If I was less lazy I could have done that Funt Solo - so thanks. One of the blessing / curses if this reread is I'm trying to be good and not look ahead. This allows me to be surprised when some stuff shows up... due to my shocking memory. It also means I can justify not doing stuff like that that which allows me to be lazy!
Anyway onwards to ... well a backwards looks as I sum up - as best I can -
1997.
I always like to see what my predictions for a given year were when I reviewed the previous year. So 'in' 1996 I suggested
Now 1997... 1997 is possibly going to be the most mixed bag of thrill ever if memory serves. We'll see greats that will save the comic start to develop, while we'll see some of the worst, most lambasted of stories too... it ain't going to be smooth going but heck hard though times are, confused as we may be, we still managed to have some bloody interesting and fun adventures along the way.
Nailed it.
Pretty straightforward year in my eyes. Its the year 2000ad became a Prog of two halves - I live to fuel the use of cliche. I've really enjoyed reading 1997 Progs. Again they've often not been great but for the next few years I strongly suspect we'll be talking about highs and lows and this annual summary will become a needless repetition just collating the things I've said 'during' the year. 1997 genuinely lets that be the case.
Its such an important year in my mind for reasons I've already covered enough. As the trio of Prog saves raise to the top all hell can break loose elsewhere and the Galaxies Greatest can remain just that.
Elsewhere Slaine stops being good and will stay there for... well lets see. I really like the experimentation that's going on, Space Girls, Life Less Ordinary B.L.A.I.R. 1, the Sex issue even if the individual stories are terrible I enjoy the spirit of adventure they bring in the Prog. Maybe next year the experiments might get a bit more varied in quality i.e. any of them might be good!
Nice to have Anderson back in the Prog and the middle ground ... actually I think the middle ground is basically Mercy Heights... damn I wish I'd started with that as that provides the best summary of the year with the most original way of saying it! Also worth noting the number of double length thrills that start appearing. Dredd, Sinister Dexter all get goes and I think this thrill lenght variance will become a feature of the coming years and I imagine will help David Bishop directing traffic.
As for my predictions for 1998 - I'm really looking forward to it. 2 to 3 good thrills per Prog all of which are some of my favourite all times thrills can't be bad and some choas surrounding it to keep me on my toes. If we could just keep Slaine in the quiet I'd be loving this!