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I must say I do enjoy seeing Buffy on the Home Page whenever I log on.

..........err I'll get me coat then....

mmm... I did wonder about that but do the bad vibes ever totally go away and if they didn't you have Storming Heavens Book 2
 
Another thought and I'm qualifying this by saying I've never taken hallucigenic drugs ( i'm not sure I can even spell it) but isn't it the case with good trips you believe you're in utopia, then you come down and you find you're not.

To be honest the whole story could have been a drug trip for Amy, Book 2 could even be called 'Coming Down'

I'm probably getting a bit intense here but as I said the whole premise behind Storming Heavens was very good.

Scojo
Now we're buzzing, Amy would definitely be a good central figure since we know more about her than anyone. I'd probably focus on some of the people who were normal 9-5 people but were then transformed, but were then sacrificed.

I'd also take a look at the 'straights' ie not groovy or bad, just square. Whenever you see old clips of the 'Summer of Love' they are there usually wearing knitted jumpers & NHS glasses.

Also as (i think it was PVS) noted what about the US, cant believe they would let it go although as revealed this prog they were in Charlies gang anyway. (would R Kennedy have been though)

Finally the GM designer drugs side of things is exactly what I was getting at. How would the hippy crew react to these 'johnny come latelies'

You know the more I think about Storming Heavens the more I like it.

Any other ideas anyone or is this a dean scojo production (or scojo dean)

Sorry re last entry, by dance generation I mean those youngsters born since 1967 in the story who may have grown up and may have taken different routes for their development. There aren't any e'd up people pictured in the story.

I really should re read my typing before hitting the 'post message' button

Does anybody have a clue about what I'm on about, pass me another Gin.

On an earlier thread I was very critical of the characterisation on Storming Heavens and I said I would re read the whole book in one go which I have done.

I must say that the artwork & the covers inparticular have been the business, I look forward to posters being available in due course (with the 2000ad logo & copy present).

The premise and the whole idea behind the series is also a very strong one drawing on a number of psychedelic sources, I liked the reference quotes throughout.

But

I still feel a little bit removed from the whole thing. We had lots of groovy named heroes and regret at their passing and I guess we'll never see the like again, actually we never saw their like in the first place.

Solution

I think the story could form a wonderful backdrop to some continued stories, yes we know what happened in global terms but what happened to the 'little people' in the story.

Also the 'utopia' reached at the end is an LSD based utopia, very 60's. What about the ecstacy based utopia which would no doubt follow on (copyright Dean), how would the psychedelic generation come to terms with the 'dance' generation pictured towards the end of the story.

Come on Scojo there's a story or two left in this one, over to you.

I see where you're coming from on the analogy of the strips being compared to games, but I get confused with Wardog isn't that both!?!

On that subject like Scojo I don't mind the Wardog it's all good clean fun but I am a bit twitchy about the fact that a good proportion of the new material in the Megazine is a sales pitch.

Would Wardog have been commissioned for ther Meg if it was a 'standalone' creation.

Answers on a post card please.

Thanks alot for the posts, I'll give them a go and yes I do feel silly for not spotting the online survey, thanks Wake

Apart from 2000AD & the Meg what is everybody else reading at the moment and what any recommendations as I'm only reading Rebellion output at the moment

As I mentioned earlier I've just returned to 2000AD and I dug out my earlier issues and they are not quite as good as you remember them.

When I think back I only remember the bits I enjoyed. The Classic strips do bear further scrutiny, Dredd especially is still the business. Stontium Dog, Robo Hunter, Slaine, Rogue Trooper Nemesis & Zenith have aged like fine wines but some stips haven't, I really enjoyed Ace Trucking back in the 80's but rereading them left me a little cold.

There is alot of decidedly dodgy stuff which I'm trying to put out of my mind, Angel, Rick Random, Mach Zero, Mach 1, Dan Dare, and so on.

I think we are all more critical these days and message boards like this make it easier to 'vent your spleen.

As you say take one or two earlier copies in isolation and they sometimes are a bit dodgy.

Scojo
The last few posts were done while I was typing my response, you may have started another great debate here.
Are you really going into hibernation, we'll miss you if you do.
I'm getting confused though, is Sperman the guy in the long overcoat, if so sounds well dodgy

I may cover a few threads here and would note the following
1) The artwork was pretty good
2) A little bit of black & white breaks things up a bit (I guess Shakara is doing that at present)
3) The Future Shocks have been a bit dodgy of late and I would prefer to see an ongoing strip, although lets not get into the debate on how many episodes new thrills should get
4) I reckon Killer is the sort of story that could have found its way into 3000AD (again lets not get bogged down in that debate) perhaps with the violence toned down

Scojo, I think you are right when you say that simplicity works for 2000AD, I do however think Killer falls into that category as it was the sort of strip you might have found in pre 2000AD comics like Valiant or Lion.

I think you are also right when you say that 2000AD doesn't know what it is aiming at. I'm 35 (there I said it) and I'm one of many who have taken up 2000AD again recently, 1250 was my jumping on point after an absence of about 10 years.

I'm enjoying almost every minute but 2000AD is much more difficult to access than it was for the first 400 issues, I think it's because it is more sophisticated and aimed at an older audience, I wonder what I would have made of this weeks prog if it was the first one I had ever bought and I was (say) 11 years old. I can't help but think I would not have understood enough to want to go out and buy every issue.

When 2000AD started I reckon it was aimed at 8-15 year olds and I was one of them, should Rebellion consider aiming a magazine at the same age group the comic started at, I do not know, what worries me is that there is a limited number of people like myself who will return to the fold and the readership will surely wither and die.

I accept the economic arguments (i am a partner in an accountancy firm) but long term I think 3000AD may be a good idea. Do a deal with all those who subscribe and you should have a good 'base' (although I do not know how many do subscribe, I would certainly like to know).

Anyway I'm wittering on and the wife has just asked me what do I think I'm doing so I'm off to feed the baby.

 

I would go along with the original selection with a little bit of early stylie Robo Hunter just to inject a little bit of humour into the proceedings
The Robo Hunter where (I think) they send a robot to create an ideal world (I'm sure his name was 'Smokin Joe') was one of my favorites from too long ago.
Otherwise I'd go for any other strip with a nice line in dark humour, any other suggestions.

Umm delete the second 'gobsmacked' bit I got confused with the keyboard

OK but look at the characterisation in something like Watchmen or Zenith all super beings (with groovy-ish names).

One of my favourite stories ever was in Zenith book one where the Red Dragon is rehabilitated and then wiped out in about two frames. I was gobsmacked as the build up took two episodes and his death two frames

I was gobsmacked by this at the time, with Storming Heaven I kinda feel that there would be no build up we would just go straight to the 'wipe out'.

Uhh does anyone know what I'm getting at here? Anyway pubs open soon!

I agree, great artwork & lots of cool references (white album by the Beatles is in there a few times) but I don't feel I know the characters enough to care about them

It's real in your face stuff which is sometimes very good but sometimes doesn't work. No matter how much I want this to work it just doesn't.
Mind you alot of stuff works well when you re read the whole story in one go at the end.
Am I alone in thinking that the characterisation could have been better, or am I just missing the point.