Forthcoming Thrills!

[TordelBack]

There to remind us that only Allah is perfect.

I on the other hand love that entire line-up - proving that Tharg too is perfect, and it is only Cosh's flawed mortal tastes that offend against the ineffable.

[Colin YNWA]

I normally hold The Cosh in the highest regard, but this anti Flesh stance rocks my faith in him to the very core.

[Hawkmumbler]

I don't have a clue how anyone can look forward to Flesh, the titulare material refering to items of masogynistic nature rather than hunks of Dino meat. Nidnight cowboys was the worst thing published in tooth last year and I dread it's return. But yes. Brass Sun is still wonderful.

[Dark Jimbo]

Flesh is pretty dire; Brass Sun is fairly good (although Edginton's authorial tics are increasingly starting to annoy me); Damnation Station I didn't enjoy at all last time around but Mark Harrison's been away from the prog for too long. Aquila's the only one of those I like unequivocally. Ho-hum.

[The Prodigal]

Flesh doesn't float my boat and being a relative newbie I have no experience of Damnation Station.

Brass Sun and Aquila yum.

[Spikes]

And Flesh gets a thumbs up from me as well. Really enjoyed the last run.
Good to hear some faves are returning soon!

[The Adventurer]

Flesh is obnoxious because it has all the ingredients to be amazing (cowboys, dinosaurs, artist, violence), but falls flat on its face. In many respects it has the same problems I have with Defoe. To many characters, unclear motivations, and sudden weirdness for weirdness's sake without logical progression.

But I'm actually enjoying Defoe right now (it helps when there are only 3 or 4 characters, and the characters actually seem to have motivation). So anything is possible.

[IndigoPrime]

To many characters, unclear motivations, and sudden weirdness for weirdness's sake without logical progression.

That and a frequently troubling attitude towards women, and that device Mills uses all the time to introduce a gang of some kind that quite often then gets killed off within a few pages. Flesh should be a standout 2000 AD strip. As it is, I just find it frustrating.

[CrazyFoxMachine]

and that device Mills uses all the time to introduce a gang of some kind that quite often then gets killed off within a few pages.

When someone first pointed out that trope of his it started to drive me crazy. Not just a team - but weaponry - like seven panels of "this missile is the TANK-SHREDDER - it's shot into the MAIN GUN and then EXPLODES filling the vehicle full of TWISTED METAL!"

And then like, we never see that weapon being used beyond that. Or hear about it ever again.

[AlexF]

I'm really torn about Mills's tendency to do that. On the one hand, some of the throwaway characters and weapons he comes up with (in conjunction with his artists, obv.) are way cool, and I'd love to see them reappear and get used more often. On the other hand, I really respect and appreciate the creativity and bloody-mindedness of his drive to create new concepts all the damn time, and ignore old ones.

As a child, each 5-page epsiode of Mills and O'Neill Nemesis was like a self-contained Universe of delight - and if I'd never read a Prog before, I imagine I'd feel much the same with new episodes of Flesh and Defoe. They can be somewhat unsatisfying as long-form stories, but they excel in the moment, for the most part.

[Judge Brian]

I'm really torn about Mills's tendency to do that. On the one hand, some of the throwaway characters and weapons he comes up with (in conjunction with his artists, obv.) are way cool, and I'd love to see them reappear and get used more often. On the other hand, I really respect and appreciate the creativity and bloody-mindedness of his drive to create new concepts all the damn time, and ignore old ones.

As a child, each 5-page epsiode of Mills and O'Neill Nemesis was like a self-contained Universe of delight - and if I'd never read a Prog before, I imagine I'd feel much the same with new episodes of Flesh and Defoe. They can be somewhat unsatisfying as long-form stories, but they excel in the moment, for the most part.

With 5 page stories for children it's ok to write like that, but 2000AD is now for adults & adults require more logic in their stories. At least I require more logic to enjoy them.

[IndigoPrime]

The problem I have with this Mills trope is that it looks like the comic-book form of a list or outline. Do we really need that kind of introduction/roll call? Aren't there smarter ways to do this? It worked quite nicely with the Shadow Warriors, but he uses the device far too often.

[Andy B]

2000AD is now for adults & adults require more logic in their stories.

Is it really? So where are new readers going to come from? Or are we happy for it to die out with the middle aged (mostly) guys who grew up reading it? (Like me...)

Pat Mills can do what the hell he likes! It's a bit hit and miss sometimes, but that's only to be expected when you're staying creative and not just playing it safe. Sure, Flesh has some dodgy moments, but Savage has got to be one of the best things to ever appear in the Prog. And I know which one of those 10 year old me would have preferred...

[Montynero]

As a child, each 5-page epsiode of Mills and O'Neill Nemesis was like a self-contained Universe of delight - and if I'd never read a Prog before, I imagine I'd feel much the same with new episodes of Flesh and Defoe. They can be somewhat unsatisfying as long-form stories, but they excel in the moment, for the most part.

Yeah, every prog is someone's first. IMHO there has to be stuff for people to pick up and enjoy without reference to decades of history or even last week's prog. And tooth is such a diverse anthology that this can sit happily alongside more sophisticated ongoing stories.

Future Shocks do this, I love 'em, but I also thought Abnett and Burns recent Sin Dex was a masterclass in how to write episodes you can enjoy and understand fully both long form or as single episodes. Writer's used to do this all the time, little unobtrusive conversational recaps at the start of each ep, and when it's done well it entertaining and fun. When's it's just a caption box rehash of the story so far - less cool.
 

[Judge Nutmeg]

The trouble I find with Mills these days especially in ABC Warriors stories is that the characters talk pure exposition, long gone are the days of the black hole where each chapter was related by a different characters thoughts.