Starlord: 2000AD's Savior or Not?

[Muffy]

Strontium Dog has just completed a 10 issue story in 2000ad - does anyone know what the significance of the little mini gronk that Johnny Alpha holds in his hand at the end?

The fact that the key Starlord stories are still going decades later shows how successful the merger was.

[starscape]

I wonder if Battle* would have survived with Wagner and Mills more heavily involved and plenty of future war. Yes, they kind of had that with Action/Storm Force. My guess is that if Dredd could have been pushed as the main character, along with others, such as Dan Dare and maybe MACH 1 or Zero being converted, it could have. Later series such as Slaine could still have fitted too. Strontium Dog might well have been created with a tweak here and there for that as well - yes, I know it was for Starlord but the germs of the idea would have been floating around, coming out in one form or another, I'm sure.

Somebody should photoshop a cover

*merged with 2000AD with Battle being the lead title

[SID]

Tell me if you don't agree but I felt that while 2000AD slowly matured with its readers, Battle on the other hand dumbed down - especially when they got involved with Action Force and then Storm Force.

[AndyB]

Part of the answer about mergers is that after Starlord, they did indeed rinse and repeat with Tornado.

[starscape]

Tell me if you don't agree but I felt that while 2000AD slowly matured with its readers, Battle on the other hand dumbed down - especially when they got involved with Action Force and then Storm Force.

I agree. Maybe though, they thought 2000AD had the more mature market, so didn't want to dilute, so shifted Battle to the younger side?

Then, when it didn't work, they went for more mature still with Crisis.

[SID]

Part of the answer about mergers is that after Starlord, they did indeed rinse and repeat with Tornado.

I think that Tornado's merger with 2000AD was a non-advent. No impact, no lasting characters. Though I did like Blackhawk (I know that a lot of people didn't).

[starscape]

Loved the original Blackhawk. Liked 2000ADs stories but hated the concept. Honestly, it was like having Charley's War, where Charley discovers a mysterious gemstone and is transported to the Stone Age only with super-laser-power!

Probably could be written entertainingly enough but it kinda misses the whole point of the first series.

I did like Tornado a lot but it didn't gel with 2000AD. In fact, Tornado would probably be the comic I think we miss the most. Not that title especially, but the mode. A bridge between the Beano and 2000AD.

[Lew Stringer]

Loved the original Blackhawk. Liked 2000ADs stories but hated the concept. Honestly, it was like having Charley's War, where Charley discovers a mysterious gemstone and is transported to the Stone Age only with super-laser-power!

Probably could be written entertainingly enough but it kinda misses the whole point of the first series.

I did like Tornado a lot but it didn't gel with 2000AD. In fact, Tornado would probably be the comic I think we miss the most. Not that title especially, but the mode. A bridge between the Beano and 2000AD.

These days I suppose Doctor Who Adventures is the nearest thing in newsagents to bridging that gap, although it's at the younger end of the scale. I'm sure there must be graphic novels that suit that age group.

[SID]

Loved the original Blackhawk. Liked 2000ADs stories but hated the concept. Honestly, it was like having Charley's War, where Charley discovers a mysterious gemstone and is transported to the Stone Age only with super-laser-power!

Probably could be written entertainingly enough but it kinda misses the whole point of the first series.

I did like Tornado a lot but it didn't gel with 2000AD. In fact, Tornado would probably be the comic I think we miss the most. Not that title especially, but the mode. A bridge between the Beano and 2000AD.

These days I suppose Doctor Who Adventures is the nearest thing in newsagents to bridging that gap, although it's at the younger end of the scale. I'm sure there must be graphic novels that suit that age group.

There's also The Phoenix.

[starscape]

Still on the junior scale though. Something beyond that is required. Bit of football. Bit of violence. Bit of fantasy. Bit of horror. Wonder how it would fair? Strip was too mature for that. I don't think we can say that because it stopped in the past, it couldn't work today. We would have said that about Captain America and Green Lantern in the 50s. Or the X-Men in the 70s.

Although I am skeptical myself. It would have to be an independent publisher doing it for love as much as money. Not small press as these distro channels are self-defeating (and I'm not talking e-comics either). Mainstream boys adventure. So tempting. Wish someone would try.