Wrap It Up

[Funt Solo]

but that's for another thread.

Yeah but, no but, yeah but - I agree with you that Simon Davis' art lifted the Brutania Chronicles above the value of the actual stories. There were good parts (getting deeply inside the mental landscape of the characters) and bad parts (SHOUTY OFF-PAGE GOD-VOICES SHOUTING). I reviewed them all a bit a while ago. This be what I said:


Slaine: The Brutania Chronicles: Book One: A Simple Killing
(1874-1886) Script: Pat Mills, Art: Simon Davis, Letters: Ellie De Ville

Slaine returns with mutton chops and beard, looking a bit more middle-aged than in previous incarnations and therby providing a sense of time (in a tale that has sometimes seemed stuck in a cycle).  The drune lords and their skull sword troops are back as a threat, and Slaine finds himself on a quest to save Sinead (a recent aquaintance) from their evil clutches.

The art from Simon Davis is absolutely belting, and Mills does a good job of keeping the action moving (even if, a bit like the norse myths, his Slaine tales lack some continuity).  There are also hilarious moments, like when a nonchalantly peeing giant asks Slaine if he is stuck because he hasn't run away yet.  It's really difficult to choose an image to show, because the art throughout is just a joy, but here's Slaine panicking as Sinead is infected by evil magic that turns her into a twisted version of a mermaid:




Slaine: The Brutania Chronicles, Book Two - Primordial
(1924-1936) Script: Pat Mills, Art: Simon Davis, Letters: Ellie De Ville

Slaine has rescued Sinead from the Drune lords, but her spirit is broken and she's been purposefully addicted to opium, which speaks to the wider theme of this Book as being one of spirituality and mental health. The Drunes serve as reverse psychologists: rather than trying to cure people they seek to enhance mental illness and have their victims serve them as reliant puppets. It's pretty deep and delves far back into the saga: all the way to the death of Slaine's mother, and how that has shaped him.

I could see a frustration here if it's read as an action thriller: not that there isn't any action - it's knee deep in gore - but ultimately Slaine ends up pretty much where he started after a lot of running around. There's two key things I love here: one is the stupendous painted art by Simon Davis and the other is that it's thought-provoking. An entire episode is pretty much given over to Slaine trying to deal with Sinead's depression. (It could have been a bit more progressive if Slaine had been rescued by Sinead, but you can't have everything.)




Slaine: The Brutania Chronicles, Book Three - Psychopomp
(1979-1988) Script: Pat Mills, Art: Simon Davis, Letters: Ellie De Ville

We all celebrated when Nemesis and Torquemada fought their way across several pages of beautiful Kevin O'Neill illuminations back in the day. And here we have beautiful painted art by Simon Davis with amazing colour palettes.

But: the end of the previous book had a 2-episode confrontation which now continues with a further 4 episodes of the same confrontation. That's 36 pages of one fight - and most of it consists of Gododin blathering on and winding up Slaine as he gets beaten well beyond a pulp. What: is he trying to bore him to death? Beautiful art is one thing: but you can't polish a turd.

Thankfully, we do eventually get to see some other locations - and the Macha flashbacks are quite interesting - but overall this type of story where the bad guy just shouts at the hero for pages and pages and pages, even psychically when they're not actually in the same place (and often seemingly as an excuse to witness the author's extensive research) is boring. Beautiful to look at, but boring to read.




Slaine: The Brutania Chronicles, Book Four - Archon
(2050-2060) S: Pat Mills, A: Simon Davis, L: Ellie De Ville

Beautiful art from Simon Davis and, of course, some very interesting ideas from Pat Mills, but the saga suffers under the weight of the diatribe. On the one hand, it is interesting to wonder about one's family history - and, the idea that a villain would attack Slaine's ego rather than just attack him physically is a cunning plot device. But, it's being stretched too thinly over too many pages.

The disembodied GOD SHOUTING dialogue is oppressive: not just for Slaine but also for the reader. And there's a sense of magic villainy that doesn't serve us but only the plot. The villains teleport to where Slaine and Sinead are accessing Macha's spirit, but there's no real sense of whether they're inside or outside, or where God/Archon is. It's just a scene that needed to play out - it could be happening on the moon, or inside a magic bubble dimension.

I feel like Sinead gets used as a vessel too much: she's a vessel for Macha, then a vessel for Danu. And all to serve Slaine. So, on the one hand, it's quite progressive (strong, warrior women who choose their own partners), but on the other hand there's too much focus on Slaine's needs. I probably wouldn't focus so much on that if it weren't that the narrative suggests that women do have power and should have power - but then it's all about their reflected value from Slaine's perspective.

It all improves immensely when God/Archon stops shouting, and Gododin (already defeated too many times) exits stage right. After that we're back to having a sense of place, and a plot that revolves around humans with human motives. Perhaps the best bit in the entire book is the people shouting their message from place to place. Also, I miss Ukko.

[Funt Solo]

20 - Judge Dredd / Batman

There were four Batman crossovers for Dredd, and the first and last got the wraparound treatment from a couple of artistic big hitters...


Judgement on Gotham (1991; Simon Bisley) places the titular characters front and center, with the threat relegated to the back cover and haunting Gotham.





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The second book of Die Laughing (1998; Jim Murray) brings in all four Dark Judges and the Joker. It looks gruesome, but there's some fun to be had if you play a game of Spot the Builder's Bum!




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Next: throw open the gates...

[JayzusB.Christ]

That Jim Murray cover is amazing, isn't it?  I think at the time I was biased against his work on Die Laughing, as it was meant to be Fabry and it wasn't.  Very unfair of me, though - I'd say his cover there is better than Bisley's on JoG.

Thanks for posting your review of Sláine - The Simon Davis in a Wig Chronicles too!  Really interesting stuff, and a reminder to me that it wasn't all just shouty anti-God propaganda.  I must do a re-read some time soon.

[Vector14]

I much prefer Murray's cover too. Dredd's bike looks tiny on Bisleys.

[Funt Solo]

21 - 2000 AD Yearbooks

You think you know about wraparounds? Fuggedaboudit! You know nothing, Jon Snow! Erm, anyway - at some point it was determined by Thargnanimous that Annuals were just meh, and they had to be replaced by Yearbooks. Basically, annuals, but with floppy gatefold covers. In some ways these gift us an insight into why people go on about how bad the 90s were for Tharg's Organ.


2000 AD Yearbook 1992 (1991; Dermot Power) - this one is sorta special in that it's not just a gatefold wraparound, but it's circular - so you could have it repeat forever, with Tao de Moto there. You can tell this isn't quite golden-age, as Fr1day and Feral Jackson are holding court alongside the more established fizzogs.






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2000 AD Yearbook 1993 (1992; Dermot Power; But is it Art?) - this is a fun one, with our smelly friend Brigand Doom stalking Dredd. Nerd alert! Anderson's badge should say "PSI"!






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2000 AD Yearbook 1994 (1993; Mick Austin; Spaced Out!) - a real flag of the 90s here, with Sam Slade wielding an automatic rifle, Hammerstein for some reason monochrome, DR looking like a little boy, also there's an actual little boy holding onto Tyranny's foot - and The Clown is given more screen space than one might expect from a historical context. Anyway - this was the 90s. Too much acid, not enough editorial control.






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2000 AD Yearbook 1995 (1994; Mick Austin) - quite a clever idea, with the characters appearing out of the  working art, but Babe Race 2000? Brigand again? What's Tharg done with his hair? Oi vey!






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Next: gates, folded...

[Jim_Campbell]

...at some point it was determined by Thargnanimous that Annuals were just meh, and they had to be replaced by Yearbooks.

To be fair, it wasn't some capricious whim — the old annuals weren't selling, so it made sense to try something new. Unfortunately, the yearbooks didn't sell, either.

2000 AD Yearbook 1992 (1991; Dermot Power)

That one's Sean Phillips, surely?

Also, I'm pretty sure I don't own (or have even read) anything after the '92 yearbook... which surprises me. I may have to head to eBay!

(I suppose the fact that a die-hard fan like me missed these supports the assertion that they didn't sell... )

[Funt Solo]

2000 AD Yearbook 1992 (1991; Dermot Power)

That one's Sean Phillips, surely?

Indeed. Fumbled. Sean Phillips it was.

...at some point it was determined by Thargnanimous that Annuals were just meh, and they had to be replaced by Yearbooks.

To be fair, it wasn't some capricious whim — the old annuals weren't selling, so it made sense to try something new. Unfortunately, the yearbooks didn't sell, either.

Well, yes, if fairness and facts are your bag then my casual approach to journalism won't quite cut the mustard.

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As regards tracking them down for a read, I'm not sure I could fairly recommend them. Here's what they contain, in amazing spreadsheet technicolour:

[JayzusB.Christ]

I loved that 1992 yearbook - my brother gave me it for Christmas in, I suppose, 1991.  It definitely had a lot not to like - Millar Robohunter, Fleisher Rogue - but Glenn Fabry's new, painted, let's-give-Biz-a run-for-his-money Sláine was amazing, and the reprint of Dash Decent was fine by me, as I couldn't remember it the first time round.  Also, Dredd doing his punchline in a Scottish accent.

I lost it for years, then found it again, but it sadly went the way of most of my possessions in that feckin' boat fire.

The next few Yearbooks - not quite so fond memories, but there were a few decent strips.

[Funt Solo]

also there's an actual little boy holding onto Tyranny's foot

Oh, wait - it's Luke Kirby! I thought one of the Inspiral Carpets had somehow sneaked onto the cover for a minute, there.

[JayzusB.Christ]

I seem to remember the Happy Mondays making their way into a Judge Death story in some Dredd special or other. 'You're bending my cantaloupe, man! Call the Judges!'

The 1995 cover is amazing - way better than Joy Hogg, Millar Slade and Fleisher Friday deserve.

[Funt Solo]

I seem to remember the Happy Mondays making their way into a Judge Death story in some Dredd special or other. 'You're bending my cantaloupe, man! Call the Judges!'
The 1995 cover is amazing - way better than Joy Hogg, Millar Slade and Fleisher Friday deserve.

Masque of the Judge, Death (JD Mega-Special #4):

[JayzusB.Christ]

Thank you, Funt! On the ball as ever. Is that John McCrea on art duties?

Edit: also, '20th century chamber music'

[Barrington Boots]

JBC, I'm pretty sure I have the 1992 yearbook in a pile of neglected comics here and after your that post about your love and loss of it I'd love to send it to you. If you're interested PM me your address.

I loved that 1992 yearbook...

[Funt Solo]

Thank you, Funt! On the ball as ever. Is that John McCrea on art duties?

Aye - doing that magic negative space is positive space thing.

JBC, I'm pretty sure I have the 1992 yearbook in a pile of neglected comics here and after your that post about your love and loss of it I'd love to send it to you.

Aw! This is why we need a [Like Button] - sometimes words are too much.

[Funt Solo]

22 - Judge Dredd Yearbooks

The Judge Dredd Yearbooks matched releases with the 2000 AD Yearbooks (as per Annual tradition), but the gatefolds sort of gave up after the first two. They were still physical gatefolds, but the wider image was just repeated in the both the front and back sections.


Judge Dredd Yearbook 1992 (1991; Dermot Power) - Dredd takes out a cyborg in this gritty cityscape.




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Judge Dredd Yearbook 1993 (1992; Brendan McCarthy) - a heavily Brit-flavored cover from McCarthy, which echoes a transatlantic tale within. There's also a reprint of seminal tale Atlantis, a one-off Judge Joyce (When Irish Pies Are Smiling, with art by Steve Dillon) and, because they demanded it, the return of the Soul Sisters. If there were awards for sound effects, then it might win with its ZAPPO, FLUTCH, KA-SPLUTCH, THONK, FAP, FLUTCH, FLUTCH, SKREEEEEE, PONK, FOK, KRRAAKK, CREEEEE! (Are sound effects always scripted, or done by the artist, or done by the letterer? It's probably a mixture, right?)




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Judge Dredd Yearbook 1994 (1993; Mark Wilkinson) - an interesting character mash-up on this one, although Devlin is limited to a text story inside.



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Judge Dredd Yearbook 1995 (1994; Sean Phillips) - not featured on the cover, but appearing inside are Harmony and Calhab Justice. Hershey looks black here.


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Judge Dredd Megazine #329 (2012; Brendan McCarthy) - not, clearly, a Yearbook, but included because it's another McCarthy.


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Next: turbo-boost...