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Flesh: Midnight Cowboys

Started by AlexF, 26 November, 2021, 10:34:25 AM

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AlexF

Finished the Hachette Flesh collection recently, and wanted more. Luckily, there IS more - the Digital only collection of Midnight Cowboys, the next Mills/McKay storyline after 'Texas'. I didn't remember much of it, but it turns out to be a real triumph. I think it's easily the best single stroyline in the extended Flesh universe. McKay's art might not be as beautiful as Belardinelli's in Book II, or as gloriously ugly as Ramon Sola's in Book I, but by gosh he draws the heck out of loads of double-page scenes of all kinds of dinos, cowboys and machines powering across the plains. It deserves a proper hard-copy collection, if only so we can enjoy those scenes in big easy to read page size.
And the story's not bad either. I seem to remember it never quite goes anywhere in the two later books, or at least fails to resolve, but there's a nice mix of classic dino-chomping on human action, alongside a none-too-subtle allegory of 'time change' terrorists as 'climate change' activists.

The digital collection is literally just the story and the accompanying covers (including the full-size double version of Mark Harrison's seriously amazing cover), but there's no intro or outro or anything. I kind of doubt it'll happen, but I'd love to see a new Hachette collection of the final three Flesh stories (and throw either Chronocide or Shamana in to increase the colour page count I guess?)

Barrington Boots

Totally agree on this. I didn't have many good memories of Flesh, but I also picked up the Hachette volume and enjoyed the McKay drawn era far more than I remembered the first time around. Revisited the Progs for Midnight Cowboys and it's pretty good stuff for the most part and looks awesome.
McKay's art drops off a bit for Badlanders - I'm pretty sure I read that he had some issues during that time? but I would also like to see them collected in some way.
You're a dark horse, Boots.

sheridan

Quote from: AlexF on 26 November, 2021, 10:34:25 AM
And the story's not bad either. I seem to remember it never quite goes anywhere in the two later books, or at least fails to resolve, but there's a nice mix of classic dino-chomping on human action, alongside a none-too-subtle allegory of 'time change' terrorists as 'climate change' activists.


I mean, the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event takes place in the last book, but that kind of puts an end to any other plot development! ;-)

sintec

2nd Flesh volume is on my hope list for the 2nd Hachette extension. Some of the things they've done digital onlys for seem to be turning up (Revere) so fingers crossed for this and Armoured Gideon.

AlexF

Hah! Had totally forgotten that Flesh ends in an extinction event, which would indeed put paid to the plot, and is about as delightful a Deus ex machina ending as you can ask for. Although I thought the original tagline to the whole thing implied that dinosaurs went extinct because humans farmed them to extinction? That's some pretty bad farming practice rioght there.

paddykafka

Quote from: AlexF on 26 November, 2021, 02:07:58 PM
That's some pretty bad farming practice rioght there.

Probably graduated from the Jeremy Clarkson School for Farmers.

Colin YNWA

I really enjoyed McKay's art on the latter day Flesh stories, but Midnight Cowboys is for me where the Millsian drum beating starts... starts to drown out the fun. Its still fun, but it starts to creak under the weight of Millsian Dogma. Such a shame and Flesh could be such unburdened fun, with a sharp a pointy underbelly donw right... and it has been done right so the model is there!

AlexF

Its' true, the Millsness is a bit TOO present in the character of Pastor Sunday. Why/How the bad guy from 'Night of the Hunter' ended up as a Flesh herder is a little unclear both from a plot and a 'what the HELL' perspective. I guess it's fun to have a cowboy who is also an insane priest, on some level, but it's seriously weird, and not clear why he's able to both charm and murder his fellow cowboys so easily. Except MILLS, who HATES PRIESTS. (with good reason, for sure).

Blue Cactus

I liked McKay's art a lot, it had so much visceral energy and movement to it. I'd happily see him back in the prog.