2000 AD - The Ultimate Collection

[Dark Jimbo]

I have just been looking as to what will make the final cut in the forthcoming 'Dredd/Anderson' edition...

By my reckoning, this is just too much material for one volume and something will have to be omitted.

Not sure where the concern comes from - it'll be a chunky book, but can easily include the lot.

Top of the World, Ma-Ma - 6
Underbelly - 30
Uprise - 50
Dust - 50
Furies - 30
Anderson: The Deep End - 20
Anderson: Judgement Call - 10
The Dead World - 52

for about 250 pages

[sintec]

This one is definitely in the running for worst book in the collection for me. It's final position all hinges on Bad City Blue at this point.

Well the book did get better after the end of Return of Mean Team; Survivor is probably the best thing to come out of that whole sorry mess and it's a shame it didn't get a longer run.

Bad City Blue is... fine. It's a perfectly serviceable thrill that doesn't overstay it's welcome. Not going to change the world or anything but does at least mean this book isn't a complete waste of shelf space.

[Jade Falcon]

It's still rather criminal that theres been no Captain Skank reprint of Dredd either in the Mega Collection or the Ultimate Collection in my opinion.  Especially with some of the dross that has been printed like Mercy Heights.

[Hackenbush]

Reading Survivor today made me wish that Tharg bothered to get permission to make up a volume of Hilary Robinson stories. She has the copyright - maybe she'd be up for it? We have some creator owned volumes in the collection now.

Medivac 318 and Zippy couriers were pretty cool. I am less fond of Chronos carnival but I think it would fit in a single volume as well.

It would make a better volume than a lot of the other stuff from that time...

[Blue Cactus]

Robinson's stuff is a glaring omission in my 2000ad reading. I'd love to see a reprint some time.

[AlexF]

That first book of Medivac is really good - but seeing a collection of the whole thing would kind of leave me frustrated that there was never any more. Book 2 is fine but totally feels lik ean unfinished story. Bit like re-reading Vanguard, a waste of the talent involved

[Barrington Boots]

I've recently re-read that era of Progs and what Alex says is sage as ever - the first bit of Medivac is good but it kind of loses momentum and tails off. Chronos is absolutely appalling and a real waste of Ron Smith.

Zippy is a more interesting one - it's so often cited in revisionist takes on the Prog that I thought it'd be this hidden gem, but a lot of it is pretty poor - I'm thinking about the doughnut storyline especially. Lovely artwork and a really good idea that starts off brightly and I think would have a lot more legs today - the cat, especially, rules. For all my criticism I would like to see it reprinted and I think it would be a really good shout for a reprint if it could tie into Regened or something.
I think Survivor is the best of her work in the Prog and I wish there'd been more of that.

[IndigoPrime]

I see FPI has listed 2000 AD UC 144 as 'discontinued'. I'm assuming that's a cock-up somewhere. I really don't want to have to order from Hachette...

[The Monarch]

okay i just noticed two big flaws with mean team that i didn't even think about last time i read it....1 if earth fries electronics how did the prick who kidnapped bad jack originally get off the planet? and 2 how the hell does henry moons voice synthesiser still work on earth thats electronic right?

[JohnW]

The kidnapping was done with hooks trailed from orbit on very long ropes.
The voice synthesiser had a little man inside fluent in panther who provided simultaneous translation.
No electronics involved in either case.

Do not try to shake my faith in Mean Team.

[GoGilesGo]

okay i just noticed two big flaws with mean team that i didn't even think about last time i read it....if earth fries electronics...how the hell does henry moons voice synthesiser still work on earth thats electronic right?

spit-baling here, but perhaps electronics can work Terminator-style: only when encased inside a biological organism, in this case Henry's throat.

[Jade Falcon]

I really hope there isn't a further extension.  I'm starting to lose my enthusiasm for the collection.  Space issues is one thing, and I feel this extension has been a bit more patchy to be honest.  Especially as there is so much that could be there but hasn't been like Black Atlantic from Dredd.  I'm surprised they didn't do the 'hitman' arc of Rogue Trooper which I remember reading and not being entranced by compared to stuff in the same universe like The 86ers, Jaegir etc.  While it's widely regarded as sub-par there has been stuff like Mean Team and Mercy Heights which hasn't exactly been top quality either.

[Le Fink]

I see FPI has listed 2000 AD UC 144 as 'discontinued'. I'm assuming that's a cock-up somewhere. I really don't want to have to order from Hachette...

The recent Stickleback volume came back into stock recently on the Hachette site. It seemed to be unavailable from FP very quickly after it first came out. Anyhow I ordered it direct from Hachette along with a couple of other books and they came in reasonable time, well packaged in some reasonably rugged cardboard IIRC. Perhaps they've got their act together...

[Tamping]

I see FPI has listed 2000 AD UC 144 as 'discontinued'. I'm assuming that's a cock-up somewhere. I really don't want to have to order from Hachette...

The recent Stickleback volume came back into stock recently on the Hachette site. It seemed to be unavailable from FP very quickly after it first came out. Anyhow I ordered it direct from Hachette along with a couple of other books and they came in reasonable time, well packaged in some reasonably rugged cardboard IIRC. Perhaps they've got their act together...

My last three Hachette orders have been accurate and painless. Its been refreshing.

[IndigoPrime]

Well, "came in reasonable time" would certainly be a change for Hachette. The last order I made took a few weeks to show up, IIRC.