Nemesis Book 10

[Colin YNWA]

Well if you're going to wrap up a series known for its striking art throughout you might as well do it with the beautiful work of Henry Flint. Nemesis Book X has so many things going for it but the art is truly the star of the show. Ok there are a few too many panels directly honouring Kevin O'Neil's work but that's nit picking. It's a testament to how fantastic the art is that in the final part Kevin O'Neil's more recent looser style is a disappointment, compared to what has gone before. I particularly liked the way he threw in some tiny action panels in one episode to allow room for a grotesque massive splash which I took to be a hats off to John Hicklenton 

As for the story... well I just can't make my mind up. When thinking about it, it had everything the final book of Nemesis should have. It felt epic in scale, the two central characters were as beautifully hideous as they ever are, everything was wrapped up after appropriate amounts of anarchy, mayhem and violence and the ending was fittingly horrendous. Yet somehow it didn't quite do it, it didn't quite manage to be the sum of its parts.  Maybe it felt a little like Mills was going through the motions and wrapping up everything that had gone before by going back to how it was at the beginning. The trouble for me is the great thing about Nemesis is that it'd always moved on and tried different things. Still that said it certainly wasn't bad and by the end I was satisfied if not quite as elated as I'd hoped.

[Paul faplad Finch]

This story did absolutely nothing for me. In it's defence it was the first Nemesis to run in the prog during my time of reading so coming to it cold I probably missed a lot of suff. Sadly, unlike Srius Rising (I've dissed that in your other thread Colin, we aren't agreeing on much today) I didn't even have decent art to take solace in. Not a fond memory overall for me.

[Mike Gloady]

Flint was on FIRE in this.  I agree the story wasn't quite as much as I'd hoped for, it felt like we were rushing through things.

And Kev O'Neil deserved to draw the last episode.  It's just a shame that it looked so bad compared to Flint's work on the rest. 

[jone5]

And Kev O'Neil deserved to draw the last episode.  It's just a shame that it looked so bad compared to Flint's work on the rest. 

His work on this was poor compaired to his usual. I felt like he probably couldn't be bothered with the story any longer and just rushed it to bring an end to it.

[James Stacey]

I think it was just O'Neils work had evolved and loosened up. Flints Nemesis work was very similar in style to the old O'Neil stuff, and I guess that just highlighted the change.

[The Monarch]

I just reread this

Its a huge let down after the first 9 books but it does have some gorgous Flint art which as Mike said was far superior to Kevs art on the last episode

[Mike Gloady]

It felt like the decision had been made "we have 60 pages to finish it and get on with life" and ideas that had been intended to have more time to develop were dealt with in short order.  It's a real shame but, especially on that last episode, you get the impression that neither Mills or O'Neill had much interest left.  A shame as *I* had plenty left.

I've heard that O'Neill hadn't read anything since his departure.  A shame really, he's missing out on some of the good stuff in the series, who knows?  He might have had some more creative excitement if he'd read some of the stuff after his departure. 

Yes, O'Neill's style had changed drastically anyway, but it looked like he wasn't that bothered and that was a shame. 

[davidbishop]

May I humbly suggest not confusing opinion with fact?

Kevin poured a lot of time and effort into those six pages. He even redrew at least one or two of them on his volition [and free of charge] so they'd be a fitting endpiece for the series.

Whether or not that effort paid off is, of course, a matter of personal opinion.

Your mileage may vary...

davidbishop

[Mike Gloady]

Apologies if my comments upset you in any way, but I think I was fairly clear at signposting that this was how it felt to me and what I thought, not flagging it as any kind of fact.  It felt a shame to me that it wasn't QUITE as great as I thought it had to potential to be.

I respect all the creators involved massively and wouldn't want to upset or annoy them by expressing my views.  But I did make it clear that they were only my views and not any sort of gospel.  I probably should have thought a little more carefully about how I put it, but I hardly think anybody would read the posting of an idiot on the internet and think it was anything other than just an opinion.

[TordelBack]

No supper for you, Gloady! 

[The Legendary Shark]

Mr Bishop, why not come to our humble Yap Shop and we can talk about this? Aw, gaw-an... gaw-an, gaw-an, gaw-an, gaw-an...

Seriously, we'd be honoured if you could visit us. (Many of us are even housebroken.)

[Mike Gloady]

*Cover face with shame*

Seriously, peeing people off is right at the bottom of my "to-do" list in life.  Not something I want to do, apologies to all concerned.  I will attempt to put my future criticisms better.  *slapped wrist*

[TordelBack]

There was nowt wrong with your criticism, Mike, it was firmly flagged as personal opinion, indeed an 'impression'.  And there was nowt wrong with Bish-Op pointing out the facts as he knew them.  It's all good, and everyone loves Kevin O'Neill.

[Mike Gloady]

Too right.  One of my most prized objects (yes, I failed to spell possession correctly, unless I did so just then by accident) is a Kev O'Neil sketch of Nemesis. 

I totally understand, given the information that you had, David, why you feel agrieved about I and others suggesting Mr O'Neil's heart wasn't in it.  I can take a slap on the wrist like a man. 

[Leigh S]

On the one hand, its kinda appropriate that a the series that started as Comic Rock should bow out on a "greatest hits" tour.  That said, it does all seem a bit too rushed, like (at least) 2 books worth of material chopped together.  There was the build up to "Hammer of the Warlocks" for example, that ran in progs 901-903(?).  That seemed to me just like the "horned God" recap, and then went precisely nowhere, with no follow up story, despite the promise of the "Hammer of witches/warlock" as the next book.  I dont think TPO goes into the reasons for this?


So for it all to wrap up so quickly seemed a bit too little for a story as important as Nem had been to the prog - I felt it really warranted at least a similar 30 part Horned God style epic send off, if send off was what we had decided on.  Especially when Flints art started coming through! I'd personally have begged Pat to stretch it out a bit more just to keep luxuriating in that art, even if it would have messed up prog 2000!