Prog 1659 - Desert Strike!

[Mike Gloady]

Sweet cover.

Unlike last prog's which, to be honest, was a little below par. 

Although obviously it being the best period I can remember of the Galaxy's Greatest we HAVE been spoilt rather massively so anything that's not top-notch is going to stick out like a sore thumb....

[Ochs]

The letterbox rattles again... the post... YES! It's here and looking great.

I love the posties. Good luck to them I say.

[Pete Wells]

Mine came today (and PC Gamer and xBox Gamer - Grud bless the posties!) Here we go:

Cover - Yup, it's a bit naughty that part of the image is lifted from elsewhere but when it's as cool as this, I'm more than willing to forgive. An absolute cracker!

Dredd - Superb! Page 1 is brilliant, it actually had me feeling sorry for our Joe! Page two made me wonder, especially with her haircut, if John's long term plan is for MC1 to one day have a Chief Judge Beany? What an amazing and fitting legacy that would be for Benny and Ami! The rest of the strip is super cool too, Dredd at his most tenacious, hunting down some proper bad guys. I'm desperate for next week's episode!

Article - Really interesting extract from a thesis comparing themes from The Cursed Earth epic to American Road Narratives. I'm loving having these articles in my prog, it makes them even more value for my galactic groats!

Skakara - Great stuff. I loved those cute little recon teams, further proof that Mr Flint needs his head examining. I don't know how I feel about the title character though... I never worry for him as he seems to die every other week only to come back the next! That doesn't detract from my love of the strip one iota though, I genuinely think it's one of the best strips in 2000AD in recent years.

Kingdom - Ha! Word of the week has to be Frigwit! Dabnett is the king when it comes to making up new swear words! A cool episode with a terrifiying last page, hurry up Gene!!!

Dirty Devils - Continues to twist and turn like a twisting turning thing. I really like this bleak hell world with its imaginatively designed demons, naked chicks, multiple betrayals and depressing colour scheme. (Top) hats off to the creative team here!

Stront - A solid episode which is hopefuly setting up for a bloody finale. In the strange world I've built up in my head, I can't help seeing Galactic as Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley and now his missus has morphed into a 1980's Kevin Keegan - Hmmm, I think I need therapy!  I was slightly disappointed to see that female morks are known as Queens, I was hoping they'd be Mindys...

Letters for Buttonman too (I'm looking forward to seeing what he makes of the awful poem!) wrap up yet another excellent prog. Colour me happy!

[Mattofthespurs]

Mine also arruved safe and sound. Good old postie.
It'll have to wait though as I'm off to White Hart Lane to watch Spurs v Stoke.
Something to look forward to for when I return.

[James Stacey]

I see Grant has a new weapon in his war against Diamond. With the mighty one onside what could go wrong?

[Martin Howe]

CINNIBAR BRENNEKA! TRAITOR! NOW YOU WILL PAY! IN BLOOD!
Now that's what I call deus-ex-machina ... literally

DESECRATORS! DEATH TO THE ENEMIES OF THE SHAKARA!
Now if only we could appoint the Shakaran AI as DPP and sack that perp-loving creep well-meaning but-misguided liberal

Anyway those wacky spacecraft crack me up and oh and the rest of the prog was quite good, apart from Johnny and Andromeda and the white mork turning up when it did... yes, SD really is "Cowboys iiin Spaaaaaace" :'(

[Colin_YNWA]

Mine didn't come (though no surprise my letter from the Post Office about switching my phone to them did - I might hold them to ranson with my hard earned telecoms cash). So for the only the second time while subscribed I'm having a Prog free Saturday. Still its the weekend I visit my LCS so those inferior American things will have to tide me over.

[The Cosh]

Prog in the house, but the posties have clearly been using it to take out their anger at managerial intransigence.

Dredd was good, Necrophim crap and everything else fairly average. I think I just want this run of stories to wrap up so I can read them over and then get stuck into something new.

[James Stacey]

Prog in the house, but the posties have clearly been using it to take out their anger at managerial intransigence.

Dredd was good, Necrophim crap and everything else fairly average. I think I just want this run of stories to wrap up so I can read them over and then get stuck into something new.

yeah, my envelope was ripped and battered but the blue thrillpower glow was particularly bright on opening, which always makes me smile

[flip-r mk2]

AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH no prog for me today.I'm going back to bed until Monday morning.







filip

[Mardroid]

Cover- Very nice. I find the dust particle stuff fascinating. (Sounds like a rubbish thing to be fascinated about, but stuff like that can really make the picture for me.)

Nerve Centre- I might pick up that Halloween prog. I know a lot of people aren't keen on the fact they're older stories (i.e. stuff they've read) but they'll be new to me.

Dredd- Great stuff. Naughty Munn with his comments. Hee, hee. Dredd completely on his own seems a bit silly, but it makes the story exciting. And that Pinky is quite a freaky piece of work isn't he?

Road to Hell article.-  I enjoyed this, and I wouldn't mind more of the same. I know many think this sort of thing is best in the Meg but I don't mind the odd one pager like this. As long as it's 2000 AD related, and the last two have been. (I might be biassed as I don't actually buy the Meg though.) This makes me want to pick up case files 2 to read the Cursed Earth epic. I'm glad they dropped the 'ugly=evil' cliche somewhat in later stories though.

Shakara:  Ok. Flying space-ship skulls! Brilliant idea. (Although why would they be human in form, if these are aliens? Still there are plenty of humanoid aliens about...)

Kingdom: I'd have thought Dingo's chomp on Gene's neck would be fatal. (Not that I thought it would be. This was very enjoyable though. And that was a great giant bug at the end.

Necrophim: Ok. I agree somewhat in what the someone said in the previous thread "put some clothes on woman!" They're nice, but this is silly. Same for the bare-bummed Nercrophim investigators who turn up later. I know it's supposed to be hot in hell, but still. I'm not sure of the "One of you has killed a Seraphim!" accusation. I know Ezarat was a spy for heaven but he is still a Necrophim right? (Or maybe they use the term broadly to include those fallen. Or maybe I'm missing something.) I like the angel designs. Strangely mechanical. First time we've seen them in all their glory so to speak.

Stronty: Oo-er Alpha! What will Miss tripple-titty say? Ok, he's not bound, I get that. A bit of a breather, and good continuation.

Letters page: Good read. Cute baby if with a fundamental misunderstanding of Cradlegrave. Still, she's only young. (Willow, Harmony? A Buffy fan then? Not a criticism, I like  Buffy too, and Willow is a pretty name.)

[Ochs]

Dredd: just keeps getting better. Where is it all going? I really don't know.

Shakara: not usually a fan but I'm enjoying this one.

SD: Again, since he was killed off I've never been mad on these retrospective stories but I'm really enjoying this.

Kingdom: Loved the first two books but i think this is the best yet.

Necrophilia: I like it, keeps me turning the pages. I don't know if it's a classic but i'm not writing it off. I love the political maneouvering, and it's good to see something genuinely different in the prog.

Generally, and this has been said before but this is a classic run. I started reading during the Apocolypse War have had breaks, mainly in the nineties but I don't remeber 2000ad ever being better than this. Well done Rebellion.

[JAMESCOR]

Much to my suprise Prog was waiting for me when I got home from work, still no sign of last weeks though! Loving Dredd Mike Collins is channeling Blueberry this week which a good thing.Necrophim is all a bit dull and stiff, Strontium Dog is ticking along nicely and Kingdom and Shakara look fantastic even if the stories were just build up to the immiment conclusions.

Overall a good Prog but kind of waiting for the next line up.

james-corcoran.blogspot.com 

[Leigh S]

hmm - "ugly = evil" in the cursed earth?... maybe.. but then maybe we have norms feeding their own to flying rats, enslaving innocent aliens, worshipping dinosaurs, fighting over who makes the best burger....

I'm not sure Pat would agree that his story deals in such a simple delineation as ugly is evil... indeed, subtle Pat aint on this point (especially with teh Tweak stuff)

[mygrimmbrother]

Cover - good but a bit lazy (not in its execution, just the fact that it's kinda recycled)

Dredd - my least favourite arc so far. after Macneil & PJ, just not diggin Collins' art on this. Want it to move on, don;t really care about the resolution of this mutie gang plot (we all know how it'll end)

Shakara - huh? gorgeous, but huh?

Kingdom - gnarly!!! loved the wrastlin', and despite Dingo's more savage appearance, Gene well and truly asserts his alpha male bizness. Plus the arachnid beastie is NASTY

Necrophim - going off it, but I'm a fickle creature. ask anyone.

S/D - erm, nit sure about the lovin', felt a bit weird. Wagner's scripting skills here seem to pale in comparison with Dredd at the mo

Letters - Yay!

Article on Cursed Earth - most welcome in my opinion, goo dto get an insight into the fact that Dredd-lore is permeating academic circles. Very interesting.