Forthcoming Thrills!

[Hawkmumbler]

Romanov Dynasty got reprinted by S&S as Too Cool to Kill very recently, so it totally makes sense* for Rebellion to skip it. According to the 'Still Available' section of the catalog, Tsar Wars 1 and 2 are still available directly from Rebellion. So I don't much see the need of a reprinting. Yet.


*makes sense. But the quest to get a proper Dante Vol.1 spine is sure to be a plague upon collectors for ages to come.

Totally forgot about that. I have the old Rebellion edition with crummy paper stock. But it'll suffice until, as you say, an improved edition with matching spine is released.

[Molch-R]

Really hoping these all see digital release as well. The 2000 AD shop was recently updated with 3 new trades. None of them having digital editions. Very disheartening.

Unfortunately we only have limited resources for putting together digital editions - the priority at the moment is getting big chunks of the popular back catalogue up first.

[radiator]

Also, what's up with Nikolia Dante Vol.3 getting a rename? Is it going to reprint Tzar Wars Vol.1 as well? That'll making the numbering all goofy no doubt.

It might well but I reckon two Dante volumes in one year should be enough to keep us happy. Its now up to us to buy the hell out of these to make sure Tsar Wars 1 gets done.

I believe - and I may be wrong here - that the renaming ('Too Cool to Kill' 'Love and War') and the new, more dynamic covers are down to the fact that browsers found the old ones unappealing. So the new titles and covers are playing up the action/adventure/sci-fi elements and playing down the historical, old-timey feel that was apparently confusing/off-putting to new readers.

I mean you have to admit, this isn't really going to shift many copies is it? Looks like a kind of bawdy historical romance (which admittedly is part of Dante, but maybe not the part you want to sell it on?).



Anyway, that's one damn fine looking line-up we're looking at for next year - could not have turned out better if they let me put together my own dream list.

Erm, anyone have any tips about shipping books to the US....?

[Colin YNWA]

It's a cold hearted soul who doesn't find that Romanov Dynasty cover a wonderful draw if you ask me.

[Hawkmumbler]

I'm none plussed by it. It exists, neither as a great nor terrible Cover from Simon.

[The Adventurer]

Romanov Dynasty collection was my gateway drug to 2000AD. So... the title/cover did something right.

[TordelBack]

So the new titles and covers are playing up the action/adventure/sci-fi elements and playing down the historical, old-timey feel that was apparently confusing/off-putting to new readers.

I really love the old cover, but I'm all for trying anything that might get Dante into more hands.  The words 'underappreciated masterpiece' don't come close.

[Dash Decent]

Also, Disaster Squads?  Have I been misreading that subtitle all these years?

Hopefully they'll fix that.

And while they're at it, I know the "Daily Dredds" cover isn't finalised, but it's got "Dredd's" (with an apostrophe) instead of just "Dredds" (plural).

[radiator]

Each to their own. Personally I don't think it does a very good job of getting across what the series actually is. I actually really love the cover for the original Romanov Dynasty trade - it has a really polished feel unlike a lot of Simon Fraser's work which tends to be looser (which, to clarify, I like as well!). Dunno why, but this particular image always looked to me like a still from an amazing Dante animated movie. Lovely colour palette too:



I love the original Great Game cover too. I can't tell you how excited I was to get this book, as I had dearly wanted a Dante trade collection series for years and years, and never once thought we might actually get one! I was living in France at the time and have fond memories of it turning up in the post and just staring at it for ages. Gorgeous, bold use of colour again here.

[TordelBack]

Those are the two covers I have as well (the first on the proper-size Gulag-Archipelago-lacking album), and I agree, they are both truly awesome, and very representative of the contents.  At the same time, looking at that new catalogue I find myself having a certain amount of faith in the direction the House of Tharg is going with its reprints: who could have imagined anything like the current range even 10 years ago?  If they feel they need to shake things up to shift Dante trades, I'm happy to let them at it.

I also don't think the Vol 2 and 3 covers in the catalogue are finalised. If  Keef is taking requests, anything with Simon's architectural genius or his head-montages would do it for me.

[radiator]

Yeah the Dante covers appear to be placeholders - but they got Fraser to do a brand new cover for Too Cool to Kill, so maybe they'll keep that going with these reprints?

As I say, I could be wrong about the reason for the changes - it's just that ISTR Keef(?) mentioning it somewhere.

[James Stacey]

The cool thing about getting Si to do some new covers is new Dante artwork which is always to be praised.

[Colin YNWA]

I really love the old cover, but I'm all for trying anything that might get Dante into more hands.  The words 'underappreciated masterpiece' don't come close.

Yeah somehow, some day the world will stop, take breathe and as one re-evaluate Dante (or in the case of most evaluate it for the first time) and it will be judged well. People will take their copies of Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, Maus and other so called classic and throw them onto a fire to try to pay penance to this great series. Robbie Morrison, Simon Fraser and John Burner will be carried through the streets hauled and our new overlords and we'll finally get those nice (but not too thick) hardcover collections we all crave...

... to far?

[IndigoPrime]

John Burner

Former artist turned pyromaniac.

[Dash Decent]

Yes, keep your toilets and Mr. Burdis away from him.