Outlier

[Richard]

Just re-read all of Outlier in the last three floppies, and it was much better than I remembered. I really like the bleak ending. I feel like this series deserves to be remembered more fondly, and that it would be suitable for the Mega-Collection.

Also, both Caul and Carcer are dicks.

[Colin YNWA]

While I've not re-read it since it was in the Prog I agree that Outlier didn't get the credit it deserved.

Great story, fresh and fimilar at the same time and bold in some of the decisions it made.

[TordelBack]

Mmm, blessed by some of 2000AD's greatest body-horror moments (the opening scenes in the Hurde lab in particular are out there) and some stunning creature designs and related set-pieces.  I think it's let down as a story by largely forgettable leads, but I don't think it was ever meant to be character driven.   

[Blue Cactus]

Yeah, I thought this held up very well when I read it in the floppies in a concentrated burst. In the prog I got lost a bit as to what was happening and who was meant to be the main character, but on reflection by the third series it's the overall concept that's the main thing. I think Karl Richardson is great, fantastic imagination and he designs tech etc really well, also a great colourist. My only criticism is his male characters often seem to have similar (sort of Dredd-like ) chins. More chin variety in future please!

[AlexF]

I came to much the same conclusion some months ago when I was writing up my 'Heroes' entry for Mr. Richardson. I never got around to publishing it as I was running out of steam generally, but what the heck, it's ready to go...

http://heroesof2000ad.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/no-107-karl-richardson.html

I do think that the overall tone of Outlier is more successful than many of its individual episodes. Book 1 especially introduces and dispatches so many characters that it was kinda hard to get sucked into it, but it's certainly something of a hidden gem, like Project Overkill or 13 or From Grace.

[Blue Cactus]

I've been missing your blog AxelF, it's great!

[sheridan]

AlexF - if it does help you regain steam, I love your blog too!

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

Inspired by this thread, I've spent the last couple of hours rereading the whole of Outlier in the floppies. And we'll, wasn't that just a whole different experience to how I remembered it in the prog! Maybe I'm just a bit more attuned to this kind of large-scale galactic war sci-fi currently, but that held up so well.
As I remember, in instalments, it became a chore to remember who was who and what they were doing- but here, it all flowed beautifully and the art really shone. Appreciated the downbeat ending, and the whole set-up greatly appealed. Even the "armourogami" droids didn't seem so silly this time out.
Yeah, my Thrill-Circuits have re-evaluated Outlier and recategorised it as a "Top Thrill".
SBT

[Blue Cactus]

Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction too! Maybe the floppies should reprint Junker, Dead Meat and Trash, and we'll end up loving them...

[sheridan]

Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction too! Maybe the floppies should reprint Junker, Dead Meat and Trash, and we'll end up loving them...

Was Dead Meat the one with Inspector Raam?  I actually quite liked that one, though all I can remember about it at the moment is Simon Jacobs art...

[Hawkmumbler]

A fab series with stunning art and genuine intrigue let down by vanilla characters. No classic, but a genuine fan fave.

[Blue Cactus]

Yes, I've read some episodes of Dead Meat and didn't mind it to be honest. Actually I'd happily read reprints of any of those stories because I missed a big chunk of issues around that time.

[AlexF]

Apologies for derailing this Outlier-based thread further, but Dead Meat would be ripe for a new series just now. One of its themes was meant to be, I think anyway, about the problems of the UK succumbing to EU-wide legislation, in this case a single currency and staunch vegetarianism. Dead Meat vs Brexit would be quite the story to tell, with Raam and Brett no doubt on opposite sides.