2000ad has it's share of unfinished strips. Most famously The Ballad of Halo Jones. But the one that sticks in my crawl is Stickleback. After that last book had such a shocking cliffhanger, I was dying for more! It's been almost five years. Will it ever be finished?
It was a shit ending! The lead character turned out never to have really existed and to have been a non-2000AD character all along! What's the point of continuing with that? I'm glad it's gone and I hope it never comes back.
Um...wow. I guess we have to agree to disagree. It had been obvious for a while Stickleback was not what he was making himself out to be. That ending just made me want more!
Quote from: Richard on 25 June, 2018, 12:23:27 AM
The lead character turned out never to have really existed
That is certainly AN interpretation. Certainly not one I got from the story, so I'm not sure where it came from for you.
I suspect Stickleback's status is tied up in Edginton & D'Israeli's overall schedule. I'd rather like them to come back to it before the next Scarlet Traces IMO Though I get that Rebellion is going to want to make that a priority for the investment they put into acquiring it.
IMO the real 'never got an ending' tragedy was Cabalistics INC. Followed closely by Lobster Random.
Never read any Lobster Random but I just bought the digital trade of the "complete" Cabalistics Inc, so that's not good.
Don't worry about it gameluvah, much like Halo Jones, Cabs Inc does have a satisfying ending, if not necessarily a conclusion, since it leaves many character fates open and sets up a new story. But that's the nature of most stories (and reality itself). That said, I'd love to see what Rennie could bring to the strip now, were he to take up the reins again: methadone-equivalent Absalom has been an utter treat, and over the past few years Rennie's handling of the short-satisfying-episode format has become second to none.
Lobster Random and Stickleback are different matters entirely - both left hanging in the worst way.
And don't get me started on Harry Kipling, Ampney Crucis, and Dead Signal! Want. More. Dead. Signal.
And where's my Red Seas epilogue, while we're at it. Too many loose threads left lying about the deck, most unseamanlike.
Now look what you've done, gameluvah, that's my morning gone off into cloud-cuckoo-land, dreaming of what might have been...
I asked Mr Edginton this very question at a signing last year, and he told me there's gonna be one more book when he gets chance to get on with it. They need one more to have enough for the collected edition, it seems! Lovely fella.
I can totally see how the reveal annoyed some folk, but the point is it was a reveal, rather than a twist per se - from Day One the big mystery of the strip was 'Who is Stickleback?', because it was made very clear he was not what he seemed. It is going to be a bit weird having an honest to goodness 'you-know-who' strip running in Tooth, though!*
*Y'know, if you've never read Canon Fodder.
I think Si Spurrier gave up attending Irish conventions because he had to endure me lobbying for the return of lobster random year after year after year.
Talked to Dom Reardon about cabs last month - probably the politest man in comics - he's ever happy and would love to be in 2000ad soon but says he thinks Gordon isn't interested in cabs (and he was unfailingly polite about Rennies right to be so). Has a OGN coming out soon from which he had a ton of beautiful pages on display.
Quote from: DrRocka on 25 June, 2018, 09:38:00 AM
I asked Mr Edginton this very question at a signing last year, and he told me there's gonna be one more book when he gets chance to get on with it. They need one more to have enough for the collected edition, it seems! Lovely fella.
I would really like Stickleback to return but Edginton has a lot of strips ongoing. I can wait for the return of Kingmaker as well as the next chapter of Brass Sun. Scarlet Traces is another one that we are waiting for to return
Quote from: DrRocka on 25 June, 2018, 09:38:00 AM
I asked Mr Edginton this very question at a signing last year, and he told me there's gonna be one more book when he gets chance to get on with it. They need one more to have enough for the collected edition, it seems! Lovely fella.
Thank you for that. I searched online and couldn't find anything about it since the reveal came out. At least we know it hasn't been abandoned.
Quote from: TordelBack on 25 June, 2018, 08:46:27 AM
Don't worry about it gameluvah, much like Halo Jones, Cabs Inc does have a satisfying ending, if not necessarily a conclusion, since it leaves many character fates open and sets up a new story. But that's the nature of most stories (and reality itself). That said, I'd love to see what Rennie could bring to the strip now, were he to take up the reins again: methadone-equivalent Absalom has been an utter treat, and over the past few years Rennie's handling of the short-satisfying-episode format has become second to none.
Lobster Random and Stickleback are different matters entirely - both left hanging in the worst way.
I see, that's OK then. I'm looking forward to tearing into it in the next fewdays.
My point is that Stickleback wasn't ever really Stickleback or any other character of the creators' devising, but another character create in the 19th century by Arthur Conan Doyle. I thought it was the biggest cop-out ever, but if anyone liked it then good luck to you.
I'd rather talk about Lobster Random. Although I assumed at the time that it wasn't over and that there would be more, now that we know that isn't the case I would argue that it did have an ending, albeit a very abrupt one. Lobster's last speech bubble is basically him explaining that [spoiler]everyone in the universe is completely fucked.[/spoiler]
Quote from: Richard on 25 June, 2018, 09:43:45 PM
My point is that Stickleback wasn't ever really Stickleback or any other character of the creators' devising, but another character create in the 19th century by Arthur Conan Doyle. I thought it was the biggest cop-out ever, but if anyone liked it then good luck to you.
You act that the character isn't still responsible for all his previous actions, regardless of the face he's wearing in the final panel. There's no guarantee he's not lying then too, because Stickleback is liar.
Quote from: The Adventurer on 25 June, 2018, 10:46:21 PM
Quote from: Richard on 25 June, 2018, 09:43:45 PM
My point is that Stickleback wasn't ever really Stickleback or any other character of the creators' devising, but another character create in the 19th century by Arthur Conan Doyle. I thought it was the biggest cop-out ever, but if anyone liked it then good luck to you.
You act that the character isn't still responsible for all his previous actions, regardless of the face he's wearing in the final panel. There's no guarantee he's not lying then too, because Stickleback is liar.
I had that very same thought, thus why I wanted to read more. Either way it goes, it should be compelling.
Point. If he's lying then that would work for me.
Also, still waiting for Second City Blues 2*
*not Bad City Blue
Quote from: TordelBack on 25 June, 2018, 08:51:38 AM
And don't get me started on Harry Kipling, Ampney Crucis, and Dead Signal! Want. More. Dead. Signal.
And where's my Red Seas epilogue, while we're at it. Too many loose threads left lying about the deck, most unseamanlike.
Now look what you've done, gameluvah, that's my morning gone off into cloud-cuckoo-land, dreaming of what might have been...
Isn't it around about now that somebody mentioned Dan Dare (with his cosmic claw)?
Talking about Edginton, will we ever see the next chapter of Helium ?
Quote from: broodblik on 26 June, 2018, 08:37:51 AM
Talking about Edginton, will we ever see the next chapter of Helium ?
In progress with Tiernan Trevallion on art duties, I believe. Very much looking forward to that.
Quote from: TordelBack on 25 June, 2018, 08:46:27 AM
Don't worry about it gameluvah, much like Halo Jones, Cabs Inc does have a satisfying ending, if not necessarily a conclusion, since it leaves many character fates open and sets up a new story. But that's the nature of most stories (and reality itself)
Yeah, it finishes on the climactic battle with Ethan Kostabi and after that it's pretty much run its course. The only thing that did annoy me (and I started a thread to say so a few months ago) was that we don't find out if Hannah Chapter and Solomon Verse survive (though we are told they suffer some pretty gruesome injuries).
Quote from: norton canes on 26 June, 2018, 09:54:11 AM
Yeah, it finishes on the climactic battle with Ethan Kostabi and after that it's pretty much run its course. The only thing that did annoy me (and I started a thread to say so a few months ago) was that we don't find out if Hannah Chapter and Solomon Verse survive (though we are told they suffer some pretty gruesome injuries).
It's Chapter and Verse's fate that feels really...
off. Shunted off-panel with no real closure when they were the heart of the strip (Jonathon and Jenny aside) and the closest thing to audience-POV figures. Plus those last two pages set up a great story that never happened - an undead King-and-Country Victorian redcoat revenant sent as an assassin to kill Ravne's offspring? I wanted to read that, dammit!
To be honest I've found it hard to invest in any Rennie stories ever since - coming so soon after he walked away from all his ongoing Dredd subplots (not to mention The 86ers) I'm always wary of him losing interest again at the drop of a hat.
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 26 June, 2018, 10:28:53 AM
To be honest I've found it hard to invest in any Rennie stories ever since - coming so soon after he walked away from all his ongoing Dredd subplots (not to mention The 86ers) I'm always wary of him losing interest again at the drop of a hat.
A little bird tells me you should keep an ear open for some small Cabs-related news before the end of the year.
:o
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 26 June, 2018, 08:50:21 AM
Quote from: broodblik on 26 June, 2018, 08:37:51 AM
Talking about Edginton, will we ever see the next chapter of Helium ?
In progress with Tiernan Trevallion on art duties, I believe. Very much looking forward to that.
Great, Tiernan Trevallion on art duty not a bad choice if mister D'Israeli is to busy with Scarlet Traces
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 26 June, 2018, 10:34:22 AMA little bird tells me you should keep an ear open for some small Cabs-related news before the end of the year.
Is it wrong that I'm now half expecting an announcement of a new series of Cabs by Rory McConville?
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 26 June, 2018, 11:03:58 AM
Is it wrong that I'm now half expecting an announcement of a new series of Cabs by Rory McConville?
I've said too much...
(Retreats mysteriously into the shadows)
If you want weird and obscure "Whatever happened to Vanguard?"
At least Vanguard had an ending.
Quote from: TordelBack on 26 June, 2018, 10:40:50 PM
Quote from: Richard on 26 June, 2018, 10:18:03 PM
At least Vanguard had an ending.
Did it?
Vanguard was designed to the same template that gave us the wildly successful Nicolai Dante.
Trust me, it was originally intended to run for multiple series.
This thread has reached its third page yet still no mention of the Sino-City smackdown between Tempest & his namesake promised on the final page of the second series?
You're slipping, squexx.
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 26 June, 2018, 11:15:57 AM
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 26 June, 2018, 11:03:58 AM
Is it wrong that I'm now half expecting an announcement of a new series of Cabs by Rory McConville?
I've said too much...
(Retreats mysteriously into the shadows)
Hmmm.... (https://www.bookdepository.com/Complete-Caballistics-Inc-Gordon-Rennie/9781781086957)
Quote from: O Lucky Stevie! on 04 July, 2018, 07:39:37 AM
Hmmm.... (https://www.bookdepository.com/Complete-Caballistics-Inc-Gordon-Rennie/9781781086957)
Hmmm.... (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1781086958/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_x3ipBbWK1KPWD)
Quote from: BPP on 25 June, 2018, 10:45:45 AM
Talked to Dom Reardon about cabs last month - probably the politest man in comics - he's ever happy and would love to be in 2000ad soon but says he thinks Gordon isn't interested in cabs (and he was unfailingly polite about Rennies right to be so). Has a OGN coming out soon from which he had a ton of beautiful pages on display.
Just found the scrap of paper he scribbled the title on - Nicnevin & The Bloody Queen. No sign of it yet in listings but it's nearly all drawn.
This is utter poppycock and silly speculation based on doubt. But isn't there something very Stickleback about the title 'Thistlebone' (see this week's Prog's letters page).
I also love the title 'The Devil's Railroad' but that doesn't have even a spurious made up connection to this thread so I won't mention it.
Guess what's finally getting an ending this a Christmas!
http://comicbuzz.com/caballistics-inc-to-end-this-christmas/