Pimping the Trades: Thirteen and Strontium Dog...

The Amstor Computer · 21 April, 2005, 02:38:11 AM

THIRTEEN

Shot by both sides!

When Joe Bulmer, a London punk with mild telekinetic powers, discovers a mysterious black pearl which increases his abilities to unbelievable levels, he thinks he's struck it rich. But he soon discovers that a terrifying race of alien shape-shifters wants it too! Now, with the help of Daksha, a beautiful Asian telepath, and Aden, a mysterious alien warrior, Joe must fight to save the pearl from forces who would use it to destroy the Earth!

Contents

Thirteen

Cover gallery
Sketchbook

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/buttonman/thirteen.jpg">

The Amstor Computer · 21 April, 2005, 02:45:44 AM

STRONTIUM DOG VOLUME 1: THE EARLY CASES

Hot dog!

Earth: The future. Following an atomic war, Strontium-90 fallout has caused mutation amongst humans. These mutants are hated and feared by "norms", and forced to work either in labour camps or in the search and destroy bounty-hunting agency, also known as the "Strontium Dogs".

One such mutant is Johnny Alpha, a man gifted with eyes that can see through walls - and into men's minds! Now, in this first collection of Alpha's classic adventures, he meets a new partner, fights vicious killers, and takes a journey into hell itself!

Contents

The Galaxy Killers
Journey Into Hell
Death's Head
The Schicklgruber Grab

Cover gallery

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/buttonman/stront.jpg">

ukdane · 21 April, 2005, 02:49:25 AM

any chance of a quick review?

The Amstor Computer · 21 April, 2005, 02:56:54 AM

I'm going to post some more later, but briefly:

Buy both of these books!

;-)

Seriously, the Strontium Dog volume is fantastic, and apart from some very minor niggles - not enough white space down the gutter means some pages are difficult to read without spreading the book very wide - it is a great collection of this early material.

If you enjoyed Thirteen in the prog, then this is a treat. The repro means that - like all Rebellion-era strips - this looks fantastic, and the reduction in size doesn't hurt it a bit. Extras aren't great, and the back cover isn't brilliantly designed, but these are really very, very minor niggles.

It would probably tell you how much I enjoyed these books if I say that my biggest problem was with whoever Photoshopped Joe's shirt to feature a Rogue pic. Really, really stupid & it seems a bit of a cheek to do that to an artist's work.

Carlsborg Expert · 21 April, 2005, 02:59:51 AM

Argh
another fine book demanding my cash!!!

Noisybast · 21 April, 2005, 03:06:41 AM

"...my biggest problem was with whoever Photoshopped Joe's shirt to feature a Rogue pic"

At a guess, I'd say there may have been copyright issues with the original image. IIRC he was originally wearing a Dead Kennedys t-shirt. Maybe there were legal problems a la Ramone Dexter's Sony/Fony headcase...

ukdane · 21 April, 2005, 03:09:24 AM

both are defo buys for me, buuuuutttt....

... are there any speech bubbles missing?

The Amstor Computer · 21 April, 2005, 03:10:05 AM

Mm - possible, I suppose. But if that's the case, wouldn't that have been a problem with the *whole* book? The t-shirt appears in nearly every panel, after all!

Noisybast · 21 April, 2005, 03:47:42 AM

Point.

Leigh S · 21 April, 2005, 04:10:07 AM

Nerd alert!

The back cover waffle on the stront book isnt quite right is it?

Mutants aren't in labour camps in Alphas time - they are in ghettoes, and arent allowed to work in "normal jobs" other than as SD agents (I envisage a black economy supporting these ghettoes, as well as money sent back by Stronts)

The whole point of the mutant war was so that the muties wouldnt be in labour camps, surely?

Also, it says he meets a new partner - Hitler?

Funt Solo · 21 April, 2005, 06:06:29 AM

::Also, it says he meets a new partner - Hitler?

Total guess: might the new partner mentioned be The Gronk?

Funt Solo · 21 April, 2005, 06:09:32 AM

TH1RT3EN looks gorgeous...tempted to buy this just because I loved it so much the first time around: one of the freshest things to hit the prog during the past few years (IMO).

As for the Rogue Trooper, that is a shame. If there were legal reasons for not having the DK symbol on the front, an A for Anarchy symbol would have been far more appropriate (in-keeping with the character).

Oddboy · 21 April, 2005, 04:47:20 PM

The thing I don't get is why it's got a Rogue t-shirt with "EST.1977" on it - sure, 2000AD started in '77, and we all know that 1977 is officially PUNK, so they're bigging that up... but Rogue didn't appear until 1981.