I feel like Al Pacino in Carlito’s Way… I keep trying to get out and they pullllll me back in! Dr Jomster (of the hippo dog fame) was cool enough to send in a review of prog 1813 so it’d be rude not to share it.
It’s also a first for us with regards the format reviewed. Check it out… and of course thanks to Jomster for the send
Context
This review is based on reading the prog on my phone. Yes futurephiles, ON MY PHONE! But why? Well let me tell you. It’s only because I’ve gone and signed up to a digital sub for the prog! *Supresses overexcited squeeeee sound*. And let me tell you, the prog looks great in digital. Really, really great! The thing about reading on my phone is that I find myself going panel by panel, soaking up each one in much more detail than if I were reading the full size printed version. I think this is going to be a good thing. Anyway, onto the prog.
Cover.
I’ve seen this first in print and initially found it confusing. Either my brain cells are finally giving up the ghost or the print came out a bit too dark? However I have to say that Neil Roberts’ cover looks gorgeous, bright and crisp on the phone version. I get the image straight away and it comes across strongly.
Dredd
A strong start this. Yes, yes I know it’s a crooked judge and we’ve seen a few of late. However it is nicely paced and the art fits the story well.
The opening page of five descending panels works really nicely for phone reading. Nicely sets the colour palette too.
The city shots also work really well on the phone. There’s just something about focusing on a single panel close up and that’s got all your attention. It’s really rather nice.
Heller’s show off move shows that the old dog still has some life in him, which should come in quite handy once he starts on his real mission. Won’t be enough if course, but still.
Two slight worries. 1) we might have a “Dredd looks at Heller and sees himself in the mirror” moment later on which will need deft handling to pull off, 2) this does appear to be pre DoC. A footnote to that effect would be nice.
Now, I’m intending to read this on my Wednesday commute to work. So if this story stays as saucy and violent as this one in parts, I’ll have to be a little careful no can see my phone. Hopefully they’ll be staring at that person with the iPad instead!
Savage
Now that Patrick Goddard’s got good art. One of my favourite tooth artists at the mo. I think the Blackbloods are ringing truer than the Hammersteins though.
This book is coming along nicely. There does seem to be a bit of a jump in Savage’s roll here though. The balance feels a bit different, like I missed half a book or something (which I didn’t). Perhaps some time’s elapsed off screen…
Savage and Defoe are my favourite Pat Mills stories of recent times. Strong, entertaining stories with attitude and an in-depth kind of atmosphere that, with tall the great design that goes into the art, really makes for something special.
Ampney Crucis
Lovely opening panel on the phone here. The colours really work well digitally on Simon Davis’ gorgeous painted artwork.
Other fave panel is the wholly mammoth with his teeny tiny eye in the side of his jumbo-normous head on page 3.
The scenes in the car on the last page came out better digitally as well. In other words, darker stuff comes out looking stronger as far as I can tell from my massive sample of, oh let’s see, ONE PROG! But it does, you know.
Fun script this. Very interested to see where it goes.
Red Seas
I’m afraid this isn’t one of my favourites. I’m not that engaged in the seemingly endless journeys here and there. I’m surely missing something and maybe it’ll read better as a trade?
I’m also of the school of thought that says there’s just too much empty space in the art. However, the art does come across much better panel by panel on the phone. A pleasant surprise.
Strontium Dog
I’m liking this a lot at the moment, this prog in particular. The scenes, the pace, the atmosphere you can just sink yourself into and say “Yes, this is home!”
Again, looking at this panel by panel the gorgeous colouring works brilliantly with nice variation in colour themes as we work our way through this week’s instalment.
The big question here is how will this wrap up. Can John Wagner pull it off? It’s a tall challenge, but if anyone can, it’s the boy Wagner!
Lettering
Strong throughout the prog. I did notice a few sound effects lettered up, which some folk find difficult, but they worked for me! KAWUMP! 
Favourite of the week
A toughy this. Four strong strips for me. On the phone (did I mention the phone?) the coloured strips really shine. I think I’m going to go for joint top honours for Ampney and Strontium Dog. They just look so good and script wise I want to see what happens next. Right now! That’s a good sign, right?
Well done all! A cracking start to the year! Oh yeah, and try out a digital prog if you can. Looks gorgeous!
I’m curious actually…. do you have to manually navigate around the page on the iphone or is it guided panel to panel? Have seen some comics which are and some which arent
You have to navigate around the page. If you go down the comixology route though it’s panel to panel. What I’m doing is getting myself a month’s sub to 2000Ad on the ipod to see if it’s any decent. So far so good!
Yeah, you manually navigate around. Works really well actually.
I’ve gone digital now but as I have an ipad it’s all full screen.
I’ve said before but I still think of the progs as disposable. 2000AD dont mind, it means I buy trades of the stuff I love
Just to expand on that “manual navigation” point. What I really like is controlling the zooming and panning, particularly on that gorgeous Ampney, Strontium Dog and Savage art. If the app did the panel navigation for me, then I wouldn’t get that.