SPACEWARP - New Venture from Pat Mills

[Funt Solo]

what 2000AD fan is gonna pass up the personalized signed bookplate edition?

*raises hand*

I don't know why folk think this appeals to 2000 AD fans, apart from the author's name. And he's been David Icke-ing me away from being a fan of his for years now. All kudos for helping put the comic together in the first place, and I'm a huge fan of his early thrills, but not so much the modern rinse-repeat conspiracy-fueled diatribe schtick. It's less like reading stories and more like being beaten up gently by a rabid octogenarian.

I bought the digital edition out of curiosity. Only the completest in me would purchase a second issue.

[judgeurko]

Will there even be an issue 2 one wonders? Pat Mills' idea is admirable, create a contemporary equivalent of 2000AD in its early days for a young audience. But the product itself doesn't seem to live up to that. Time for Uncle Pat to take the long walk away from comics?

[IndigoPrime]

What I find a bit weird is that it's a Mills-only show from a writing standpoint. Everything else coming out right now that's broadly equivalent to 2000 AD has a range of creators. Here, it's one creative force writing and a bunch of artists.

[GordonR]

What I find a bit weird is that it's a Mills-only show from a writing standpoint. Everything else coming out right now that's broadly equivalent to 2000 AD has a range of creators. Here, it's one creative force writing and a bunch of artists.

If there were other writers, he would have to split the (very generous...) 50% of the writer's share of the profits with them.

If you think this isn't about a payday for Pat, then you've not been paying attention.

[Greg M.]

I don't know why folk think this appeals to 2000 AD fans, apart from the author's name.

You don't know why a fast-paced sci-fi comic with smashing art, visually-exciting characters, and a variety of action-heavy stories might potentially appeal to 2000AD readers? Fair enough if it doesn't grab you, but working out why some of us might be interested isn't exactly a conundrum.

Time for Uncle Pat to take the long walk away from comics?

Why would he do that when he still has an audience for his output? Again, you may no longer be part of that audience, and that's fine, but if Pat ever chooses to walk away from comics, I'm sure it will be on his own terms.

What I find a bit weird is that it's a Mills-only show from a writing standpoint. Everything else coming out right now that's broadly equivalent to 2000 AD has a range of creators. Here, it's one creative force writing and a bunch of artists.

Pat has said that it's his longer-term intention to bring other writers on-board as well.

[judgeurko]

Why would he do that when he still has an audience for his output? Again, you may no longer be part of that audience, and that's fine, but if Pat ever chooses to walk away from comics, I'm sure it will be on his own terms.

Did I say he should? There was a question mark at the end of that comment of mine you quoted. This means it was a question, not a statement of fact.

[Leigh S]

And kids familiar with Bill Savage I recall from the example feedback he shared.. so that must be a market of erm....

Well, to be fair, my son is familiar with early 2000AD, enjoyed reading the Best ofs, so maybe he is in that small niche of kids indoctrinated by their parents or who stumbled onto 2000AD through a love of comics in general... wouldn't find my (now 15 year old) Joe being interested in this at all, even with the indoctrination - he might glance at my copy, might even enjoy it, possibly (more of a Rogue Trooper fan, how did that happen?!) but pay for it? Nope.

Me, I am up for it, I admit I'll forgive a lot from Uncle Pat, even if he claims he doesn't want me reading it....

Other than Pat's increasingly weird insistences to the contrary, there's not a single thing about this that suggests it's of the remotest interest to modern younger teens.

Its audience is solidly 40 and 50-something nostalgics.

[Greg M.]

There was a question mark at the end of that comment of mine you quoted. This means it was a question, not a statement of fact.

Rhetorical questions end in question marks too.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

There was a question mark at the end of that comment of mine you quoted. This means it was a question, not a statement of fact.

Rhetorical questions end in question marks too.

Do they?

[Greg M.]

Do they?

What do you think I am, an English teacher?

Oh, hold on...

(This is turning into one of the rounds from Whose Line Is It Anyway?)

[moly]

Probably won't be getting this, pat's stuff doesn't do it for me anymore and would be quite happy if he doesn't write for 2000ad anymore

[Funt Solo]

I don't know why folk think this appeals to 2000 AD fans, apart from the author's name.

You don't know why a fast-paced sci-fi comic with smashing art, visually-exciting characters, and a variety of action-heavy stories might potentially appeal to 2000AD readers? Fair enough if it doesn't grab you, but working out why some of us might be interested isn't exactly a conundrum.

You make a good point.

I could argue that it's not fast-paced, it's not a (writers') anthology, the characters aren't visually exciting and the stories lack variety because they're hamstrung by an over-arching plot that limits their scope. And, it's in black and white. It just doesn't compare well (at all) with modern 2000 AD, so I don't see much of a direct crossover.

Still, you do make a good point. Of course there is a general crossover of big themes like "sci-fi" and "comic". (And it's Mills.)

[Greg M.]

I could argue that it's not fast-paced, it's not a (writers') anthology, the characters aren't visually exciting and the stories lack variety because they're hamstrung by an over-arching plot that limits their scope. And, it's in black and white.

You're right that it's different from modern 2000AD, but it has a fair bit in common with the prog's previous incarnations and that's what I was basing the comparison on. I think the stories are fast-paced - if anything, there are times they maybe need to stop for breath - and I do find the characters visually interesting. I think some modern 2000AD characters suffer from just being some man / some woman - sign me up for the comic with minotaur-headed space-robots any day! The one thing I will partially agree on is that I'm not totally sold on just how intertwined the stories are - when Pat first described the comic, I pictured it simply as 'shared universe', but it's clearly closer-knit than that.

[Funt Solo]

some man / some woman

Is it safe to mention Skip Tracer? I've only read a few episodes but the lead is just dull, action-trope cipher-nothing blandity in a baloney sandwich (minus the sandwich).

[judgeurko]

There was a question mark at the end of that comment of mine you quoted. This means it was a question, not a statement of fact.

Rhetorical questions end in question marks too.

I know. But it wasn't a rhetorical question.