Shakara (Book 1)

[Colin_YNWA]

Shakara is a tough one for me to review. Knowing whats to come and knowing more about the things that are explored in later parts its difficult to know how this story would have read in isolation when it first appeared. I love Shakara but I have the feeling I'd not have liked it originally and it'd have seemed a bit empty and frivolous? That may explain why so many people still say that it has no story as this first series doesn't really. Its incredibly enigmatic.

Ok what can I say, well we'll start with the easy stuff it looks great, it really does (is Henry Flint my favourite 2000ad artist ever? Its hard to untangle that from the nostalgia I have for many of the 'older' artists but I think he might be. He's certainly the definative 2000ad artist the culmanation of everyone who's gone before... sorry I'm getting distracted!) and its great fun. Its a high octane blast. Different to Storming Heaven which I reviewed earlier this weekend but similar in that it seems to have captured well the mandate that Andy Diggle gave the comic. BUT would it if I didn't know the layers that would have been added later, I do wonder?

Ok so this isn't so much a review as a question. When people first read Shakara did it feel as frustrating to them, as much of Diggle era stuff has to me? Did it leave you with more questions than answers? Did it seem like a missed opportunity too rushed to really have any substance or fulfil its potential?

Enigmatic.

[Mike Gloady]

At the time I have to say if felt like a bit of a con.  Cracking art?  Check.  Fun and exciting things happening?  Check.  Cute lines?  Check.  Laughs?  BIG check.  It just didn't seem to go anywhere.

However, I enjoyed the ART so much that I reread those episodes in a bunch and completely revised my opinion.  There WAS a story in there and there WAS somewhere it could go.  I think coming to Shakara for the first time in 6 page episodes in the prog doesn't do it any favours, but a proper reread makes up for it. 

Folks who think Shakara lacks in the story department are wrong, but I can see WHY they think it - it's not as if it's right out in your face from the beginning, rather it's slowly revealed.  Also, like you say, Colin, I think it grew into it's potential as much as anything else.  One of my favourite Twoth strips ever and it's yet to have a duff episode.

[Dark Jimbo]

When people first read Shakara did it feel as frustrating to them, as much of Diggle era stuff has to me? Did it leave you with more questions than answers? Did it seem like a missed opportunity too rushed to really have any substance or fulfil its potential?

I know that seems to be sort of 'percieved wisdom' that nobody really liked the first series at the time, but I had absolutely no complaints. Thought it was absolutely fabulous. Having said that, it was very early into my Tooth love affair and I enjoyed just about everything between the covers that first year.

[radiator]

Yep, I've always been a champion for Shakara. In many ways I think series one was the best of all - I liked the way there was no real plot to speak of - it was all about the weird aliens and the old-school energy of it.

Reading the first Shakara trade recently, I thought that it was one of the few modern 2000ad strips that probably read better in weekly installments, it seemed to have that classic 2000ad thing of each episode being a little story in its own right.

[Jim_Campbell]

Yep, I've always been a champion for Shakara. In many ways I think series one was the best of all - I liked the way there was no real plot to speak of - it was all about the weird aliens and the old-school energy of it.

Yeah ... I'm pretty sure I was a supporter from the outset. Even if there wasn't a plot (and it seemed clear to me from early on that there was), I think there's always room in 2000AD for a plot-light but visually stunning strip, as long as the title's not full of them!

Cheers

Jim

[The Cosh]

I think I'd read Book 2 before getting back to 1, so I can't comment on reading it in realtime, but it is cracking. I always think of it as a series of very superior Future Shocks vaguely linked by Shakara itself and the Flint lunacy. These twin elements are probably where the Nemesis comparisons come from as it's very similar in conception to the Comic Rock stuff.

The one about the little beasties that live on one of the dead guys from the previous episode is just brilliant.

[radiator]

I always think of it as a series of very superior Future Shocks vaguely linked by Shakara itself and the Flint lunacy. These twin elements are probably where the Nemesis comparisons come from as it's very similar in conception to the Comic Rock stuff.

The one about the little beasties that live on one of the dead guys from the previous episode is just brilliant.

I think there's always room in 2000AD for a plot-light but visually stunning strip, as long as the title's not full of them!

Agree completely - that's a far more succint and articlate version of what I was trying to say.

[Dandontdare]

It may not have made much sense at the time, but my word it was exciting. A true "thrill" - short bursts of insane ultraviolence with skull-rattling artwork. Perfect for a weekly prog, but I imagine a little frustrating as a trade - you'd expect some kind of narrative payoff in a full book!

As for the following series, if anything, the more that's explained, the less interesting the strip has become, I preferred the enigma.

[Cthulouis]

I loved it from the first prog. Never have understood why people think book one has no plot. It really is all there from book one:

Intergalactic crime dudes/thugs gang up to wipe out previous rulers of universe- established
Wasp things destroyed old rulers planet – established
Universe going to pot under new rulers (while also hinting that things weren’t that great before anyway) - established
Previous rulers send an unkillable robot to spread vengeance and carnage – established
New rulers begin to pit their minds against it - established

This is old school thrill power, the exact same plot as Savage, Flesh, and R. Trooper to name but a few. From the first prog I was thinking “This is a modern Shako”. Brilliant stuff. 

[Mike Gloady]

Shako, Nemesis, there are a few things it reminds me of. 

It's barking and there's actually PLENTY of plot to it.  The trade PROOVES that.  It reads beautifully in one go. 

[The monarch]

I quite liked the first series but each series after it soured me on shakara

[John Caliber]

I'm with The Monarch. I thought Book 1 was the best new series to have apeared in 2000AD for many years. It was fast, furious (not particularly imaginative) but counterbalanced by superb illustrations. It reminded me of the old 2000AD stories in these respects.

The subsequent books I've greatly disliked. I saw no reason artistically to pursue the 'character' of Shakara (it kills and looks good, that's as much as we need to know, and Book 1 was as much as we needed to know), but I appreciate Tharg needs to fill the pages of his progs. The art too began to lose its appeal for me (too much grey-shading, 'dampening' the line art's impact).