Deadlock

[Colin YNWA]

Well the Progs from 2000 were a fine fine bunch. Its also pleasently fitting that it ended with Deadlock as the year before had ended with Nemesis Book X. Deadlock is a very fitting epilogue to Nemesis as a whole and much like Book X took things back to the start with and exploration of Termight, to see how it'd changed post Torquemada.

The only trouble is Deadlock himself is the least interesting thing about it.

I'd have much rather seen more of Purity and her struggle to balance politics with her beliefs with Deadlock a mere side story contrasting his 'anarchist' view with this. The murderer and villian was fun. I enjoyed the insight into the life of the Mandrakes. I loved the exploration of Termight and getting further into that. Its just Deadlock keep popping up and for me he doesn't have enough to him to carry a story (well to be honest he didn't the other stuff did).

That said how about that Henry Flint huh. Wow. In the past when I've done lists of my fav 2000ad artists I've not included Mr Flint as up to now I hadn't seen a great deal of his art compared to many others. This is clearly wrong and catching up with my wilderness years has made it very clear that this was an error and it will never happen again. The mans a stone cold genius.

Epi(logue)ic stuff.

[TordelBack]

Hard to believe Deadlock was 10 years ago!   It was a very interesting idea, and a necessary coda to Nemesis, but as you say Deadlock was a bit of a third wheel.  And never mind the continuity problems of having the fall of Termight come before the second run of Mars stories...   Hi, Robin!

Just wanted to say how much I enjoy your retro reviews, Colin, always interesting.

[Emperor]

I stumbled across it while digging out the Vanguard issues - Henry Flint drawing Deadlock riding a motorbike which is basically a big chainsaw... what's not to love about that?

[Jim_Campbell]

Just wanted to say how much I enjoy your retro reviews, Colin, always interesting.

Ditto. If I don't comment on them, it's most likely because I'm in broad agreement. Please keep posting them!

Cheers

Jim

[Colin YNWA]

Just wanted to say how much I enjoy your retro reviews, Colin, always interesting.

Ditto. If I don't comment on them, it's most likely because I'm in broad agreement. Please keep posting them!

Cheers

Jim

That's very kind. I'm always aware that these things fall into the shadow of the wonderful 'Thrillpowered Thursday' and 'Prog Slog' BUT at the same time I'm surprised more people don't start threads here in the Review section.

I'm not sure about everyone else but I don't really have friends who are into comics to any great degree (ok my wife reads bits but not much and for some reason I'm still to push her onto the Galaxies Greatest). Sure me and my friends can chat about music, footie, books,  films, christ these days washing machines, insurance and nappies but a glazed look desents when I utter the dreadline 'Oh well see I read this great comic the other day' and people start to shuffle away.

When I've read something good sometimes I'm keen to share how I feel, or to see how differently other people view stuff, or even just to clear up facts about why certain stories are like they are. Of course there's more stuff that inspires this in 2000ad than anywhere else (though if there was a forum about the crazy world of Jack Kirby's 2001 I'd be there in a flash!) and hence I enjoy these threads more than almost any on this board even if they don't get too many responses the ones that do come up are always interesting.

So I say lets get more people talking about 2000ad here... or not whatever takes ya fancy!

[Paul faplad Finch]

As much as I likes me a bit of Mills trashing I can't, in good conscience, slag off Deadlock. Which is not to say I enjoyed it, but the majority of Nemesis and such was before my time (book 10 was the first I'd seen of it) so I never realy had the background.

Would I have enjoyed it more if I had the backstory? Maybe, maybe not. I'm reasonably confident it's the latter but one day I'm sre I'll read the whole thing and see what comes.

Leavig aside the story, I can offer opinions on the art. The fact is that it left me cold, as is so often the case with this artist. It's a contentous point of view I know, and I've been scoffed at before for it, but I just don't think his work is at all special when not coloured. In some cases it's a real turn off for me but here I was just indifferent. 

[James Stacey]

#Scoff#

I knew nothing about this till it appeared in the Meg suppliment. It was an absolute joy and Flint's art is more O'Neill than Kevin O'Neill. I'd love to have more, even though as you rightly say Colin, maybe it should be called 'Puritys Story II'

[Mike Gloady]

In agreement with you TB & Jim.  I love these retro reviews and you voice is just as valid as TT or TPS.  Keep it up.