Return to Armageddon

Colin YNWA · 22 November, 2012, 01:57:37 PM

I've recently been digging out a bunch of old strips I skipped on my recent(ish) re-read for one reason or another and giving them another go. Over the last week or two I've read both Meltdown Man and Return to Armageddon. Both, I believe are quite fondly remember by Tooth fans, both are written by solid, if not big name writers (Alan Hebdon and Malcolm Shaw respectively) and both are drawn by popular artists who have never really been given their time in the spotlight. The results are very intriguing and even more surprising is how differently the strips have been treated of late.

Of the two I'd dare to suggest that 'Return' (as it will now be known for reasons of laziness) is by far the better. I found Meltdown Man a bit of a slog at times. Oh it has it moments and there's some really fun bits but it meanders and dallys, drifts and ponders before rushing to a disappointing end. This was the way apparently at the time, when a writer often didn't know how long a story was due to be until he was told to wrap it up. Its fun and imaginative and while I'm not Bellardinelli's biggest fan, I know he has many, the art is certainly spot on for the story. It felt flabby and at times a bit ridiculous.

Now 'Return' by contrast, meanders but never dallys. It start off seeming to be one story then changes tack, but delightfully so though. Amtrack, the strips hero doesn't even appear for the first few parts! It seems to be drifting from one thing to another, but holds itself together and read as just seems this great complete story. It manners to pull so many apparently disparate parts together by the end. Its ending felt destined and planned, even if there are hints that it was a bit rushed. It felt so much more unorthodox then Meltdown Man, so much more rebellious and intriguing, so much more 2000ad. I chuffin' loved it and while I might not be Bellardinelli's biggest fan, Jesus Redondo can do no wrong in my eyes. It looked bloody great.

The section in the middle (just after we seem to lose a part, did I just miss something?) when Amtrak has become a self pitying, mutated, freak and is being helped around by the wonderfully rebellious, if blandly named robot 'Seeker' is just comics gold. An absolute delight.

Yet 'Meltdown' man has been reprinted twice in the last few years, once in Extreme and more recently getting its own complete trade. I wasn't sure but checked and Return to Armageddon has never been reprinted, NEVER... really. Its a bloody disgrace Tharg it really is.

Sort that out will ya!

maryanddavid · 22 November, 2012, 02:07:29 PM

Completly with you on that Colin, Armageddon is a great story.

Dark Jimbo · 22 November, 2012, 02:20:59 PM

Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 22 November, 2012, 01:57:37 PM
Yet 'Meltdown' man has been reprinted twice in the last few years, once in Extreme and more recently getting its own complete trade. I wasn't sure but checked and Return to Armageddon has never been reprinted, NEVER... really. Its a bloody disgrace Tharg it really is.

Aye, as a newer reader I rely mainly on the reprints to catch up with past glories. Return... and Blackhawk were the last strips from the classic b+w era yet to be reprinted (and by which I mean never before reprinted) when the EEs folded. Blackhawk's obviously had a TPB since then - as has an awful lot of the stuff that appeared in the EEs, come to that - while poor old Return... languishes forgotten. Would love to read it one day.

Trout · 22 November, 2012, 02:24:34 PM

Usually I'm reluctant to join online discussions which say "Reprint that" or "Make this" because I'm conscious that they can never be representative of how things will sell, but... why hasn't Return to Armageddon ever been reprinted?

I am genuinely puzzled about it. I remember it fondly and, because I don't really bother with early back progs, haven't seen it since I was a child. But I was freaked out by it and I would definitely buy a reprint.

Jim_Campbell · 22 November, 2012, 02:40:20 PM

Quote from: Supermarine Troutfire on 22 November, 2012, 02:24:34 PM
Usually I'm reluctant to join online discussions which say "Reprint that" or "Make this" because I'm conscious that they can never be representative of how things will sell, but... why hasn't Return to Armageddon ever been reprinted?

I remember Jesus Redondo's three extended 2000AD stories with remarkable clarity -- Project Overkill, Return to Armageddon and Nemesis BkII. The effortless quality of the draughtshmanship coupled with the calligraphic quality in his inks always captivated me.

It almost seemed like he was being punished for the (apparently) negative fan reaction to Nemesis because he really only seemed to get Future Shocks after that, but I really like his turn on Nemesis and wish to this day that Tharg had found a more regular spot for him...

Cheers

Jim

Dark Jimbo · 22 November, 2012, 02:44:19 PM

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 22 November, 2012, 02:40:20 PM
I remember Jesus Redondo's three extended 2000AD stories with remarkable clarity -- Project Overkill, Return to Armageddon and Nemesis BkII. The effortless quality of the draughtshmanship coupled with the calligraphic quality in his inks always captivated me.

I must say he drew my favourite take on Purity Brown - and given that she's been drawn by O'Neill, Talbot, Roach and Flint that in itself's got to say something.

Steve Green · 22 November, 2012, 02:45:29 PM

Yeah, I'd love to see it collected.

I guess the Nemesis thing was mainly because he wasn't Kev - and maybe it was the wrong strip for his strengths.

It's the same thing as not having Carlos on Stront, it's an uphill struggle when someone has put their mark on a series.

He did that Missionary Man strip though, and I'd be curious to see what he'd be like on a Dredd strip.

Jim_Campbell · 22 November, 2012, 02:45:45 PM

Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 22 November, 2012, 02:44:19 PM
I must say he drew my favourite take on Purity Brown

Ahh... no one could draw cheekbones quite like Redondo...!

Cheers

Jim

Colin YNWA · 22 November, 2012, 02:48:24 PM

Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 22 November, 2012, 02:20:59 PM
Return... and Blackhawk were the last strips from the classic b+w era yet to be reprinted (and by which I mean never before reprinted) when the EEs folded.

Wow did not realise that. Makes it even more strange that its not been reprinted then. I wonder why?

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 22 November, 2012, 02:40:20 PM
...but I really like his turn on Nemesis and wish to this day that Tharg had found a more regular spot for him...

Yeah absolutely agreed. I was really pleased to find it included when I picked up the hardcover 'Death to all Aliens' recently. A terribly under-rated artist.

Colin YNWA · 22 November, 2012, 02:50:02 PM

Quote from: Steve Green on 22 November, 2012, 02:45:29 PM

I guess the Nemesis thing was mainly because he wasn't Kev - and maybe it was the wrong strip for his strengths.

Wrong strip for him??? But his spiders were so wondefully... hairy. Bloomin' loved him on Nemesis and would happily have seen more of him there... though I see the point of coming up against Kev O'Neill!

Steve Green · 22 November, 2012, 04:07:33 PM

I meant more the twisted weirdness in the architecture that you got with Kev and Henry Flint later on.

Bryan's was a different twistedness, and I think Redondo's was just a bit clean-cut for a Nemesis strip.

Dark Jimbo · 22 November, 2012, 05:45:41 PM

Have to agree. Love Redondo's art, but he was a really bad fit for Nemesis.

SmallBlueThing · 22 November, 2012, 05:51:16 PM

Redondo's stint on Nemesis was BY FAR my favourite bit of it at the time. As a kid, i didnt really like Kevin O'Neill- i think he may have frightened me a bit, to be honest.

But i've often found myself on here and elsewhere reminiscing about Redondo's Nemesis. The prison breakout and subsequent spider-hunt especially. If pushed to point to my absolute favourite '2000AD THING'- it'd honestly be hard to choose between Sky Chariots, Bisley's first Horned God cover, The Apocalypse War, The Pit or Redondo's Nemesis.

Doesn't a lot of this perceived anti-Redondo bias, much like with Bellardinelli, stem from Titan's refusal to reprint them in collected editions back in the eighties, removing them from the canon as it were, and causing a number of fans to wrongly see them as 'second class'? Which just goes to show: read the prog first and foremost. The collecteds are nice, but the prog is what matters.

SBT

The Enigmatic Dr X · 22 November, 2012, 06:52:20 PM

The cover with the bald guy being menaced by a giant tarantula scared me as a child.

I, Cosh · 22 November, 2012, 11:26:45 PM

Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 22 November, 2012, 02:48:24 PM
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 22 November, 2012, 02:20:59 PM
Return... and Blackhawk were the last strips from the classic b+w era yet to be reprinted (and by which I mean never before reprinted) when the EEs folded.
Wow did not realise that. Makes it even more strange that its not been reprinted then. I wonder why?

Depends what you mean by "classic era" The forthcoming Meg reprint of Disaster! will be the first time that's seen the light of day since the 70s. The Mind of Wolfie Smith has never been reprinted either and that would make a similar sized volume to Blackhawk if you include the Tornado stuff.

These are all on the slowly dwindling list of stories that I've never read. Return to Armageddon is probably the one I'd most like to get hold of as the single episode I've seen looked pretty cool so I'm all for this too.

Then there's the first year's worth of Dan Dare.