A question - should I rekindle my 2000ad obsession?!

[flip-r mk2]

Welcome and definatley.




flip

[hendersong]

well, i went ahead and picked up the last two progs - maybe not the best start since I got the end of one dredd and a standalone that was fairly meh, but the council estate one seems promising...weirdly, when I couldn't get the second of those two yesterday, I got flashbacks to years ago - the disappointment of nowhere having it! got it today though so all is well.

[IndigoPrime]

The funny thing is, your time of reading 2000 AD is generally regarded as being an iffy time for the Prog, and so few of those characters remain in the comic's pages. It'll be interesting to see what you think of the mag if you continue to buy it. If you do like it, I thoroughly recommend getting back issues from Prog 2009 onwards, since that gives you a really good starting point, and holes can be filled in with the various trade paperbacks.

[brendan1]

Yeah, welcome back.

I still haven't re-subscribed because I don't find just one weekly issue "filling enough", but what I am doing is plugging in the big gaps via this place (some great deals from Paul et al), e-bay, and directly from the lovely Denise who runs the subs (the phone number is on this site).

She's sent me a whole year's worth at a time for the same price as a yearly sub (2004, 2005, 2007 so far), and it's ace having a stack of progs to work through.

Trouble is, apart from the one big gap that Densie can't fill, I now only have 2006 and 2008 to go, and I will be pretty much all done....

[eggonlegs]

yes!
yes
yes

[hendersong]

Yeah, welcome back.

I still haven't re-subscribed because I don't find just one weekly issue "filling enough", but what I am doing is plugging in the big gaps via this place (some great deals from Paul et al), e-bay, and directly from the lovely Denise who runs the subs (the phone number is on this site).

She's sent me a whole year's worth at a time for the same price as a yearly sub (2004, 2005, 2007 so far), and it's ace having a stack of progs to work through.

Trouble is, apart from the one big gap that Densie can't fill, I now only have 2006 and 2008 to go, and I will be pretty much all done....

Brendan1, how do I go about getting backorders? For a whole year?! How much does that even come to?

[brendan1]

Gecko

Just call Denise on the number at the top of the homepage (this one)

I think they are selling entire years for the cost of one year's subs to the comic, so about £85 inc p&p?

Just tell her which year (or prog numbers you are after) and the rest is easy.

[hendersong]

well I tried, really I did. I've now bought around 10 issues and I have to say, with the exception of the most recent Dredd story I read (the exorcist one) I've found it pretty crap. Either I've grown out of 2000ad or it got bad. I think the latter since I still like picking up the collected books - maybe I should get the Megazine? I just found myself cringing at the Tharg-speak at the start of every issue - that was passable when I was fourteen but it just seems a bit sad now. I'll be sticking with Batman I reckon, unless someone can recommend the Megazine to me!

[Emperor]

well I tried, really I did. I've now bought around 10 issues and I have to say, with the exception of the most recent Dredd story I read (the exorcist one) I've found it pretty crap.

Sorry to hear that. The irony is that you started reading during a shaky period and most people think it is currently riding high again. Is there anything specific that is putting you off? It might help people give better advice because if you don't like 2000 AD it might be that the Megazine isn't going to turn you around on this (although it is worth a shot - grab a few issues and see, they come with free reprints volumes which might suit you). As it stands my only recommendation might be to hang on in there until 1650 when all the stories start again. It might just be you need to give it a bit longer and there are some good stories running in recent progs - it sounds like you have missed Al Ewing's most recent Dredd for example. If all else fails you can stick the bundle on eBay. Also perhaps some more recent trades might help (Defoe, Kingdom, Sinister Dexter and The Red Seas) which would get you up to speed on the various newer characters, if the problem is you are wondering who all these people are and why you should give a damn about them.

[locustsofdeath!]

I certainly agree with you, Emperor. Last year I starting collecting 2000AD again after a whopping 12 years away from it, and it gave me fits at first - but when I finally caught up to speed, I couldn't get enough. I am now closing in on owning a complete collection, I've become that obsessed.

So give it a little longer Geckodroog!

[radiator]

Yep, I agree: Stick around till at least prog 1650.

New Dredd Mega-Epic
New Shakara
New Kingdom
New Nikolai Dante (I think...)
New Necrophim

That line up is about as good as 2000ad gets.

[Van Dom]

Yeah as others have said 93-98 is about the worst period the comic ever went through and it lost a lot of readers, myself included back then. Really surprised you haven't enjoyed the last 10 issues but then, I guess it would be hard when you are coming to certain stories without knowing all the backstory to them. Savage, Sinister Dexter, Defoe and Red Seas...all strips that must certainly confuse and infuriate a new reader with no previous exposure to the characters/stories. I felt the same about Red Seas and Sinister Dexter when I rejoined with prog 1500 - didn't know what the hell was going on  and actively hated both until I bought the Trades and caught up.

To be honest though, you started back in at the worst possible time - just before a relaunch when the current stories were all being wrapped up and we were coming into a few weeks of Future Shock/Twisted Tales filler territory. Not to say that these tales have been bad, because they haven't, but to a potential new reader its really the ongoing serials that are required to catch the attention.

So yeah, by all means, give the next two weeks a miss but certainly buy prog 1650 which is designed for people like you who are considering getting back into the comic. If you don't like that one then you can REALLY say you gave it a good chance.

[hendersong]

Hi - thanks for your feedback/advice. Picked up the current Megazine - loved the additional comic w/ Armitage, and I liked Dredd as usual but the rest was a bit meh. I can get movie reviews anywhere. Saying that, the additional comic thing is worth it in general.

I'll hold off until 1650 comes out, then start again!

btw I think Sinister Dexter started while I was reading first time around - that was one I did recognise! I just found it weird that the ones people on here were raving about (Zombo, Cradlegrave) I just found to be terrible...no accountinf for taste, huh?!

[TordelBack]

I just found it weird that the ones people on here were raving about (Zombo, Cradlegrave) I just found to be terrible...no accountinf for taste, huh?!

Wouldn't worry about that mate, we're the 'tiny minority of vocal readers on the internet' that Pat Mills warned you about!

FWIW when I came back to the Prog in 1999, I absolutely hated Sinister Dexter and Dante, both of which appeared to just grind on and on - I actually preferred the Balls Brothers (don't ask), and I think Dredd was about the only thing that really clicked.  Now they're two of my favourites.  Takes a while to get back into the swing

[Mike Gloady]

Too true, picking up the Sin/Dex trades as I have been (the absense of Downlode Tales aside) has really fired me up for their current storylines.  I know they (and to some extent this is true of Dante too) divide readers into love/hate camps - but I recommend picking up the collections and doing them in a big hit.  I think most people would be converted.