Have just started a mammoth reread of Nikolai Dante, from the first episode and am currently up to The Masque of Dante. What can I say? I'd forgotten how seamlessly this strip flows and how grud-damned enjoyable it was right off the bat. Tharg's comment that 'rarely does a thrill arrive fully voiced', or similar, really did hit the mark.
Will comment more as I continue through- but just to say a couple of things.
One: Thanks to the masters of this site for the 'thrillseeker' feature and more specifically the *printer friendly version*- without which, my hunt for the necessary progs may well have put me off.
Two: One of the oddest, and best, things about 2000ad is that, when one decides to reread a certain strip over a number of progs, it proves damn near impossible to do so *without* reading all manner of supplementary material. Usually Dredd, most of the time SiniDex, and always the letters page (which, as an oldie, I still think of as the 'nerve center', even though it hasn't been for years). Proof, if any were needed, that 2000ad is a rare entertainment investment in these disposable days.
Anyway... work now, then home for prog 1372 and meg 215, then Dante.
It's a hard life.
Steev
Whether you like Dante or not (and I dos), the "fully formed world" from the off comment frm the thargster really did hit the mark.
Steev,
If you come across Emmanuel Chekov in your reread, can you post (here or on the other thread) which progs/stories she appears in.
Cheers
the nerve centre is called the letters page?
is it i did not notice that. when did that happen. it will always be the nerve centre to me as well.i geuss this took place years ago.
Some point in the 700s (IIRC) the Nerve Centre split into two parts:
Inside front cover was "Nerve Centre: Output" ie Tharg's Hype
Inside back cover was "Nerve Centre: Input" ie readers' letters
Over time, the inside front page lost the "Output" bit - just called "Nerve Centre" and the inside back page lost the "Nerve Centre" bit & kept the "Input" bit.
I still consider them both Nerve Centrey.
On the Dante front: fekkin' excellent story. I've been *really* enjoying it on my big re-read (I'm up to Tsar Wars I at the moment.
Having said that... Dane - I don't recognise the name Emmanuel Chekov - any hints as to who she is? Have I been reading with my eyes shut (or just glossing over the names)?
I think she turns up in the Tsar Wars volume not drawn by Si or John.
Is she the vampire from 'Fiends'?
She appeared in one of the Zarjaz editions. More than that, I do not know. I assumed with that name that she came from The Dante Universe.
Ta DX - so she's likely to turn up soonerish. Didn't think I'd seen the name so far in the re-read.
Dante is all class. We must of all had the idea at the same time I'm just getting into the Tsar Wars arc in my current re-read, it's amazing the amount of growth put into the character in the previouse arcs, Remember reading somewhere that Dante was a series with a definate start, middle and end. maybe we dont see the character that often anymore is because the series should of been wrapped up after the Tsar Wars and all we've had since has been filler while they try to decide the direction he should be heading now(I guess u just cant end one of your most popular series bvecause it was supposed to). With regards to my re-read I try to read tooth all the way through again includind input and output and I even give stories I didn't like the first time a second chance(Sirus Rising Devlin Waugh story's an example of this, thought it was a load of semi-mysticle sci-fi shite first time through loved it in my recent re-read, couldn't tell u why I just did). Well I've blabbed enough, time to go rate some Progs almost all Dante stories have got an 9 out of me.(the odd 10 nd a few 7&8'sfor the clunkers)
CU Krestel
Krest - yeah I enjoyed Chasing Herod/Reign of Frogs/Sirius Rising recently, when I didn't like it much first time round.
I guess that's because it's very long and with that much mystical gubbins going on it would be hard to keep up with the story reading one episode a week.
As to my re-read project- I started May? 2002 at prog 70 when I picked up a near complete back prog run. The 90s era really slowed me down...
If the rumours were true and that Dante was supposed to have a shelf life, then that would be as big a mistake as killing off Johhny Alpha (AKA Strontium Dog)
Dante is my favourite character after Dredd and it would be a serious blow to the comic if he was to never appear again.
Think carefully Rebellion, you have a success story with Dante, don't kill him off just because you can, or to make a point that no character is safe. I think that's what happend with Johnny and everyone agrees, it was a big mistake.
Thrill Power Overload says that Dante was originally going to start with the defeat of the Romanovs. So far from being the planned end Tsar Wars is where it all begins!
Dante was too silly for me, when I first read it..too juvenile. It still seems kind of sanitized by comparison with a lot of other 2000 AD stuff, but it has grown on me. That comment about the fully-formed world is right on the button too. I`m looking forward to rereading it.
My favourite Dante moment was the killers who were a SInister/Dexter parody (with their SNAG/Slaine partner).
cheers,
Floyd
DXB: Which one would that be then???
Rudinshtein Irregulars 8 episodes (Progs 1183 to 1190) 48 pages
Script: Robbie Morrison, Artist: John Burns
Book One Of 'Tsar Wars'
Love and War 8 episodes (Progs 1200 to 1207)
Script: Robbie Morrison, Artist: John Burns
Book Two Of 'Tsar Wars'
Battleship Potemkin 8 episodes (Progs 1213 to 1220)
Script: Robbie Morrison, Artist: Simon Fraser, Colour: Gary Caldwell
Book Three Of 'Tsar Wars'
and just to complete the run...
The Romanov Empire 13 episodes (Progs 1250 to 1262) 77 pages
Script: Robbie Morrison, Artist: John Burns, Colour: Fully Painted, Letters: Annie Parkhouse
Book Four Of 'Tsar Wars'.
As Kate Halpin said:
Is she the vampire from 'Fiends'?
Nikolai Dante: "Fiends"
Progs 1236-1239
Steve Yeowell/Chris Blythe.
Along with P2001's "One Last Night in the House of Sin" (John Burns) and 1234-1235's "The Beguiling" (Yeowell/Blythe), "Fiends" was part of an interlude between Tsar Wars III & IV.
Although; before Tsar Wars had started, Tharg was hyping it as a massive Five Book saga, so these 3 are probably the original "Book IV" with "The Romanov Empire" beeing set for "Book V".
Cheers, I missread what she'd written, I thought she meant "Fiends"... of the Eastern Front.
AIUI the plan was to do five books - 'The Rudinshtein Irregulars', 'Battleship Potemkin' and 'Love and War' (which got swapped in the running order), book four dealing with the battle of St Petersburg and book five about the final defeat of the Romanovs at the Winter Palace. The final two books were collapsed into one and the short series of lighter-hearted stories added after complaints that it was getting too grim.
I could be wrong!
BTW Thanks Kate.