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The completely self absorbed 2000ad re-read thread

Started by Colin YNWA, 22 May, 2016, 02:30:29 PM

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Colin YNWA

Quote from: Colin YNWA on 02 September, 2017, 09:46:53 PM
So there you have it. A hit rate of only 50% I was that wrong BUT its certainly fair to say that longer form Strontium Dog is nowhere near as strong and consistent as shorter form Strontium Dog (also see Robo-Hunter and arguably Judge Dredd... hmmm there's one for a later date...).

That's what that should say. I certainly always think Johnny is best in quick and out before it drags on and while I was suprised I like 50% of the longer form stories the shorter form probably have a hit rate of like 90%!

Colin YNWA

Prog 535

Well gotta say its been a while since there's been a contrast quite like that in the Prog. As though to emphasize the shift in the Prog that I seem to think I'm seeing (or making myself see!?!) we get to 535.

It starts off with the prologue to Zenith one of the most confident, smart and thrilling openings to any story the Prog has ever seen. It feels like the most post Watchmen thrill the Prog has had.

Then strangely broken up after only one page by Dredd (almost as though Tharg is showing how little we should care about it) we have Mean Team. One of the poorest strips Tharg has ever sullied his mighty organ with. Its stupidly directionless, full of crass characters and here Bellardinelli's are doesn't serve to build a glorious chaotic backdrop, but rather to emphasize the lack of focus and weak characters in the story. Just horrible.

So yeah the Prog is growing up and developing all these wonderful new mature thoughts.

Alas it this time of change and self discovery comes with zits.

TordelBack


Magnetica

Quote from: Colin YNWA on 03 September, 2017, 09:09:23 PM
Prog 535
It starts off with the prologue to Zenith one of the most confident, smart and thrilling openings to any story the Prog has ever seen.

Totally this. Indeed I am hard pressed to think of anything that betters it. Maybe only the first ever Slaine episode and the first episode of Nemesis Book 1.

And these are three of the greatest episodes in the Prog full stop, let alone being the best opening episodes.

Jim_Campbell

#289
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 03 September, 2017, 09:09:23 PM

Then strangely broken up after only one page by Dredd (almost as though Tharg is showing how little we should care about it) we have Mean Team.

The early attempts to run full colour strips, rather than just outside covers/centre spread, were badly hampered by the limitations of printing presses. I used to try and paginate a publication with limited colour pages and it's basically a crap-shoot. You can get the printers to print the whole thing as full colour (and pay for it as such, regardless of how many colour pages you actually have) or you can submit to the vagaries of multi-unit printing.

If you're on a tight, immovable deadline, you'd think your printers would give you a permanent slot on the press, but, noooo... one week, they might put you on the 32-page unit, and your colour pages will fall on pages A, B, C and D. Next week, they'll have put someone else's job on the 32-pager and they'll run your job over two 16-page units and the colours will fall on W, X, Y and Z. The week after, they might only have availability on the 64-page unit and will double up your 32 page job to make it fit on that, and the colour falls will move again.

Which is why, in the early period where Dredd was the only (?) full colour strip, it would move around the comic, or sometimes be broken up with an entire strip in between, or break up a B&W strip, seemingly for no reason.
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 03 September, 2017, 10:43:02 PM

Which is why, in the early period where Dredd was the only (?) full colour strip, it would move around the comic, or sometimes be broken up with an entire strip in between, or break up a B&W strip, seemingly for no reason.

Once again fantastic insight Jim.The weird thing about this though is this is prior to the 6 pages of colour Dredd scattered around the Prog (starts Prog 620?). This is still the era of colour centre pages only. Don't think I've ever seen a strip have one page before Dredd like this. When you look at how packed the Prog is you kinda see why it happened, we get a back inside cover story page. Just really strange.

While I'm here I'd forgotten how many Future Shocks Neil Gaiman did. What's in a Name with lovely Steve Yeowell art (twice in one Prog!) is the one I always remember for some reason (I reckon its the art its not his best FS thats for sure) but he's had 3 before this. Always forget about the rest! Dunno why.

Jim_Campbell

Quote from: Colin YNWA on 04 September, 2017, 09:50:30 PM

This is still the era of colour centre pages only. Don't think I've ever seen a strip have one page before Dredd like this.

Ah. Curse my failing memory circuits... I thought we were already into the full colour Dredds by then. That is just plain weird!
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Colin YNWA

Two great things about Prog 541. Firstly much as I don't like to spend too long slagging off bad thrills - thank fuck Mean Team is over. One of my least favourite thrills. To be honest I'm not convinced I've read it since it was first run. I mean I've done many a re-read that's covered it but based on how little I remembered I think this has always been skipped. Bloody awful rambling mess, no heart, no direction and dull beyond measure. I mean christ that big baddies thing. A big nothing and I think I'm meant to be excited when The Master is revealed as ... well jusyt a big scary monster. Jez. Bloody awful striped saved only by the fact its more memorible, just, than Angel!

Second great thing read picture Nemesis the Hedgehog. One of  my all time fav reader pictures. 'Maker of footprints in your pansies" Just great well done Mark Tucker of Surrey!

Colin YNWA

Oh and a cheeky second post to mark Universal Soldier ending in Prog 543. Always had a real soft spot for this thrill, always forget how short it is. Okay so the boardroom politics is a little submillsian and hamfisted but I love it. Will Simpson's art is a little clumsy and over worked, but I still love it. The concept is a little light and stretched, but I still love it.

No sure why but I really enjoy this tight, vicious little story.

Alas as I recall its return doesn't hold up, but looking forward to finding out.

Tjm86

Didn't the return feature some Fleetway character they were trying to revive with art by Brett Ewins?  Sultry female, great big guns and boxy hover cabs?  Am I thinking of the right one?

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Tjm86 on 05 September, 2017, 09:37:32 PM
Didn't the return feature some Fleetway character they were trying to revive with art by Brett Ewins?  Sultry female, great big guns and boxy hover cabs?  Am I thinking of the right one?

Oh I'm getting confused here maybe - I'm thinking Kelly's Eye?

Greg M.

The second Universal Soldier is the Simon Coleby one in the late 600s - then there's the Kelly's Eye one, which spins off into Kelly's Eye itself.

I, Cosh

Quote from: Tjm86 on 05 September, 2017, 09:37:32 PM
Didn't the return feature some Fleetway character they were trying to revive with art by Brett Ewins?  Sultry female, great big guns and boxy hover cabs?  Am I thinking of the right one?
Isn't the Night/Beyond/Below Zero? I also love the first series of Universal Soldier. Mostly for the art.
We never really die.

Fungus

Quote from: I, Cosh on 06 September, 2017, 07:14:31 AM
Quote from: Tjm86 on 05 September, 2017, 09:37:32 PM
Didn't the return feature some Fleetway character they were trying to revive with art by Brett Ewins?  Sultry female, great big guns and boxy hover cabs?  Am I thinking of the right one?
Isn't the Night/Beyond/Below Zero? I also love the first series of Universal Soldier. Mostly for the art.

No it's Ewins and Universal Soldier/Kelly's Eye (both? There's some overlap, and when I read it a couple of years back it was chunky stylised stuff but for all that it was legible unlike the other 90's stuff running alongside...).

Colin YNWA

Man we are heading into interesting times in the Prog.

Zenith hurls itself towards its thrilling finale and Prog 545 has one of my favourite panels of 2000ad art (there are a number across the Zenith books, he's mighty that Yeowell) specifcally the final page of the prog, four vertical panels:

1. Ruby's rain soaked terror
2. Masterman chilling grin over the fried remains of Siadwell (after his magnificently brief heroic charge)
3. the crying helmet as the Red Dragon is tossed aside
4. Who's Next - such sadism.

Just perfect in one of the true 2000ad great.

In the same issue Oz - a Megaepic I'm not overly fond of and as such really intrigued to read starts. Followed in Prog 546 with the start if Two Torquemadas, which for me, as I recall really returns Nemesis to the top if its game after a very strong lull - we'll see.

All this and the promise of the return of Bad Company, while Milligan treats us to Freaks in the interim... but I'll be back to talk about that one next time...