Grrl Power #525 – Tropelock
It only took 2 days for Harem to get Sydney’s Loony Tunes reference. Luckily Sydney seems to have locked up for a moment, so maybe they’ll reach parity at some point.
For Heatwave, absorbing heat is fine, as long as it’s (her words) “hot.” But getting things below room temperature is where it starts getting difficult and unpleasant. She “meat lockered” a room once, but she was grumpy afterwards and just wanted to go sit in a hot tub “for like, forever.” You might think that absorbing heat would be fine, like it would make her warmer or charge her up, but if you’re FartMan, the last thing you want to do is suck in a bunch of someone else’s farts.
Given the depth of Sydney’s trope knowledge, it’s probably a bad idea for her to consider all potential future twists and turns. Obviously she should think about the consequences of her actions, but there is a real danger of mental paralysis here.
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On the subject of whether she should tell Maxima everything: YES! Not only is it potentially crippling for your commander to not know you can teleport, the idea that someone might turn evil someday is no contingency to prepare for: arm your companions in case *you* turn evil someday! If you are not going to inform people due to such contingencies, it’s time to become a hermit.
Plus an ability that the commander knows about is one you don’t have to practice in secret.
The only consideration that really makes sense is keeping it from the Council, and the ship has likely sailed on that due to Kodachrome’s logs. So you *really* don’t want your allies (and potential future rivals or foes) to know stuff about you that your own commander doesn’t!
Extremely well argued, on all points.
Maxima herself is a bad example then. Most of the team does not know about the true nature of her powers. Sydney and Harem were confused about it in the middle of a fight and discussed whether Maxima was ok or in danger.
Ooh, a bit of comic news, from the English side of the pond.
Huh, that’s pretty nifty. I always did like the Judge Dredd comics. I can’t help but wonder, however, if I’m going to have to pay extra to get a channel that shows it. (To watch Dr. Who, I had to pay an extra $10 a month to get a package with BBC America.)
That’s part of my basic package
First, if it’s a British TV show then it’s BBC America in the States, so you should be covered.
Second, you can buy each season of Doctor Who on Amazon’s streaming service for around $30/per season. If you preorder the season you can access each episode the day after it airs in the UK, so if that’s the only reason you’re paying extra for BBC America you could save yourself some money by dropping it and buying the episodes there instead. Though, caveat, for some reason Amazon does not – as of the last time I checked – have the most recent Christmas special. Nor does anyplace else as near as I can tell.
Hopefully they continue on from the Urban Dredd (which always seemed like a pre-curser to me), they could even use Urban again
Well, that, and I liked the outfit better. Black leather, green boots, and giant golden shoulderpads just does not seem like a very practical outfit for a policeman.
In a comic, I don’t want realism. I want escapism. When I go to the cinema to see a comic book film, I want to escape into the film – and this is why the Deadpool film was so good – it lifted the comic off the page and plastered it completely onto the big screen (Colossus looked perfect – unlike the other x-men movies)
Is Dredd’s outfit in the comics completely impractical? Yup. And I love it – it makes them distinct, standing out completely from the citizens and perps.
I really hope they actually lift the comics off the page and put it on the screen. When I look at the ’95 Dredd film, and you compare the visual style to the comic – they really did bring the comic into reality – it really looks fantastic! It’s just a shame the rest of the film was severely lacking. :/
Okay, screw practicality… how about just plain UGLY?
Sorry, but that “uniform” offends every aesthetic sensibility I have. My cranial eyes bleed.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I love the look. The padding does have its protective uses, given the fact that they need to use diving and rolling as evasive tactics. Not really practical in a real-world firefight, but suitably dramatic for entertainment.
Plus the dark helmets, concealing the eyes, and the golden emblems, standing out against the dark uniform make for an intimidating presence. These are strong ways of projecting authority and intimidation. Which are very much tools that the Mega City cops use.
I am flexible when it comes to big screen interpretations mind. Things can come across very differently in the two mediums. The ultimate skill being finding a way to preserve the original elements but shoot it in a way that looks good. Sometimes that may not be possible though, when factoring in innumerable other things which need to be considered in such a conversion.
In which case it is the intent which needs to be carried. If the Judges end up looking clown-like they have failed. Whereas if you see one bearing down on you, and you loose bladder control, then they got it right! These are not folks you want pissed off at you, and the outfit needs to reinforce that.
The first movie failed to get it right, because Stalone kept feeling that it was too much like the former. Even though this was subjective, the fact that he was the lead made this one of the key factors. He felt awkward in it, and that carried through, in his performance. Albeit only subtly, as he was professional enough to make a good effort.
Needless to say the fact that they felt compelled to get their money’s worth, in having an A-list lead, to get him to take his helmet off, was the single stupidest thing they did. Immediately alienating the core audience. The fact that you never see Dread’s face being one of the compelling character traits!
Even if the wider cinema going public were not fussed about the point, it has eternally soured that film in my mind.
The second movie though did not make those mistakes. They did a good job with both the look and the tone.
Most of all they must not loose the totalitarian feel, in any aspect. The Mega City cops use extreme force and repressive punishments. But always ruthlessly fairly. They will be brutal, but only in the pursuit of justice. Never for personal gratification. Those that do not keep to this mind, answer to Dread!
There was a lot wrong with the Stallone version (okay, nearly everything), but the Urban Dredd was, poo, a nice mix between the comics and practicality, personally felt that one was at the early stage of the Judge System and the beginning of Mega City One (only a few Blocks and still ‘on ground level’)
Far enough for his name to be known among some other Judges but not enough to scare everybody in the city with his name?
Guesticus is right about the architecture. But historically they got that wrong, as Dread is set in the time with big blocks. That said most of the second movie was set in a big block, so I was not bothered with them showing a bit of a variety, for contrast.
Mega City is a huge place. I could easily find parts of London that looked nothing like the typical images we see on TV. Vast-seeming panoramas that only those familiar with the different parts of the city would be able to place as being in the city.
Whilst the vast city blocks are the things that stick out the most, in my mind, I do recall that the comics did show a wealth of variety, at different times.
But, all that said, Guesticus is right that they should have chosen more of the big-block feel, especially with the action being in one. They should have looked towards Fifth Element for inspiration, on how to bring a high-rise city feel to the big screen!
Bear in mind two things: that Dredd is often portrayed as the best among Judges, and that he seems to have no backstory prior to taking up the badge*.
As such, I’m tempted by the theory that he was engineered and/or clone-grown as a ‘perfect Judge’. In that case, there would be nothing to prevent a latter generation repeating the process once the first Dredd retires or is killed.
There would therefore be no incompatibility between having one Dredd in the early stages of the system, as Guesticus suggests we see in the recent movie, and another in the fully-established Mega City as seen in the comics.
*To my knowledge, at least; I may be mistaken, and make no claim to perfect canon knowledge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRLlICw1UWk
There is the little problem that if she hides it she has to come up with a clever lie about how she started up the time warp in the first place( one needs to be in danger for it to start & there was a teleporter on sight) she should have been on the roof
That, was never really explained was it actual danger? or simply perceived danger?
Did Sydney have to really die to trigger the reset? Or only believe, very very strongly, she was about to die? ie was it a true death or high stress?
Krona did say that perceived danger would do it. Her point being that Pixel had been in real danger, but was tough enough that she was unconcerned.
Whereas, using that criteria, getting scared, without any realistic danger, could trigger the recall. If the person was mortally afraid, if only for a moment.
I remember playing Doom, way back when it was state-of-the-art. Once you had learnt the beasties’ behaviour you could simply pick a weapon and tactic that worked against that foe and take them out, with minimal risk. If given the breathing room to do that.
I saw one of the monsters that would run up to you and rip you to shreds. Kill those at a distance. I saw one at the far side of a courtyard, with a retaining wall all the way around it, stopping it coming at me directly. So I stayed well out of its aggro range and watched it patrol.
Every few steps its head would bob up. Just enough for me to get a shot, if I timed it right. But needing to anticipate exactly when as the window of opportunity was too narrow to small to aim otherwise. So I lined my shot up with where I predicted it would be on the third bob. To ensure I had the timing spot on.
Bob… bob…. snarl munch, rending … OF MY CHARACTER! Spinning round to find a SECOND one chewing my face off!
I would have recalled at that point.
Halo, with her near-perfect telepresnce would find Sciona suddenly attacking her to be terrifyingly realistic. Should Sydney wish to go down that route.
There is probably something in the comments but I’m not going to dig for it; HOT DAMM that first panel is a work of ART!!! That right there might be your personal best Portrait!! Keep of the Splendid Work!!
Actually you are the first. But I second it.
For that matter I think Heatwave’s panel, with the fire lighting it from below, and her hair being lifted up, by the thermals, was awesome too!
i think i get why harem did what looks like a bow of sort but some clarification would still be nice
It’s not exactly a ‘bow’, more that she is resting her hands on Sydney’s shoulders (possibly as a preventative against Sydney getting ‘spooked’ and breaking her nose, again) and hanging her head
Shes not bowing. It’s more of omg sydney, you made me think Looney toons. (acme company in looney toons, anvil being dropped on guys head).
Other words what have you done to me.
Like said, not a ‘bow’
She can’t believe she’s so slow on the obvious – she’s hanging her head in shame
+1
The other replies were aiming the bow in the right direction, but you hit the bullseye!
Am I the only one who has no idea what so ever what on Earth Heatwave’s powers has to do ANYthing with this page?????????
What just happened in the middle of this page????
The author explained it in earlier comments. Heatwave is extinguishing the forest fire caused by Sydney. It just turned out differently to what DaveB had planned
Its late! Fidgetfidgetfidgetfidgetfidget… :P
I’m told they help with fidgeting.
Until Dave notices and fixes whatever is causing the site to not update, the next page itself can be viewed here.
Much as I dislike them, I can confirm that hashtags including the word “reaper” bring in views.
Ooh, thanks!
How did you even find that picture…
I’m l33t haxx0r, of course! (just kidding, the images have very predictable names, it’s just a question of editing URL from previous page a bit. And there is one another way that I’ll keep for myself for now in case Dave decides to randomize the names and somehow manages to miss that hole. It’s nice to be able to view next page few hours before it’s officially up :)).
Why? it doesnt really save you much time, just shifts your schedule a bit. Small gain which isnt worth it, bar the hobby purpose :P
Which is exactly why I’m keeping it to myself, it’s just a hobby and doesn’t harm anyone. Tiny headstart, and a way to get first post which is relevant to the page – and which I rarely use anyway. Even the advertising profits aren’t hurt, I come back later anyway for the author comment.
He is a 7331h4ck3er.
♥
Thanks for linking to that.
I shall resist commenting on it, until the page comes up. But I can now go on my walkies, rather than sitting here and fidgeting too.
I hope that Dave is catching up on his zzzs, so is simply not aware that the auto-upload has failed.
Although I suspect I will fidget whilst walking, but from my tendency to worry, rather than out of frustration.
He did post the usual double res on patreon though, and the image is here too, so upload didn’t fail, something else did (maybe he scheduled the page to appear on friday or something like that). Just a technical detail, the result for us is the same, of course.
DaveB’s stuck like Sydney is at the end of this page. It can take a while for him to unlock.
Maybe Dave got attacked by a man-eating deer. A recent news story shows that Texas now has deer that eat people. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/deer-eating-human-remains-decomposing-body-texas-state-university-journal-forensic-scientists-a7725386.html
Don’t you go giving our author sleepless nights! Bad O.B. Juan!
team organisation is very important. and based on the way archon is set up, i’m pretty sure she is actually required to tell max about her teleportability tm. it’s probably in the contract. article 7d or 7e?
Probably. But Halo does have a justifiable concern. Archon’s overriding objective is to protect against extraordinary threats. And Evil Maxima would be the most dangerous one in the world.
It is a tricky moral dilemma all round, with no clear-cut ideal route. However Maxima is powerful enough to destroy the entire Archon HQ, with a single blast. There is little satisfaction to be had from knowing she followed the rules, if just about everyone, in the organisation, including Sydney, is dead.
The only survivors would be lucky ones, such as those who were out of the building, at the time. Plus Achilles of course. But he could not stop Maxima just picking him up and hurling him off into outer space.
I really love how throughout the whole comic Harem is the one who finds Sydney hilarious. These random bits always make me laugh the most. 8^D