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So I've hit 455, and I'm going to take a little break as I've heard Corey's Expanse trilogy is shaping up awesomely, and as it was a dearth of decent novels that gave me the idea to re-read 2000AD, this seems like a good time to pause.

Have to say, Halo Jones is still genius, Nemesis is fantastic, Dredd is good as always, Rogue Trooper muddles along, but Slaine and Ace Trucking suck big hairy muchachos.

I started reading 2000AD after ACE Trucking had finished its run, and I'm glad I missed it. Could it be that people have rose tinted specs?

In my opinion Slaine up to the of the King is just some of the best stuff ever in the Prog and the art...Belardnelli, McMahon, Fabry..its just a succession of greats. (And lets not forget the stuff by David Pugh, Mike Collins, Mark Farmer either and Angie Kincaid either).

Wow. I really dislike Belardnelli's work. It all feels so static with very little depth. A major reason I disliked Meltdown Man

Have hit a brick wall with Slaines second story. Aliens? Leyser guns? Dimension jumping? What a load of bollocks.

Looking forward to it getting back to it's axe swinging best

Well, Hell Trekkers is getting good, Dredd is doing just fine, Rogue Trooper ended with a bit of an anti climax (although I've just seen that he's due to return soon), and Stainless Steel Rat is chugging along.

Have to say though, ACE Trucking Company is not my cup of tea at all. Found I'm skipping almost all of it. Can't put my finger on it, but I'm finding it very dull and difficult to get into.

Oh, and I forgot DR and Quinch.

This is currently the highlight of the prog

As previously mentioned, I'm currently on a mission to read every 2000AD in history.

It's been a right old slog up to this point, with some real dire strips, but finally (prog 350) it's getting into its stride and some cracking stuff is being produced. Slaine, Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog are all in full flow, and even Rogue Trooper is getting good.

I'll let you know if this is just a blip 

Not got round to buying Johnny Red or Charleys War.

I know you have a long list of stuff to get and I'll probably say the same about the interest you've shown in Cinebook publications (if you want recommendations there just ask but if you can get to an event they are at its well worth waiting as they have great offers at events), but you should defo get around to both of those they are both brilliant. Charley's in particular.

I second this. And thrice it. Charley's War must be one of the finest examples in the comic book field. Brilliant in every way.

Anyone play this?

As to: 

Invasion was just plain stupid. He's a lorry driver, yet the entire British military is at his beck and call at most points.

I wouldn't read a newspaper if I were you.  Or google 'collusion'.

I believe collusion is mostly providing information, tip offs and other forms of underhanded tactics, not leading the SAS against an armoured column with a shotgun.

You are of course right, it was meant for youth/teenage consumption, but I don't see JD being dumbed down.

Let me ask it in a more nuanced, less sensational manner.

Judge Dredd, from the start, is a fascinating character in a fascinating world. Before Alan Moore's Watchmen came along, Dredd was asking us to reevaluate what a 'hero' character meant to us. He fought to uphold justice, protect the weak and defend his city, yet he could callously incarcerate the old, the infirm or the disadvantaged, and very early in his 2000AD career he has wiped East Meg 1 from the map. He has the blood of millions of children on his hands. Our reaction to this war criminal/hero is consistently fascinating.

Rogue Trooper on the other hand, is a being designed for war, his 'quest' is for revenge, played out across a war torn world, an environemnt rich in all the possible scenarios you could imagine. And every character is completely one dimensional. Rogue should be mindlessly driven to achieve his goal, and yet will often take the moral, ethical path when he comes across dilemmas. Yet this is never explained, nor explored. All Norts are basically Waffen SS mindless killers. Southers are just 'Good Ol' Boys', and wouldn't dream of war crimes. GFD has done a bad job. Doesn't mean I can't appreciate the worlds he created.

But I bring it up, as I like to reevaluate items of media that nostalgia may have built up to 'Classic' status (see also computer games and books).

Rogue is a strip that's been screaming for a re-boot for years. Any news on what IDW are going to do with it?

You're right, it is negative, but I'm unsure if I'm missing something.

GFD had some awesome concepts, and I can only assume that's why his stories are getting awards from the likes of 2000AD Review website as some of the best stories ever.

In my current eyes, they're just not.

But then, I thought Ice Hockey was a ludicrous sport until someone explained it to me. Now at least I can appreciate it a bit more.

So perhaps I'm missing something?

You people need to be watching/reading the following sites to keep up to date with these things!

http://www.shutupandsitdown.com/ For reviews with a British flavour

http://www.dicetower.com/ For reviews with an American flavour

http://boardgamegeek.com/ For everything you could possibly need.



But if you can't be bothered to click those, apparently this will be the next big game.

I'm reading through the entire back catalogue of 2000AD, all the way from #1. I'm come right out and say it; I consider Gerry Finley-Day as one of the worst writers I've come across so far.

He is outstanding at ideas and concepts, but the script execution is awful, stories are dull, 'plot twists' are so unsurprising it's not funny and the painful fact he has to 're-introduce' everything and everyone at the start of every script is driving me mental.

Blackhawk completely lost the plot, changing from some boring space gladiator thing, into some weird psychedelic, purgatory based thing, for no apparent reason. Started skipping that one quite early.

Invasion was just plain stupid. He's a lorry driver, yet the entire British military is at his beck and call at most points. Oh, and he blows up armoured cars with his double barreled shotgun 

Fiends on the Eastern Front became extremely repetitive. It could have been awesome, but it was just dull.

The only strip I look back on with any fondness is the V.C.s

And then there's Rogue Trooper. One of the finest Sci-Fi creations in existence. The imagination involved is unparalleled, but the themes are never really explored, the characterisation is weak and every bloody prog was a long description of his blood bio chips. After nearly 150 progs, WE GET IT! I've just finished Fort Neuropa, and i have to say it was terrible. Nostalgia being what it is, I always had fond memories of these early stories, but my 'eck, they are bad.

So I post here, waiting for someone to enlighten me. Am I missing something? Is he just too subtle for my tastes? Should I be more forgiving? It's difficult, as these same progs contain some absolutely classic Judge Dredd scripts, stuff that still holds up today.

Bongo_Clive, I'm in the middle of a similar process to you. One of the posters mentioned Judgement Day as first tie in (I think followed by the whole Mechanismo/Wilderlands storyline). I'll be keeping a close eye on this thread for a definitive steer.
Ps was Meltdown Man really that bad.

Yes, Meltdown Man was quite boring.

[Crazy Fox Machine]

PS, what's an "adjunct"?

Thanks to this forum's Crazy Fox Machine for what I'm sure will become the definitive response to such enquiries:

http://bit.ly/1mOM98r

Nice one smart arse, except this time it really WAS simpler just to ask, rather than open up a whole new page and have to trawl through all the nonsense Google would have thrown at me.

Much as it would ave been easier just to answer the question.