Killer

[Colin_YNWA]

'The Killers' have split up apparently and I personally rejoice this as I found them such a cliched hackneyed band... which leads me nicely to 'Killer' in 2000ad.

Sometimes I avoid reviewing stuff I just don't like as its all so negative but I think there's points to be made here. Steve Moore over the time of Andy Diggle's editorship has shown time and again that he's awash with ideas. He turns out so many 'Future Shocks' and for me the less enjoyable 'Tales of Telguuth' that its clear the fella is just full of the things. This does leave me to wonder why 'Killer' ever got off the ground therefore.

It feels so cliched and formulaic that its untrue. Every element felt like a 2000ad cliche, every aspect tired and used so often that it was worn to the nub. Its almost as if Andy Diggle and him got together and said lets try to create the generic 2000ad story. Lets take every theme and idea that's been used before and see if we can make a archetype for what a 2000ad story is all about. Its not the worst thing I've read in 2000ad by any stretch of the imagination buts its one of the least inspiring or intriguing which in some ways might be worse?

Maybe its a heroic failure, maybe I'm missing something, or maybe it just didn't work?

[The Cosh]

Its not the worst thing I've read in 2000ad by any stretch of the imagination...

Only a few more Progs until you get to Bison.

[Jim_Campbell]

... which leads me nicely to 'Killer' in 2000ad.

Ahh ... Killer, quickly and wittily renamed "Filler" by the massed ranks of 2000AD fandom, IIRC. I don't seem to be able to Google up the post, so I'm not sure if it was here on the NG, but Andy D said that he thought that commissioning the man behind Axel Pressbutton and Abslom Daak: Dalek Killer to produce an old-school 2000AD thriller would be solid, fried gold, but the strip just never seemed to actually go anywhere.

I have to say that if Andy didn't ask for a full synopsis in advance (which it sounds like) then more fool him.

That Johnson/Roach art team was quite splendid, though.

Edit to add: I'll be interested to hear what you make of Bison, though ...

Cheers

Jim

[Colin_YNWA]

Hmmm I'm already approaching Bison with a little nervousness. We'll see.

If what you say about Andy Diggle not asking for a synopsis is correct and lets face it why not, after the rest makes perfect sense, that's, shall we say, strange.

That said it still doesn't get to the bottom of how someone as full of ideas as Steve Moore settled on this one?

[TordelBack]

My main memory of Killer is waiting for the twist... that never came.  It was quite pretty, though.

[dweezil2]

Shock, horror! I actually didn't mind Bison.
There. I said it.
It had a pretty conventional Blade Runneresque Sci-Fi noir setting, but I liked the art and it didn't outstay its welcome. Tao De Moto, I'm looking at you.

[The monarch]

Only a few more Progs until you get to Bison.

you stole my schtick

nah I kid bison is terrible

[JayzusB.Christ]

I don't remember Killer.  What happened in it? Shockingly uninspired name though

[Jared Katooie]

Former arena star is lured out of retirement by the promise of (I think) loads of cash, but the beautiful woman sponsoring ends up betraying him.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Vaguely remember it now, like a bad version of Mean Arena (The first series of MA, that is, the second series was also muck). Drawn by whatsisname that does Savage these days, if I remember correctly?

[Jim_Campbell]

Drawn by whatsisname that does Savage these days, if I remember correctly?

Nope -- it was Staz (have you finished Dracula yet?) Johnson inked by David Roach, an art combo that was easily the best thing about the series, although I thought they really hit their stride with the first few Rennie Rogue Trooper stories.

Cheers!

Jim

[Tiplodocus]

Doesn't KILLER have a rather brillinat scene where a monster is approaching and a lady frightens him off by whipping her top off and showing it (but sadly, not the reader) here norks?

The explaination being that a crustacean monster wouldn't be able to stomach the site of such rotund and glistening mammallian orbs.

Or did I dream this?

[Jim_Campbell]

Or did I dream this?

No ... I fear you're right.

Cheers!

Jim

[Radbacker]

Bison gets a hell of  alot of flak but hey, i dont mind it its not like its Space Girls!

CU Radbacker

[JayzusB.Christ]

The explaination being that a crustacean monster wouldn't be able to stomach the site of such rotund and glistening mammallian orbs.

I remember it now; I think the sight of people undressing reminded it of shells being ripped off other crustaceans or something. It's as good an excuse as any