2000 AD - The Ultimate Collection

[Jade Falcon]

Was that the 'Galactic Hitman' stories you're referencing there?

[Goosegash]

Was that the 'Galactic Hitman' stories you're referencing there?

Presumably the "Hit" story arc that had Rogue employed by some shadowy aliens to carry out a series of assassinations, which ended midway through(after getting shunted off to a Sci-Fi Special) because everyone got sick of it.

[Jade Falcon]

I wouldn't be averse to it being reprinted but not desperate.  From the start up to the Horst arc was good, and the attempts at peace.  Also the content from Cinnabar and the Realpolitik book.  I did like the 86ers as well.

Never read Friday so I can't comment, ditto with Tor Cyan.

[Richard]

He specifically said "reboot."

Which wasn't confusing at all when it started, until Tharg made the mistake of pandering to the demands of some stupid readers who apparently were confused and didn't get that it was a reboot and kept asking how Friday fitted into Rogue's universe. Then we had that ridiculous fiasco when Friday and Rogue met each other, something no sane person ever wanted or expected to happen. The nadir of the '90s.

Never give the people what they want. At least, not the retarded ones.

[Jade Falcon]

I was only commenting that I had never read Friday or Tor Cyan, therefore I can't comment on the story quality.  I know Rafe from the 86ers was part of the mainstream universe.

I do remember reading Rogue up until the end of the peace talks after the Nort and Souther high command were offed, then the strip took a break.  Round about then was originally when I stopped reading the Prog, hence why I've got such a gap in my knowledge of some of the stuff that's appearing in this collection and Dredd.

[abelardsnazz]

There's a good one-off by John Smith and Chris Weston about some alien flying jellyfish that suck the juice out of people.

I think that's Shock Tactics, from the Sci-Fi special 1993. There's also a Smith & Weston collaboration in the 1993 Yearbook, Enfleshings, as strange and wonderful as you could wish for.

Hoping the collection will include Cinnabar and War Machine.

[The Monarch]

ah enfleshlings aka what happens if friday took a wrong turn at alburquque and ended up in the last few episodes of killing time

[Taryn Tailz]

I was only commenting that I had never read Friday or Tor Cyan, therefore I can't comment on the story quality.  I know Rafe from the 86ers was part of the mainstream universe.

For what it's worth, I genuinely seemed to be one of the few people who adored 'The 86ers'. I was very sad we only ever got enough for one collection of it.

[Jade Falcon]

The first time I read the collected book I was a bit 'meh' about it, but a reread I loved it. Might have been my personal mood at the time.

[abelardsnazz]

Volume 1 of Rogue Trooper was OK. Some good elements (Dreamweavers, Bland & Brass), but the younger me that first read these stories enjoyed them more.

[GaryUK]

Cover to #16 is now up on Hatchette's site (Nemesis the Warlock vol.3), but it's different to the one on Forbidden Planet's site.

[Jade Falcon]

I enjoyed volume 1 of Rogue Trooper, but the strip was definitely finding its feet there.  You can tell there was a change of artist part way through the "All Hell on the DIX-I Front" story as Sister Sledges chem-helmet changed from a large clear helmet to a more conventional souther style helmet with just the clear faceplate.

[Tomwe]

Cover to #16 is now up on Hatchette's site (Nemesis the Warlock vol.3), but it's different to the one on Forbidden Planet's site.

Loving the John Hicklenton cover there. The FP one was always a temporary one as evidenced by the lack of proper design to the title.

[Swerty]

Was that the 'Galactic Hitman' stories you're referencing there?

I loved that series when it ran in the prog and used to pore over the pages.Its only recently I found out it got wound up in a special or something.Still don't know how it ended.

[IndigoPrime]

The Hit was abruptly nuked in the second 2000 AD Winter Special. The Dillon/Weston tale [spoiler]rapidly got us up to speed on The Hit, had Rogue shoot a bunch of Norts, and then randomly meet a drunk and an assassin. The latter notes she had Rogue cold and could have killed him several times, but chose not to, because she smelled a rat. She reveals the aliens were – SHOCK! – treating the universe as a game, rather than having Rogue take people out to bring peace to every world. Rogue's teleport device is removed and shown to have been fogging his senses and also that it's booby trapped.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]By a fortunate coincidence, drunk bloke is a scientist, who can get everyone through the security system protecting Rogue's final hit. Rogue then kills a bunch of guards, because Rogue. There's a mention of the target playing both sides, and he's sent by Rogue to Nu-Earth as punishment. But now Rogue knows the aliens will be after him, he leaves his kit with the drunk and assassin, before legging it, on the basis he's now a liability. The epilogue shows the assassin got the drunk off the booze, got his lab up and running, and he re-gened the trio, albeit without their memories intact. The end.[/spoiler]

Naturally, this was all massively contradicted by the subsequent mess that occurred when Fr1day Rogue was mashed into the original continuity, with all the subtlety and grace of a toddler smushing beans into mashed potato.