How can this classic still be lost?
(By the way, did I dream it or did a now lost Fantomas vs Batman Turkish movie exist? I need to double-check that … How is it fair that the horrible filipino batxploitation movies are still here and we lost this one?)
Drugs make you a hippie, kids!!!
I started looking for a copy of The Ratmen of Rodencia this morning and realized that there are really no Mandrake reprints in the US (or England for that matter), apart from the short-lived King Series. If I want to get this in English, I only found an Indian reprint. Is there a reason for this?
Assorted covers to make you wonder why there are no US/UK Mandrake reprints (featuring the most wonderful non-Mandrake looking Mandrake Turkish cover I have seen for the moment):
From Super-Team Family #5 (reprinted from The Brave and the Bold #64) …
Deadpool Team-Up #884 Cover
Having given up on Daniel Way’s Deadpool series, it seems that the only readable comic featuring Deadpool these days (although for one more last issue) is this one. The quality is not constant, true, but at least the creative team changes every issue, so it gives you the chance to see other creators taking a swing at this character.
Most of the stories are not serious at all, but they are fun, and this issue was no exception. Starting with the beautiful Skottie Young cover (take a look at his OZ series or his beautiful sketchbook), the issue is crazy from start to finish.
Still loving the Peyer (one of the most underrated writers in the last 20 years), great art by Jacob Chabot (as far as I remember, first time I see it) and the Watcher … What else could we ask for? Well, what about the Watcher going nuts? I give you … the page of the week!!!
What have we learnt from the 2000AD day? Not much, as it has been too unfocused to really extract any conclusions, but let’s try …
1) Most of the issues (checked today, so mid-80s to mid-90s) have at least one strip with really good art and only a few are absolutely unreadable.
2) Most of the artists and writers who come from the England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland have probably worked on 2000AD at some point … and a high percentage of those have done at least one terrible Judge Dredd story
Even Alan Davis drew a Judge Dredd story!
3) There is sometimes some crazy shit going on in 2000AD:
4) Shaky Kane has always been great
5) Mark Millar has always been Mark Millar
6) 2000AD has published a lot more good stuff than anybody has ever heard about, the only problem is that their trade paperback program apparently does not quite work … which is a pity, because the ones they are putting out are really worth it.
I would totally recommend Complete Alan Moore Future Shocks, The Best of Tharg’s Future Shocks (Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman, Peter Milligan, …) and Hewligan’s Haircut (Peter Milligan & Jamie Hewlett) to start with.
For more information about the trades: http://www.2000adonline.com/books/books_list.php