Is it me or is Slaine crap?

Matt · 12 May, 2003, 05:09:53 PM

I know that common opinion is that Slaine rapidly went downhill after The Horned God, with the Grail storyline being the lowpoint for the series. But having re-read Time Killer in the Meg for the first time since 1985, I can't help but think that this could be the most ridiculous Slaine story ever. The leyser guns, flying suits of armour, Nazis, the shite Pluke thingy. It is a bit crap to be fair. I loved it when I was an 11 year old kid. But 18 years later and it's a bit shit. Anyone?

Proudhuff · 12 May, 2003, 05:17:45 PM

Hate to say it but I agree, personally the muddled art work has turned me off more than the story which might have worked if it had been drawn better, (appologies to the artist)

Proudhuff

Matt · 12 May, 2003, 05:20:11 PM

Yeah, even back in 1985 I though Dave Pughs artwork sucked.

longmanshort · 12 May, 2003, 05:33:11 PM

Put it this way ... it's not you.

My feelings about Pat Mills are already well known on this board, but it's nice to know someone else has noticed :o)

kertap · 12 May, 2003, 05:37:35 PM

I'm finding it awful hard to read. Unlike Darkies Mob which kicks Celtic Ass all over 2000ad gold.

It's definitely one of the best things in the meg at the mo IMHO.

Last of the V8's · 12 May, 2003, 05:43:24 PM

Time Killer released in Hardback graphic novel in July.
Strange move as it's being re-run in the Meg.
Who will by it?

test 4 echo · 12 May, 2003, 06:34:26 PM

not me, it was crap then, crap now.
Barbarian with leyser guns flying around on giant worms...bollox. It would only need a couple of dragons in there to cap it off as classic crap.

longmanshort · 12 May, 2003, 07:00:28 PM

The 'fantasy' genre has just become bogged down in the same old cliches being recycled over and over again. You just need to look at the review section in SFX to see how unbelievably repetative it can get. why always elves and orks? Why not the Floriataris people or the Rakalogs? Fantasy has constrained itself while sci-fi continues to fly (just look at all those sub-genres!) with unbounded enthusiasm.

This is not to say that sci-fi doesn't get bogged down itself, but fantasy has a way of getting into my skin and knawing on my bones.

IndigoPrime · 12 May, 2003, 07:23:06 PM

Shame the Meg didn't reprint some better Slaine, such as the first run, or the Spoils of Annwyn [sp?]

paulvonscott · 12 May, 2003, 07:40:29 PM

I'm gonna stick up for this. I don't uncritically like all of Pat Mills' stuff, but I do enjoy Time Killer.

I actually think this is good stuff, stretching the concept out beyond the celtic world and onto a more cosmic level with the cythrons. it doesn't ruin slaine, their celtic world remains just as it was before. This is just a glimpse of a world beyond the celtic one.

And it's got quite a scope from the worm god crom, to the influence of the cythrons, atlantis...

I think the word play with the Leysers and all the rest are great ideas, there isn't anything that's stereotypical fantasy about Slaine. I wouldn't swap a 100 sub-tolkien stories for this.

I also didn't like Pugh's artwork then, I can only apologise for this, I think it's pretty damn good now. I was a bit too much of a sucker for a rotring pen back then.

Incidentally when this story was written it was aimed at 11 year olds, not at a bunch of dissafected thirty year olds with a vertigo comics collection.

Stay Warped!

Paul

opaque · 12 May, 2003, 07:46:27 PM

Time Killer is great, nowt wrong with the storyline but for me it's the art that really makes it. If it had been done by any of the artists since then it would have sucked bigtime.
I just haven't liked Slaine since the art changed.
However pretty the artwork is it didn't make for good story reading.

Mangamax · 13 May, 2003, 01:13:44 AM

Is Dave Pugh the Dave Pugh that does the art on that football strip in the Daily Mirror?

HiEx · 13 May, 2003, 10:01:24 AM

Yep, Time Killer is crap, but some of it falls into the category of so bad that it's actually funny.

I had a good old laugh at the bit in the new Meg 206, where Slaine and the other guy start hugging the Pluke to give it some love. Classic!

Gotta admit though that I really enjoyed the recent slaine drawn by Clint Langley in 200AD. Fantastic art, can't wait to see more.

Oh, and Darkies Mob is Crap! I'd rather read Roy of The Rovers and I hate football.

HiEx

Devons Daddy · 13 May, 2003, 10:57:49 AM

time killer
BLOODY RUBBISH.

slaine has either been superb or dismal. this era was dismal.

Smiley · 13 May, 2003, 02:46:23 PM

Ahh, Time Killer's alright. Never was keen on the science fiction gimmicks, but the characters (and aren't there a lot!) are great. The art is fascinating regardless of personal taste. Seeing Fabry and Pugh improve in leaps and bounds over the course of their first major strip work is entertainment in itself. Highlights being Fabry's El-women and the sheer amount of aggro Pugh packs into the big scrap at Clontarf.