tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672566164319083362024-03-21T12:24:13.917+00:00Hi-Ex! Blogthe Highlands International Comic Expo.Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.comBlogger360125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-70584275898845437882013-06-12T19:51:00.000+01:002013-06-12T19:51:22.285+01:00Doctor Who Plague of the Cybermen audiobook review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTRunKgd265EzAyXJm1RHi28Z0xrcanQAzlHZl9jeDQsgbuE9QM" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTRunKgd265EzAyXJm1RHi28Z0xrcanQAzlHZl9jeDQsgbuE9QM" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">This audiobook is nicely times, being that the Cybermen have recently </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">been redesigned and returned in the television series in a story </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">written by superstar author Neil Gamian.</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">It beings with what, in retrospect, is a rather obvious idea for a </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">cybermen story. We have The Doctor landing in a village in 19th </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">century Germany, thus playing up the (as I say, obvious in retrospect) </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Frankenstein elements of the story. This even has a mysterious castle </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">and all that…</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">The story is quiet slow in the first act, as all the pieces are</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">brought into play, but once it gets going it gets going – there is </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">action and chase scenes aplenty. And conversely, after the slow first </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">act, the final act feels a little rushed.</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">There are some great touches – I liked the Doctor’s ‘temporary </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">companion’ here – a local teacher. It’s kind of a shame that we’ll </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">not see her again, it would be nice to have a series of these novels </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">running alongside the television show… but that’s wishful thinking. </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">And also the cyberwolves were very cool. Or at least, the ones I saw </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">in my head were.</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">But, and this is a big but… yet again we get a story that revolves </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">around a crashed spaceship! Seriously, is there no joined up editing </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">across this range? How many times are we going to see this trope used? </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">It certainly helped to detract from what is otherwise a fun and </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">exciting book.</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">It’s also worth noting that this audio version is read brilliantly by </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">the great David Warner – no stranger to the Whoverse.</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Apart from the crashed spaceship – this makes for some splendid entertainment.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Plague of the Cybermen is released by <a href="http://www.audiogo.com/uk/">AudioGo</a>.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-44505179735301421802013-05-01T20:37:00.003+01:002013-05-01T20:37:42.021+01:00MALTA COMIC CONVENTION 2013 - DATES ANNOUNCEDI was honoured to be a guest at the Malta convention last year, and they have just announced the dates for 2013!<br />
If there is any way you can get to this convention, then get to this convention!<br />
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Do you remember how much fun you
had at the Malta Comic Con 2012? How good it felt to meet all the awesome
guests and creators that exhibited at our show? The rush you felt seeing your
favourite creators sign and sketch? Do you remember how amazing it was to spend
2 days with so many wicked folk, discussing and doing the things you like most?
Of course you do! How can you forget when we all had such a blast at the show?
All those lovely people in costumes, all the buzz in the video game rooms, the
thrill of tabletop and role playing games with the wicked folk at W.A.R.S, all
those informative and entertaining talks, discussion panels and workshops! And
what about all the free movies? The portfolio reviews, those impressive
exhibitions and most of all, the fun filled atmosphere experienced during the
whole 2 days of the convention!</div>
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You would all love to experience
all these feelings again don’t you? And why shouldn’t you? Yep the Malta Comic
Con is coming again and it’s going to be super!</div>
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And if you haven’t experienced
the Malta Comic Con yet, this is your wake up call!</div>
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Wicked Comics are proud to
announce that this year the Malta Comic Con (Good Vibes) will be happening on <b>Saturday 30<sup>th</sup> November and
Sunday 1<sup>st</sup> December at St. James Cavalier <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Valletta</st1:city></st1:place></b>. So keep the dates free for 2
more days of fun for everyone! Fans can look forward to another killer roster
of foreign creators who are not only gifted but are also really nice folks,
more local creators and locally created comics, cosplay events and competitions,
gaming events and competitions, free movies and animations showing during the
whole duration of the convention, impressive exhibitions and a healthy number
of talks, workshops and discussion panels. There will be something for
everyone!</div>
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As customary Wicked Comics have
designed a number of packages for fans wishing to travel to the Malta Comic Con
from abroad, which include heavily discounted accommodation rates and local
transport from hotel to convention. Similarly Wicked Comics have a number of
packages tailored for foreign creators who whish to exhibit at the Malta Comic
Con including heavily discounted tables.</div>
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Anyone wishing to know more about
these packages, and local creators/retailers wishing to exhibit at the Malta
Comic Con 2013 are kindly requested to email us for more details on <a href="mailto:info@maltacomic-con.com">info@maltacomic-con.com</a> </div>
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For more details kindly visit: <a href="http://www.maltacomic-con.com/">http://www.maltacomic-con.com</a> </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-67041206722096925282013-04-26T19:53:00.001+01:002013-04-26T19:53:49.702+01:00Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag – Check out The Watch trailer I love Assassin's Creed, so make no apology for posting this ad for the new game! Just check this out!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mdwyLMjdulA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-46566077117968420202013-04-25T20:26:00.001+01:002013-04-25T20:27:35.413+01:00Doctor Who: Vengeance of the Stones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bigfinish.com/img/release/vengeanceofthestonescover_cover_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="http://www.bigfinish.com/img/release/vengeanceofthestonescover_cover_large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This being the 50th anniversary year of the greatest television show </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">in history (note: may be some bias there), <a href="http://www.audiogo.com/uk/">AudioGo</a> have put together </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">this ambitious series, which features a story thread that runs through </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">a series of adventures, one for each of the Doctors incarnations.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This, as you can see from the picture, is the Third Doctor story. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The first concern the casual listener may have is in picking up one of </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">these without hearing the previous stories in the series. Will it be </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">accessible and make sense? I have not heard the first two, so I am in </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">a position to answer that question.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">And the answer is that you do not need to have heard the previous </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">stories to enjoy this one. I’m sure that if I go back to this having </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">heard the rest of them, I could probably pick up clues here and there, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">but this is very much a stand-alone story, albeit with a scene towards </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the end that is obviously there to lead into the fourth Doctor </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">adventure.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">As for the story itself, it is one that would be hard for Hi-Ex! to </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ignore, being that it is set here! It concerns RAF pilots flying out </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of the base at Lossiemouth, and name checks a lot of familiar </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">locations in and around Inverness. It’s always a treat to hear places </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">you know mentioned in a story, and gives it a nice added ;Easter Egg’. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It is a well told and well read story. There is also a nice treat for </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">long time Who fans, as it serves as something of an origin story for a </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">fan favourite character from the Pertwee UNIT days. If I had one </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">complaint, it would be the same one I have mentioned in a lot of </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">reviews for Who adventures. And that is that I don’t know how we move </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">on this island for all the crashed spaceships that seem to be on it… </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">But if you can see through that complaint, this is a very good story indeed.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">PS, if you’re reading this– congratulations on having got this far! </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">You may have noticed that reviews and posts here have been thin on the </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ground for a while, and for that I can only apologise! It is proving </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to be difficult to write and post here regularly as I’m just one guy, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">so if you as sensible and competent and would like to write reviews or </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">posts for the blog, please drop me a line!</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-55415264614078622892013-02-27T19:23:00.001+00:002013-02-27T19:24:54.501+00:00MANIAPLANET ARRIVES ON STEAM<br />
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Today, Ubisoft and Nadeo announced that ManiaPlanet games and services, including the upcoming multiplayer first-person shooter, <b><i>ShootMania</i></b><b><i> Storm,</i></b> will be accessible via Valve’s Steam service.</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">TrackMania² Stadium</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, the racing game phenomenon with more than 12 million registered users also makes its debuts on Steam.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Both<b><i>ShootMania</i></b><b><i> Storm</i></b> and <b><i>TrackMania<sup>2</sup> Stadium</i></b> open betas can now be accessed via Steam. Steam users can also download the full TrackMania<sup>2</sup> Canyon game via Valve’s platform.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">ShootMania</span></i></b><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Storm</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> is currently in open beta, inviting gamers of all levels from around the world to have a try the fast-paced competitive shooter. The open beta will allow Nadeo to fine-tune and refine the experience thanks to the feedback of the open beta testers, as well as to test servers and progressively introduce additional features and possibilities. Several updates are already planned until <b><i>ShootMania</i></b><b><i> Storm</i></b> reaches its final version on April 10, 2013.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“<i>This partnership with Steam’s worldwide publishing platform allows us to introduce <b>ShootMania</b><b> Storm</b> and all of theManiaPlanet games and services to an even wider audience of PC gamers in the world. As a matter of fact, it is key to us that as many players as possible join the actual growing community so that everybody gets maximum fun with the game</i>” said Anne Blondel-Jouin, Nadeo Publishing Managing Director.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“<i>Through Steam, we’ll make "competition for everyone" a dream come true for more gamers and map-and-mod makers who all create the user-generated content and activity that make <b>ShootMania</b><b> Storm </b>so attractive and innovative on the FPS PC competitive field,” </i>Anne Blondel-Jouin added<i>. "I want to take the opportunity to thank whole-heartedly the players who have already joined <b>ShootMania</b><b> Storm</b> frenzyness and to welcome warmly the new comers: we're looking forward to seeing all of them on the servers.</i>"<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Both <b><i>ShootMania</i></b><b><i> Storm</i></b> and <b><i>TrackMania² Stadium</i></b> are now available to pre-order on Steam with a 10% discount until release, as well as on the official website of the ManiaPlanet platform: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.maniaplanet.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">ManiaPlanet.com</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. <span style="color: red;"> </span>The games can also be downloaded and played right away in their Open Beta versions on </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.maniaplanet.com/download" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">http://www.ManiaPlanet.com/<wbr></wbr>download</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Developed by Ubisoft’s Nadeo studio, <b><i>ShootMania</i></b><b><i> Storm</i></b> is a fast-paced, multiplayer first-person shooter designed from the ground up for online and eSports competition. With multiple game modes and diverse play styles, <b><i>ShootMania</i></b><b><i> Storm</i></b> is an innovative twist on familiar multiplayer gameplay that focuses on skill, speed and strategy. The game also offers stout community support and interaction, with an easy-to-use map-maker and sharing elements that to date have produced more than 15 player-made game modes as well as more than 20,000 player-made maps.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">ShootMania</span></i></b><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Storm,</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">TrackMania² Stadium</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and <b><i>TrackMania² Canyon</i></b> are</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> part of the ManiaPlanet system and follow in the footsteps of <i>TrackMania<sup>TM</sup></i>, Nadeo’s successful arcade racing game. ManiaPlanet is a flexible and robust development, gaming and community platform that pushes cutting-edge graphics, enables limitless game types, and encourages incredible community participation and user-made content. <u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-51952329791963672432013-02-27T19:10:00.000+00:002013-02-27T19:10:10.167+00:00New from Commando!<span style="font-family: inherit;">The info on the latest issues from the award winning Commando comic have been released. These issues are on sale <span style="line-height: 115%;">28</span><sup style="line-height: 115%;">th</sup><span style="line-height: 115%;"> February 2013</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Commando No 4579 – The Regimental Spoon<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfDoFjIjBFoSGC92TNvNtU2W5H2GplD9X5c-tCyDl8IW4O-IJGJ6_ihH8vnrRvl-yvyR2dDQ_K0DIQEEp8bxsH-07e1amQhIE-nzv6waKd4w5G9R0g8J086Rs2Quja04QJQi6JGDJTZc/s1600/Comm_4579_coverMaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfDoFjIjBFoSGC92TNvNtU2W5H2GplD9X5c-tCyDl8IW4O-IJGJ6_ihH8vnrRvl-yvyR2dDQ_K0DIQEEp8bxsH-07e1amQhIE-nzv6waKd4w5G9R0g8J086Rs2Quja04QJQi6JGDJTZc/s320/Comm_4579_coverMaster.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Soldiers’
lucky charms and mascots come in all shapes and sizes — from medallions to pet
goats and all things in between. But surely one of the oddest objects to become
a talisman of good fortune was a spoon. Yes, that’s right, a humble spoon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Don’t believe it? Well, between these covers
is the story of how this kitchen utensil went to war with generations of the
same family — and returned home safely every time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Make up your own mind if the tale is true.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Story:
Mac MacDonald<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Art:
Keith Page<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cover:
Keith Page<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Commando
No 4580 – Burma Vengeance<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiU3trFHME5AKi4oiqTBbok9OF-JcJEXZ2gMmbg5z7r66Bs26mQMen8LSWxmf8Q4ogJcab4ggOPq8wFdduPTjXIWltpUcDPdUq486-3g-q6LZGd29ZWA7eJXrRR2Wvzj9mEzcOlp1-NU/s1600/Comm_4580_coverMaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiU3trFHME5AKi4oiqTBbok9OF-JcJEXZ2gMmbg5z7r66Bs26mQMen8LSWxmf8Q4ogJcab4ggOPq8wFdduPTjXIWltpUcDPdUq486-3g-q6LZGd29ZWA7eJXrRR2Wvzj9mEzcOlp1-NU/s320/Comm_4580_coverMaster.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
the dense Burmese jungle, British troops were being driven back towards India,
their spirits sapped by a series of defeats at the hands of the advancing
Japanese.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Corporal Dan Farley had been left in command
of a group of fearful survivors. They expected to be killed at any moment…but
then a grizzled veteran Sergeant – ruthless and tough – came of out of nowhere
to save their skins. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Dan wanted to be like this lethal newcomer,
but the mysterious NCO was on a mission of his own. He had a score to settle
with a brutal Japanese Colonel. This quest was personal and it could only end
in death…but whose?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Story:
Alan Hebden<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Art:
Vila<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cover:
Janek Matysiak<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Commando
No 4581 – Hero From Hollywood<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OAVtNakp0Rh6CwvvlBsxic7BRzKFtDo_PTnja_25WMbwL7ol5tLbCjza8V751pnu31Vjd8KNHJ85m_DOt0srFh_y4wpvHMKoNkIdEGVwfbsBrDWXYRbhxu1Kh6DLkR4mLE4eVVZjNTU/s1600/Comm_4581_coverMaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OAVtNakp0Rh6CwvvlBsxic7BRzKFtDo_PTnja_25WMbwL7ol5tLbCjza8V751pnu31Vjd8KNHJ85m_DOt0srFh_y4wpvHMKoNkIdEGVwfbsBrDWXYRbhxu1Kh6DLkR4mLE4eVVZjNTU/s320/Comm_4581_coverMaster.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Almost
every man has a hero…the one bloke in all the world he’d give his right arm to
be like. Corporal Joe Brent’s number one he-man was the big, granite-fisted
American film-star – Chet Marvin.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> In the days before the war, Joe queued up to
see every movie he made, and marvelled at the sheer guts of the man.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Then, one day in 1941, against a background
of exploding German bombs and throbbing aero-engines, Corporal Joe Brent and
his celluloid hero met face to face. It should have been the greatest day in
Joe’s life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> But this was no Hollywood film set. This was
war! And when the shot and shell are no longer blanks, it’s easy to sort out
the men from the boys…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A
little bit of “conspiracy theory” never goes amiss in Commando and author Eric
Hebden takes full advantage here with his invasion that never was. The main
thrust of the story, though, is a hero with feet of clay — or a bad case of the
jitters — and he manages that with equal aplomb.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> The art is strong, inside and outside, by
two men who handle the drawing of horses with the same skill as Hebden handles
the story. And horses, as the best of artists will tell you, are tricky beasts
to capture.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Giddy-up and get reading!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Calum
Laird, Editor<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hero
From Hollywood originally Commando No84 (August 1963), re-issued as No559 (June
1971) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Story:
Eric Hebden<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Art:
Jones<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cover:
Alvaro<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Commando
No 4582 – The Secret Tanks<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUNGlWAwwo_4nlXXfiB4Msw56XfaMxIOj0XeF25syEDVfOrjQqLFvhJBNKEgxbRiGk_fhVubFrJMe9JuNdmzPS3bGaBYHSQombP07MsDM-B0G9RXYuLLsM-NuA5EyhGNNineB7pXivaE/s1600/Comm_4582_coverMaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUNGlWAwwo_4nlXXfiB4Msw56XfaMxIOj0XeF25syEDVfOrjQqLFvhJBNKEgxbRiGk_fhVubFrJMe9JuNdmzPS3bGaBYHSQombP07MsDM-B0G9RXYuLLsM-NuA5EyhGNNineB7pXivaE/s320/Comm_4582_coverMaster.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
French Char-B tank was one of the best fighting vehicles of the Second World
War. But France had surrendered in 1940 so why were there a lot of them in the
desert in 1943? And why did they have enemy markings? It was a secret which the
Germans were determined to hide but which the Allies were equally determined to
uncover.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This
solid tale features a story-telling device that works well in Commando – the
linking of World War II with the Great War which had ended a little over twenty
years previously. Here, the connection is a fighting father and son, and the
dependable sergeant that served alongside them both. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Then, of course, throw into the mix the
“Secret Tanks” of the title – great, clanking French Char Bs – and we have a
classic in the making.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Commando legend Gordon Livingstone’s art is
up to his usual high standard here, and shows his versatility in drawing action
and adventure, whatever the conflict. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Scott
Montgomery, Deputy Editor<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
Secret Tanks, originally Commando no 2210 (August 1988), re-issued as No 3708
(April 2004)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Story:
David Heptonstall<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Art:
Gordon Livingstone<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cover:
Jeff Bevan</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-29350011158723315972013-02-25T20:33:00.000+00:002013-02-25T20:33:13.072+00:00Judge Dredd: The Dark Judges review<br />
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTxmtZX9UrK8al4AH1IurT5V9aQoNp41zkAbsYD-pOnzb-OsZVmGg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #9fc5e8; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTxmtZX9UrK8al4AH1IurT5V9aQoNp41zkAbsYD-pOnzb-OsZVmGg" /></a></div>
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<strong style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Review by <a href="http://judgetutorsemple.wordpress.com/">Steve Hargett</a></strong></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><strong>Writers:</strong>John Wagner & Alan Grant</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><strong>Artists:</strong>Brian Bolland, Brett Ewins, Cliff Robinson, Ron Smith</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><strong>Letterers</strong>:<br />Tom Frame</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Previously published in Progs 149-151, 224-228 & 416-427</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">The most widely known villains outside 2000AD fandom, Judge Death has been an inspiration for many things. Most notably Dredd and his deathly nemesis have appeared on many Anthrax albums and t-shirts.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">This collection brings us the stories Judge Death, Judge Death Lives and Four Dark Judges. These stories are reprints so I am assuming most readers will be aware of the general thrust of the stories. There are spoilers below but due to the fact they are reprints I’m tagging them as light. If you have never read these stories maybe they are medium. There is only one heavy spoiler if you haven’t read Judge Death.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">I’m reviewing the Kindle version of this book and all pages are black and white. It does suffer slightly from the fact that famous double spreads are cut in half. However the story is still easily read and brought back good memories.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Judge Death</span></h3>
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<img alt="Dark Judges 01" class=" wp-image-408 alignleft" height="336" src="http://judgetutorsemple.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/dark-judges-01.jpg?w=195&h=336" style="display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;" width="195" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">As well as Judge Death this sory introduces us to Judge Anderson and the Psi Division.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Judge Death is an inter-planar travelling mass murderer A Judge on his home world, where Judges were more brutal than they have been in Mega City One at all times other than perhaps Chief Judge Cal’s tenure of office. They were brutal in life but when Judge Death took charge of their world they descended into madness sentencing the whole planet to death.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Death is a psionically powered spirit creature able to take possession of a living person or enter a specially prepared corpse to take physical form. His hand pass through flesh without damaging it, only to squeeze the heart within the chest cavity until it bursts. He is stronger than a living human and able to sustain a large amount of injury without affect.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">His Judge uniform is a macabre version of Dredd’s own. We later see that is less different to the Judges of his own world in ‘Boyhood of a Superfiend’ (published in Judge Dredd Megazine first volume issues 1-19).</span></div>
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<img alt="Dark Judges XX" class=" wp-image-409 alignright" height="350" src="http://judgetutorsemple.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/dark-judges-xx.jpg?w=261&h=350" style="display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1em;" width="261" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Death embarks on a rampage through the city and is ‘killed’ by Dredd. Anderson interrogates the corpse and is later possessed by possessed by his spirit but due to her own strong will is able to resist him enough to keep other Psi Judges aware of Death’s plans.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Anderson gives the Judges her own plan to defeat Death. Dredd and a team of Judges follow the information Anderson has managed to get to them without the knowledge of Judge Death. Death’s body destroyed, he re-enters Anderson and she sacrifices herself for the good of the city and was sealed in Boing! (see prog 136) and was put on display in the Justice Department Hall of Heroes for all to show their respects.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">This story is well crafted and the creation of Judge Death is a masterstroke. Though he is later misused in some people’s opinion as a more comedic character this strip set him up as a very chilling creature.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">The art of Brian Bolland is amazing and gives real menace to the villain and true charm to the heroine.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Judge Death Lives</span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">The first episode shows a tourist in the Hall of Heroes leaving a tour and later cutting open the Boing! sarcophagus that housed Anderson and Death. Death possesses the man and he returns to his apartment where we find he had agreed to free Judge Death to safe his wife, though he had been double crossed and she was dead. Who had made this deal with him? Three allies of Judge Death.</span></div>
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<img alt="Dark Judges 03" class=" wp-image-420 alignleft" height="285" src="http://judgetutorsemple.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/dark-judges-03.jpg?w=263&h=285" style="display: inline; float: left; font-size: 13px; margin-right: 1em;" width="263" /></h3>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Judges Fear, Fire and Mortis all drawn for the first time by Brian Bolland so there is a clear connection between the uniforms of these three and Death. Only Fear’s uniform is devoid of the pterodactyl, though Fire’s isn’t obvious in the picture opposite. I’ve always assumed this mean Fear was not a Street Judge on his home-world but that is mere speculation.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">The three Dark Judges prepare their erstwhile Human accomplice and Judge Death again has physical form.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">The four Dark Judge soon embark on a Judgement-spree. Killing all those that break their law; Life is a crime and the sentence is death. They seal themselves within a block with a psionic shield that fries anyone trying to cross it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Anderson, freshly out of the Boing! sarcophagus warns Dredd that there are three others with Death. Anderson can get herself and Dredd through the shield but they have to destroy the shield generator to get more Judges inside.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Dredd famously resists the powers of Judge Fear and they destroy the generator. The Dark Judges retreat to their home-wold but with Fear’s body vacant his corpse is left behind and Anderson and Dredd can follow.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Reading this story in 1981 I was transfixed from Prog to Prog. The artwork again is very powerful. The script is excellent, it was a joy to read.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Four Dark Judges</span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">This was the first strip to be given the title of Anderson Psi Division and was published in 1985. This was the last appearance of Judges Fear, Fire and Mortis until their return in Chaos Day.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">The Dark Judges lure Anderson back to Deadworld and force her to help resurrect them using mummified Judges. Though she had been able to partly resist Judge Death’s control she was unable to fight the combined Psionic power of the four Dark Judges.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">We learn that their Grand Hall of Justice had been re-named the Necropolis, Brett Ewins’ version of the building created a much more perverse structure than we had seen Bolland draw. Within that building they had access to all of their equipment and returned to Mega City One leaving Anderson presumed dead.</span></div>
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<img alt="Dark Judges 04" class=" wp-image-427 alignright" height="134" src="http://judgetutorsemple.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/dark-judges-04.jpg?w=266&h=134" style="display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1em;" width="266" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Anderson however had shielded herself from them enough to feign death and returns to the city. Chief Judge McGruder suspends her for unleashing the Dark Judges on Mega City One. Anderson considers her fate.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">The Dark Judges again went on a killing spree. This time they had teleport devices so that they could leave any place where Judges were attacking them and continue their mission.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Again Anderson puts together a plan that sees the Dark Judges vanquished.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">More to come…</span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Not part of this book but it has been revealed that Death is coming back…</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-23574566170032584162013-02-20T19:33:00.000+00:002013-02-20T19:33:22.662+00:00Day of Chaos The Fourth Faction review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Review by <a href="http://judgetutorsemple.wordpress.com/">Steve Hargett</a>.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Previously published in progs 1700-1704, 1740-1751, 1753-1758 & Judge Dredd Megazine 307, 308, 310.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">I picked this up in <a href="http://www.travellingman.com/" style="color: #5e191a; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">Travelling Man</a> in Leeds. I missed Staz Johnson signing on Saturday 9th February due to work but Travelling Man hooked me up with a signed copy on the following Sunday.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">There are spoilers below but as it is a reprint I’m saying they are medium as I expect most readers know something of the story. In more recent reviews of Judge Dredd reprints I’ve tried to keep the spoilers very light, this is because the stories, <a href="http://judgetutorsemple.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/judge-dredd-the-cursed-earth-saga-graphic-novel-by-pat-mills-john-wagner-mick-mcmahon-brian-bolland-light-spoilers/" style="color: #5e191a; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank" title="Judge Dredd: The Cursed Earth Saga – Graphic novel by Pat Mills, John Wagner, Mick McMahon & Brian Bolland – light spoilers">The Cursed Earth Saga</a> and<a href="http://judgetutorsemple.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/judge-dredd-the-day-the-law-died-spoiler-light/" style="color: #5e191a; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank" title="Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died – spoiler Light">The Day The Law Died</a> are much older and new readers are perhaps less likely to know much about them. Of course if you haven’t previously heard anything about this story the spoilers are heavy; in fact they get that way in my intro in the second paragraph following this, so beware.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Revenge is a dish best served cold. It’s an old saying, much quoted. This is a cold day for Mega City One, or rather this is the start of the build up to a cold day.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">This story has its roots in 1981 when John Wagner and Alan Grant decided Mega City One was just a bit too big. Starting with Block Mania in Progs 236-244 where East-Meg assassin Orlok poisoned the water supply to several citi-blocks turning them in to warring factions. Then we entered the Apocalypse War in progs 245-270 when East-Meg One invaded following the chaos their agent had caused. Seeing his city devastated, Dredd led a hand picked band of Judges and in the end wiped the enemy city from the Earth with its own missiles.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">30 years later…</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Here we have a slow increase of threat to the city. There has recently been a change in Chief Judge, the outgoing Sinfield. sentenced to life on the Titan penal colony. The incoming Chief Judge Francisco, returned to the post after being poisoned by Sinfield. Dredd has been forced to be on the Council of Five, to all intents and purposes not only the leaders of the Judges but the Government of Mega City One, their Mayor being a symbolic leader only.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">In an attempt to avoid what Dredd sees as tedium in the Council of Five meetings he initiates a policy of Zero Tolerance and starts with a crackdown in Sector 50. in The Skinning Room. This episode doesn’t have a great deal of plot linked to the main story of revenge. However it is essential for background of what state the city is in at the time. Every spare Judge is drafted in to Sector 50 and senior Cadets are also put on the streets. There is an interesting new element of Justice Department are seen, specialist snipers with unique uniforms and hover bike as a platform. This story centres on a Resyk employee with a murderous intent. Watch out for a cheeky cameo of the Justice Department’s Eagle symbol in one picture involving a female Judge strapped to an operating table.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Hot Night in 95 sees the tension on the streets increase as terrorist attacks take place throughout Sector 95, Where Dredd is temporary Sector Chief. This story re-introduces Judge Logan, who previously worked with Dredd in The Satanist, Total War, Origins and Tour of Duty. It also re-introduces Judge Hershey, a very longstanding character first introduced on The Judge Child and later rising in the ranks to become Chief Judge, replaced by Judge Francisco in his first term.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">The Further Dasterdly Deeds of PJ Maybe sees the serial killer, a fan favourite, locked up in a high security iso-cube. He had been hiding in plain sight as Mayor Ambrose, oddly the best Mayor the city had probably ever had, now publicly assumed to be dead. He was considered such a threat that his very existence was supposed to be secret. If you know PJ you can guess what happens…</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Nadia is the next episode, named after mysterious woman who has recently arrived in the city. Nadia meets with a sleeper cell to arrange something big. Dredd meanwhile is now avoiding his duties on the Council of Five by teaching at the Academy of Law three times a month, when able. A PSI Cadet, Hennessy, brings him details of her precognition that some dorm of devastation was going to hit the city on the day of the upcoming Mayoral Election, to replace the ‘dead’ Mayor Ambrose. Hennesy leads Dredd slowly towards Nadia. Nadia’s sleeper cell successfully kidnap a scientist from the city.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">The Fourth Faction, the eponymous episode of this graphic novel, reveals the enemy to be East-Meg One survivors led by Colonel Borisenko. The kidnapped scientist is a bio-engineer that had developed a deadly virus that he had refused to turn over to Mega City One’s Special Weapons Division. Now Borisenko wants the same organism.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">The final episode in this graphic novel is Elusive. PJ Maybe gets revenge on political rivals as well as finding a new safe place to hide from the law.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">There are continuity flaws in Judge Dredd if you look at it closely but to a greater degree the continuity is rather good given the 36 years the strip has been going, not only weekly in 2000AD but monthly (more or less) in the Megazine. And past stories can easily come back to haunt Mega City One.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">As ever John Wagner has pulled together an interesting cast of characters, old and new. The wealth and depth of material in Dredd cannot be underestimated.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">The artists all do wonderful work, with some interesting tweaks to many of the uniforms Judges other than Street Division wear. Interestingly the fact that the same colourist has worked on all the stories it gives this collection a uniform feel while still allowing each artist to use their own style. I really have nothing to criticise in the layout or delivery. Colin MacNeil sneaks in a visual reference to the Judge Dredd fan <a href="http://www.paltalk.com/g2/group/1054552008/" style="color: #5e191a; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">chat-room</a> – Colin is often found in there, so am I.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-14498831437721183652013-02-12T20:30:00.000+00:002013-02-12T20:32:31.063+00:00Bubble! A new tool for comic writers.<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit;">Comic writer Chris Lynch has come up with a rather spiffing new thing that other writers will find very useful.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, here's a quick pretend interview with Chris all about the marvelous Bubble.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;"><b>What is Bubble?</b></span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">Bubble is an attempt to create a plain text format for writing comic book</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">scripts that is readable to the human eye and readily converts into the</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">"approved" comic book format (whenever someone decides what that is).</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">It was born out of my immense frustration with "screen writing" software</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">that does comics badly and the poor mobile versions that even the best of</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">these offer (Celtx, I am looking at *you*).</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;"><b>How do you use it?</b></span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">The idea is that you can write Bubble format in any text editor you like, </span><span style="color: #222222;">then convert it at the end. Right now you can only convert via my website, </span><span style="color: #222222;">but I will be releasing the source code that does the conversions online </span><span style="color: #222222;">and creating an API so that people can embed Bubble in their websites or </span><span style="color: #222222;">applications.</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;"><b>What is the point?</b></span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">The point is that I know far too many people who have spent good money on </span><span style="color: #222222;">screen writing "applications". I myself have wasted far too much time </span><span style="color: #222222;">trying different ones out, only to run aground on something I didn't like. </span><span style="color: #222222;">All of that time should have been spent on *writing*.</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">I guess Bubble is there to lower the entry bar for new writers by giving </span><span style="color: #222222;">them a simple tool that will take a drudgery out of blocking pages and </span><span style="color: #222222;">panels in a word processer, and save them the money on Final Draft or </span><span style="color: #222222;">anything like that. Not that Bubble is just for new writers, I'd love to </span><span style="color: #222222;">hear from anyone established in the comics world who starts to use it and </span><span style="color: #222222;">likes it, but I remember how the formatting of scripts haunted me in my </span><span style="color: #222222;">early days. Maybe I have laid those ghosts to rest now...</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">You can find out more about Bubble at</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><a href="http://www.planetofthepenguins.com/pages/bubble*" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>planetofthepenguins.com/pages/<wbr></wbr>bubble*</a><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-35649215840243905182013-02-11T19:54:00.000+00:002013-02-11T19:54:11.648+00:00Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died review<br />
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Review by <a href="http://judgetutorsemple.wordpress.com/">Steve Hargett</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died graphic novel published by 2000AD</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><strong>Writer:</strong>John Wagner</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><strong>Artists:</strong>Mick McMahon, Ron Smith, Dave Gibbons, Brian Bolland, Brendan McCarthy, Brett Ewins, Garry Leach</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><strong>Letterers</strong>:<br />Tom Frame, John Aldrich, Jack Potter, Peter Knight, Tom Knight, Dave Gibbons</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Previously published in Progs 86 to 108 of <a href="http://www.2000adonline.com/" style="color: #5e191a; text-decoration: initial;">2000AD</a> in October 1978 to April 1979</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">This story follows on straight after <a href="http://judgetutorsemple.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/judge-dredd-the-cursed-earth-saga-graphic-novel-by-pat-mills-john-wagner-mick-mcmahon-brian-bolland-light-spoilers/" style="color: #5e191a; text-decoration: initial;" title="Judge Dredd: The Cursed Earth Saga – Graphic novel by Pat Mills, John Wagner, Mick McMahon & Brian Bolland – light spoilers">The Cursed Earth Saga</a> and the first episode was in the first issue of 2000AD and Starlord following the merger of the two titles. There were four strips, Dredd leading supported by Ro-Busters, Flesh Book II and Strontium Dog.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Dredd is given given a parade through the city to mark rescuing Mega City Two. Sat in the car with him is his mentor, Chief Judge Goodman, and the Deputy Chief Judge, Judge Cal. This is the first appearance of Cal and this story introduces the Special Judicial Squad, SJS. These Judges judge the Judges, they investigate and punish crimes committed by Judges. Judge Cal is clearly modeled upon Caligula, the third Emperor of Rome who history depicts as increasingly insane throughout his reign. There are subtle hints in the first part – during the parade Cal questions the cost of the mission Dredd had just been on; during a Triumph, a parade for a victorious General in Rome, someone stood behind the General would whisper that they are only human, to curb the General’s ego.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">The SJS uniforms vary throughout the story, mostly due to the amount of artists involved. However it is also reasonable to accept that the uniforms do actually alter. The SJS are Cal’s men, as Deputy Chief Jusfe it seems he was also the Head of SJS. As such it is only reasonable o accept that as his ideas about himself become grander so his closest supporters would be affected.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">There are some spoilers following, as this is a reprint I don’t think I am revealing much more than an active reader of 2000AD who hasn’t read this story before might realistically have come to know. I will try to keep the spoilers light.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Judge Cal frames Dredd and sent to the prison on Titan and has Chief Judge Goodman killed, seizing power for himself. Overwhelmingly the Judges of Mega City One support Cal, to the surprise of Dredd. Before his death Goodman gives Dredd a clue that the SJS are behind his murder, Dredd survives an assassination attempt only to be sentenced to death by Cal.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Dredd isn’t alone, however, and his one-time Rookie, Judge Giant, comes to his rescue. Together with Giant Dredd goes on to fight a guerilla war against Cal with a group of Judges mostly comprising Tutors from the Academy of Law.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Giant is the son of John ‘Giant’ Clay, captain of the Harlem Heroes jet-ball team from the strip of the same name. Not essential knowledge for this story but I’ll briefly give some more details, given that 2000AD doesn’t have one shared universe how this fact fits in with continuity. Harlem Heroes was set in a futuristic USA, sometime after 2050. In Prog 8 the home city of Harlem Heroes is referred to as Mega City One, where Artie Grubber is in intensive care (oh I loved Artie!). A sequel to Harlem Heroes, Inferno, was set in 2078, the year before Dredd graduated from the Academy of Law. One of the team members, Rip Venner, was an ex-Judge. So the links are clear and credible, indeed the current Judge Giant met his Great Grandpappy in ‘Whatever Happened to John ‘Giant’ Clay in the the Megazine, that story was set in 2126.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Back to the story in hand. This story introduces some other giants of Dredd continuity, pun intended, such as: Judge-Tutor Griffin; Fergee; the alien mercenaries race of Kleggs and also involves Walter the Wobot, Maria and Max Normal. Again, as in the Cursed Earth Saga an interesting cast of supporting characters.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Of these Fergee has proven to be hugely popular, a huge fellow with low intelligence many forget he isn’t a mutant or a Trog (a denizen of the Undercity). Fergee was born in Mega City One but by his own admission he did a few (well lots) of bad things. Given what seems to be his inate kindness one would assume that his enjoyment of violence was probably taken advantage of by some perp or other – but there are no explanations in the story. Fergee’s name was misappropriated in the Stallone film and used for the bumbling robotics expert who was a comedy sidekick for Dredd in that film. The 2012 Dredd 3D film makes mention of a riot in Fergee Memorial Park.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">The fact that supporting characters like these become so important to the reader is a great reflection on the craftsmanship of the creators. Not only John Wagner but many of the script writers over the years.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Returning to Judge Cal and Caligula. There are so many comparisons it is easy to overlook them. Deputy Chief Judge Fish can be compared to Caligula making his horse a senator. Other comparisons include wild building projects and random death sentences. Bringing in the alien mercenaries, the Kleggs, could be compared to the barbarian mercenaries, Germans, that Caligula used as body guards. Oh and pickle jars, but I stray too near spoiler territory with this one.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">This story reinforces the importance of Dredd in Mega City One. Even the experienced Judges that have become Tutors at the Academy of Law look to him for leadership. Of course he is a clone of the first Chief Judge, Fargo, and Judge Goodman had clearly been grooming him as a successor.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">As noted earlier the amount of different artists on this story do give a lack of visual continuity. At times we see Dredd wearing the more modern straight sided helmet and at other times the more rounded Ezquerra original. I don’t find that a distraction and as I said earlier the changes in SJS uniforms can easily be explained. You may note that only the head of the SJS, Judge Slocum, has the Deaths Head helmet insignia.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Interestingly this collection credits only John Wagner as writer but the creator panels show the names John Howard and T B Grover. These are pseudonyms that were used by John Wagner and Alan Grant when working in partnership. I assume as the credit here is for John Wagner alone that Alan Grant was either not involved or was involved only in part, perhaps talking through the plot. Certainly the plot is fluid and yet consistent.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">A true classic, if you haven’t ever read this and still fail to… someone might have to get heavy with you.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Easy! The Ferg!</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-30826498182424878822013-02-10T21:54:00.000+00:002013-02-10T21:54:51.678+00:00The Family Troll Uses Sketches To Reach New Heights<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think I must be getting soft in my old age... this is two posts in a row about Kickstarter appeals..!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Family Troll </b>is a heart warming tale of an abandoned young troll who blesses the lives of a young couple in the most amazing way!<br /><br /><b>The Family Troll </b>is a story book written by Jill Kirkham and drawn by Tyler Kirkham (DC comics' Green Lantern Corps, New Guardians, Red Hood) and is on Kickstarter with only 16 days left to go:<a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kickstarter.com%2Fprojects%2F1561924987%2Fthe-family-troll-picture-book&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGudKVyorFN96yc23AihQtwaOUyzQ" style="color: #0000cc;" target="_blank">http://www.kickstarter.com/<wbr></wbr>projects/1561924987/the-<wbr></wbr>family-troll-picture-book</a></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzY3se_f_CZko1Hid13M06cHCxOZ5Za0v7E1PHaUCSxYxGxcNzjfPZMGdUu7OjmUybaFejl9vqjQfqdgE1mQdOws4PQ_Vp8mCV_wsZI-mpAnkhiCZ69LYeLZMelZOIXmNkI__ijGMYSA/s1600/troll_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #cfe2f3; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzY3se_f_CZko1Hid13M06cHCxOZ5Za0v7E1PHaUCSxYxGxcNzjfPZMGdUu7OjmUybaFejl9vqjQfqdgE1mQdOws4PQ_Vp8mCV_wsZI-mpAnkhiCZ69LYeLZMelZOIXmNkI__ijGMYSA/s320/troll_cover.jpg" width="249" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />In order to raise both awareness of this truly unique venture as well as trying to reach new targets in funding, Tyler Kirkham has promised a Custom Sketch for ALL Current Pledgers who will add either $50 (for a torso) or $100 (for a full body) to their current pledges. This is a true feat since normally Tyler will only sketch at conventions and is now enabling this new opportunity to fans of his artwork!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblgOH9KyPnm9wyCltpis_LEcE80LGMSfPlZ_Pu2Isq9kdFNvAXU-perwXtMF2obQy6Vudps82ipV2Yi_eW1S7ATi4sIRwkxLQKYAhcWAz9AFt3dWr6UxLzj51miWLAjilzT5JW-ylszo/s1600/trollpledge1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #cfe2f3; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblgOH9KyPnm9wyCltpis_LEcE80LGMSfPlZ_Pu2Isq9kdFNvAXU-perwXtMF2obQy6Vudps82ipV2Yi_eW1S7ATi4sIRwkxLQKYAhcWAz9AFt3dWr6UxLzj51miWLAjilzT5JW-ylszo/s320/trollpledge1.jpg" width="236" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagIe6crOE8VO7A0XY6Auzlg0J-BJ7wDG2hXo1bPDl02cLquUQ13U4ncgNPgt1AVl6TLJejhaNB1QDSjnHKYe31NcmXh4NH414jFPs1uQa_S2Fdh3cdEZ7TTxfaogavZSriZtb4VCOMd8/s1600/trollpledge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #cfe2f3; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagIe6crOE8VO7A0XY6Auzlg0J-BJ7wDG2hXo1bPDl02cLquUQ13U4ncgNPgt1AVl6TLJejhaNB1QDSjnHKYe31NcmXh4NH414jFPs1uQa_S2Fdh3cdEZ7TTxfaogavZSriZtb4VCOMd8/s320/trollpledge2.jpg" width="236" /></span></a></div>
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<i style="background-color: #cfe2f3; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Family Troll is loosely based on Tyler and Jill's real life experiences as they struggle to have a child of their own. The Family Troll takes place in a fantasy world, and follows the lives of a young couple as they experience that very same struggle, albeit in a different surrounding. </span></i></div>
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<i style="background-color: #cfe2f3; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />They choose to consult a wizard in the hopes of receiving a magic spell or potion to solve their problem. The Wizard agrees, but only if they will watch over his newly rescued, adopted baby troll. The Wizard must travel the land to gather the ingredients for the spell and cannot take care of this infant troll himself.</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-iHiUQrhjwHXEK0xAbLNKE28cTJ0uuALWDQ4bo4cY3lH3vxAKPeUgjVu7CnGixsdEDTuDGT-KGkhoGTNaQ48AXc1L1Z_S2nY7VaL8vAtgU5McKi6a7Ye989X9DTThE2RB7bAX2yZbJc/s1600/troll_p8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #cfe2f3; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-iHiUQrhjwHXEK0xAbLNKE28cTJ0uuALWDQ4bo4cY3lH3vxAKPeUgjVu7CnGixsdEDTuDGT-KGkhoGTNaQ48AXc1L1Z_S2nY7VaL8vAtgU5McKi6a7Ye989X9DTThE2RB7bAX2yZbJc/s320/troll_p8.jpg" width="249" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="text-align: start;"><br /><br />The couple raises the troll over the course of a year and grow very close to him. He blesses their lives in numerous ways, and also ends up helping the couple forget their worries and live life to the fullest.<br /><br />This blissfull year eventually leads the couple to even have a child of their own!<br /><br />They end up adopting the troll and live happily ever after!</i><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">The story of </span><b style="text-align: start;">The Family Troll </b><span style="text-align: start;">seems simple, but it surely is more then just that, just based on the endeavors of the Kirkham's themselves.</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">Lavishly illustrated in between Kirkham's full-time DC Comics exclusive, this fantasy tale is surely to touch the hearts of both children and adults alike.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-16344456125883397372013-02-07T20:42:00.000+00:002013-02-07T20:45:30.111+00:00The Brickstop - LEGO!<br />
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THE BRICKSTOP</h1>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit;">Now, while this is not strictly comic related, it is a fantastic idea, and one that will be of interest to fans of that greatest of toys: Lego.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit;">It is a Kickstarter (No! Don't run away) appeal to help get this site up and running.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit;">Mark Bassett, one of the guys behind it, explains, "<span style="color: #222222;">I realised that the sites Lego fans use to buy and sell Lego pieces are incredibly outdated and really clunky to use, often making it really complicated and time consuming for Lego fans to buy the pieces they want. I want to change that!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">"Introducing <a href="http://www.thebrickstop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">www.thebrickstop.com</a>! It’s a kickstarter project that I am working on with a group of friends (we have worked on several big website projects together including Assassins Creed Unlock the Animus, Hacked History, Zombiu comic book website and many more!) to try and make a website for Lego fans to buy and sell Lego pieces and their custom instructions very easily and all on one website.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">"It’s a massive project and is going to take a while to complete, but the first step is to try and get as many people hearing about it as possible (and hopefully pledging)!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">"So please check out our video, share it with your friends and family if you can, and if you’re feeling really generous and are a Lego fan please pledge!"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">so please check out the Kickstarter page.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1401652493/the-ultimate-website-to-trade-lego-bricks-and-inst" style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.kickstarter.com/<wbr></wbr>projects/1401652493/the-<wbr></wbr>ultimate-website-to-trade-<wbr></wbr>lego-bricks-and-inst</a></span></span><br />
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follow on twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/thebrickstop" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.twitter.com/<wbr></wbr>thebrickstop</a></div>
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and likeon Facebook: <a href="http://facebook.com/thebrickstop" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>thebrickstop</a></div>
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and subscirbe on Youtube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX0VYzfjqps&list=LLlMHHcZN1y7katfnTFyGmYQ" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr></wbr>v=iX0VYzfjqps&list=<wbr></wbr>LLlMHHcZN1y7katfnTFyGmYQ</a></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-47495421434161198572013-02-06T18:29:00.001+00:002013-02-06T18:29:52.055+00:00Coming soon: Nemesis the Warlock. The Deviant Edition<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-vjlvAUvCA8rCLyA28siKaLncP2FsTVbRo-Ko8JP_uMfbTaBh8kl7X8Ei84IouTjuox__KCsyTWHK1o_OwMVFbV-VwfHklqZshkqS1hyphenhyphen6_2qdBro35clUqKOj4Wo1Ebu5SYo6MAcrPw/s1600/NEMESIS-COVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-vjlvAUvCA8rCLyA28siKaLncP2FsTVbRo-Ko8JP_uMfbTaBh8kl7X8Ei84IouTjuox__KCsyTWHK1o_OwMVFbV-VwfHklqZshkqS1hyphenhyphen6_2qdBro35clUqKOj4Wo1Ebu5SYo6MAcrPw/s320/NEMESIS-COVER.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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2000 AD is to collect the extremely rare coloured Nemesis the Warlock stories for the first time in September.<br />
This special limited-edition hardback is the first ever collection of the Eagle Comics editions, with Kevin O’Neill (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) colouring his original artwork. It will also include the very hard-to-find Nemesis Poster Prog strip, The Tomb of Torquemada.<br />
Written by 2000 AD creator Pat Mills (Marshal Law) and also featuring artwork by Jesus Redondo (Star Trek: Voyager), the collection will be available in two editions - ‘Deviant’ and ‘Termight’, with the latter only available through the 2000ADonline.com online shop.<br />
In the far future, Earth is known as Termight and it sits at the heart of a cruel galactic empire, its citizens living deep in the bowels of the Earth and in constant fear of their leader - the diabolically evil Torquemada. Determined to rid the universe of all ‘deviation’, the Grand Master and his army of Terminators slaughter alien life across the galaxy. But one being leads the resistance to Torquemada’s despotic rule - the legendary alien freedom fighter, Nemesis the Warlock.<br />
Insane, visceral, mind-blowingly imaginative, political, satirical, and unlike any comic before or since - Nemesis the Warlock is one of 2000 AD’s most successful and famous characters by two of its greatest<br />
creators.<br />
Black-and-white bestsellers for decades, this colour limited-edition collection of the original Nemesis stories is an absolute must for new and old fans alike.<br />
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-83308833001413366952013-02-04T18:26:00.000+00:002013-02-04T18:27:59.848+00:00The Cursed Earth Saga review<br />
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<a href="http://www.2000adonline.com/books/assets/covers/judge-dredd-the-cursed-earth-saga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.2000adonline.com/books/assets/covers/judge-dredd-the-cursed-earth-saga.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Review by <a href="http://judgetutorsemple.wordpress.com/">Steve Hargett</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><strong>Writers:</strong><br />Pat Mills, John Wagner<br /><strong>Artists:</strong><br />Mick McMahon, Brian Bolland<br /><strong>Letterers</strong>:<br />Tom Frame, Peter Knight, John Aldrich</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Previously published in Progs 61 to 85 of <a href="http://www.2000adonline.com/" style="color: #5e191a; text-decoration: initial;">2000AD</a> in April to October 1978</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">What hasn’t been said about this epic?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">I’m reading this in Kindle, the version is manga sized and all black and white and available from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AZK8YYY/ref=s9_simh_bw_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=0FP650KYSN77A1ZEWSYB&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=213584327&pf_rd_i=341677031" style="color: #5e191a; text-decoration: initial;">Amazon</a>, this edition is also available in <a href="http://shop.2000adonline.com/products/judge_dredd_the_cursed_earth_saga" style="color: #5e191a; text-decoration: initial;">paperback</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Before this the largest story had been Robot Wars in Prog 10 to 17, though the story followed directly on from Prog 9. The Cursed Earth is the first real epic for Judge Dredd and is rightly considered a classic. This story shows us the Cursed Earth in the greatest detail so far. We are introduced to a wide range of possibilities of what lies outside the confines of the great Mega City.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Anyone familiar with the printing history of this epic will be aware that there were copyright issues over the use of Ronald McDonald, Burger King, Jolly Green Giant and a number of other characters. Four parts of the epic have therefore never been reprinted. There is a synopsis of these episodes in the foreword of the graphic novel. You need Progs 71, 72, 77 & 78 to enjoy these parts of the story. I have them, but obviously can’t go in to further detail. I am displaying images from the saga, with kind permission from 2000AD PR Droid Molch-R, understandably no images from the embargoed parts.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">If you haven’t read this story there are spoilers, I’m tagging this as ‘light’ as it is a reprint, but certainly I won’t be mentioning anything that will ruin your enjoyment if you have not read this wonderful saga before.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">We are introduced to the story by Red, who we are told is an old friend of Judge Dredd. Red is a pilot that runs trips between the two big Mega Cities, Mega City One and Mega City Two. He is a Mega City One citizen and though it is never stated I would guess by the uniforms Red and his men wear he could be an Auxiliary of some form certainly he is never referred to as a Judge. Red’s craft Strat Bat, has the Law Eagle on, this could denote a Mega City One registered ship but I think more likely backs up my theory that he is an Auxiliary.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">This is the first mention of Mega City 2, sister city to Mega City One on the Western seaboard of USA. Ruled by its own ruling council of Judges. The uniforms are more or less identical in this story, I think it is artistic licence that makes them seem a little lighter in colour.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Mega City Two is in the grip of a deadly plague, left over from the ‘Great Germ War’. The airports are all closed so the only way to get an antidote to Mega City Two is by land. Dredd is assigned t o lead the mission and is given a two-part armoured vehicle, comprising the personnel carrier Land Raider and the tank Killdozer. He is accompanied by three Judges, including Judge Jack who partnered him in the Robot Wars. Rounding off his crew is the convicted bike gang leader Spikes Harvey Rotten. It is not confirmed if this is the same character as the one of the same name from an earlier story Mega City 5000 from Progs 40 & 41. Due to lack of resemblance between the two and the earlier version being presumed dead (though he could just be unconscious) at the end of Prog 41 many assume the characters are not connected.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">The journey between the Two Mega Cities shows us that the wasteland outside their walls is not devoid of life. In fact it is populated by a variety of people and creatures that rivals that within Mega City One. We are introduced to townships of un-mutated humans that for one reason or another live outside the supposed safety of the Mega Cities. There are mutant clans, Alien Slavers, deranged Robots, flying rats, dinosaurs… one could almost say ‘what isn’t in the Cursed Earth?’</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">The saga stretches the suspension of disbelief, but that is often when Dredd is at its best. Of course the other end of the spectrum, when Dredd gets close to reality, can also give us great stories.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">The stories are varied and have the right mix of action, drama and of course dark humour. All aspects that have been seen throughout the history of 2000AD as much as the pages of Dredd alone. And as I said at the top of this article, this saga sets the scene for almost everything from Dredd stories in 2000AD or the Megazine when it comes to the Cursed Earth.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Pat Mills ties Judge Dredd to one of his creations, Flesh!, in part of the story, bringing us the genetically recreated Satanus, son of Old One Eye. 2000AD doesn’t have a shared universe, unlike other famous publishing companies. However Pat Mills often links his stories together. While some links have been more or less written off or forgotten Satanus is firmly embedded in Judge Dredd history.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">For me it is as much the supporting cast as Dredd himself that makes this story thoroughly enjoyable. Spikes is a changed man at the end, he has grown through this hellish road-trip. Tweak, a rock eating alien, shows us more humanity than many humans have ever shown in the pages of Dredd. Both characters are still among my all time favourites, I’ll talk about another later this month when I review Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Now as I said I have been reading the latest edition of this story on Kindle. I have also read the same version in paperback. The Kindle version didn’t work so well on my android phone but looks great on my PC. The pages have been reduced well, all the lettering is easy to read. Some lettering has been re-positioned where required. I’m not certain how technical it is to make the colour pages black and white but if I didn’t know what pages were affected I wouldn’t have known about the alteration.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">As for the artwork, two of the series giants turned in these pages. They are as fine as anyone can expect to see. You won’t see the now famous chin, it wasn’t quite as defined as it is now. But Dredd is as obviously Dredd as ever in the history of the comic.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">If you have never read this – get a copy. If you have read it but no longer have a copy – get a copy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">And just remember, Alex Garland planned to take us in to the Cursed Earth in a sequel to Dredd (2012). We may not get a chance to see that come about but the fan film <a href="http://www.judgeminty.com/" style="color: #5e191a; text-decoration: initial;">Judge Minty</a> does deliver on that.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-50095057487320884702013-02-04T18:15:00.000+00:002013-02-04T18:15:47.547+00:00THE LAST RIDE OF HENRY HOLDEN<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcv9_TQKN_7uK-T9uv9Yzrreh56Y-pDTlvZ3cqdxxRVZQnw-ZfclTU1LlW93oRy8r23Ub0U3kIkeRALBqpH8BfCuEXpsh9Wj6GoSHfJ9doybtCCSk2wo7QBG7ahHZzIXnWpvGdgRgsse0/s1600/HOLDEN+COVER+SMALL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcv9_TQKN_7uK-T9uv9Yzrreh56Y-pDTlvZ3cqdxxRVZQnw-ZfclTU1LlW93oRy8r23Ub0U3kIkeRALBqpH8BfCuEXpsh9Wj6GoSHfJ9doybtCCSk2wo7QBG7ahHZzIXnWpvGdgRgsse0/s320/HOLDEN+COVER+SMALL.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<o:p> <span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the latest release for the brilliant independent publisher Time Bomb Comics. They always put out superb products, and we have no hesitation in recommending this one too!</span></o:p></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">THE
LAST RIDE OF HENRY HOLDEN<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">ISBN 978-0-9561822-6-5<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Writer: Alex
De-Gruchy<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Artists: Gorgio
Iannotti & Mike Bunt<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">56 pages, US format, perfect bound, full
colour cover, full colour interior. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Retail price £6.99/$10.99<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since 2007,
Time Bomb Comics has regularly been publishing an eclectic range of one-shots
and graphic novels from both brand new and established comic creators. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Their latest
release “The Last Ride Of Henry Holden” is a grim tale of Old West redemption
set in the year 1871, written by Alex De-Gruchy with artwork by Giorgio
Iannotti and Mike Bunt, colouring by Owen Watts and lettering by Nikki
Foxrobot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A 56-page
full-colour graphic novella, “The Last Ride Of Henry Holden” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Is available
to order in the the UK section of the current issue of Previews priced £6.99.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">For more information on
this and any other Time Bomb Comics please contact stevetanner@timebombcomics.com<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.timebombcomics.com/">www.timebombcomics.com</a></span><u style="font-family: 'Arial Black', sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-77321929279441863792013-01-29T18:43:00.000+00:002013-01-29T18:43:35.817+00:00The Hobbit BBC Radio drama review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.audiogo.com/media/catalog/product/9/7/9781445846637_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.audiogo.com/media/catalog/product/9/7/9781445846637_5.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">This radio version of the Hobbit was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">in 1968, and has been released on CD now by <a href="http://www.audiogo.com/uk/">AudioGo</a>, no doubt to make </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">the most of the first part of Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">And while listening to this production, it is hard not to have the </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">movie looming large over everything. I was, in fact, determined not to </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">mention the movie in this review, but that has proved to be </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">impossible, so I’ll get all my thoughts on that out of the way.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">As I’m sure you all know, the first movie covers only the first few </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">chapters of the book, and it is amazing to compare the treatment of, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">say, the visit to Goblin Town here to the one in the movie. What was </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">an epic action set piece on screen amounts to nothing more than a few </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">lines here.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">And then we’ve got Radaghast only being mentioned in passing and the </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">animals talking, there are considerable differences. And listening to </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">the rest of the story, I found myself both excited and curious as to </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">what they’ll be doing in the next two movies.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">But does this adaption work in its own right?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">It certainly does. It is quite a light hearted adaption, with Bilbo in </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">particular being wonderfully cast and played. With Gandalf, who is </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">ssociated with Sir Ian McKellen so strongly, it was difficult to get </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">used to another voice speaking his lines, but Heron Carvic is a fine actor and, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">well, he did it first, after all!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Some of the sound design was a bit too much for me – the effects added </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">to the voices of the animals were at times too extreme, and some of </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">their dialogue was hard to decipher. The music suffers a bit from this </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">too, but it may be the case that the music was simply not to my taste. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">The final disc in this set is an isolated score, so you can make your </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">own mind up about it. But I have to say, the version of the Misty </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Mountains song in the movie was much better and more atmospheric than </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">the one here.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">This all sounds like I’m damning with faint praise, but I am not. This </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">is a very strong production, and is cleverly adapted and has </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">universally great acting. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">It is thoroughly recommended to any fans of the book or the movie, and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">is the ideal accompaniment to a long car journey!</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-190925127589051702013-01-24T20:28:00.000+00:002013-01-24T20:28:21.810+00:00The Tyranny of King Washington Draws Near<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPTriP5CVik1eNAm1mDCg18S93h51xvWq4Muq0JxpQncBQ2dczf89fynjqTOB0CoT1IGMjvEkL92SEIFFyfbSHtBrpjfrzcFUsjUKDmHeln6lbyb0gn9iLoYNohA1z5GkdkbcWST97oo/s1600/washingtondlc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPTriP5CVik1eNAm1mDCg18S93h51xvWq4Muq0JxpQncBQ2dczf89fynjqTOB0CoT1IGMjvEkL92SEIFFyfbSHtBrpjfrzcFUsjUKDmHeln6lbyb0gn9iLoYNohA1z5GkdkbcWST97oo/s320/washingtondlc.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
<i style="color: #222222; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The First Episode of Assassin’s Creed<span style="font-size: small;"> III – The Tyranny of King Washington: The Infamy to Release on February 19</span></span></span></i><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The time draws closer to fight for justice against a revolutionary turned tyrant in Assassin’s Creed III newest adventure, the Tyranny of King Washington. The Infamy, the first episode of a three-part tale, will be available on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and Windows PCs on February 19 and on PlayStation3 computer entertainment system on February 20.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the first episode of the Tyranny of King Washington series, our hero, Ratonhnhaké:ton, awakens from an unsettling dream to find that, despite his efforts to deliver justice in the newly-founded United States of America, a new king has been crowned – George Washington. The Infamy will take gamers through the beginning of the journey to dethrone King Washington.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The three upcoming episodes of the Tyranny of King Washington are available through the Assassin’s Creed III Season Pass, which is available for purchase for 2400 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE or £23.99 on the PlayStation Network and Windows PC. The first episode, The Tyranny of King Washington: The Infamy, can be purchased as a single DLC pack for 800 Microsoft points or £9.99.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Following The Infamy, The Tyranny of King Washington will continue in two additional content packs that let gamers experience an alternate history of the events following the American Revolution.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All Assassin’s Creed III downloadable content packs will also be available on the Wii U.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Assassin’s Creed III is now available on PlayStation3, Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii U. For Windows PC gamers, the Assassin’s Creed III Deluxe Edition is available as a digital download and includes all future downloadable content.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">About Assassin’s Creed III:<u></u><u></u></span></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution in the late 18th century, Assassin’s Creed III introduces a new hero, Ratonhnhaké:ton, of Native American and English heritage. Adopting the name Connor, he becomes the new voice for justice in the ancient war between the Assassins and Templars. Gamers become an Assassin in the war for liberty against ruthless tyranny in the most stylized and fluid combat experiences in the franchise to date.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Assassin’s Creed III spans the Revolutionary War, taking gamers from the vibrant, untamed frontier and bustling colonial towns to the intense, chaotic battlefields where George Washington’s Continental Army clashed with the imposing British Army and the tumultuous high seas. Assassin’s Creed III features unprecedented scope and scale.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8; font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">For more information on Assassin’s Creed III, please visit the Assassin’s Creed Official Website: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 23.33333396911621px;"><a href="http://www.assassinscreed.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 20px;">http://www.assassinscreed.com</span></a></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-1640441671953672582013-01-20T18:07:00.000+00:002013-01-20T18:07:01.012+00:00Babble review<br />
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Writer: <a href="http://www.imaginarystories.co.uk/">Lee Robson</a><a href="http://www.babblecomic.com/where-to-buy/" style="color: #5e191a; text-decoration: initial;"><img alt="01-Carrie" class=" wp-image-161 alignright" height="468" src="http://judgetutorsemple.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/01-carrie.jpg?w=335&h=468" style="border: none; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1em;" width="335" /></a><br />Artist: <a href="http://takecomfortinsilence.blogspot.co.uk/">Bryan Coyle</a><br />Letterer: <a href="http://comxcomics.com/">Eddie Deighton</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">I read this in Pdf form, a medium I do not like reading in. I am reviewing it as such and at times I may compare the experience to reading a paper product.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Firstly, I had never heard of this book before reading it. So I flicked through the pages of the Pdf to get a feel of what I would have thought flicking through the pages of a graphic novel in a comic book store. I saw a female lead character and what seemed to be zombies, though they didn’t look very dead. I didn’t get any feel for the comic, I didn’t connect with it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">When I started reading on my PC I found the experience quite uncomfortable and in the end chose to transfer the Pdf to my Kindle Ap on my Android phone. Reading it on my phone was much more comfortable even with the much smaller screen. I’ve only just started reading books in this medium.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">So I started from page 1 again. Soon I found I was engrossed, despite the oddness of reading a comic on a hand held device.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Carrie Hartnoll, the main character, is a British woman who has left her old life behind after being offered a research job in an Ivy League College in USA by her ex-boyfriend Professor Alan Curtis. Alan was clearly her lecturer at University.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Carrie is first seen alone on a hillside at night, a man attacks her and at first sight as I said earlier I took this to be a zombie but I soon realised I was wrong. This man, among many others, had a speech bubble but it was blank.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">We learn that the research Carrie is involved in is experiencing problems. The original head researcher has committed suicide and destroyed most of the research. Alan needs Carrie to find missing information before funding is cut. the other main characters are Si, a research assistant and Vanessa, Alan’s wife.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">The characters are believable. Carrie is rather naive and over trusting. Si is gay and apparently the late Professor Cartwright was homophobic. Alan is slightly predictable, but that isn’t necessarily a flaw of the writer, more it is a flaw of the character itself – which is fine, just as naivety is an acceptable flaw for our heroine.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">The story is part in the present and part in flash back. The flashbacks are in order and eventually catch up with the present. So we learn more of the ‘why’ in flashback while the present is mostly action. Flashback and present are clearly distinguished using the traditional way, different colours and shading. The past uses black, white and blue. The present is mostly in yellow, browns and black. Time lapse within the flashback is also shown by characters being in different clothing from panel to panel.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">The panel count and layout varies from page to page and mostly are of regular shape, only in the first chapter are angled panels used, each time in scenes of violence. At times there are insets and panel bleeding. The artist did a good job at leaving room for lettering but at times the word count was a little heavy, the letter however did a fine job of coping with this.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">There are plenty of unexpected turns of events in the story, indeed my own assumptions were proven wrong in more ways than the lack of zombies in the story. Though I would say in a way this is actually a twist on a zombie story.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">A very good story, well illustrated and very well lettered. Given my dislike of reading on electronic media and the fact I ended up engrossed I think this book succeeded in what it was supposed to do, it entertained me and made me wonder what happened after the final panel. Well worth a read.</span></div>
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Review by <a href="http://judgetutorsemple.wordpress.com/">Steve Hargett.</a></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-45433605687692994252013-01-15T20:36:00.001+00:002013-01-15T20:36:25.783+00:00New from Commando!<br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Commando No 4567 – Collision Course<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LsH6FNf3YcJHfn2oTq4RMJCfQ4sC83yQdEhqrAj_z1H7zWeLzquE-qkkN1TP5-4RG6PENrz58wH6d2PpS51JdooMryLg1Wrrl9gYHgy4xJRuXJOhh45D7V06E6joDRvDj1wTE5HWvKA/s1600/Comm_4567_coverMaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LsH6FNf3YcJHfn2oTq4RMJCfQ4sC83yQdEhqrAj_z1H7zWeLzquE-qkkN1TP5-4RG6PENrz58wH6d2PpS51JdooMryLg1Wrrl9gYHgy4xJRuXJOhh45D7V06E6joDRvDj1wTE5HWvKA/s320/Comm_4567_coverMaster.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So
how did Flight Lieutenant Kerrie Matheson, in his unarmed DH 86 transport, end
up hurtling straight towards an enemy Bloch 220 Auvergne aircraft?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Well, it had all started off as a routine
secondment from his posting at Coastal Command. He became part of a mission to
build a long distance air bridge, ferrying Allied planes from French-held
Africa to Egypt. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Then his routine flying duties took a deadly
turn – with mystery, espionage and murder setting him on a<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Collision
Course.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Story: Alan Hebden<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Art: Keith Page<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cover: Keith Page<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Commando No 4568 – Eighty-Eight!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHZhcu0MhlGPehH3TFXp6U0Wbndwp4t8nCYOhWq9TJ7naqPbwNUEygrtYTApDcj86yaVpfnpoXQpwRKXaEAIXo4vKnaD-g_ShjUEA9FHHyfpvrv5gRSCZ9N17uLa_EqLxwQveheN2Rw4/s1600/Comm_4568_coverMaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHZhcu0MhlGPehH3TFXp6U0Wbndwp4t8nCYOhWq9TJ7naqPbwNUEygrtYTApDcj86yaVpfnpoXQpwRKXaEAIXo4vKnaD-g_ShjUEA9FHHyfpvrv5gRSCZ9N17uLa_EqLxwQveheN2Rw4/s320/Comm_4568_coverMaster.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s
not every day you see a German 88mm gun being operated by a group of “Fighting
Kiwis” – New Zealanders from a British and Commonwealth Expeditionary Force battling
in Greece, determined to hold back the German onslaught.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> But this was not an everyday story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Thanks to a bungling SS officer, the Kiwis were
able to help themselves to the enemy artillery’s pride and joy. Having been relentlessly
pounded by the very same guns, they decided to give the Jerries a taste of
their own medicine!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Story:
Alan Hebden<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Art:
Jaume Forns<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cover:
Ian Kennedy<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Commando
No 4569 – Beach-Head!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWJCkvbS4_HK_AzpnRlylOr9q27QNk9iIcUs82O4B9WyQqqQyyU5esonDWUR25iNafcEI6iE16VYAurMTcsWwDcyNFVjD4OB3L04hvihkmh7hctanuMBCvqRcRyJF594pBpY70O04Q9I/s1600/Comm_4569_coverMaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWJCkvbS4_HK_AzpnRlylOr9q27QNk9iIcUs82O4B9WyQqqQyyU5esonDWUR25iNafcEI6iE16VYAurMTcsWwDcyNFVjD4OB3L04hvihkmh7hctanuMBCvqRcRyJF594pBpY70O04Q9I/s320/Comm_4569_coverMaster.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Johnny
Malloy was a little guy – five foot zero or thereabouts, but he wore the
coveted Commando flash on his shoulders.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> He seemed lazy, good-for-nothing, a coward –
yet every man in his platoon was ready to die for him when it came to the bit.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Who was he then – this odd little Commando?
Just about the most important guy in the British army, that’s all!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> All the ingredients for a classic Commando
story are here – a dicey but vital mission, a group of soldiers who don’t trust
a comrade…and Gordon Livingstone’s inimitable artwork. I say inimitable with
confidence as many have tried and none has succeeded.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Flipping open the Ken Barr cover in 1963,
you’d be met with a script and art which neatly capture all the fine details of
service life, thanks to a generation that lived through a world war and
National Service. There’s a priceless authenticity about this. And you can have
it for only £1.50. What a bargain!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Calum
Laird, Editor<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Beach-Head
originally Commando No 54 (January 1963) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Story:
Parsons<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Art:
Gordon Livingstone<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cover:
Ken Barr<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Commando
4570 – Arctic Victory<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9IBKtEfC9HU8UGmSJPl-UXFZuMWiVJjdujk-j3ymRX_Ry4wdHvyrypJH9NsEk7IJJ74ZZIyVcAMV7wALg3bn4nrTgqEclGB0vpDwSdHCZjlUpJf7g_m48-2zNpMMNRgybWWu1Lzp4Yg/s1600/Comm_4570_coverMaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9IBKtEfC9HU8UGmSJPl-UXFZuMWiVJjdujk-j3ymRX_Ry4wdHvyrypJH9NsEk7IJJ74ZZIyVcAMV7wALg3bn4nrTgqEclGB0vpDwSdHCZjlUpJf7g_m48-2zNpMMNRgybWWu1Lzp4Yg/s320/Comm_4570_coverMaster.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After
a few weeks in a certain squadron of the RAF Regiment, Phil Adamson was
beginning to wonder if this unit really was just for the defence of airfields.
What with unarmed combat instruction, learning about explosives and a mock-raid
on a local flying school, it was more like training for a crack Commando squad.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> He didn’t know how right he was!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Although
it first appeared in the Spring of 1988, it somehow seems fitting to republish
author David Heptonstall’s icy tale in mid-January, the chill of winter still
in the air.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Artist Terry Patrick’s rendering of Arctic
Scandinavia – especially on pages 26 and 27 – is very effective and, as always,
cover legend Ian Kennedy does Commando proud. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> The story seemingly starts as an air yarn
but then changes gear, morphing into a “men-on-a-mission” adventure with a hint
of espionage. It’s a little bit different.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Scott
Montgomery, Deputy Editor<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Arctic
Victory, originally Commando No 2177 (April 1988) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Story: David Heptonstall<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Art: Terry Patrick<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cover: Ian Kennedy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-67190460331361616412013-01-11T21:29:00.000+00:002013-01-11T21:29:55.160+00:00'Zoo City' author Lauren Beukes pens new introduction to Halo Jones<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I honestly do not think it is possible to exaggerate just how important to the medium the character Halo Jones is. The following is a press release from Rebellion about the forthcoming reissue of the book. You really should buy it, </div>
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<a href="http://comicbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads//2013/01/halo-jones-218x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://comicbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads//2013/01/halo-jones-218x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
The author of the Clarke Award-winning novel Zoo City and the much anticipated The Shining Girls, Lauren Beukes, has written a brand new introduction to a character she says was her “first love”.<br />
The South African novelist and journalist, whose magical hardboiled thriller set in Johannesburg was a break-out hit in 2010, has penned the introduction for the new UK edition of The Ballad of Halo Jones by Alan Moore and Ian Gibson, due for release in May 2013.<br />
Beukes cites the character as a major influence on her childhood: “She’s remarkable for being just a girl caught up in extraordinary circumstances. Halo is working class, she doesn’t have any superpowers, in her own words, she was ‘just there’.”<br />
Dubbed “possibly the first feminist heroine in comics” by The Observer, the ground-breaking character from 2000 AD catapulted writer Moore to popular attention, helped in no small part by Gibson’s stunning SF artwork.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0YndmH4ctDEOOqVJPhJL3RnhOhl2oWUd_BFU2U_O4AR1smQAGJZS6jEr_mx2slFC8ewqe7bJsdQgbwLIMNGuIuPHZmScdlzzASDlri4Xn4bfTx8nlrsqITI8U5uNpZqE1GTzW7kn2VtR/s1600/halo0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0YndmH4ctDEOOqVJPhJL3RnhOhl2oWUd_BFU2U_O4AR1smQAGJZS6jEr_mx2slFC8ewqe7bJsdQgbwLIMNGuIuPHZmScdlzzASDlri4Xn4bfTx8nlrsqITI8U5uNpZqE1GTzW7kn2VtR/s320/halo0001.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<br />
Moore introduced comic book readers familiar with macho ‘guns and gore’ male characters to the poignant, fascinating, and at times heartbreaking story of an ordinary woman who lives an extraordinary life.<br />
Set in a future where the unemployed are herded into the Hoop, a floating ghetto off the coast of Manhattan, Halo is a young woman who dreams of escaping her boring life. When she gets the chance to do so aboard a luxury space cruiser as a hostess, it catapults her into an uncaring galaxy that will take her from the lap of luxury to a time-bending war of atrocity.<br />
“It’s a story about choices and compromises, about defying expectations, about poverty, society, celebrity, identity, the toll of war, and also love, ambition, ambivalence and the places restless curiosity will take you,” says Beukes.<br />
This new edition will be published in the UK and Ireland with the introduction from Lauren Beukes and a rand new<br />
design-led cover by 2000 AD head designer Simon Parr.<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-20624976272960987162013-01-09T17:57:00.000+00:002013-01-09T17:57:16.756+00:00<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQaSkLo6zv4I17_p7akZxWPNJkB33lM4N-4-APV5EYL1lR7sHTIobZfZ0_XNKJWkTE7I44XK1b-qp5FsSOr7yreqFrQzVEgSx0wfGvS90B6ta2KZkWBrYSFekmLVtYA8oEW7POS3K8HU/s1600/Day+of+Chaos+-+The+Fourth+Faction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQaSkLo6zv4I17_p7akZxWPNJkB33lM4N-4-APV5EYL1lR7sHTIobZfZ0_XNKJWkTE7I44XK1b-qp5FsSOr7yreqFrQzVEgSx0wfGvS90B6ta2KZkWBrYSFekmLVtYA8oEW7POS3K8HU/s320/Day+of+Chaos+-+The+Fourth+Faction.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Revenge 30 years in the making, a deadly virus, an escaped serial killer, a tense election, dire predictions, a fanatical assassin - the first collection in the critically-acclaimed Judge Dredd epic, Day of Chaos, is here!<br />
Named by ComicBookResources.com as one of the top 15 best comics of 2012, Dredd cocreator John Wagner wowed 2000 AD readers with this year-long storyline in which he tore the world of the future lawman apart in an orgy of intrigue, death, and destruction. Dredd’s actions 30 years ago in the Apocalypse War come back to haunt him as the Judges race against time to prevent a terrifying ‘day of chaos’, predicted by their psychic division, that will engulf the city. But where will the threat come from? And what form will it take?<br />
And will even Dredd himself succumb to the horrors that will be unleashed? With stunning action-packed ensemble art from Ben Willsher, Staz Johnson, Colin MacNeil and Henry Flint, Day of Chaos: The Fourth Faction is the first collection of what is rightly acclaimed as one of the best Dredd stories of the past 35 years.<br />
‘Things will never be the same again’ may be a cliché in comic books - but Day of Chaos delivers on the promise with repercussions that will go on for years!<br />
<br />
<br />
Written by: John Wagner<br />
Art by: Ben Willsher, Staz Johnson, Colin MacNeil, Henry Flint<br />
ISBN: 978-1-78108-108-2<br />
Price: £17.99 Pages: 160<br />
Published: 14th February 2013<br />
Market: UK and Ireland<br />
<br />
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-58021147309956518782013-01-07T18:37:00.000+00:002013-01-07T18:37:44.086+00:00Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu earth 03<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2000ad.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/rogue-trooper-tales-of-nu-earth-vol-3.jpg?w=627" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2000ad.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/rogue-trooper-tales-of-nu-earth-vol-3.jpg?w=627" width="227" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Review by <a href="http://montynero.com/#/id/">Montynero</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Popular opinion often has it that Rogue Trooper should have been killed off
after he killed The Traitor General. ‘Tales of Nu Earth 03’ tells us what
happened next (progs 410 to 603) – providing the perfect opportunity to
question that theory.<br />
<br />
‘Tales of Nu-Earth’ is a little misleading. This is a brand new mission on a
brand new planet - finding the antigen on <i>Horst</i>
to make Rogue's bio chipped buddies real men again. It’s a good premise and how
much you enjoy it depends on your taste for Jose Ortiz’s elegant art and Gerry
Finley-Day's old-school storytelling. Do you smile at the prospect of Alienesque
crab combatants catching Rogue in a pincer movement, or revel in dialogue like
"Keep firing, Gunnar. I'm going in PLASMA HANDED"? Personally, I love
it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finley-Day explains the point and the status of his characters at the
start of each episode, and wraps up a continuing tale with a cliff hanger
designed to lure you back next week. It reads like an adrenaline shot to the
neck – something many of today's writers could learn from. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.starburstmagazine.com/images/161112/rogue-trooper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://www.starburstmagazine.com/images/161112/rogue-trooper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Throughout the late eighties this type of storytelling was eroded by a
desire for graphic novel respectability. The age of 2000ad’s readership rose
and simple action stories became less popular. The nuclear arms race
reaccelerated, neutering the apparent impact of a lone battlefield soldier. What
to do with Rogue Trooper? One answer would be to continue the action but add
deeper themes and some on-going emotional resonance. Unfortunately what follows
is the beautifully drawn ‘Hit’ saga (prog 495–603<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=867256616431908336" name="_GoBack"></a>) by
Simon Geller and Steve Dillon. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All sense of Rogue's motivation disappears as he becomes a confused and
inept interstellar assassin. The ending to Finley-Day’s ‘Return to Millicom’ is
retooled, at a stretch, to cast Rogue as an ultimate warrior trying to end all
war on behalf of 'the power that binds the universe'. 2000ad’s editor Steve McManus
was so convinced by the new direction he co-wrote the reboot intro, which
trumpets much in the way of forthcoming excitement. Dillon’s visual
storytelling throughout is fantastic - but the run and gun plotting is witless
and empty. Rogue memorably gets knocked out by a cleaner with a mop at one
point. It’s so narratively underwhelming that the planned thirteen hits peter
out after just four. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.badhaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/rogue-trooper-steve-dillon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://www.badhaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/rogue-trooper-steve-dillon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dillon writes two episodes himself, including ‘The Hit: Conclusion’ with
art by Chris Weston. This attempts to wrap up the Hit saga in sixteen pages of
the 2000ad Winter Special 1989. His script postulates that the dumb action he’s
been asked to render for the last few years was part of an alien plan to numb
Rogue of his reasoning and combat skills, something that’s only believable when
you consider the alien in question was Tharg! It would take a better writer than
Steve Dillon to pull this off convincingly, and Weston’s art – while detailed –
is not his best. It’s a disappointing end to an ill-conceived arc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What’s so striking
about this collection is Rogue Trooper only makes sense as, well... a rogue
trooper. If the war he’s fighting has no reliance on hand-to-hand fighting
between infantry in combat then he becomes meaningless. He was designed as the
sci-fi apotheosis of heroic Tommy’s fighting in the trenches, with the cool
storytelling device of bickering digital comrades in his high tech equipment. Given
the history of modern warfare, Rogue’s unique skills seem more relevant now
than they did when he launched in the 80’s. Stories that embrace his essential
raison d’etre are successful. Stories that don't, aren’t.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rounding off the collection are seven short and peripheral tales from
sci-fi specials (Grant Morrison and Pete Milligan provide the best of them),
two Dice man episodes, and seven Rogue Trooper covers including a wonderful
final painting by John Higgins. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Personally I'd buy this collection just for the art – but there's a good
deal of fun and nostalgia in the Finley-Day scripts and some interesting curios
too. With over 400 lovingly rendered pages, it’s well worth getting if you can.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ll sum up with a quote from Rogue Trooper prog 567 – ‘The Legend’:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“<i>Cutting himself off from Souther
command he roamed the battle scarred planet in his search for the traitor
general. He found him…but success was hollow. Without that hatred to drive him
on disillusionment set in..."</i> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Quite.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-22722902272684063642012-12-05T20:58:00.000+00:002012-12-05T21:00:02.788+00:00Doctor Who The Sea Devils audiobook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.audiogo.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/small_image/300x300/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/9/7/9781445824680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.audiogo.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/small_image/300x300/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/9/7/9781445824680.jpg" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: small;" />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit;">Ah, the Sea Devils. Most people of a certain age remember that iconic scene of the titular monsters emerging from the sea. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit;">And the bit in the minefield.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit;">And these scenes are, of course in here… but it is surprising just how little ‘sea devil’ the reader/listener gets for their money here. After a brief appearance at the beginning, the creatures disappear for the majority of the story, only popping up again towards the final act.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit;">What we get for most of the story is a no less interesting tale of the Doctor visiting the recently captured Master on an island prison. Actually, I mentioned the classic scenes above, well there is another in the TV show (unless I have created a false memory!) where the Master is watching the Clangers on television, and is whistling back at them in an attempt to communicate. But unfortunately this wonderful scene does not feature in the book.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit;">As for the book, it is pretty well written. There are long passages of obvious padding – like a lengthy explanation of how sonar works – that are there for no other reason than to lift the word count, and serve only to slow down the story.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit;">That being said, I enjoyed listening to this. Pertwee’s Doctor was always good at pricking the pomposity of the establishment, which is something he gets to do a lot in this one. And this incarnation of the Master is delightfully scheming. Charming and cruel in turn, and sometimes at the same time.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: inherit;">The Sea Devils audiobook is released by <a href="http://www.audiogo.com/uk/">AudioGo</a>.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-4247649380032617392012-12-05T20:52:00.001+00:002012-12-05T20:52:47.095+00:00Assassin’s Creed III’s The Hidden Secrets Downloadable Content<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitx0Ccil2voBAdxVI_GsqqfIDZg5dF4mfw4rdEUar6rnp36W9R6A4cUNizE5aiLV5zI1nAimt0NVDG481_4XhllkjrC04HtazW667Oh4ElGN3dlrxUsQdYQkOz6bhWmWl4o4_pSNulyPY/s1600/Endcard+SPASS_PR_UK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitx0Ccil2voBAdxVI_GsqqfIDZg5dF4mfw4rdEUar6rnp36W9R6A4cUNizE5aiLV5zI1nAimt0NVDG481_4XhllkjrC04HtazW667Oh4ElGN3dlrxUsQdYQkOz6bhWmWl4o4_pSNulyPY/s320/Endcard+SPASS_PR_UK.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Today, Ubisoft announces the Assassin’s Creed III’s first downloadable content pack, The Hidden Secrets, is now available for Season Pass owners on Microsoft’s Xbox 360<sup>®</sup> video game and entertainment system and Windows PC and will be available tomorrow for PlayStation<sup>®</sup>3 computer entertainment system . The Hidden Secrets downloadable pack will be available broadly on December 11 on Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360<sup>®</sup> video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC and will be available on December 13 on the PlayStation<sup>®</sup> Network. The first downloadable content pack will release for the Nintendo Wii U<sup>TM</sup> at a later date.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Hidden Secrets for Assassin’s Creed III adds three extra missions, including the Lost Mayan Ruins, the Ghost of War and a Dangerous Secret, for an additional hour of gameplay, taking gamers from the lost Mayan ruins to the high seas. Every successful mission is rewarded with in-game weapons. Gamers will also receive:<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<u></u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Two single-player costumes including the fabled Captain of the Aquila uniform and the traditional Colonial Assassin outfit<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<u></u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Two multiplayer characters including the fearsome Redcoat and the deadly Sharpshooter<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Assassin’s Creed III Season Pass grants access to all five upcoming downloadable content packs including The Hidden Secrets, to gamers owning the original game. The Season Pass provides more than 25% savings versus purchasing the DLC separately.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Assassin’s Creed III Season Pass is available for purchase for 2400 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE or £23.99 on the PlayStation<sup>®</sup>Network. It can also be purchased at GAME in the UK.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;"><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Future Assassin’s Creed III downloadable content will feature “The Tyranny of King Washington,” an all-new single-player campaign told through three episodic content packs that lets gamers experience an alternate history of the events following the American Revolution.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It’s 1783 and the American Revolution is over, but the true battle is just beginning. Blinded by a thirst for unlimited power, George Washington has declared himself King. Now, our new hero Ratohnhaké:ton must dethrone the tyrant and return freedom to the land.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In addition to this all-new single player experience, Assassin’s Creed III downloadable content will feature new maps and characters for an even more expansive multiplayer experience in the upcoming “The Battle Hardened” pack.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Assassin’s Creed III is now available on PlayStation<sup>®</sup> 3, Xbox 360<sup>®</sup>, PCs and the Nintendo Wii U<sup>TM</sup>.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">About Assassin’s Creed III:<u></u><u></u></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution in the late 18th century, Assassin’s Creed III introduces a new hero, Ratohnnhaké:ton, of Native American and English heritage. Adopting the name Connor, he becomes the new voice for justice in the ancient war between the Assassins and Templars. Gamers become an Assassin in the war for liberty against ruthless tyranny in the most stylized and fluid combat experiences in the franchise to date.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Assassin’s Creed III spans the Revolutionary War, taking gamers from the vibrant, untamed frontier and bustling colonial towns to the intense, chaotic battlefields where George Washington’s Continental Army clashed with the imposing British Army and the tumultuous high seas. Assassin’s Creed III will feature unprecedented scope and scale.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">For more information on Assassin’s Creed III, please visit the Assassin’s Creed Official Website: </span><a href="http://www.assassinscreed.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">http://www.assassinscreed.com</span></a></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-867256616431908336.post-5733680389610415252012-12-05T20:47:00.000+00:002012-12-05T20:47:40.023+00:00DANDY EXHIBITION LAUNCH AND DIGITAL DANDY EVENT - SATURDAY 8TH<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2VBegEHf257D-0qVBVm4LzOecHSGtxYFkfsabNGUxziy3XggZ13d4pr-_731dlk9udKHQZ2iGdoFZkQz4l3sCP6ftmqDcNFc4Ua4E82Wc-wQIo8YXXEIf5vE-_cUX2dE1A590lhfg1Dc/s1600/DIGITAL+DANDY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2VBegEHf257D-0qVBVm4LzOecHSGtxYFkfsabNGUxziy3XggZ13d4pr-_731dlk9udKHQZ2iGdoFZkQz4l3sCP6ftmqDcNFc4Ua4E82Wc-wQIo8YXXEIf5vE-_cUX2dE1A590lhfg1Dc/s320/DIGITAL+DANDY.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">On Saturday 8<sup>th</sup> December at 2pm there
will be an opening event for the University of Dundee’s latest comics exhibition
which will celebrate the 75th birthday of the world’s third-longest running
comic, <i>The Dandy</i>, created by Dundee
publishers DC Thomson. The exhibition looks back over the <i>Dandy</i>’s past, but also towards its future as it moves on-line with
the launch of the <i>Digital Dandy</i> this
week. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The exhibition features original artwork from
DC Thomson’s collections dating back to the earliest years of the comic, much
of which has never been shown in public before. The launch event will also give
an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse at the creation of the new <i>Digital Dandy</i>, with a discussion led by
Dr Chris Murray, with contributions from Morris Heggie, former <i>Dandy</i> editor, new <i>Digital Dandy</i> editor Craig Ferguson, Digital Production manager Mark
Hunter, writer Dan McGachey, long-time DCT artist David Sutherland, and one of
the artists who is very closely involved in the direction of the <i>Digital Dandy</i>, Stephen White (Brassneck
and Keyhole Kate).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The exhibition and launch have been created
as part of an on-going partnership between DC Thomson & Co Ltd, the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Dundee Museum Services</st1:placename></st1:place> and the newly
established Scottish Centre for Comics Studies based at the University. Dr
Chris Murray, director of the centre, said: “We are proud to be able to help <i>The Dandy</i> celebrate its 75th
anniversary, which is a remarkable achievement. Of course, the comic is also in
a process of transition, as the final print version goes to press and is
replaced by a new digital <i>Dandy</i>. This
promises to be an exciting and innovative step forward for comic and its
beloved characters.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">All are welcome for what promises to be an
informative and engaging series of talks about <i>The Dandy’s</i> history and its future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The exhibition is open Monday-Saturday until
7th January (except when the University is closed for Christmas 23 December – 2
January). The launch will be on Saturday 8<sup>th</sup> December at 2pm in the <st1:placetype w:st="on">Tower</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Building</st1:placetype>,
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Dundee</st1:placename></st1:place>. Admission is free.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">For further information email <a href="mailto:museum@dundee.ac.uk">museum@dundee.ac.uk</a> or <a href="mailto:c.murray@dundee.ac.uk">c.murray@dundee.ac.uk</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="https://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=2550&bid=47961&cid=37" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.sideshowtoy.com/affiliates/banners/200024_468x60.gif" height="60" width="468" border="0" alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi Legendary Scale Bust"/></a></div>Hi-Ex!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06432095924134839748noreply@blogger.com0