2000AD SCI-FI SPECIAL 2020

[broodblik]

Interview with Dan and Richard on the Kingdom strip:

https://2000ad.com/news/2000-ad-sci-fi-special-talking-hackman-vs-white-terror-with-dan-abnett-richard-elson/

Something interesting is that Dan mention that Kingdom is not done which is great news and I felt that the last series the last episode was very much disappointing and a too abrupt ending

[Richard]

That's good news! Thanks for posting that.

[Colin YNWA]

Interview with Dan and Richard on the Kingdom strip:

https://2000ad.com/news/2000-ad-sci-fi-special-talking-hackman-vs-white-terror-with-dan-abnett-richard-elson/

I think that Kingdom returning was mentioned in a letters page a while back. It seems much like the interview about Grey Area its just having a 'between seasons break'. It speaks wonders of Dabnetts ability (and I'm not trying to influence the final Ultimate Not Wagner vote here!) that he has the confidence to rest two popular strips - in Kingdom and Grey Area - leaving him only Sinister Dexter, Brink and Lawless (as well of all the work he does in America and in Prose) then rattle off two strips that have made confident starts - all be it one only an episode old.

Also good to hear we might be getting more Feral and Foe as I really warmed to that by the end.

[IndigoPrime]

I actually like it as a conclusion. But I’m also happy with “if there’s a tale to tell” (much like, say, Fargo on the telly).

[TordelBack]

So much that is great in this Summer Special - it actually felt special! I think Rebellion are getting the hang of this comic thing.

Never thought I'd be saying this, but I didn't begrudge a single page of the reprint, it was all the Good Stuff and somehow felt fresh in its new context.  A genius mix of art styles to add to the pot as well - Dom Reardon, Andy Clarke, Simon Fraser - and what even is a Special without Carlos. A really great showcase for what's best in the Second Half: all that was missing was something from the Edginton stable and maybe a Manco starscan of Sláine for some modern Mills representation. 

Anyway, worth the cover price for the Kingdom 'prequel' alone (and although I'd like to have seen the pack again, I can see why they wouldn't have fit into the space).  And on the showing of that Dredd how incredibly good has Jake Lynch become.

Picture of a comic in rude health.

(Only one slightly sour note struck in the piece on Cradlegrave - was it necessary to talk about 'cajoling' work out of Smith?  It obviously became a difficult working relationship, but the loss of such a unique talent from the comic is something to be regretted, not raked over).

[TordelBack]

WHERE'S THE BLOODY EDIT BUTTON: I meant  "...all that was missing was something from the Rennie stable...", not Edginton, obviously.

[IndigoPrime]

was it necessary to talk about 'cajoling' work out of Smith?

TBF, this isn’t the first time this has been mentioned by Matt Smith, and it’s not like John Smith shied away from his sporadic productivity. I think it’s a crying shame John appears to have left the Prog for good though, given how important he was, and how he could still hit it out of the park during the Rebellion years.

As for the reprint, I have now seen one person quite upset by this — a friend who’s very hard up for money right now, and wasn’t thrilled about paying eight quid for 50% stories he’s already read. Which is fair enough, to some degree.

[TordelBack]

As for the reprint, I have now seen one person quite upset by this — a friend who’s very hard up for money right now, and wasn’t thrilled about paying eight quid for 50% stories he’s already read. Which is fair enough, to some degree.

Totally fair, and there's lots of that about sadly. Not trying to change anyone's mind (if you don't have the money, these Specials are a big outlay, no question), but padding has ever been the fate of the Summer Special/Annual: in this one there are still 40 pages of brand-new top-quality strip (versus the weekly's usual 26, and the Meg's what, 44?), two very decent features and two glorious star-scans. It might not be quite at Christmas prog levels of page-per-groat value, but it's not far off. 

If you view the 'curated' strip as a freebie that doesn't add to the cover price, in the manner of the Meg Floppy, it doesn't seem so bad.

(In my unexpected role as digital evangelist, I note that the download is less than Euro€5).

[Tjm86]

I chose not to go with the specials bundle this year.  It was too much in one go for a start and there were a couple on the list that I really did not want (sorry but ROTR has never been a strip I've had time for).

Our local Smiths was totally flooded out back in February and they've spent the last few months working hard to get things back together.  Considering how run down our town centre was before the floods / Covid-19, i do worry that they might not last much longer.

So this is one of the reasons why I try to pick up the specials from them.  Plus the fact that it justifies their stocking it, raises the profile and hopefully provides a bit of space for growth.  [interesting how the article by Kingsley covers the state of tooth these days]

As a long time reader I felt a little disappointed at the quantity of reprint material initially.  On reflection though I would agree that there is a good balance here.  Standalone strips that highlight some of the strengths of the prog, the quality of artwork and writing and the diversity of characters on offer.

The price tag might be a bit off-putting though.  Especially right now (granted when it was being planned for last year a global pandemic might not have been a factor  [oh look, something else Kingsley mentions!]).  Then again the last reboot of Wolverine by Marvel was £9 IIRC and nowhere near this level of quality.

... and as Tordel's quite rightly points out, historically Summer Specials / Annuals have always carried a large quantity of reprint material.  Granted back in the early days we didn't have quite the array of options we have today so it was much more of a novelty to bask in past glories. 

I'm going to agree with the positives outweigh the negatives ...

[norton canes]

Interview with Dan and Richard on the Kingdom strip:

https://2000ad.com/news/2000-ad-sci-fi-special-talking-hackman-vs-white-terror-with-dan-abnett-richard-elson/

Something interesting is that Dan mention that Kingdom is not done which is great news and I felt that the last series the last episode was very much disappointing and a too abrupt ending

Ha! I knew it would be back! etc.

[oshii]

I don't go along with the "reprints were always part of a summer special/annual".  Thirty years ago, in the IPC days maybe, but it's a very different  landscape now, and not something Rebellion have done before.   

I get the reasoning for it here, and I think the curation  theme works, but 8 quid is really stretching what I can spend on a single 2000AD, (even if it had been all new)


That said, the new stuff that's there is really really good. Al Ewing is just sublime on Dredd.  Please get him to do more.   And total hat doff to Jake Lynch for not making me miss Henry Flint - no easy ask.   

[TordelBack]

There haven't been that many Summer Specials in the intervening years,  mind.

 In terms of new content, a quick thumbing shows the 2018 Special was 45 pages of new strip,  and last year's was 40 plus the Wagner script pages. So not wildly off there.

But was the newsagent cover price really STG£8? Cos that IS a big leap, and one I wouldn't have been able to make myself. The digital cost me no more than a Meg,  for a similar amount of content.

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

I should point out that Meg #400 was also £7.99 two years ago. That surprised me too.

SBT

[TordelBack]

Ouch.  I confess to bring a bit drunk on digital pricing at the moment - I normally can't stretch to a regular Meg,  so essentially bring able to get one free with my progs is also leading me to gradually buy up all the specials I've passed up over the years... It'll never replace the physical experience for me,  but by Grud is digital good value

[DrJomster]

What a brilliant sci-fi special!

Message ends.


Actually, no it doesn’t. That was a great mix of pairing up thrills and curating classic thrills. Hopefully lured a few new people into subscriptions. Really loved that! Right, I’m off to the digital shop to buy another special.