Pat Mills (1) (1949–)

Scourge and purge!

It's been a long time since I last read The Redeemer in the black and white pages of Warhammer Monthly, so I was a little trepidatious about returning to it, but it is all the more utterly ridiculous and ludicrously fun in colour and, mostly, holds up.

What is The Redeemer?
Warhammer 40K has the Inquisition, the paranoid, brutal, bloody Spanish Inquisition turned up to 11. Now imagine the Inquisition was distilled into one maniacal Mad Max boss zealot with a flaming brazier on his head and an eviscerator, a colossal chainsaw sword, the big book of torture, and a merry band of alternatingly bloodthirsty and craven acolytes, who roams the post apocalyptic-esque desert and delves into the dank, mutant and zombie infested underhive caverns, and you're getting closer. He has catchphrases, a theme hymn, and a steampunk cathedral landtrain. Oh, and the brazier on his head can act like a flamethrower!

This is Warhammer at its most ridiculous, calling 200AD cute and tame with their timid Judge Dredd, while the Redeemer scourges, purges, eviscerate, consecrates, and immolates across the wastelands betas and under the hive cities of Necromunda. Sheer ludicrous action, quips, and silly, gory, cheesy fun, and good times.

I am not one who usually goes in for what some call 'Bolter Porn', I like a good action or battle sequence with my Warhammer, but, honestly, I'm usually there for the tragedy and drama, especially with the Horus Heresy. BUT, a comic as utterly nonsensical, maximalist, and violently, righteously fun is absolutely the kind of thing I will thoroughly enjoy once in a blue moon, as a treat.

This is an incredible relic that certainly didn't change the world of comics or make a huge impact, but it is bloody good with sublimely ridiculous scripts from Mills and Gallagher, and truly mind-blowing and frenetic art from Reynolds.

The only criticism I can raise is that the characterisation and affect of the Ratskins feels a little too close to Native American stereotypes to be comfortable.

Otherwise, this is just a really silly good time!… (mehr)

This one is more 3.5 but opted for 3 since half star is not available option.

First collected volume of Slaine is little bit of a mixed bag. When it comes to story I knew what to expect considering that Slaine is 2000AD comic - these are short episodic stories that have action and lots of humor. Characters are all weird (one story is about Slaine becoming a partner in prison-business :) because prisoners need to give money to get out) but in total it is funny and interesting.

Art is also different from issue to issue - as author [a:Pat Mills|88527|Pat Mills|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1287363580p2/88527.jpg] says himself. In my opinion all three artists are great. Each artist gave personal touch to Slaine visual presentation and his world in general.

Only thing why I took half a star (and consequently full star) is because of the reproduction of the original comics. Some pages are so blurry that magnificent details are lost and that is a shame. Feels kinda ... sloppy.

If you can get over this issue rest is truly interesting Conan-barbarian-like story.

Recommended to all fans of epic sword and sorcery tales set in times long forgotten.
… (mehr)

Picked up a few months ago, and then, whilst not in the mood for a "proper" book, I remembered this was on the shelf and I hadnt read it yet. [return][return]This is Volume 1, the collection of multiple editions published originally in 2000AD. It starts with Slaine and Uggo in a bar, with Slaine depressed and both getting drunk. The story is then told how Slaine, whilst still High King of Ireland, tries to defeat the albino Formonian Moloch, Lord of the sea deamons who are trying to take over Ireland. [return][return]Upon his death, Moloch warns of the coming of a bigger threat to Slaine, who is now no longer High King (the council preventing him from fighting). [return][return]The book is wonderfully presented, there are some lines that are old favourites that made me smile a comfortable smile when I read them again ("Slaine did not think that was too many"), plenty of violence, blood and gore. The only thing I was slightly disappointed with was the size of the layout - I'm sure some of the images could have been presented "better" with a little more room. Several times I wondered if I had missed out some of the detail of the artwork. Minor I know, but still.....… (mehr)