2000AD Thrillshots - Reviewing the Mega and Ultimate Collections

[Vernoona]

Thanks Fungus!

I went back and forth on The Judge Child a fair bit - I even note in the review that I'm being negative and piling on! I think it's a big challenge with reviewing works like these, where you can see the story get so close to being amazing, but just not quite get there. Is it fair to judge Wagner and Grant by a higher standard? I don't know, but I definitely did here.

As with all reviews, it's all so personal. I'm sure many people like the sudden about-turn at the end, but to me it just undermined the whole story. But I can totally imagine I'll come back to this review in a couple of years and go "what was I thinking??"

[Vernoona]

"Reading this Volume was my first ever exposure to Nemesis, and it was a thrilling, dense, high-speed, macabre and dizzying read."

"Nemesis the Warlock: Volume 1" is up on the blog.

https://thrillshots.wordpress.com/2019/03/18/nemesis-the-warlock-volume-1

[Vernoona]

"I can’t imagine there was huge fan demand for all the vaguely-ape related stories to be easily accessible in one book."

The blog takes a slight detour to look at the recent collection "Nobody Apes the Law".

https://thrillshots.wordpress.com/2019/03/25/extra-thrillshot-meet-the-primate-perps-nobody-apes-the-law/

[Vernoona]

Dredd as police procedural TV?

War on the Streets is up on the blog.

https://thrillshots.wordpress.com/2019/04/01/urban-pacification-war-on-the-streets/

[Vernoona]

"It’s fascinating how despite Dredd’s blunt decision to just walk away from the Judge Child mission, its legacy remains a part of his world for decades."

Krysler's Mark is up on the blog.

https://thrillshots.wordpress.com/2019/04/08/kryslers-mark/

[Greg M.]

Before I read this particular post, I had a bet with myself. The bet was: "City of the Damned" will be proclaimed ok, but somewhat lacking.

Yup!

There are people who absolutely love City... and in my experience, they're the ones who read it on a weekly basis. I imagine that, experienced as intended, it was pretty bloody exciting. But I didn't start reading 2000AD till a hundred progs after City... ended, and it sounds so much better as a plot summary than it actually turns out to be. Some great bits though - the "To be eyeless in hell" sequence is astounding, and about as good a summary of Dredd's character at the time as you're going to get. Overall though, it's maybe best viewed as a dry run for Necropolis, which takes the same basic concept - city becomes hell due to monstrous psychic force - and does it for real, rather than in a parallel timeline.

[Dark Jimbo]

Overall though, it's maybe best viewed as a dry run for Necropolis, which takes the same basic concept - city becomes hell due to monstrous psychic force - and does it for real, rather than in a parallel timeline.

I think that's it, really, isn't it? You can talk about too many artists, too few supporting characters, this-that-or the other, but at the end of the day I think it fails because it just feels a bit 'empty' - that it doesn't ultimately matter.

[Dandontdare]

Another good blog, I'm enjoying these - not much to add as I reckon your conclusions are pretty spot-on.

[Vernoona]

I'm going to have to write some truly incorrect reviews soon, just so you lose some bets! "Necropolis - yawn. So boring and terrible."

It's a really good point about the difference between reading weekly and collected, particularly these early progs. They're really not designed to be read in one big go. Makes reviews tough!

Before I read this particular post, I had a bet with myself. The bet was: "City of the Damned" will be proclaimed ok, but somewhat lacking.

Yup!

There are people who absolutely love City... and in my experience, they're the ones who read it on a weekly basis. I imagine that, experienced as intended, it was pretty bloody exciting. But I didn't start reading 2000AD till a hundred progs after City... ended, and it sounds so much better as a plot summary than it actually turns out to be. Some great bits though - the "To be eyeless in hell" sequence is astounding, and about as good a summary of Dredd's character at the time as you're going to get. Overall though, it's maybe best viewed as a dry run for Necropolis, which takes the same basic concept - city becomes hell due to monstrous psychic force - and does it for real, rather than in a parallel timeline.

[Vernoona]

Another good blog, I'm enjoying these - not much to add as I reckon your conclusions are pretty spot-on.

Thanks Dandontdare!

[Vernoona]

Welcome back, voorms!

The journey through the Mega and Ultimate Collections continues with Strontium Dog: Volume 2.

https://thrillshots.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/child-of-the-revolution-strontium-dog-volume-2/

[broodblik]

I enjoy your reviews Vernoona so keep it up 

[Vernoona]

Thanks Broodblik, much appreciated!

[Greg M.]

The journey through the Mega and Ultimate Collections continues with Strontium Dog: Volume 2.

Portrait of a Mutant's wonderfulness is pretty much universally accepted, but by crikey, The Moses Incident has to be one of the greatest Strontium Dog tales of them all. The atmosphere of pervading dread and hopelessness - despite the wacky banter from Brood's brothers' heads - is second to none, and I'm not sure anyone has ever drawn more frightening zombies than Carlos. (He repeats the trick in the earlier parts of Judgement Day.) Does the Strontium Dog (or indeed Dredd) universe need magic? It's an interesting question - psychic powers, sure, but flat-out sorcery? Is The Moses Incident the only good use of it? (Because The Final Solution isn't particularly good - not really - and Johnny's later magical resurrection is more of a necessary evil.)

[Vernoona]

Yep - sorcery/mysticism is usually a huge issue for me, but I think it works here because it only really works to serve the pressure put on Johnny Alpha. It's not really about Moses's resurrection, but about what Alpha is prepared to do to atone.