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Where to start with Strontium Dog?

Started by sassafras, 05 May, 2018, 01:12:59 PM

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sassafras

Hey All!

I've been really enjoying the Strontium Dog story in the current progs and wanted some tips of other great Johnny Alpha stories to read? Looking at the back catalogue I get a bit confused to be honest...

Richard

They're all great, and it doesn't matter too much which order you read them in really. But there is a complete list on Wikipedia of all the stories and the books they are collected in.

The first four Agency Files books are in black and white and everything else is in colour.

IndigoPrime

I'd go for The Agency Files first, in order, followed by Final Solution. They may still be on sale at the 2000 AD shop.

Timothy

Not wishing to knock the early stuff, but it gets seriously good from volume 2 of the case files.

broodblik

Quote from: IndigoPrime on 05 May, 2018, 01:34:04 PM
I'd go for The Agency Files first, in order, followed by Final Solution. They may still be on sale at the 2000 AD shop.

The sale is still on. It is better to get them in the correct order. As IndigoPrime is saying first start with Agency Files vol 1.
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IndigoPrime

I'd argue the best strips are in 2 and 3. I guess it depends on your budget. But these books have been around for a while and so it might be wise to grab them before they're gone if you want the full story. Also, Stronty Dog does become quite continuity heavy, and so it would probably be most rewarding to read those five volumes from the start.

Smith


IndigoPrime

I just checked out the 2000 AD store. Looks like all Stronty Dog bar the latest volume (Repo Men) is currently half price! That means you can buy the entire classic run for 36 quid plus shipping in paper format.

broodblik: The shop page outlines the reading order. Ignore the two B-format books (the £3.49 ones), because they're pocket books whose contents are included in the Agency Files. (At these prices, I'd as a new reader honestly be tempted to buy the entire rest of the run, if funds were available. Life and Death can be a bit of a morose slog at times, but even the worst Stronty Dog is still really good, and there are many superb moments throughout both the original run and the 'reboot'.)

Leigh S

My first encounter with Stront was just a tad before Portrait, the "origins" story (more "childhood of" to be fair) that you will find in book 2 of the Case Files - if you were only to have one of the books, I would recommend this as it is thematically satisfying, contains the biggest chunk of important continuity and also some of the best stories - Book 1 has some stone cold classics too, but is a bit patchier ("Galaxy Killers" is the only sizeable lull to be fair, but even if it isnt to the degree that Dredd suffers from, there is a bit of feet finding in the early runs, and again when Alan Grant comes on board (IMO obvs)

The Adventurer

Strontium Dog more then some, probably should be read from the beginning. Its not exactly continuity heavy, but it does build itself up over time enough that having that chronological reading order helps a lot.

Personally I read one of the modern stories, Traitor to his Kind, first because it was running at the time I started reading 2000 AD and while it read okay it made a lot of sense after reading the Agency Files material.

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Colin YNWA

Quote from: Timothy on 05 May, 2018, 02:01:37 PM
Not wishing to knock the early stuff, but it gets seriously good from volume 2 of the case files.

I was thinking just the same. I love the early stuff but a bit like Dredd the second volume is when it all get a bit special with Portrait of a Mutant and Moses Incident.

Another option is the Hatchett 2000ad Ultimate Collection. The first volume released has some of the first stuff from the relaunch and might serve as a good entry point?

Steve Green

I'd start with no 1 and work your way through - the starlord stuff is mostly typical stront, although aimed at a younger audience - the Galaxy Killers and Journey into Hell mostly dispense with the gadgets that were set up in the starlord run.

#1 also contains the Schickelgruber Grab and Willy Blanko/Death's Head in the second half which is probably the first typical Stront story of the 2000 AD era.

We also made a fan short which might interest you - although will probably make more sense with a bit more background reading.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5EZaO1HPF4

Hachette run isn't going to reprint the starlord strips which is a shame but for a running order, the wikipedia page lists what's out there and order.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strontium_Dog#Publication

Richard

Also Strontium Dog is in today's Free Comic Book Day issue if you can get it.

maryanddavid

Best 2000 AD character IMO, 40 years old this week!
Read from the beginning, you wont be disappointed.

sassafras

Thanks everyone! I ended up picking up Agency Files vol 1 and 2, looking forward to reading them. This will also be my first foray into classic black and white 2000AD.

Steve Green, the film looks great I will defiantly give it a watch!