IDW announce Rogue Trooper 'NEW' material and reprints

[dweezil2]

I'm very intrigued to see where IDW go with this series and I agree that getting Garth Ennis to write it is a no brainer!

[COMMANDO FORCES]

I wonder if they do a back-up strip!

I'd be up for current Rogue doing his stuff with his buddies as the ongoing title, with a back-up of the whole detailed story leading towards the Quartz Zone Massacre and they could spread that over a few years at six pages a month.

[Jim_Campbell]

I'd also advocate going forward with a re-purposed 'original' Rogue, but after first cleaning up the status quo.

TBH, 2000AD editorial got itself into this mess by commissioning stories that tried to fix continuity issues which literally no one in the readership cared about. I mean, seriously, was there even one reader who couldn't enjoy the Gibbons/War Machine version unless it was reconciled with the original GFD/NuEarth version?

(If the editorial team thought the strip lost popularity because there were no longer 'biochip buddies' then they were missing the key point, which was that it lost popularity because under Michael Fleischer it was shit.)

Cheers

Jim

[Professor Bear]

Dunno about Ennis unless you want that Buttplug joke played out completely seriously for 24 issues.
I think getting Fleisher back to do the Rogue strip for the American comic could fly, as he did pretty good for years as a writer on American comics, turning in a well thought-of run on Jonah Hex - they could do worse than hire him to continue the adventures of Friday & co.  I am sure the purists will gripe based on the relative unpopularity* of Fleisher's weekly Rogue tales, but these US comics aren't for us, they're for a different market with different tastes, expectations and sensibilities - this is a country that has taken Chuck Norris seriously since the 1970s, so a big muscle-y man playing with guns while living on his own in the wilderness could sell very well if approached in the right manner.  Also Simon Coleby back on art duties, please.


* I know the impulse is just to dismiss them as shite, but equally I am sure they had their fans.

[Buttonman]

And IDW would of course have to be insane to include any reference to Tor Cyan or Friday in their version. It'll be a 'back to basics' Rogue for that iteration, no doubt.

Or re-boot 'The Hit' storyline - that one was missing a silent 'S' from the start!

[Colin YNWA]

I wonder if they do a back-up strip!

I think I've read somewhere they've said there won't be a back-up... I think...

Staz Johnson seems like the perfect art choice. As for the story I'd guess, given what we've seen from the Dredd comic it'll have its own self contained continuity designed to please the American market. Given the mess Rogue became seems like the sensible thing to do too.

Fingers crossed it turned out better for us lot.

[dweezil2]

Dunno about Ennis unless you want that Buttplug joke played out completely seriously for 24 issues.
I think getting Fleisher back to do the Rogue strip for the American comic could fly, as he did pretty good for years as a writer on American comics, turning in a well thought-of run on Jonah Hex - they could do worse than hire him to continue the adventures of Friday & co.  I am sure the purists will gripe based on the relative unpopularity* of Fleisher's weekly Rogue tales, but these US comics aren't for us, they're for a different market with different tastes, expectations and sensibilities - this is a country that has taken Chuck Norris seriously since the 1970s, so a big muscle-y man playing with guns while living on his own in the wilderness could sell very well if approached in the right manner.  Also Simon Coleby back on art duties, please.


* I know the impulse is just to dismiss them as shite, but equally I am sure they had their fans.

Read Punisher MAX and Fury MAX then get back to me!   

[I, Cosh]

And IDW would of course have to be insane to include any reference to Tor Cyan or Friday in their version. It'll be a 'back to basics' Rogue for that iteration, no doubt.

Or re-boot 'The Hit' storyline - that one was missing a silent 'S' from the start!

Sthe Hit? Not very catchy, is it?

Thought it's already been established that this was going to be it's own continuity so no need to worry about Friday or Tor Cyan or whoever. Plus what Jim said.

Never been much of a Rogue fan myself. For all the fun violence and great art, the main character himself is pretty dull and blank. It's the dead guys who get all the character and the best lines.

[Link Prime]

I'd also advocate going forward with a re-purposed 'original' Rogue, but after first cleaning up the status quo.

TBH, 2000AD editorial got itself into this mess by commissioning stories that tried to fix continuity issues which literally no one in the readership cared about. I mean, seriously, was there even one reader who couldn't enjoy the Gibbons/War Machine version unless it was reconciled with the original GFD/NuEarth version?

I agree 100% Jim, they should never have tried to tie both versions of Rogue together in the first place. They were, quite literally, from different worlds.
Forgiving the fact I was a pre-teen / teenager / twenty-something during the time, my memory of events is this;

- Original Rogue Trooper comes to a bit of a drawn out conclusion. Good, but nowhere near the heights of previous arcs.
- Concept is re-booted with a completely new character. 'The War Machine' kicks ass. The blue skinned wonder is back, but this ain't yer daddy's Rogue!
- Subsequent stories lack Gibbons' vision for a rebooted Rogue (although I agree with Prof- some were passable entertainment). Thrill Power levels drop 37% overnight.
- After a few stories with Friday, the inexplicable decision to reintroduce the Biochip concept is taken. For me this arc virtually negates all goodwill towards Friday. Artwork is pretty good though.
- Coupla years pass before the dreaded merging of continuities (think it was called 'Blue on Blue'). Initial excitement and curiosity soon give way to Phantom Menace levels of turgid disappointment.
- They had their chance! Friday & his boys coulda been killed off leaving old Rogue and his temporarily re-gened brothers back in the forefront. But no, Rogue is killed off again (quite an ignoble anti-climax) and Friday continues to tread water with Venus and Biochips in tow (again, some great art in this era- Henry Flint & Steve Tappin immediately coming to mind).
- Story comes to an abrupt halt. I mean, jeez Tharg, you coulda at least iced him.
- Several years pass, and Tor Cyan is introduced in Mercy Heights. He's a clone of the original Rogue.
- Tor Cyan stars solo in some beautiful looking (Kev Walker, Jock et al- take a bow) but uninspiring tales. It was just getting interesting when it was dropped like a hot snot.
- The End.

[Dog Deever]

Yeah- for me it was all the whole 'future war' stuff that was good about Rogue Trooper- the awesome vehicles and equipment, the situations in the stories etc- Rogue himself was a pretty bland character- it was the whole milieu that made it work for me.

I remember really wanting to like The Saharan Icebelt War (hey- it was a cool name and I liked the art too), but regardless of how many rereads, I just don't! Fleischer made a real boring mess out of pretty much everything 2k touched. His Harlem Heroes was rotten as well, despite some quality art there too- but I digress.

I felt the whole Rogue/ Friday thing would have worked better if never the twain had met- I might be due a reread of early Friday by now as I only have a vague recollection of how it fitted together- was it something to do with A corporation (Clavell Corp?) stealing milicom secrets to make their own private army or something?
That might kind of work, if time and the nature of 'the war' has moved on and the original stories are left untouched.

[Dash Decent]

It's Cam Kennedy's work on this strip that sells it for me.  He made everything look sensational - the fighting, the hardware, the aliens in the Gasbah.  I like CF's idea for a back up strip showing the GIs alive and working in concert.

It would be nice if this meant a re-release for the RT videogame at some point via XBLA or PSN.

I'd like to see Rogue on the iPad/Android.

[Dog Deever]

...Cam Kennedy's work on this strip... made everything look sensational - the fighting, the hardware, the aliens in the Gasbah.

Agreed though there were other great art runs too

I like CF's idea for a back up strip showing the GIs alive and working in concert.

Is this possible? I was under the impression that the Quartz Zone Massacre was their first and last combat role...

[COMMANDO FORCES]

I'd like to see the war before the GI's then their conception, then their training, then a couple of test missions (which surely they would've done) and then in detail the whole painful lead up their massacre!

[Frank]

I'd like to see the war before the GI's then their conception

Test tubes, my brother. No need for the sordid old in-out, in-out.

[Dog Deever]

Hahaha- CF is looking for blue waffle?