful, it magnificent, its cool, its brooding. My only beef and its gripping is that while Sinister is perfect Ramone looms a little to lean for my tastes. But fuck it, its bloody lovely.

Anyway I'm normally a cover to end reader but I rushed straight to Sinister Dexter and while I agree with Dark Jimbo that it felt more of an epilogue to what's gone before I wasn't disappointed. This story has been a superb example of how bloody efficient Dan Abnett's writing is. When you consider what this story has covered, the tension its built, it amazed me to be reminded that this is part 6. This has only been a bloody 6 part story, so that's 30ish pages. Incredible stuff. So much so that yep last week was the 'end' this is the wrap up and quite brilliantly the set up of what's next. Just perfect craft. The art ain't half good as well.

Dredd was a neat, sharp, again supremely crafted one parter. For me better than last weeks and always a delight to have Nick Dwyer on art.

Back lovin' Defoe too. Okay so the development wasn't much of a development, and its hardly original from Mr Mills but still so much more enjoyable that Defoe before. Really liking this story on the whole.

Brass Sun continues to be an absolute masterclass in how to do perfect comics... can't really say much more than that can I. Loved this, loved it, loved it, loved it.

Bad Company was quite fantastic too. A nice well timed reminder that we can often romantise war and those that have to fight it a little too much. Its a terrible thing and makes folk do terrible things. Bad Company has always had that as one of its more overt themes and this one brings it nicely back to the fore. As the drugs placing a rosey purple haze fall away we are reminded just what our heroes are and what they are capable of. We're getting nearer to our answers and Milligan keeps reminding us of what he's doing as he does so. Excellent stuff.

So yeah this has been a fine run of Progs and this one is a highlight amongst them. Comics seriously don't get better than that!