Nemesis the Warlock - The Definitive Edition, volume 1 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nemesis-Warlock-Definitive/dp/1837860106) - Paperback, 160 pages, 7th December 2023
Long out of print, The Definitive Nemesis the Warlock collects one of the stand-out 2000 AD series and presents it in the best possible format for a comprehensive reading experience, highlighting the art in an oversized format to allow the reader to fully luxuriate in the highly-detailed artwork of the late, great Kevin O'Neill.
Long regarded as one of the crown-jewel epics from the pages of 2000 AD, at long last Nemesis the Warlock is back in print and better than ever in a brand-new series of Definitive editions.
Written by Pat Mills (Marshal Law) and drawn by Kevin O'Neill (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), this definitive series is a comprehensive collection of the complete storyline in order, and features development sketches showing the evolution of Nemesis and the Blitzspear.
Termight is the ruling planet of a cruel galactic empire, an empire led by the diabolically evil Torquemada, a twisted human despot intent on purging all alien life from the galaxy and punishing the deviants. His motto: Be pure! Be vigilant! Behave! But there is rebellion and resistance to his rule in the form of a devilish-looking alien warlock called Nemesis, who represents everything that Torquemada hates and fears. Together Nemesis and Torquemada are locked in a duel which will affect the fate of humanity and each of them on a personal level as their conflict spans time and space!
(https://i.imgur.com/dDKYz6W.jpg)
Can I really justify buying Nemesis on yet another format?
I'm interested to see if the "series" of Definitive Editions means the run of Nemesis, or a whole lot of other titles in deluxe oversized printings. I'd be sorely tempted by a big edition of Rogue Trooper, especially with Cam Kennedy art.
Is this going to be bigger and better than the 'Heresies' editions which I thought were the 'definitive' ones? I might be persuaded if the missing colour sections are restored.
I wonder whether there'll be a HC in the webshop. Interesting Rebellion's going for oversize again. A pity HCs don't sell better in the UK, because a HC run of classic strips would be lovely. (Oversized Nikolai Dante, eg.)
Just out of interest - exactly how big is 'oversized'? Does it mean as big as the Bolland, McMahon and O'Neill Apex Editions were?
The measurements on Amazon say (with rounding by me) about 21cm x 27.6cm. That's about 2 - 2.5 cms more, in both directions, than the Case Files and JD Mega Collection volumes.
I was thinking it would be nice if they could make the book wider without making it taller, so there wasn't so much wasted space at the top and bottom, but they've got to make sure the size accommodates the more rectangular format of later stories, otherwise the run would have different sized volumes. We have enough buffer overload when the spines don't line up!
So roughly the same size as the old (original) Titan collections?
And the same size as Essential Judge Dredd, if that helps.
(and the same as the HC Heresy trilogy)
Ooh, if this follows on with a 'Definitive' Gothic Empire I'm gonna get that one...
I'm hopeful this is a definitive classics series of other series (not just Nemesis). Would love an oversized consistent format, as an alternative to the smaller Hachette hardcovers.
Oh man, if these have the colored pages intact, this would be my fourth version of some of these tales!!!
Quote from: hellscrape on 31 March, 2023, 04:38:51 AMOh man, if these have the colored pages intact, this would be my fourth version of some of these tales!!!
Would you think it too many? Oh sorry, wrong strip.
Is there any reason to think it will have the colour pages? Has there been an announcement to that in effect?
I think that it is a crying shame that the three 'Heresies' editions did not feature all the colour pages; which would in effect have rendered this forthcoming volume, and any subsequent volumes, redundant. Just a little more time and effort and we would have had our 'definitive' editions.
I do love my Heresies HC set, although the images are not as crisp as they are in the Titan paperbacks from years ago... and there aren't color pages in place... and that Weston short (Bride of the Warlock?) was never put in the right place... but it's these minor issues that keep me buying it over and over, it seems!
hellscrape - as far as you know, is 2000ad popular in America? Or is it rather the case of a small but loyal following? I would be interested to know.
Quote from: hellscrape on 31 March, 2023, 04:38:51 AMOh man, if these have the colored pages intact, this would be my fourth version of some of these tales!!!
What are you, some kind of amateur? I used to have some of this in original progs, some obscure hardcover, phone books, UC, deviant edition and more recently Heresies. I did think it too many, however, so all I have now are the Heresies (and Deviant, for the colour variant) which I think should do me!
Quote from: Max Headroom on 02 April, 2023, 01:51:20 PMhellscrape - as far as you know, is 2000ad popular in America? Or is it rather the case of a small but loyal following? I would be interested to know.
I'm not one to vouch for all of America, but 2000ad books are rarely found in comic shops and never in bookstores. Most of my comic reading friends scoff at Judge Dredd, much like I did for years (thank you, Stallone!). Everyone knows Bolland on Dredd, but that seems to be the extent of most people's knowledge.
Quote from: Southstreeter on 02 April, 2023, 03:18:12 PMQuote from: hellscrape on 31 March, 2023, 04:38:51 AMOh man, if these have the colored pages intact, this would be my fourth version of some of these tales!!!
What are you, some kind of amateur? I used to have some of this in original progs, some obscure hardcover, phone books, UC, deviant edition and more recently Heresies. I did think it too many, however, so all I have now are the Heresies (and Deviant, for the colour variant) which I think should do me!
Most definitely am a newbie. I have the Eagle comics, Heresies HC, and the Titan softcovers. I passed the phone books along once I had the Heresies books, but sadly, they've not even bothered to open the books.
I find it a pity so many folks in the US scoff at the likes of Dredd and even 2000 AD, given how many of their favourite creators wrote (and, in some cases, still write) for the strip/mag. Here's hoping Best of 2000 AD moves the needle at least a little.
Don't mean to detract from the Nemesis book, but it is silly...
Bolland is great!
John Wagner has several movies under his belt!
Alan Grant wrote Batman for a long, long time!
Al Ewing finished what is considered to be a Hulk masterpiece!
Peter Milligan is well-regarded for Shade, Enigma, X-Statix!
Alan Moore and Grant Morrison need no introduction!
Kev O'Neill illustrated the well-regarded League of Extraordinary Gentlemen!
Carlos Ezquerra and Garth Ennis both became common names in the USA with Preacher! And John McCrea with Hitman!
But all of a sudden they are working on a 2000ad comic and interest flatlines in the USA. And for all the bollocks about people not knowing where to start with Dredd, it somehow is not an issue for Marvel and DC characters that have been around for 10-30 years MORE than Dredd himself.
Here, we seem to have the superhero folk (who are mostly DC/Marvel exclusive but also read peripheral American superheroes from Image, IDW, etc), the hipster crowd (Fantagraphics, Drawn and Quarterly), and the manga crowd (who are also mostly into the mainstream products like One Piece, DBZ, and Attack on Titan). 2000ad seems to somehow not fit any of these slots, and therefore it's ignored. It doesn't help that so many great books are out of print as well. Getting the Stront Case Files cost an arm and a leg, as did Charley's War 2!
With that ramble over, let's get back to Nem! CREDO!!!
Good point regarding Marvel. People do often seem confused intimidated by Dredd's 45+ year history but will dip into DC/Marvel. Perhaps that's just down to relative familiarity.
an american friend of mine has just gotten into 2000ad thanks to the best of 2000ad and shakara of all stories and he told me about the nightmare of trying to get the first book of shakara out in the wilds he had to pay a pretty penny to get a second hand copy of it!
Now available to pre-order from the Webshop, does anyone know if this edition will feature the missing colour spreads and, perhaps, slightly better repro than the Heresies?? I might be seriously tempted if it does.
I'm going to pretend I didn't see the exclusive special edition hardcover version, because I DO NOT NEED another copy of Nemesis the Warlock. I don't. I really don't.
The big question is willthis avoid the problems of earlier versions or just blindly follow the Casefiles, with stories omitted or out of sequence (the main issues I recall being missing Tomb of Torquemada and the Bride of the Warlock story needing to be inserted at the right point to fit the narrative?)
The blurb accompanying Book One of the series speaks of "...a comprehensive collection of the complete storyline in order" so this may alleviate your fears of omissions or things placed out of order, Leigh S. As for my earlier question, about the colour repro, maybe a helpful member of the esteemed editorial team (if they are reading this) could comment if no one on the forum seems to know?
Bride of the Warlock wound me up a bit, given that I'd chatted with the then editor about the sequence. I was glad to see that corrected in the Hachette volumes.
Don't need Nemesis again, don't news Nemesis again... although...
I do love the way they've included Jesus Redondo's art on that exclusive coer (boy oh boy that's a lovely cover) his contribution can so often be overlooked.
The newsletter is evil, however, in showing all five of the books, already designed.
Oh man...
(https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/JF6tkThx0pjH3haERGPErQ0f0wTQ3OD6hDhIBK-7vN0bPVoidjZd0I4ZY1aXcKAvRafhkbj00NTvCEwQ1skBXWfH20l0Km0vHvB6KF5NDvZUjEb3tF219_XXFIwVTRHZoeFnacAbU6zrjGcELiCQxQ36GkeCDQ=s0-d-e1-ft#https://mcusercontent.com/a6e40236aa24d482cfff600d2/images/7ba29fa1-d933-d7d3-9af9-6ff9aedc9d74.png)
I've bought the early Nemesis stuff more often than any other strip (Titan, Rebellion phonebook, Deviant hardcover, Hachette, Heresies hardcovers). I really, really, really do not need to buy it again. And I had zero interest in these new editions until I saw those covers...
I have to admit to being seriously disturbed by the images of those volumes. Then I think about stuff that Rebellion staunchly refuses to republish to the same standards.
I would absolutely love a hardback version of Case files. So far I only have the first 2 and a bit (the first being the 10th anniversary, the second being the first Unedited Cursed Earth). Even if they just did a limited edition run up 'til the early 80's for now, I'd be a happy bunny.
Rogue Trooper in hardback? F*** yes. Dix one, Fort Neuro, To the Ends of Nu Earth? Dave Gibbons, Brett Ewins, Cam Kennedy and Colin Wilson in all their glory in hardback?
Stront is already getting the treatment it deserves. Granted a lot of these have received the Ultimate Collection treatment but Rebellion do a far better job when it comes to spines (okay, Trigan Empire don't always align but .... AAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!).
I now have it on the highest authority, graphic novels editor Oliver Pickles no less, that these new Nemesis editions will feature all the colour restored and improved repro where it was slightly lacking. In view of this, I have already pre-ordered volume one and am looking forward to the 'definitive' experience!
(I would also like to echo Tjm86's comments about similar treatment for other classic stories. JD Case Files done to this standard would be awesome).
Quote from: Tjm86 on 06 July, 2023, 05:47:02 PMStront is already getting the treatment it deserves. Granted a lot of these have received the Ultimate Collection treatment but Rebellion do a far better job when it comes to spines (okay, Trigan Empire don't always align but .... AAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!).
Don't get me started on the Stront series - They've already missed some material (the details of which evade me, but there was a thread about it I'll try and dig up). I suppsoe they can add them in later volumes, but it's annoying that the chronology is put out of shape.
Search and Destroy (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=49087.msg1097523#msg1097523)
Having paid a prince's ransom twice for Nemesis in the past couple years (for the Heresies HCs and the Titan paperbacks), I think I will be skipping on these upcoming books. Color inserts do sound nice, but I could also put that money towards other 2000ad books (took up the board's advice and picked up Lawless, will probably also get the Insurrection books). Although, I may come to regret that decision and get the TPB's of these new editions down the line.
Having collected comics since 1993 (thanks, Sam Kieth!), I must say there is something uniquely addictive about 2000ad. I've never had this kind of curiosity for an entire line of comics; I was never a DC/Marvel/Image nut, per se. I was always more about collecting specific artists.
Like a lot us I'm tempted by this, and like a lot of us Nemesis is a series
I've acquired quite a few versions of, although for me the last ones were the phonebooks. I do have quite a few Titan editions though too. I'm not usually one for buying multiple versions of a story I've already got... got to wonder if this will really enhance my experience of the strip enough to justify buying this than something I've never read before. But they sure look nice.
I never actually got around to the phonebook editions so sign me up, yes please.
Are the hardcover editions limited in the same way the Heresies collections were or will they print all pre orders no matter what?
I wonder if these will include lavish printing of the Nemesis and Deadlock stuff... kind of hope not (no offence to Critchlow, who I like a lot)
I would personally be disappointed if these five books did not feature everything that was in the 'Heresies' volumes; only with better repro, colour and presentation.
Quote from: Max Headroom on 22 August, 2023, 07:46:25 PMI would personally be disappointed if these five books did not feature everything that was in the 'Heresies' volumes; only with better repro, colour and presentation.
I suppose complete is best!