2000 AD - The Ultimate Collection

[moldovangerbil]

I've stopped worrying about being behind as well.  Contacting Hachette just seems to lead to frustration and gives them a chance to cock things up even more.

[abelardsnazz]

So what is everyone's opinions of Meltdown Man?  I have the Ultimate Edition collection but I'm pleased to get a hardback book.  The story is decent and while it is dated to an extent, I like it.  The artwork is beautiful and some of the design work was really awesome.

It's of its time, but it zips along through its 50 episodes with some great Belardinelli art on the creatures and buildings. Best line, delivered by Nick Stone to a chimp hybrid: "You refugee from a tea-bag advert!"

[IndigoPrime]

What's the repro like compared to the Rebellion volume?

[Swerty]

I asked could I have a couple of double deliveries to get my subscription up to date and got a reply saying any extra issues will be £11.49 each.How many do you want? I'm a bit worried they're going to send me the issues and then send me the same issues again next month!

[Tomwe]

The FB page just confirmed the last three holes in my list of the entire collection:

Volume 42 is AQUILA.
Volume 56 is ALL-STAR FUTURE SHOCKS.
Volume 64 is THE GRIEVOUS JOURNEY OF ICHABOD AZRAEL.

If you want to see that list, this google sheet has two pages, one in issue order and one in volume order

I'm pretty happy to see those two as the last unknowns. Funny though how no one thought to ask about them, suggests they weren't people's first choices.

[IndigoPrime]

So #56 sounds like a version of Rebellion's Future Shocks trade that primarily has content from Milligan, Morrison, Smith and Gaiman. At 210 pages already, I wonder what extras will be included (if any), assuming it is a redux of that book.

Aquila I've never got into, so not fussed about that. Ichabod is one of my recent favourites. Nice to see it included, although I have the paperback (albeit with a dodgy spine print), and so it's unlikely I'd 'upgrade'.

Whatever's gone on with 2000 AD and John Smith, I still think it's a crying shame that after 80 books there'll still be no Smith tales collected. (Firekind + Leatherjack would have been a fantastic collection. And obviously Indigo Prime in hardback would be a total no-brainer.)

[leethomson]

The omission of anything by Smith (barring possible Future Shocks) is baffling. Is there some bad blood between him and Rebellion?

[IndigoPrime]

I recall that in the 2000 AD podcast, Matt 'Tharg' Smith specifically mentioned Firekind, and noted that its page count was a problem for this collection, given that it's just too short. But then given that we have Skizz rather unceremoniously smashed into Dr. and Quinch, and that there's a Hewligan's Haircut/Sooner or Later book, I would have thought Leatherjack/Firekind could have worked. But the lack of Indigo Prime (and especially that first set of stories, which would include Killing Time) seems very odd.

As for bad blood, who knows? From public info, you can at least piece together roughly what happened (Smith has a personal disaster and goes 'dark' shortly after filing the start of a new Indigo Prime; years later, 2000 AD gives that to another writer to finish off, having not been able to resume contact, and also hands over more Smith series – Devlin Waugh; Tyranny Rex – to other writers). It does have the whiff of finality about it, but I'd hope that if hatchets can be buried that they will be. Smith was one of 2000 AD's most unique voices, and although he wrote the occasional misfire, his back catalogue is on the whole hugely impressive.

Perhaps if this collection gets an extension at least some of this can be addressed. I'd sooner see Firekind finally get a reprint than see volume 14 of Slaine, for example.

[leethomson]

Too right. I hope if there has been a rift it can be repaired. It was lovely to see Devlin in the JD Mega Collection, and I'd be very happy to upgrade my old Extreme Edition Firekind to something smarter.

[TordelBack]

...I'd be very happy to upgrade my old Extreme Edition Firekind to something smarter.

If Tharg's listening, I'll add my voice - and putative shekels - to that.

[I, Cosh]

...I'd be very happy to upgrade my old Extreme Edition Firekind to something smarter.

If Tharg's listening, I'll add my voice - and putative shekels - to that.

Not convinced shrinking the art down to fit in these books constitutes smarter.

[TordelBack]

This is true, but I do like a shelvable volume.  My EE is lost in a box somewhere, or possibly I gave it to someone, who knows... A poor state of affair for such a great story.  It strikes me that it would have paired easily with any number of Smith's seld-contained tales, like Cradlegrave or Love Like Blood, for example.

[broodblik]

Perhaps if this collection gets an extension at least some of this can be addressed. I'd sooner see Firekind finally get a reprint than see volume 14 of Slaine, for example.

I am on the same page and would really like the complete Firekind to be collected in one volume.

[Woolly]

Fully agree with this.
How can a 2000AD collection be called 'Essential' if there's no John Smith in it?

[Woolly]

And Cinnebar doesnt count