Alright fellas, being relatively new back to reading the Galaxy's greatest- I've noticed how many tales seem to be Vampire/demon/horror-ish-related tales,- seemingly not very sci-fi, but then I remembered one of my favourite tales from years back when I was a kid- about a German soldier ( hans schmitt i think ) in ww2 turned into a vampire, amazing artwork drawn by Senor Ezquerra. Scared the wotsits out of me and remember it as being brilliant, anybody else remember it and tell me what it was called 'cos its doing my head in!!- and can you get hold of it in a graphic novel?
Twas Fiends of the Eastern Front and to be honest I've no idea if it's out in a GN although Iseem to remember it being given away with the Meg at one stage and it was quite flimsy. Not realy enough there for a GN I would have thought.
That said, the Meg also ran a sequel series by David Bishop I believe, quite recently, although I've not read it cos it was one of my periodic periods of not getting the Meg. Maybe if that was included they could make a decent book?
You've got me thinking now, I can't recall for definite (the shame) who wrote Fiends. I want to say it was one of GFDs but I'm wavering. Anyone?
Quote from: faplad on 27 October, 2009, 01:20:52 AM
Twas Fiends of the Eastern Front and to be honest I've no idea if it's out in a GN although Iseem to remember it being given away with the Meg at one stage and it was quite flimsy. Not realy enough there for a GN I would have thought.
Oh yes there was:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiends_of_the_Eastern_Front#Bibliography
And what's more, if you live near a remaindered bookshop, there's a very good chance you'll be able to pick it up for under £4. I did, recently, along with several other hardback and paperback collections from the DC/Rebllion and 2000AD Books lines.
Fiends is printed at original prog size (not scaled down like much of the newer stuff) and is hardback- with an intro by Dan Abnett. It's a splendid volume and well worth tracking down. It was also "given away" as an Issue of 2000AD GOLD (maybe the first?) with The Megazine a few years ago. Someone else will be able to furnish you with the issue number- and if you don't have a remaindered bookshop that's playing the game nearby, that might be your best bet. Rebellion themselves may even be your best port of call- phone 'em up and ask if they still hold a copy, once you know which issue it is.
SBT
The hardback of Fiends is a joy to behold and, while it's slim, it's a good way to blow a tenner. I love my copy. Mmmmmmm.
It's so good it gets past my vampire/werewolf/zombie filters (their being concepts I normally abhor as they are usually easy hooks to hang bad plots on) - as does Defoe.
Fiends of the Eastern Front!!- cheers! thanks for the help
The Bish also did a series of rather brilliant Fiends novels for the Black Library too.
Well, I stand corrected. I don't remember ever having seen that in the shops, cos if I had it would have quickly found it's way onto my shelf.
I missed the revival in the Meg as I'd abandoned Tharg's emerald embrace at that time (I know....).
What did you guys think of it? Is it worth collecting it along with the original into a softback collection? I konw I'd grab it if it had a good revival lumped in with it....
Can't remember much about the recent sequel (which spaks volumes in itself). I seem to recall thinking that it was a bit of a rehash that didn't add anything new.
The rehash was... alright. Perfectly inoffensive stuff with several nifty ideas - the framing narrative was great and the Soviet anti-vamp squad was crackers (in a good way) - but there was none of the sense of horror and creeping unease of the first, and ultimately it all felt a bit pointless - essentially a re-tread of the first plot but with the action relocated to Stalingrad, and only half the charm.
Cracking Macneil art, though.
Much better and more highly recommended is the one-off by Dan Abnett and Carlos Ezquerra which saw Durham Red cross fangs with Captain Constanza on a time-job to the Eastern Front. It captured the pulpy, sholck-horror tone of the original in twelve pages better than the 'sequel' did in six times that.
I really enjoyed the second series because I couldn't get enough of the artwork for a start. I thought the first few episodes worked really well, bu yeah, I suppose it was a bit of a rehash.
M.
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 27 October, 2009, 06:45:04 PMCracking Macneil art, though.
That was my lasting impression of it too.
Quote from: His Lordship rac on 27 October, 2009, 11:19:30 AM
The Bish also did a series of rather brilliant Fiends novels for the Black Library too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiends_of_the_Eastern_Front#Novels
I see 'Vampires!' in a category called 'Help!' and I immediately think 'no way; you're on your own,' and 'psst! it's behind you.'
I really liked the second Fiends- a slow burner yes, but all that occult stuff going on in the Soviet faktory ([spoiler]making a golem to try to destroy Constanta[/spoiler]) was quite different from the first arc. It was really good stuff with class art from the MacNeil droid. I reckon, packaged with the first fiends, it would make a great release for a book.
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 27 October, 2009, 06:45:04 PM
Much better and more highly recommended is the one-off by Dan Abnett and Carlos Ezquerra which saw Durham Red cross fangs with Captain Constanza on a time-job to the Eastern Front. It captured the pulpy, sholck-horror tone of the original in twelve pages better than the 'sequel' did in six times that.
Apparently it's collected in Durham Red: Empty Suns. If you like other Durham Red stuff. (I've yet to be acquainted with the saucy minx apart from the.... impressionable pictures here and there.)