FLESH

[SmallBlueThing]

I would attempt a proper review of this, but I feel it's futile: New readers would probably find it overly-simplistic and clunky, old readers like myself may find it impossible to disengage the nostalgia circuits and do anything other than claim every page to be shiny paper orgasm.

Frankly, it's brilliant. As brilliant now as it was back then, when it was the number one reason to read the comic in the first place. Having it all in one place (despite it missing the belated, underrated, Legend of Shamanna for no proper reason other than "people didn't like it". Ptch! I did) is more than we deserve. So many quotable lines, so many big, bold pictures of dinosaurs ripping people to shreds.

I do, however, have some queries with the package.

1) Okay, so the pages have been sourced from later printings- notably 'Best of 2000AD monthly', I guess. But wouldn't it have been better just to white-out the "From the 2000AD archives" tag that was hastily pasted onto the art? Sticking the back of a fag packet over it before scanning would have been preferable to having it there. Somehow, it just looks cheap, and throws you out of the aforementioned nostalgia, thinking "oh, I'm not reading the original, just a re-reprint". I know it's stupid, but it actually annoyed me.

2) Who's idea was it to stick a "censored" panel on the back? It's the only censored panel in the whole thing, as I recall (my reread hasn't got to the end of book one yet, I only got the thing yesterday), and flies directly in the face of all the dinosaury-mayhem that the casual reader may anticipate on picking this up.

3) Pat Mills's intro is magnificently grumpy- and fair play to him! And I agree with everything he says- including his call for 2000AD readers to bombard Tharg with demands for further Flesh drawn by Ramon Sola. Yes please! Sola is the unsurpassed master of dino-grotesquery and even a short return to Trans-Time's operations would be welcome. Especially if "greytoned" by Mr Dayglo again.

Brilliant strips in a pretty-good package, that would have been a hundred percent better with just a little bit more thought.

Steev

[Grant Goggans]

3) Pat Mills's intro is magnificently grumpy...

What a wonderful description!

[Mike Gloady]

Pat's grumpy intros are one of those things that, once encountered, really start to make life seem vital and exciting.  Even if I don't agree (which DOES happen sometimes, even though I'd call myself a fan).

Bizarrely it was the presence of one of those very intros in the Volgan War Volume 1 hardback that had me sneaking a peek before I had time to have a proper read.  This when there is beautiful art by Clint Langley depicting massive robots fighting (surely what he was BORN to illustrate?).

So yeah, I'm looking forward to the grumpy intro ALMOST as much as reading the damn thing itself, which I missed on account of arriving in the late 600s.

[Last of the V8's]

After being told Flesh could not be sourced by the book depository and my order cancelled the book suddenly turned up today.
Am annoyed for a couple of reasons.
1.After them telling me they can't get it and its cancelled I order from Amazon.Too late to cancel now as order in progress.
2.Chapter 11 of Flesh book 2 is missing page 5,in its place is page 3 of that chapter printed again.
3.This is the second misprinted book from 2000ad I've recieved in the last few weeks.Last time it was Defoe missing the first 15 pages.
Anyone else's copy like this?
I'm going to try to get it replaced,and Tharg if you read this sort your printers out!!

[Swerty]

I just checked my Flesh copy and it as the same fault as yours.I probably wouldnt have noticed if you hadnt mentioned it.I want to say Flesh is one of the best stories from 2000ad and Im quite chuffed to have it in this format.Im not sure whether to email amazon and tell them about the problem.
I had a similar problem with Slaine:Book of Invasion I where the first six and last six pages were printed upside down to the rest of the book and it took months to sort it out in the end I just got a refund and gave up

[SmallBlueThing]

Yep, mine's the same. This'd be a nice juncture for someone from the prog to pop up and tell us how we go about getting a replacement...

Steev

[Van Dom]

Ah, no Legend of Shamana, thats a shame. I quite liked that story! Bum.

[SmallBlueThing]

In addition to a plea for some word on replacements, can I just now start a petition for the rest of Flesh to be reprinted in trade format? How much else is there? Were there any early annual stories/ text stories/ etc?

SBT

[Colin YNWA]

Were there any early annual stories/ text stories/ etc?

SBT

There was a story in an annual... hold on its quite close... (uhh having to use the PC in the attic since the laptop got knicked is normally a pain but it has its uses my progs are to hand here) 1978 annual 'The Buffalo Hunt' 6 pages don't recognise the artist I'm sure Barney will tell all. Seens the Flesh folk to the Wild West

[Last of the V8's]

A complete Flesh would have been great.
I've mailed 2000ad books about the fault,will post if I get a reply.
You know I think 2000ad have missed an oppertunity with Flesh,what with the recent Dino travelling animatronic exhibition,more Flesh stories with Dinosaurs on the cover could have pulled in some readers.
I'd personally love to see Henry Flint on the strip,it would be awesome!

[Grant Goggans]

Well, there was a tyrannosaur on the cover of the Meg earlier in the year...

This news about the misprint is a bummer.  I hope they step up with a corrected edition ASAP, but then again, we're still waiting for a corrected Devlin Waugh vol. 2.

[Dark Jimbo]

This news about the misprint is a bummer.  I hope they step up with a corrected edition ASAP, but then again, we're still waiting for a corrected Devlin Waugh vol. 2.

And now, unfortunately, Case Files 13...

[Cactus]

This news about the misprint is a bummer.  I hope they step up with a corrected edition ASAP, but then again, we're still waiting for a corrected Devlin Waugh vol. 2.

And now, unfortunately, Case Files 13...

Oh, what's wrong with it? I was about to order 11 - 13...

[Last of the V8's]

Oh yea theres a misprint in that too.Pages out of order wasn't it?
Got a second copy of Flesh today from Amazon which I ordered after book depository said they couldn't supply then did. Too late to cancel the Amazon order.
Anyway this one has the same misprint too.
3 books misprinted NOT good enough Thargy.

[Dark Jimbo]

And now, unfortunately, Case Files 13...

Oh, what's wrong with it? I was about to order 11 - 13...

Just a minor thing, one story has a couple of pages printed in the wrong order. It was originally misprinted in the prog, and the reprint replicates that mistake.