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Over at Bleeding Cool there a fun little article imagining some missed Marvel Two in Ones featuring the Thing and various characters, mainly DC. All entertaining enough but it also includes this beauty



Full article here

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/08/08/the-comics-the-thing/

Stumbled across this via CBR and Dave Gibbons twitter feed. No 2000ad stuff but for fans of american comics of the 70s and 80s these are absolutely stunning things.

http://ripjaggerdojo.blogspot.com/2010/08/most-delicious-jams-ever.html

Over at Bleeding Cool under an article about the new logo someone posted in the comments section that 2000ad might be getting another price rise. I wasn't convinced given that the price has just gone up in the new year so I asked where he'd heard about the price rise. He replied with the following

I get my comics mail order and the shop I use has the following listed:

http://86thfloor.com/Advance%20Order...ogue/18_UK.htm


2000 AD #1705-1708
Irreverent, satirical, and full of pulse-pounding action, 2000 AD is the UK's cult SF anthology title, featuring some of the best writers and artists in the business. Russian revolutionary Nikolai Dante faces down an old enemy in "The Master of Kronstadt" by Robbie Morrison and John Burns; a new criminal organisation is ruling the streets of the Big Meg in "Low Life: Hostile Takeover" by Rob Williams and D'Israeli; the Tower of London is besieged by undead hordes in "Defoe: A Murder of Angels" by Pat Mills and Leigh Gallagher; and Rowan is running for her life in a werewolf-haunted city in "Age of the Wolf" by Alec Worley and Jon Davis-Hunt. Plus future lawman Judge Dredd leads a crackdown on perps in Mega-City One! (977026228416605/06/07/08)
SC £2.25 Ea.
And the same price is on their online order form. They have always sold 2000AD at cover price (minus customer discount) and can't see them adding any extra themselves now.

So while this is yet to be confirmed certainly according to this shop a rise is on the way. Still great value for money as far as I'm concerned but thought it worht mentioning here now its backed up a little.

Over at The Beat they've run an interesting story about a film of all 4 short stories in 'A Contract with God' will be filmed by four 'independent' directors in 2011. Interesting to see how this goes.

http://www.comicsbeat.com/2010/07/24/a-contract-with-god-to-come-to-the-screen/

And in yet more film news here's a little early insight into Grant Morrison's 2012 offering (I can't get the sound to work on this so not sure whats said!)

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/07/22/talking-to-grant-morrison-and-adam-egypt-mortimer-about-sinatoro/

Well the bad news is that the TV show seems to have stalled. The good news is this

http://freakishkid.com/?p=1084

Full story with context here

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/07/19/rogue-trooper-as-animated-for-the-2000ad-show/

Well my quest for 2000ad creators work from other sources plods on. I've not been that impressed with the bits of Star Wars I've read from Dark Horse but I've noticed that John Wagner's stuff os now all packaged in a couple of those good value Omnibuses they do. So the question is is it any good?

Anybody read his Boda Fett and 'Shadow of the Empire' stuff and care to share?

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news as I know a few people here than things in the pipeline from Insomnia but it looks like the company might have gone to the wall?

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/07/17/insomnia-publishing-to-cease-publishing/

Obviously things might not be as bleak as things here make it sound and hopefully people will still get their work out one way or another but anyway good luck all involved.

I was going to wax lyrical about Sinister Dexter in 2005 in my review of the year as a whole thread I've just started BUT I decided it deserves some of its own space as it raises a question for me that needs seperate attention.

For me in 2005 Sinister Dexter has been about as good as its ever been. Its been superb. It been awarded with the most consistant runs its had for a while in the Prog (for whatever reasons) a run the current storyline sad suffers from lacking. It started off with some great short stories and ended the year with a couple of brillant longer stories in 'Last Train to Kal Cutter' and '...and Death shall have no dumb minions' that really move the characters on in what must have been surprising ways when read 'live'? Just brillant brillant stuff.

Often when folk who have lost the love for S&D say it should have stopped around Eurotrash, or a bit after, I think normally people have lost that loving feeling before this point however.

I could see how that might have been in the couple of years before this when the strip did lose its way a little and was often given artists that didn't do it justice but really these stories in 2005 didn't move folk? Didn't bring you back to the fold (assuming you were there in the first place?). Have I just misread the tea leaves and this stuff is well regarded, or do people feel these are weak Sinister Dexter stories and if so I'm interested to hear why they don't like them?

I normally review individual stories or a couple grouped together but I think 2005 deserves a bit of a special review as its quite possibly one of the best years in Thrill-Power's history. I've enjoyed these progs (2005 and 1420 - 1468) so much and they've been up there for me with the Progs of the last couple of years.

They've been so damned consistant. Sure there's been a few things I've not enjoyed but you can count them literally on the fingers of one hand. I think the thing that's really made this year work is that a lot of the regulars have been on fire and Tharg now has so many of them in the pot that even if strips like Sinister Dexter (which will get a special mention elsewhere) and Dante don't get as big a showing as they have in previous years there's enough other stories now strong enough to keep the comic going at an absolute amazing standard.

Newer regulars (or semi regulars, or regulars in waiting whatever) like Red Seas (I loved Underworld and learnt more about Jack's crew in this story than I have in everything I've read before and since), VCs, Invasion, Robo-Hunter, Shakara, Low Life, Atavar, Caballistics Inc. carry the Prog up to heights its not been at for a while, not because its been bad the last few years, far from it in fact, just that's it was all so good in 2005, so very good.

The new stuff while not always perfect has added a lot of difference styles and story types to the mix as well, while all being very much in the 2000ad mold, American Gothic, Breathing Space, Second City Blue, Tiger Sun, Dragon Moon had verying degrees of success but all added something to the Galaxie's Greatest. You also get your stone wall classic in the shape of Leatherjack too.

Finally Dredd has been on top form. Some of the best none Wagner Dredd's I can remember, ones that hold their heads high in the company of Dredd's best, the Wagner's speak for themselves of course.

2005ad The Galaxies Greatest Comic.

Well another year done and another John Smith work of genius.

When I started reading 'Leatherjack' I had this horrible feeling John Smith's work was suffering from what I call 'Stereolab syndrome'. Let me explain, I love Stereolab they are a fantastic band and amazing live if you ever get the chance, I digress. When I heard 'Cobra and Phases' however, their 6th studio album for those who don't know the band, I was just so done with them. Its not a bad record by any stretch of the imagination, if it'd been the first, second or even fifth Stereolab album I'd heard I'd probably have loved it but as it was I was just done with Stereolab, I'd heard just about enough Stereolab albums to last me a life time and have never got back into any of their newer stuff. They are still creative, different and brillant, just my head is as full of Stereolab stuff as it can get.

This is how I felt starting out reading 'Leatherjack', it was so very very John Smith. It had all the John Smith things in it, all his stuff. Crazy imagination, wonderful word play, a gazillion idea's a second, strong complex central themes, great characters, a real sense of a world at a slight angle to our own yet utterly compelling and believable. BUT I wasn't getting into it and a cold chill struck me. Was I done with John Smith, had my head got full of as much of John Smith's writing as it could take. Had John Smith jumped the moog (Stereolab reference for those that know).

No.

Thank christ for that.

As I got into the story I was so utterly pulled in, so entirely engrossed in the world he'd created and the creature's he's populated it with that my head just grew more space for John Smith and embraced this utterly brillant story. Really this has everything you'd expect from a John Smith story and its brillant. So much so that when I read the comment by Tharg suggesting that you read Paul Auster's 'New York Trilogy' and compare the themes and ideas I wanted to go back and read it again to do just that being a big fan of Paul Auster too.

John Smith is immune to Stereolab Syndrome, John Smith just makes your brain grow more space. And that is why he's a chuffing genius. I've waxed lyrical about the man before and was a bit self conscious about doing so again knowing that he's been around these parts of late but what he heck the man deserves it, he's chuffing brillant.

I've gone on to this extent and not yet even mentioned the fantastic Paul Marshal art... well there you go its fantastic. I get hints of Cam Kennedy from this work of late and I think this is the first strip (chronologically not by my reading) where that is apparent. Not in a way that takes away from his own unique style but just enough to enhance it even more. Great stuff.

In summary I liked this

Word/lab

Well damnit, damnit damnit damnit. I was really enjoying that...

... then my head hurt. Now ok I was quite tried last night when I read the end of this and its possible it was me BUT there were a number of moments in the last few parts (well last 3 to be precise) were the art left me a little confused, or at least added to my confusion. By the last episode I was struggling and while I've made an attempt at an interruption it is just that an attempt.

This was a real shame as the setting, the characters, the art up to that point had all been first rate and I'd really enjoyed the thrill. A lot in fact. It was tense, exciting and to use an easy comparison reminded me of 'Outland'. There were a few moments when I couldn't tell exactly who was doing what to whom and the final part had a little too many time and scene changes not  presented clearly visually which meant I was taking a bit of a stab at what words related to what time and whom exactly.

I'm guessing some of this was intentional to try to place the reader in a position were they felt King's confusion as he became more and more aware that he was not in consious control of all his actions and was being manipulated by a PSi.

So anyway I have a question. I'm tempted to read all this in one go at some point when I find the time to see if that makes it any clearer. Has anyone else done this and has it made it easier to understand, or is it just me and I'm being doozey and everyone else understood it fine?

Shakara as a character is clearly very one dimensional, he can't carry a strip for any great league of time and his dialogue is limited - though it never fails to amaze me how many likes Robbie Morrison can make the fella shouting 'SHAKARA' seem significent adn relevent - brillant stuff. He's meant to be and that's that. Therefore for Shakara to have survived 4 books and have me still hankering for more its clear that his world needed to be developed and the characters around him had to carry the story.

'The Assassin' does just that. Shakara the enigma is set up in book one and so in book 2 we start to learn more and more about what he's about, why he's there and who exactly he's killing and why. And boy oh boy does it do it well. Mr Morrison creates some great 'villans' to tell the tale. Ones that are not only fun to read about in and of themselves but each sets up problem for Shakara so that when he shows up and starts cutting the crap out of stuff its still interesting to see how he's going to cut the crap out of the particular stuff.

This strip is in many ways the perfect 2000ad strip. On the surface is a balls to the wall action strip with all the mindless violence given to Dredd strips by writers doing him wrong. Under that there is an intriguing world being created full of ugly distorted characters you just love to get to know and love to see beat up (see first point) and even under that is some nice satire (well by my reading I do somethimes over read these things!). Wonderful. Get it drawn by the genius that is Henry Flint and you got ya self some happy 2000ad readers.

Bloody love this

SHAKARA! 

To be honest I haven't really got anything new to say about this that I've not said before. Great story - check, wonderful art - check, credible and engaging world - check, characters I invest in - check, a genunine sense of danger and tension - check.

The new V.C.'s stuff is a perfect example of how to revisit an old thrill, one I have to say art aside, I wasn't a big fan of. Dan Abnett has taken the original concept and all but maintained it however moving it just enough away from the original story to allow him room to move with freedom and not be bound by what had gone before. Its just brillant brillant stuff.

Along with Anthony Williams getting a strip he can make his own, that is perfect for him and doing a blinding job this is now becoming one of my all time favourite thrills.

So no nowt new to say but hey this thrill deserves all the praise it can get, even if it is me banging on again.

well that was fun. I'm a big fan of the western and feel its a genre under used in 2000ad. Well a traditional western setting that is, the format has been used plenty. Anyway I digress so I was chuffed when I came across this as part of my catch-up. Its a story that seems to have complete slipped under my radar and I can't for the life of me think why. Its not often discussed so hearing what other people think would certainly be interesting.

Its a great concept, executed well and a very entertaining read. Ok the villian could have been fleshed out a little more and been a bit more original and the end felt a little rushed. A few extra episodes to increase the tension. To have the hunter slowly hunt their victims rather than a single raid, all but wiping out the wagon train would have been nice. That aside however a good story.

As for the art well that was a delight. Around episode 7 as the story darken up I noticed a real Klaus Janson feel to the inking and I bloody love Klaus Janson. The way it slowly got darker and darker to match the tone was fantastic. Wonderful atmospheric work from Mike Collins as good as I've seen from him.

Hi ho silver

Well this is bloomin' good news

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10507286.stm

Slightly tempered by the fact that they are cutting the budget to the website by 25% and I'm sure for other than Asian Network is also going.

A great victory for the BBC this. FANTASTIC!

Now I normally use this place to discuss complete stories and not runs of Progs but in doing that I often seem to take for granted some of the more regularly entertaining strips in the comic. I mean who needs to hear me say 'Such and such a Dante strip was great'... hey quiet at the back no need to be rude I know no one needs to hear me spout about any strip but...

ahem anyway but these Progs were standout brillant Progs and part of that was great examples of the usual suspects and so I'll like to quickly doth my hat and praise um.

The Dredd here is immense fun and Mr Rennie really produces a blinder, exciting, scarey and in keeping with the feel of a Wagner. Its also fun to note how much 'Total War' is being referenced after the event. Just a great Dredd and while I'm not Boo Cook's biggest fan and I know he has many, here I completely get why people love his work, he's perfect for this story and I love the art. (oh and I know this story actually began in Prog 1432).

Speaking of Dredd there's a wonderful Sinister Dexter three parter amongst these Progs. I say speaking of Dredd as with a bit of tweaking it could have been a Dredd story. A great example of how Downlode is a great character within the strip just as Mega City One is in Dredd. Fun S&D and all rendered by the simply brillant Steve Yeowell. Doesn't get much better.

Finally (for this review I'm going to be talking about American Gothic and VCs independantly I suspect) a jungle romp in Dante that is just wonderful. 'Primal Scream' is a fantastic reminder of the light and breezely action adventure that Dante started off as. Such good fun and yet not out of context in the readily darkening world our favourite love machine lives in. The introduction of Lauren recently has been wonderful and the way she runs around this entire story like Jane of the Jungle such a hoot. Oh and John Burns paints up panther men and lion kings an absolute storm.

These individual progs are some of the best I can remember. Old classics done well and all looking beautiful while newer strips sit welcomely beside.

Damn I love this comic.

Well when meadering through the world of the internet I stumbled across the fact that that John Smith wrote a little run of Harris' Vampirella comic in the early 2000s? Now Vampirella is a character I know nowt about aside the two obvious points but I love me some John Smith. So the question is has anybody read these and are they worth tracking down?

Any info gratefuly recieved.

This is genius Fox news has got all in a twist about the new Wonder Woman costume. In a news story that could have come right out of an American Daily Mail they express outrage that the Greek superheroe's new custume has lost some of its red white and blue.

Over to Bleeding Cool

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/07/02/fox-news-criticises-wonder-woman-for-lack-of-patriotism-comments-say-shes-a-communist/

Spider-man has been cast for the new movie. Andrew Garfield who I have to be honest I've never heard of (still not seem Tom Waits as the devil curse me). Then I'd never heard of Matt Smith and look how that turned out!

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/07/02/andrew-garfield-is-spider-man-its-official/