Main Menu

CRISIS and New Statesmen: the little comics nobody loved

Started by Frank, 14 June, 2015, 02:33:03 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Hawkmumbler

I should probably note that I don't dislike superhero tale's as a concept, it's just as good a subject matter as any other subgenre of science fiction, but how the big two tend to deal with their properties* and the oversaturation of the comic market with superheroics does become a little tiresome after a while.

Also, I don't include titles like Concrete as superhero tales despite my first impressions with the series. And New Statesmen treads a fine line between the aforementioned camp and typical superheroics.


*I do have a few Alan Grant and GMozz Batman titles piled up to read and am also curious about Matt Wagners run on the character, but DC as a company hold little appeal.

I, Cosh

I think you'll find both me and Colin love New Statesmen with an unhealthy passion, so please amend the thread title at your earliest convenience. It's a real favourite of mine. By far the best thing to appear in Crisis and up there with John's best work. Although he doesn't seem to agree these days (where "these days" = whenever the old chatroom was still in use.)

Probably been discussed at length before (if only there was a way to search the forum) but those articles pick up on a few of the things that make it so enjoyable. The multitude of very different voices and material; the sense of being dropped into the world of story and left to make sense of it for yourself; characters whose sexuality is simply presented without judgement; the bleak ending and the all the loose ends.

Some good reading there, even with some choice bits to disagree on, and I've been picking through a few more on the same blog.
We never really die.

Jimmy Baker's Assistant

I remember disliking New Statesmen almost as much as I disliked Third World War. I've always thought Crisis was a pretty-much unmitigated disaster. I way preferred Revolver and in Dare it produced what I consider the only stone-cold classic of the short-lived "comics are for adults" boom in the UK.

Still I'd probably re-read New Statesmen if I had the chance, if only because John Smith is someone I respect so I have this niggling feeling it can't really have been as bad as I thought it was. My understanding is Egmont have the rights and are hoarding them, Smaug-like, so any re-print is unlikely for the moment.

Jim_Campbell

Quote from: Jimmy Baker's Assistant on 16 June, 2015, 06:45:36 PM
Still I'd probably re-read New Statesmen if I had the chance, if only because John Smith is someone I respect so I have this niggling feeling it can't really have been as bad as I thought it was. My understanding is Egmont have the rights and are hoarding them, Smaug-like, so any re-print is unlikely for the moment.

Handy eBay links on the previous page...

Cheers

Jim
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

sheridan

Quote from: The Cosh on 16 June, 2015, 05:54:48 PM
Probably been discussed at length before (if only there was a way to search the forum) but those articles pick up on a few of the things that make it so enjoyable. The multitude of very different voices and material; the sense of being dropped into the world of story and left to make sense of it for yourself; characters whose sexuality is simply presented without judgement; the bleak ending and the all the loose ends.

Google can do site searches

IndigoPrime

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 16 June, 2015, 06:55:03 PMHandy eBay links on the previous page...
And the whole thing, too. Those US reprints show up quite often, though, so it's easy enough to snag if you've a bit of patience.

Jim_Campbell

#21
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 16 June, 2015, 08:01:21 PM
And the whole thing, too. Those US reprints show up quite often, though, so it's easy enough to snag if you've a bit of patience.

Cool. The only complete collected edition that was on when I looked was from the States and they wanted a silly amount of money for postage. (Also possible that my eBay searching abilities are just pants.)

Cheers

Jim
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Dark Jimbo

Huh. Interesting stuff. The Crisis/Revolver/Deadline era of comics have completely passed me by - when they were published I was at infant school(!), and the reprints seem few and far between. Is there anything much to look out for besides New Statesman and Dare?*

*I get the impression there probably isn't...
@jamesfeistdraws

BPP

2000ad presents Revolver Presents Expresso.

Now there's the real little comic nobody even mentions anymore.
If I'd known it was harmless I would have killed it myself.

http://futureshockd.wordpress.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/FutureShockd

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 16 June, 2015, 08:06:41 PM
Huh. Interesting stuff. The Crisis/Revolver/Deadline era of comics have completely passed me by - when they were published I was at infant school(!), and the reprints seem few and far between. Is there anything much to look out for besides New Statesman and Dare?*

*I get the impression there probably isn't...

Its not been reprinted, but the only original issues of Crisis I still own are 15 -27, as they have Sticky Fingers, in a story I love with almost the passion I have for New Statesmen... okay I wouldn't have a fist fight with The Cosh to win its affections the way I would with John Smith's work, but its pretty close.

Jim_Campbell

Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 16 June, 2015, 08:06:41 PM
Is there anything much to look out for besides New Statesman and Dare?*

*I get the impression there probably isn't...

Well, there's Morrison & Yeowell's sublime, more-than-slightly-surreal 'New Adventures of Hitler" for a start.

Cheers

Jim
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 16 June, 2015, 08:45:20 PM
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 16 June, 2015, 08:06:41 PM
Is there anything much to look out for besides New Statesman and Dare?*

*I get the impression there probably isn't...

Well, there's Morrison & Yeowell's sublime, more-than-slightly-surreal 'New Adventures of Hitler" for a start.

Cheers

Jim

Oh yeah I forgot I have those issues too. Really must get around to re-reading that one, as I recall very good.

Hawkmumbler

I bloody want to get my mits on New Adventures of Hitler. Looks utterly bizarre.

Dark Jimbo

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 16 June, 2015, 08:45:20 PM
Well, there's Morrison & Yeowell's sublime, more-than-slightly-surreal 'New Adventures of Hitler" for a start.

Ah, that's one I have actually read! Found an upload on the 'net some time back. Really enjoyed it - although I had a sneaking suspicion that some of the pages had been uploaded in the wrong order. Then again, it's the sort of story where I suspect it's hard to tell either way!
@jamesfeistdraws

Jimmy Baker's Assistant

New Adventures of Hitler was an amusing idea, but it's not much more than a curio, really.

If I had to pick one other strip from that era to recommend, I'd say Rogan Gosh is kind of fun.

Of the stuff that passed me by, I have a hankering to read Troubled Souls. If Ennis has the rights back now, why isn't there a rush to get this back on the shelves?