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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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Dandontdare

I'm really enjoying your reread journey but you're sometimes frustratingly lacking in detail so I can't remember the stories you reference - for example:
QuoteDredd has a glorious opening to a really fun story amongst the many gloriously Mega City One citzens that this story showcases - with Dredd really nothing more than a blunt tool in this tale we get the first appearance of Oola Blint.
The name rings a bell, but I have no idea what story you're talking about.

Colin YNWA

What you want me to say more - you fool you. The story is Mad City a three part that follows a bunch of citizens as they crash into Dredd's world. Most are on a bus together as two of them rob it, stealing drugs from Oola and pills from a Doc Jekyll stand-in as Oola's husband flys overhead watching and the bus hurtles towards a theatre were Chris Evans rages against the abuse of the Bard with a blaster...

... does that help any?

Funt Solo

Mad City, progs 1050-1051. 

You can Barney a bit to get more info on where Colin's at in the progs.

I have a magic spreadsheet as well:

++ A-Z ++  coma ++

Colin YNWA

Ohhh that Spreadsheet looks like a thing of beauty!

Dandontdare

I know I could do homework via Barney if I really wanted to research it, but seriously, life's too short - just a brief mention of what the story is about would do.

Funt Solo

Too short to spend hours trawling through databases?  But ... but ... what else is there?
++ A-Z ++  coma ++

Colin YNWA


Fungus

Hm, recently read the Mad City Mega-Collection volume, had looked forward to this one too... That 3-parter kicks it off and it's a ropey start :-( A thrown-together set of daft citizens, was it well-received?!
[Best thing in the MC book: Unamerican Graffiti. Perfect for the Chopper volume, guess not, in the scheme of things]


Colin YNWA

Teenage Tax Consultant is the first make way from the Summer line up after 10 parts. The ending sums up just what a weak concept this was.

After our lead rambles around showing what an uninteresting fate being turned into a were-accountant is the end is a tension gripping escape to a luxury Scottish island, saved by his beautiful girl friend. Such a waste of two great talents.

In the Nerve Centre character based teases for Space Girls have begun appearing... it really is going to be that bad isn't it... while we are well on the path to recovery these sort of things remind us what a rocky road we have ahead...

Funt Solo

My name is Funt Solo and I enjoyed Teenage Tax Consultant.

It's more memorable than anything else in the prog at the time.  Mad City I'd completely forgotten, although I get from one of the covers I saw a couple of days ago that it has a cameo from that bloke off the tele that was shit at hosting Top Gear (which is in itself a huge complement).  Evans.

Witch World, Crusade (Anderson) and Murder 101 (Sin Dex): I couldn't relate those plots to you on pain of pain (as Wesley would have it).
++ A-Z ++  coma ++

Colin YNWA

Well your right there. Much as I don't like it its better than strips like Angel which I don't even have an option about they were so dull.

Anyway to matters new... or ending. Prog 1061 has three of um, and we seem to have started the cycle of a few launch Progs a year with accompanying clearout Progs like this. I don't remember them being in place quite yet, but then my memory and all that. Something I'll keep an eye on.

Anyway lets look at those endings and the series they end.

Witch World is the weakest on both fronts the ending is a pause rather than a conclusion but one I don't think we get to. In my head (see comment about memory above) this one doesn't return? If it does I don't recall it - see comments about bland series that leave on mark about. For all it pith and vinegar, pushed advertising and top rank art it just doesn't amount to much. Hard world weary warrior is all bitter and hard to his young ward - who frankly doesn't seem to need the help with all the blasting and power she doesn't even seem to earn. Shallow and bland sword and sorcery guff and in the end it just fizzles out.

Anderson - Crusade
is certainly not bland but seems to push to hard to be powerful and dramatic and really juggles with over egging the pudding. As the millions of children are led out of the city and the city takes some pretty extreme action blowing up... well we're not quite sure how many. Its an action that I just don't see why they'd take and it feels forced for dramatic effect. Still it brings together some stories that have been developing for a while. Blows the head of the Judge Goon storyline and while it too leaves things open for the next story unlike Witch World its not a fizzle and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next... which if I'm honest I don't 100% remember... bloody memory!

Finally saving the best until last we get the conclusion to Sinister Dexter - Murder 101. Well I say the best. Its fast paced, exciting and immense fun but its still not quite S&D at its best. I mean its getting very close with glorious Simon Davis art and Dabnett seems to be having a ball. We get the shoulder shot and its all starting to fall into place as Weld and Rocky join the cast. The trouble is Dabnett also tries to make an early stab at dealing with the moral of it all placing the police and 'establishment' of Downlode as worse then the Gun Sharks themselves - what with their code and all. And frankly it feels weak. But as I've said before if you don't look at things too closely you can get past it and just enjoy the glorious fun our leads provide.

So with endings so new beginning and we have Sinister Dexter get to its peak with what I think is going to be a series of shorts over the next 100 or so Progs (my count might be out) and we get... Space Girls ... and Vector bloody 13 is back... and Life Less Ordinary starts next Prog after Next Prog... oh ... well we'll have stuff to discuss at least!

AlexF

Witch World... dodgy Slaine... Space Girls... Vector 13... Life Less Ordinary...
It's a short period of time, but for whatever reason this seems to be what people think of when they think of Bish-Op, poor bastard.

Dandontdare

Quote from: AlexF on 22 January, 2019, 11:28:21 AM
Witch World... dodgy Slaine... Space Girls... Vector 13... Life Less Ordinary...
It's a short period of time, but for whatever reason this seems to be what people think of when they think of Bish-Op, poor bastard.

I just bought the updated thrillpower overload yesterday and while flicking through, came across a wonderful quote from John Tomlinson about Space Girls - he said that he'd always thought any idea could work if well-written, but was proved wrong by Space Girls "it just lay there on the page, coughing blood"

Tjm86

Just curious, being a bit behind on the latest prog slog.  In Emerald Isle, the Blitzer is Mr Staples.  Is that the same Mr Staples of later art prog fame or just a coincidence?

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Tjm86 on 26 January, 2019, 09:30:07 PM
Just curious, being a bit behind on the latest prog slog.  In Emerald Isle, the Blitzer is Mr Staples.  Is that the same Mr Staples of later art prog fame or just a coincidence?

I would hae throught it was before Greg Staples was in Tharg's and certainly John Wagner's gaze? Don't know of course but I'd say coincidence.

Anyway in Prog 1062 we see something very strange. And no I'm not refering to Space Girls we'll save that for another time... if there's anything even worth saying. Life Less Ordinary doesn't start until next Priog either. No the strange thing comes from Wagner and Alex Ronald's Judge Dredd story. "A Walk on Gang Alley" is a particularly fine one parter, all be it a double length one. Dredd arrests a Prep in gang land. Perp protects his innocence but either way their ride out crashes and Dredd loose contact and side arm and so Prep in tow he has to make his way out of the danger zone, vastly out numbered and very limited in his ability to fght back... while its a very good one off there's nothing strange about that.

No what's strange is there's a panel in it, page three if you want to check it out and Dredd losing balance and banging his head intio the side of his crashing hoover vehicle. Nothing too strange there either EXCEPT for whatever reason, one that utterly escapes me this panel becomes the image of Dredd that's used in the Nerve Centre in the 'Roll Call' section for a good few weeks to come (as I recall)... weird. I mean it is literally Dredd, grimacing as his helmet smashes with a decent impact into a wall. Why on Earth or indeed Quaxxann would you use that as your 'avatar' for Ol' Stoney Face?

... well we are in weird times and we'll talk about that more next week.