There's been a lot of comments regarding this latest series of V.C.'s saying that it's too bitty, or too episodic. People were expecting a multi-part story like the last series. I felt the same way. But the more I think about it, the more I realise that actually this comment isn't quite right.
Looking back to the last series it's not actually one big story after all. It's a series of single parters with an ongoing narrative, just like this one. Wake gave it a title for the run and described it as a 7 parter (or whatever) in the profiles, but unless I'm mistaken that's his description, not one that's come from Tharg.
As far as I can tell though, the fact that there was a much stronger over-arcing narrative theme blinded us to that. Although it's a series of one parters there's progression from one to another so it seems to be a single story. There were several stories that worked towards a conclusion - such as Smiths return to service and Keege proving his worth.
There has been progression in this series, but it's been subtler, or made up of what seem like much minor incidents. Also it seems like some of the episodes don't contribute to the arc, but define character which doesn't help give the appearance of a driven story. Perhaps when this series is over it'll be more obvious what the 'shape' of the story is. Time will tell. But again there are several strands seeming to knit together. The rival pilot, the dream about Jupe, the alien technology. Plus more on the Polity that were referenced last time around...
I also think that Antony Williams has done as good a job as anyone could at replacing such a fan favourite. It's quite brave to change the style completely but I'd rather that than have someone try to impersonate another artist. As to comments about the brightness of the art I agree with that but I'd rather it was too bright than too dark any day. And maybe some of the computer affects haven't been as effective as others, but again, I'd rather see experiments than safe art.
Anyway, I've enjoyed this arc. The last run was probably the surprise hit of the summer offensive and if this hasn't lived up to our expectaitons I'll still welcome more New Adventures.
i enjoyed the new VCs.i have mentioned this before. i felt it captured the essense of the characters in a more mature way. we have grown with the prog i felt he manner of the VCs current arc was highly reflective of this fact. i like to believe in the next few years we see this series returning in such a manner.not to long runs, character studies and ou emotional attachemnt to them increasing. with the final decsion taken in the distant future on the way it should end.
its more soup opera styled and non the less for it.
i think its been outstanding .personally.the whole experience has been both refreshing and without doubt,absorbing.
i for one rate this as one of the finest returns of any character or genre in tooth in many years.
just one more example of the fact. we are in our second golden era.
Fair play, I'm enjoying VC's too, it's always nice to see a Swansea boy doing good!
Yeah, the previous series might be technically a string of "one-parters" - but it was more like one story with chapter titles.
IIRC Wake titled the collection 'Peace Day' because 'Book II' might be confused with the 2nd part of the Titan reprints of the VCs.
Regardless of the technicalities - last year's series ROCKED whereas this one is barely even rolling.
"last year's series ROCKED whereas this one is barely even rolling"
Agreed.
I don't have strong feelings against it (apart from the titty episode, which was purile and unfunny, IMO) but I've been less than enthralled with the newest stuff.
It's a shame, because the first new series of the VCs was genuinely exciting.
There's no momentum now.
- Trout
I'm enjoying this 'soup opera' but I think Heinz should be given a chance...
I agree with the peoples who dont likes it.
Maybe the first book was fragmentary too but the pieces did seem to come together in a smoother fashion.
This may warrant death but i feel Anthony Williams is a very much underestimated artist and I like his style a lot. Except for the big boobies.
Every time I see an oversized boobie I envision Tharg being smothered by it hopefully never to allow it again.
He'd probably like it. Wierdo.
J.
i actually agree with the trout on this i mean what kind of world is it when bloody telguuth is better
Actually Dave, I think Telguuth is being written to a (marginally) higher standard, which would account for the quality difference.
Still V.C's does help make the other stories look a lot better when compared.
J Kat.
The V.C's: cant get into it at all. That titty episode was absolute shite.all it was short was sinister dexter to show up and it would have been the complete "crap humour episode" The first run last year got me excited, specially henry flints art, but the latest run has read like filler.i cant see this series going any where. humour in 2000ad has allways been hit n miss, n the V.c's is made worse by the fact that it dosn't seem to know if its a war story or another "hilarious" dan abnett story. but n way not trying to sound too negative. hope im proved wrong in the end. hopefully wont be like mark millers robo hunter
God, the tittie epidode was the absolute nadir...
Don't even get me started on the new VC's Vs. old VC's debate...
Soooo...
Old V.C.'s verses New V.C.'s anyone?
It seems to me that a lot of people (me included) have been fooled into thinking the last series of the VCs was good, because of the stonkingly good artwork.
Now that Mr. Flint is not taking our breath away, there is time to read the script and realise that it not that great...
On the old/new debate... maybe the same thing was true there, with Cam Kennedy wowing with groovy pictures? I'm not saying this is so, I mention it merely as a debating point (and hopefully to stir iy up a bit).
I think you are basically right there rac.
The fact that it was the 'come-back' story with a clear narrative drive helped as well though.
It seems to me that a lot of people (me included) have been fooled into thinking the last series of the VCs was good, because of the stonkingly good artwork.
Nah, Flint & Blythe's art was great, but the script was darn spiffy too. May be reading too much into things, but I really admired the refreshing attitude of having all the blah blah military techno babble (which overwhelmed 90's Rogue Trooper) abruptly cut short by "men are dying out there" style gung-ho heroics. War's hell, dammit, not a manual.
Of the current run, Look On The Bright Side worked for me best. I much prefer the bits involving soldiering through the Solar system's extreme environments, more than any of the Polity nonsense. Bright Side was good enough to have been a lost episode from the original VC's. That, in fairness, may sound like living in the past, but IMHO the latest character building episodes (in art and story) just aren't measuring up to the original or even the comeback.
Ideal world - Abnett getting more gung-ho, Kennedy & Blythe doing the art.
well i'm loving it, love the dialogue interaction twixt characters, the tit episode pissed me off cos she was being so humourless & po faced. We girls in a all action team of libido challenged males have far more effective methods of getting the boys to behave. no need to resort to sexual harasment threat bollox. cummon these people gotta work togther, gotta have humour & respect.
action woman Bou.
I'm still enjoying the new VCs though it has had the odd shockingly bad/dull episode.
I think the "tittie" episode, if that is what it is to be called from now on, has probably done a lot of harm to the "difficult second series" that was trying to find it's feet.
I used to really like Anthony Williams art a whiles back but now it's just "I know, i'll draw a couple of figures and then stick a photo in the background, then I can stop working by lunch-time and have the rest of the day off." The guy isn't actually drawing any backgrounds at all! I feel cheated.
I feel that the VC's has just been one long wasted oppurtunity. I was genuinely excited when I originally heard about the Henry Flint drawn series, but that too seemed tired and forced.
What a shame...
I used to really like Anthony Williams art a whiles back but now it's just "I know, i'll draw a couple of figures and then stick a photo in the background, then I can stop working by lunch-time and have the rest of the day off." The guy isn't actually drawing any backgrounds at all! I feel cheated.
I Wish!
Ant
The Tittie episode was just plain bad.
But I quite liked the artwork on it, the use of just one colour, the green, throughout gave it something.
I'm not saying it made up for the story, but at least it was an attempt at something different.
I'm kinda enjoying the soap opera feel. I prefer character based stories to war stories, which is why I'm so sick of the endless Rogue Trooper reprints, one-offs and so on. I mean, the guy is so dull. Can you imagine going for a drink with him? What would you talk about? And what was my original point? Cursed caffeine addiction, ruined my short-term thingy.
"Rogue Trooper... so dull. Can you imagine going for a drink with him?"
He's been for a drink at least once. It was in the Casbah episode, and he paid in gold that Bagman dispensed for him.
Now, where can I get a bag like that?
Anyway, back on the point: I'm not prepared to enthuse hugely about the first VCs, but it was clearly of a better standard than what we're now getting.
It comes down to character development. I had a rant about this in the chatroom one day, and none of the several people there could name any of the new characters in the Abnett stuff.
I'm pleased to see that question's being addressed to some extent in the newer stuff, but sadly that process has included the lowest points of the strip. Can we say "jubblies" - ? :-)
Continuning that argument, we can also look at SinDex and Atavar, as similar Abnett examples.
Where's the characterisation? How are we persuaded to identify with the characters?
What do we learn about them as time goes on?
So far in the VCs, we've got a standard-issue arsehole (the rival ship's captain), a letch, an ice maiden and an outsider (the Geek).
The converse is also true in this strip, ironically. Part of the fun of the original VCs is the enemy was so alien that they were clearly evil, enigmatic and easy to kill in huge numbers without causing offence, almost a la Starship Troopers.
Now we have "human" Geeks. Why? Unless he does something really interesting with it, I can't see the point.
Abnett's exchanged a fairly useful plot device for a tired formula of an outsider working to gain acceptance.
The VCs' Geek is going to save someone's life in dramatic circumstances and they'll all give him grudging respect, just as Smith had to earn it from Ringer et al.
I hereby give you all a cast-iron guarantee:
At no point in the current VCs series will there be any surprises whatsoever.
If I do find myself surprised, I will apologise here.
But I'm not exactly quaking in my size ten boots...
- Trout
fnar fnar the said 'plating'! snork fnar
The VCs is not bad. The titty episode was fun. I hear the willy episode for series three is something else.
Dan, we salute you!!!:))
Well, well, Trout. You seem to have the same sort of relationship with the work of Abnett as I do with the work of Pat Mills.