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Messages - AlexF

#2221
I don't know if anything will beat the Dead Man for me - I was the exact right age to enjoy it, and there's something about the fact that Tharg was actively daring readers to guess who he really was. At the time, it could easily have been Johnny Alpha or Rogue Trooper, or indeed someone a bit more obscure like Bad Jack Keller or, hell, a golden oldie like Bill Savage or John 'Giant' Clay. That it ended up being the comic's biggest superstar was amazing.

Trifecta definitely wins it for 'most unexpected twist'.

Orlok the Assassin perhaps gets some sort of prize for being the subject of the most twists. He only actually appeared in maybe 3 episodes of Block Mania - and the fact that Block Mania was caused by Sov aggression was sort of a surprise, no? But he achieved enough fame there that his reveal in 'Age of the Wolf' was definitely played up as a big surprise, but a guessable one (as noted in the thread earlier). Then again he was a surprise villain in Triad. Then AGAIN in 'Childhood's end', where he actually pulls off a plastic face mask to show who he really is. Then AGAIN in Sin City, which didn't start off being about Sov revenge on Dredd, as I recall.

He's been dead for a decade at this point, but I wouldn't rule him out of one last surprise reveal...

I know we're not meant to include Future Shocks here, but I do love the double twist of Steve Moore's 'Slashman, Kowalski and Rat'.
#2222
News / Re: New 2000 AD creators blog
09 August, 2015, 06:17:23 PM
One of 2000 AD's original superstars, Dave Gibbons:
http://heroesof2000ad.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/no-39-dave-gibbons.html
#2224
Other Reviews / Hondo City
03 August, 2015, 04:25:46 PM
What's the best way to read the collected tales of Hondo City, Shimura, Inspector Inaba and all that?

Should I try to get hold of the two recent Mega Collection volumes, or should I plump for the Rebellion Hondo City Law / Hondo City Justice volumes - or, sacrilege, even the old DC Shimura trade paperback? Is there an accepted reading order?

Or am I in fact better off just looking in the original Megs and not worrying about reading it all in one go? I've a feeling I like the art and the ideas significantly better than the actual stories...
#2225
News / Re: New 2000 AD creators blog
01 August, 2015, 07:36:39 AM
#2226
News / Re: New 2000 AD creators blog
01 August, 2015, 07:35:55 AM
One good Welshman deserves another...
Anthony Williams right here:
http://heroesof2000ad.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/no-36-anthony-williams.html
#2227
What was everyone here's first Dredd story? I'm sure there's a good answer for the best possible introduction, but is there an argument to be made for 'it doesn't really matter'?

My first was 'the Magnificent Obsession' (Two Ton Tony Tubbs for the win!) closely followed by 'Judge Death' (in a Best of 2000 AD Monthly reprint)
#2228
My experience reading 2000 AD alongside Marvel comics, and the odd bit of Vertigo, Image and DC, has left me with the lasting impression that the art in 2000 AD was always, always better than anyone else's. In recent years, the standard of art in US comics has imporved dramatically, but 2000 AD still does it better - I guess partly because artists don't have to draw as many pages quite so fast?

Late 90s 2000 AD isn't fondly remembered, but it was still the best thing going at the time, and it always had a wonderful variety of styles.

As for the art these days - old masters such as Flint, D'Israeli, Davis, Coleby are all on never-been-better form. Newcomers such as Trevellion and Tom Foster (in the Meg) are killing it. And I'm terribly excited about Leigh Gallagher giving us more Defoe later this year! So there's definitely a case to be made for this being a golden age.

Same as it ever was.
#2229
News / Re: New 2000 AD creators blog
24 July, 2015, 12:01:11 PM
I have to confess I've no idea how the blog goes down on different formats. I imagine with all the pictures it can be a pin on a phone or a computer with a slow connection. And yes, I do tend to go on a bit - more, lately, than I was planning to at first!

Thanks for the kind words.

Up today, modern legend Rob Williams:
http://heroesof2000ad.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/no-35-rob-williams.html
#2230
News / Re: New 2000 AD creators blog
21 July, 2015, 01:24:43 PM
What I hope is a respectful take on Brett Ewins, up today:
http://heroesof2000ad.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/no-34-brett-ewins.html
#2231
News / Re: New 2000 AD creators blog
20 July, 2015, 11:48:21 AM
A rather hasty entry here that doesn't do justice to the innovative stylings of D'Israeli:
http://heroesof2000ad.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/no-33-disraeli.html
#2232
News / Re: New 2000 AD creators blog
14 July, 2015, 02:12:44 PM
Garth Ennis, in with a bullet (and a dick joke)
http://heroesof2000ad.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/no-32-garth-ennis.html
#2233
Any excuse to browse through the covers on Barney is well worth taking! I do love the run of blurbs from about 350-550 especially.

http://www.2000ad.org/functions/cover.php?choice=550&Comic=2000ad
http://www.2000ad.org/functions/cover.php?choice=690&Comic=2000ad

690's Das Boot isn't a great cover but gets bonus points for the wordplay, referring to both the boat and the footwear (and of course referencing a cracking film).
#2234
News / Re: New 2000 AD creators blog
09 July, 2015, 03:44:17 PM
Many thanks chaps for pushing the new content. I've fallen behind a bit after a short holiday.
Anyway, No. 31 up just now, it's time to celebrate the legendary John M. Burns.

http://heroesof2000ad.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/no-31-john-burns.html

And, for those who like easy links, here's
Ron Smith: http://heroesof2000ad.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/no-29-ron-smith.html

30 Cam Kennedy: http://heroesof2000ad.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/no-30-cam-kennedy.html

It's Judge Dredd fortnight, basically...
#2235
Thanks for those links to the Mills version and the Diggle version. I'm amused by the fact that although they are at odds with each other, nothing one says ever contradicts the other. So they're probably both telling the truth! It's more that both people rubbed each other up the wrong way. I suppose there's an extent to which Mills presumably thought his Slaine and Deadlock scripts were good, while Diggle didn't, but otherwise they're not disagreeing with each other's version of events.

Honestly, my memory of the film is that most of it is largely celebratory, with a fair bit given over to Kevin O'Neill + Mills railing against the suits from IPC, followed by Bishop and Diggle railing against the suits at Egmont, than there is infighting between Mills and Diggle (although that certainly does feature, and very entertaining it is, too).