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...well there was much talk about Inferno when I started a thread that mentioned Purgatory a wee while back. So anyway I've now read it and man its as bad as people said. I wasn't going to chew over the bones of it as there's so much not to like that I'd ramble on forever and any witterig I did would sound like a bitter whine

 BUT BUT BUT...

Well being a massive Morrison fan its been bugging me quite how wrong he got Dredd (I'll be reading Book of the Dead today so maybe he'll get better?). I can imagine him and Millar sitting there trying to work out what the basics of Dredd were and how to renew those essences AND how wrong did they get it!

For me this is summed up best by the scene were Grice (how did he manage to become a worse character in Inferno than he was in Purgatory????) blows up the Statue of Justice. Now in Wagner's hands, or any number of other writers, Morrison if his heart was in it in fact, this would have been one of two things. Either a very moving symbolic representation of the fall of justice and law, or a wicked piece of satire. Most likely both. In Inferno its an over the top piece of melodrama that loses all its potential impact. The statue is ludicously large, the damage its fall does excessive and over the top, the consequences a convenient plot device further eroding any sense in the story, its realisation cheap and dismissive. Most criminally of all, due to these factors it had absolutely no emotional impact at all.

There for me Inferno condensed to one scene. Morrison is so much better than this.

I would like to see Ennis take on a war story that takes place prior to WW1. That and I wish he would take on something like Charlie's War: a war story with recurring characters that would tke place over several volumes.

Yeah both things I'd like to see Ennis do. I wonder what the market for an ongoing WWII series by Ennis would be like? Kinda thing you'd think DC might one day like to give a whirl as they have a far more diversity in they're comics these days.

I thought all the Battlefield's stories were 3 issue minis making them around and about 64 pages each anyway?

...and tanks.

Has anybody picked up the first issue of Tankies with Carlos Ezquerra? Absolute class. Great characters and typical Ennis no holds barred war story. All draw by typical Ezquerra goodness. Not sure about Ezquerra inked by his son yet BUT I think thats as much to do with my need to get used to it as being so used to his own inking style as opposed there being anything wrong with Hector's inking itself.

Anyway Tankies is brillant.

Yikes completely agree a movie of this would be horrible. Luckly the comic is handled very well. If you do get it make sure you let us know what you think as I'd hoped others would have had their say BUT I definately think its worth a go.

I've not read IT in an age and really can't remember the plot it is just that really exciting sense of what its like to be a child that stands in comparison to 1985. I really must re-read It some day people keep saying that King is a really good writer but I've not read any since I was a teenager... I'm getting off track.

If you get it hope you enjoy it as much as me.

Yeah I have it and while I'm no Millar fan when it comes to his 2000ad work SOME of his other stuff I quite like AND 1985 is probably the best thing I've read by him. Seriously I thought it was brillant. It really captured the joy of being a fan of American comics during that time and fears of childhood. The art is simply glorious and all in all I couldn't recommend it highly enough. This might come across as a strange comparison BUT if you've ever read IT by Stephen King it kinda reminded me of the 50s portion of that story. Just really evocative of childhood with all the wrappings of a great yarn.

Finally got around to listening to this and have to say it made the first two hours of the painting a had to do today all the more bearable (who ever invented Gloss paint and its incredible ability to get everywhere regardless of how careful you are needs shooting!). Great show.

The most interesting aspect for me was the fact that both reviews were coming to the new Progs either entirely cold or as a relatively new returns and I'm looking forward to hearing how their appreciate of current thrills changes as thye get increasing familar with the current stories and characters.

Mind how on Earth could you have read a story featuring cowboys fighting dinosaurs at the age of 6 and not have it indelibly etched onto you're memory. Like spots of gloss paint on your carpet GRRRRrrrrrrrr...

I know Bellardinelli is a popular artist but for me he only really works on Ace Trucker. I've always found this figure (as in the human figure) work very stiff. Meltdown Man also highlights another problem I have with his work (alongside Slaine and Blackhawk) and thats the fact that for whatever reason even when he draws a hero as muscular that doesn't translate into a real sense of strenght they always look a bit puny.

Ace Trucking however really plays to his strenghts which is the frankly wonderful imagination he had and the depiction of truely Alien looking creatures and environments.

"Strontium Dog: The Mork Whisperer by John Wagner/Carlos Ezquerra starts Summer 2009
Nikolai Dante: Hero of the Revolution by Robbie Morrison/John Burns - starts Summer 2009
Cradlegrave by John Smith/Edmund Bagwell - starts May 2009
The Grevious Journey of Ichabod Azrael (And the Dead Left in His Wake) by Rob Williams/Artist TBC - starts TBC
Necrophim: Hell's Prodigal by Tony Lee/Lee Carter - starts 2009
Defoe Book III: Queen of the Zombies by Pat Mills/Leigh Gallagher - starts 2009
Savage Book V: 1984 by Pat Mills/Patrick Goddard - starts prog 1632
Zombo by Al Ewing/Henry Flint - starts May 2009
ABC Warriors: The Volgan War Book IV by Pat Mills/Clint Langley - starts TBC
Kingdom Book 3: Call of the Wild by Dan Abnett/Richard Elson - starts TBC
Shakara Book 4: Destroyer by Robbie Morrison/Henry Flint - starts TBC"

With the apparent addition of Slaine (and hasn't a new Red Seas been annouced as well) to this list there is A LOT of good stuff coming up. Almost too much! I say that cos unless Necrophim is short (and it is mentioned as a prologue) it has to be the current Dante story that makes way for Slaine in a couple of Progs time which would be a pity as I was hoping that this would be a bit of a long one.

Add to all this a Dredd story that has been bubbling away magnificently for a long time the current and future line up for 2000ad for me is just so exciting. The comics really is in its prime again?

And a great read it is too. Visit it regularly and there are other bits on Grant's pages that are worth checking out too.

Arh Glastonbury. Went to them all between 1995 and 2005, which came to 9 in total I think. Then decided I needed a break. Going to miss it this year as I've STILL never seen Neil Young and it'd be good to see Blur again (and I have a massive soft spot for Springstein).

All that said All Tomorrow's Parties is the festival for me these days. Based on a Holiday Camp it has all the fun of an Indie than thou music festival with proper beds and a swimming pool and fun slides OH the JOY. Alas due to impending fatherhood I'm not going to make it to any this year (they have 3 a year typically) ans the May events (2 of them) have sold out (I was a cats whisker away from going to the one curatored by the Breeders) and have just today accepted it's probably not a good idea to commit to the X-Mas one even though the line-up is already sooooo exciting

//http://www.atpfestival.com/Events/Nightmare2009.php

and my wife had even given me a pass out. I used to be so much more impulsive and fun!

Don't suppose you're aware of whether he plans to sell any more Blueberry stuff?

Chris Weston = Contorted

Colin Wilson = Rugged

More importantly

"Bubbling underneath, a return to drawing comics: a collaboration with old mucker Grant Morrison, another with American Virgin Steve Seagle, and a book for Fluide Glacial that will probably be a collection of pin-up images. "

OH HAPPY DAY!

Come on 2000ad get this fella drawing on the Galaxies Greatest again. Please, please, please.

Well just went to have a quick play on the Aubit Bureau of Circulation's website to see if this provided me with an answer to my age old question of whats 2000ad circulation. While my failure to succeed might be down to my own incompetence it might also be down to the fact that the site still has 2000ad being published by Ergmont/Fleetway and the data I found was for 2000/2001.

Is this just me or is this site hard to use?

I come with my tail between my legs.

Having relooked at the blog entry he does say that the original post had a deliberate North American (and I think it only put the North in so that in so they could include Cerebus!) focus he does ask for that not to be considered when adding comments. So I did.

Ignatzmonster since I very rarely manage to read through my own posts well enough to spot the error heavens knows what I was thinking trying to find error in someone elses! Sorry!