Prog 1671 - Dredd The Dragonslayer!

[Pete Wells]

Cover - Absolutely stunning. It's the zarjaz Cliff Robinson one that was in the Meg and it's simply wonderful.

Dredd - Great stuff, really old school Dredd. I thought Grennie had a rare Morrison moment with the whole Mackman badge thing which was a surprise, especially how he's took the piss so much in the past. Loved the text in the final panel, very cool indeed. One question though, is this the end? It seems like it but if so, we haven't found out much about the beast at all.

Oh, a special mention for Chris Blythe's colouring, those firey pages seem to glow!

Stickleback - Aces. An action packed, sky chariots tinged tale with some real laugh out loud moments. As usual, I'm looking forward to reading D'Israeli's blog for this 'un as I'm confused as to whether that's the London Eye in the first panel or not. The highlights for me were the inclusion of Caractacus Potts (his back story was hilariously tragic!) and Arthur Askey! Bonkersly brilliant!

ABC's - The usual; not a lot happens but what does is very enjoyable and beautifully illustrated. Very much looking forward to next week's face off with Blackblood but wonder how many weeks Pat will drag that out for, not that I mind, I do love the strip in a silly way.

Ampney - A satisfying ending, eventually. Half way through the episode I was a bit lost but all is explained in some clunky old exposition in the last page and a half. I like this stip a lot and am more than happy for it to return, but only if Davis is on art duties, the man's a god!

Dante - Yay, Spatchcock and Flintlock are back, easily two of my favourite supporting characters. Classic Dante here with humour, treachery, Errol Flynn type escapades and a real cliffhanger ending. The list of characters I want to survive at the end of Dante is pretty huge but Spatchy and Flinty are right near the top - don't do it slapheed!

A rollicking good prog for me, every story a joy and an amazing cover.

[Colin_YNWA]

After the highs of last week I'd say this one was rather a return to the steady if  unspectacular from the rest of the year has had. Curiously this is the cover that should have been a double spread rather than last weeks. As it is I find the composition a little awkward, which it really surprises me to say given its Cliff Robinson. Mind love this Dredd here.

Inside the Dredd, Dante and ABC Warriors continue to delight all three are absolutely great, possibly Dante winning the day with a nice comedy turn by Spatchcock and Flintlock.

The two Edginton stories as ever look beautiful but don't quite entertain as much as the others. In Stickleback's case this is such a shame after last weeks intriguing little interlude. In Ampney's case its disappointing as the story just kinda ends, fizzles out. Not terrible, not great just ok. Which I guess is fitting for the story as a whole.

The question we have a week to await the answer to is what fills its slot next week. Am I getting my western at last?

Good Prog.

[Dark Jimbo]

Bit dissapointed with Dredd and Crucis this week, which don't so much end as... stop. Ampney C had more or less the same problem last series - after lots and lots of exposition from the baddie, the army suddenly turned up in the last few pages and just blew everything up. His stories have been enjoyable enough while running, but when they end it feels a bit - 'So what?' Feeling a bit cheated by Dredd, too - it was the mystery about what the dragon might be that was keeping me hooked. Guess I'll never know.

Everything else is crackers, though. Loving ABCs, Stickles and Dante - cannot say enough good things about those three this week. So I won't try, except to hope for more of the same next week.  

[Proudhuff]

Cover - The best of the year...so far, got to disagree about the layout/design its one of the best I've seen:strong, powerful classic reversed Z shape, maybe this is the image for the St George tshirt? 

Dredd - wonderful Dredd, begging for a origins tale for that dragon.

Stickleback - loving this just wish it was a double issue as its all over just too quickly,Arthur Askey! Where?
That may be A London Eye a steampunk one, are those strange buildings at Greenwich the ones from Scarlet Traces? and there are a couple of other alternative buildings elsewheretoo

ABC's - less said soonest mended

Ampney -Great stuff , its been some time since the nipple counts been so high in the prog!
Dante - more old pals for the final curtain call?

A healthy 8.5 out of ten from me...

[Mardroid]

Cover- Very good.

Thrills of the Future: Ooh, that's a nasty image!

Dredd:  Good ending, although I'd have liked the mutant guy to have done a bit more than be spectator. It would have been a nice little twist if the witch womans prophesies of two warriors hadn't been the 2 mutants (which obviously it wasn't) or the 2 Judges (which apparently it was, although the second judge didn't amount to much) but one of each. End caption was a bit corny but overall a good little tale.

Stickleback: Great little aerial battle! I hope the others turn up by the end though. They're too good characters to lose so quickly especially considering the plot thread started in the previous story.
Edit- I forgot to mention, I noticed what appears to be the London Eye too! Still, in this version of Victorian London, they seem a lot more advanced in some ways. With the robots, they're even more advanced than us!

ABC Warriors:  Silly but enjoyable. I still think the art isn't all that suited for action though, although it's wonderful otherwise. The origins of Volkhan was interesting rubbish. Didn't a couple of panels suggest thousands of the marsokhod robots though? How much ammo do the warriors actually have? I know they're good at hand to hand too, but I'd think even they'd be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

Ampney Crucis:  Ok ending, although I find myself thinking "so that's it then". As a chapter in a longer story, it's interesting though. I'm not sure how that lady's eyeball grew back after being depossessed* though. I like the idea that the demon people aren't so much fed to the demon creature as it's literally made from people all stuck together. heh.

Dante- Great stuff, and I like the mix of comedy we get this episode. It seems a while since we've seen those two guys. I happened to have picked up the Tsar Wars volume 1 at the library a while back so I remember them.

Back cover (well it's worth mentioning.) Classic Alien's Vs Predator image, but very good.

*Spell-checker doesn't like that word. If you've read the story you'll know what I mean though.

[The monarch]

Spatchcock and Flintlock better survive they and elena are my fave characters!

[King Trout]

Another amazing prog.

- Trout

[vzzbux]

Am I the only one that doesn't feel much for the characters, including the lead, in Stickleback. For me the weakest part of the prog.

Cover of the year so far and will be hard to top.







V

[Pete Wells]

Oh, I really love some of those characters. Little Tonga always makes me laugh and Black Bob and Fiery Jack are cool. As for the man himself, his identity has me fascinated. I'll probably get totally flamed here but I see the strip as a more accessible version of LOEG with art that's just as good, if not better.

As for the cover sir, you can see git big versions of the roughs, line art and coloured version on me blog.

[Dark Jimbo]

Am I the only one that doesn't feel much for the characters, including the lead, in Stickleback. For me the weakest part of the prog.

No, I think I agree with that (apart from it being the weakest in the prog. I care what happens to Stickleback's crew far more than I do the characters in Ampney, who I don't care about at all). I like the strip, but the Stickleback character himself worked better when he was kept largely in the shadows, IMO, like in the first series (still the best of the three). He works best as an enigma.

[radiator]

Have enjoyed this Dredd interlude - it was good until the last few pages, which imo raised it to 'great'.

Lovely art by both Cliff and PJ - who has, with his recent work on Tales of the Black Museum, The Lost Cases and the main strip, actually gone from an artist I thought was 'pretty good' to one of my favourite current 2000ad artists.

Dante is the only other thing I've had time to read so far, still great. Is it just me or is Burns an artist who can veer from poor to excellent in the space of a single page? Some of his stuff I'm not too keen on, but that panel of him tight rope walking above the guards was just wonderful - really atmospheric and sums up what Dante is all about.

[Mikey]

Cover - nothing more to add to the praise already given!

Dredd - this was a great, fun yarn that I'm disappointed is over (or is it?) I must add to the PJ and Blythe combo; fantastic! I especially liked the sequence with ol' stony face getting a good flaming - conveyed the tension and jeopardy that can sometimes be missing for Dredd IMO. I think to pull off such a story in the middle of all going on in Dredd is a not inconsiderable feat - this didn't feel like 'filler' at all.

Stickleback -continues to entertain immensely. I agree with Pete on the LOEG front - was thinking something similar when I read it - and would draw the analogy of LOEG being the officers and Stickles crew the soldiers!

ABCs - still enjoying the energy of the strip, but am now looking for a wrap up.

Ampney Crucius - disappointed with what felt like an abrupt end, but a great addition to the prog alright and looking forward to more. Loved the panel where Cromwell whacks yer woman on the bonce!

Dante - I still read it. Don't know who the hell Tefal is, but hey.

Nice preview of Zombo too - I can't wait for more!

M.

[Proudhuff]

Oh, I really love some of those characters. Little Tonga always makes me laugh and Black Bob and Fiery Jack are cool. As for the man himself, his identity has me fascinated. I'll probably get totally flamed here but I see the strip as a more accessible version of LOEG with art that's just as good, if not better.

As for the cover sir, you can see git big versions of the roughs, line art and coloured version on me blog.

Not flaming, This from D'Blog of 'Israeli ...

Page Five: The Futurists

If this seems a little League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, it's worth remembering, dear reader, that all of us who play this kind of tune are riffing off Philip José Farmer.

[Van Dom]

That cover is awesome!
Only seen it on Pete's blog, won't have the prog until tomorrow.

I've fallen a bit behind in my reading again and have the last 3 issues still waiting to be read at home, must try and catch up again! It's funny, all the strips that are currently running are top class, upper echelon thrills, but for some reason, I don't know, its just not exciting me to the point that I MUST read the prog as soon as I get it. I can't put my finger on why; Dredd is the best its been since forever, ABC warriors is an all time fave, Nikolai Dante another, Stickleback is a classy production and Simon Davis is one of my favourite artists. So all the elements are there that should have me salivating over the progs. I'm just, y'know...not?

Maybe its just cos I od'd on 2000ad last year wading through about 1200 issues in 10 months....that could be it....

[Colin_YNWA]

Maybe its just cos I od'd on 2000ad last year wading through about 1200 issues in 10 months....that could be it....

Chuff me that'd do it too you. There I was worrying that I was reading way too many Progs in one go and now I feel like a light weight!

Just be careful remember what happened to the Flaming Carrot!