Whatever happened to PETE MILLIGAN?

[Panik]

I was of course a huge SHADE fan, but I liked pretty much everything that Milligan wrote. I haven't seen any books from him in a long time. His SKIN stories and REVOLVER (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=110283353600&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=001) work was great as well, but the Vertigo comics were off the hook: Extremeist, Human Target, Girl.
I didn't follow his crossover to Marvel, and I'm not as much into the standard superhero thing (though his Batman work was superb), so I didn't read the Infinity run. I wonder when he'll come back to the weird stuff that I really loved in the early 90s...

[Aaron King]

His X-Force/X-Statix run is some of the best comics I've ever read and pretty far from your "standard superhero fare." It's definitely worth checking out.

[rwe1138]

He's got a Namor mini coming soon from Marvel.

[dancj]

He did a good JLA graphic novel, Kid Amazo which is good.

[Teh m0nk3y]

His X-Force/X-Statix run is some of the best comics I've ever read and pretty far from your "standard superhero fare." It's definitely worth checking out.

quoted for truth.

Give X-Force/X-Statix a try.

[Pip]

I was of course a huge SHADE fan, but I liked pretty much everything that Milligan wrote.

Shade was fantastic, i would like to see them released as an omnibus same as they have done with Starman

[Jamie]

No mention of The Programme?

[Ryan Day]

Infinity Inc. was pretty good, actually - far more like a traditional Milligan book than a DC superhero book - reminded me of Morrison's Doom Patrol a bit. Lots of dysfunctional characters, and with an odd sense of humour.

[cpahl2000]

His X-Force/X-Statix run is some of the best comics I've ever read and pretty far from your "standard superhero fare." It's definitely worth checking out.


Indeed you should give X-Force/X-Statix a try. I love his X-Men run and DC should bring back Human target, it was his best .

[Mojorisin]

I read the first arc of Infinity Inc. and then kind of lost touch with it. Is it worth picking up the rest?

[cpahl2000]

True Abbot is Infinity Inc, he was totally lost there. He needs a edgy comics like Human Target or a next Enigma to be on the top again.

[dancj]

I just read Faker by Mike Carey and Jock. It's not actually by Peter Milligan, but it's very much in his style - though I think Milligan might have managed a more satisfying conclusion

[bookguy]

There's the three E's by Milligan: Eygpt, Extremist, and Enigma.

They're worth checking out, if you don't mind being shockingly offended. :evilsmile:

[cpahl2000]

There's the three E's by Milligan: Eygpt, Extremist, and Enigma.

They're worth checking out, if you don't mind being shockingly offended. :evilsmile:



Those are fantastic !:smile:

[dancj]

I loved the first two issues of Egypt (with excellent Glyn Dillon art), but TBH, by the end I didn't have a clue what was going on.

[Schmakt]

DC should bring back Human target, it was his best .

I agree!
I loved this book... that arc where the guy skipped out on his life after 9/11 was awesome. I would so totally do that if I found myself in that position. Definitely felt like there were lots more stories that could have been told in that series.

I read Milligan's X-Men run after HT wrapped up, but I wasn't overly happy with it. Maybe I'll search out those X-Force issues you guys are talking about tho. :)

[cpahl2000]

I agree!
I loved this book... that arc where the guy skipped out on his life after 9/11 was awesome. I would so totally do that if I found myself in that position. Definitely felt like there were lots more stories that could have been told in that series.

I read Milligan's X-Men run after HT wrapped up, but I wasn't overly happy with it. Maybe I'll search out those X-Force issues you guys are talking about tho. :)


Go for X-Force and X-Statix, it´s great.:wink:

[Chemical King]

Another one for Milligans X-Statix run. it was brilliant. And often, very often veeeery surprising...

[dancj]

X-Force and X-Statix were good, but I found the final arc to be a real letdown.

[bookguy]

I loved the first two issues of Egypt (with excellent Glyn Dillon art), but TBH, by the end I didn't have a clue what was going on.

That's classic Milligan. If you think that was bad, read his SHADE the CHANGING MAN. Talk about not knowing what's the hell's going on!!!
:biggrin:

[AbsurdistEmergence]

Has anyone ever heard anything of Shade being collected? I have the American Scream (like many people) and I'd rather get the series in trades than single issues. Even though I've seen you can get the issues rather cheap.

[dancj]

That's classic Milligan. If you think that was bad, read his SHADE the CHANGING MAN. Talk about not knowing what's the hell's going on!!!
:biggrin:
I don't remember having any trouble with Shade.

For confusing Milligan I don't think you can top Rogan Josh

[diablo7]

Has anyone ever heard anything of Shade being collected? I have the American Scream (like many people) and I'd rather get the series in trades than single issues. Even though I've seen you can get the issues rather cheap.

i've only see the american scream story collected...you might have to go with the single issues for now...

[Tobias March]

i've only see the american scream story collected...you might have to go with the single issues for now...

Yeah I'm impatiently waiting on this series continuing in trade form.

[FanboyStranger]

Milligan will have a short story drawn by Eddie Campbell in Hellblazer 250.

[cpahl2000]

Milligan will have a short story drawn by Eddie Campbell in Hellblazer 250.

That´s true. i hope after that he can return to his old form and do more excellent works like he used to do.

[FanboyStranger]

In the DC solicitations for January, it was announced that Milligan is writing a Hellblazer arc that begins with issue 251 (or possibly the short story he's doing with Eddie Campbell for HB 250). I'm presuming this is just a short "fill-in" arc before Simon Oliver takes over the title, but I know a lot of people who have been pining for a long time for Milligan to get a shot at HB.

[Agent_Torpor]

His "GIRL" Vertigo Verite mini back in the mid-90s was one of the best series I ever read. Brutally brilliant stuff.

Milligan and Morrison were on the same level of groundbreaking, innovative comic writing at one time. I hope Pete gets it back.

[MartinRedmond]

Milligan has always been miles better than Morrison. They don't even write the same.

[cpahl2000]

In the DC solicitations for January, it was announced that Milligan is writing a Hellblazer arc that begins with issue 251 (or possibly the short story he's doing with Eddie Campbell for HB 250). I'm presuming this is just a short "fill-in" arc before Simon Oliver takes over the title, but I know a lot of people who have been pining for a long time for Milligan to get a shot at HB.


will be great run, Peter is a great vertigo writer and a run on Hellblazer will make him great again.

[Agent_Torpor]

Milligan has always been miles better than Morrison. They don't even write the same.

:rolleyes: You're so full of wrong in your two sentences there I don't even know where to start.

[MartinRedmond]

Good, cuz I won't read it anyway!

[Madrox84]

His X-Force/X-Statix run is some of the best comics I've ever read and pretty far from your "standard superhero fare." It's definitely worth checking out.

It most definately is worth checking out, it was absolutely brilliant!

He's got a Namor mini coming soon from Marvel.

It's called Sub-Mariner: The Depths, the first two issues are out already. Both were very very good, i'm looking forward to the next issue.

I would really recommend it.

It would also seem that he is going to be taking over as the permanent writer of Hellblazer, which i'm also really looking forward to.

[FanboyStranger]

it.

It would also seem that he is going to be taking over as the permanent writer of Hellblazer, which i'm also really looking forward to.

Has that been confirmed? I thought Milligan was just filling in until Simon Oliver took over the title. Keeping Milligan around on HB would make a lot of Constantine fans happy.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Milligan and Morrison were on the same level of groundbreaking, innovative comic writing at one time. I hope Pete gets it back.

He seems to go through phases - he got it back a few years ago with X-Force and Human Target, and then seemed to lose it after they both finished up.
(Although the only evidence I had that he 'lost' it was his X-men run, and to be fair, he was writing it at the worst time to be writing it since the 90's).

[dancj]

I don't think he loses it so much as just isn't suited to certain projects. His excellent run on Detective Comics and X-Statix/X-Force show that he's not completely unsuited to superhero comics, but I don't think things like X-Men are ever going to be right for him.

Hellblazer on the other hand...

[MartinRedmond]

His run on X-Men was great. The characterisation was perfect. I enjoyed the Bobby/Lorna/Alex love triangle. Bobby kept trying so hard to be good to Lorna, yet he failed so badly. He also wrote the only Emma Frost which wasn't annoying to read. She sounded witty. + She nearly cut up her own face.

He was obviously aiming for teen readers and some sort of Power Rangers thing. (Apockalypse's awesome flying Sphynx spaceship) I wanted to illustrate that run so badly. X-Statix was fun, but people nowadays take super heroes way more seriously than the genre needs to be taken.

[Madrox84]

Has that been confirmed? I thought Milligan was just filling in until Simon Oliver took over the title. Keeping Milligan around on HB would make a lot of Constantine fans happy.

I'm not sure. There haven't been any clear announcements at all.

But the DC solicitation for Hellblazer #251 (January '09) would seem to imply he is taking over the title on a permanent basis:-

HELLBLAZER #251
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli & Stefano Landini
Cover by Lee Bermejo
Vertigo welcomes back one of its most popular and prolific scribes to pilot our longest-running title! Joining series artist Leonardo Manco, writer Peter Milligan (BATMAN, HUMAN TARGET, X-Statix) begins raising hell as John Constantine digs his fingers deep into his bumpy past. He discovers that old wounds and new loves are both best left untouched in part 1 of the the storyarc “Scab.”
Don’t miss out on the start of an intense, mind-bending new era for John Constantine!
On sale January 21 ‘‘‘€šÂ¬Ã‚¢ 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
MATURE READERS

But as i said there have been no clear announcements from DC so who knows...

[cpahl2000]

I'm not sure. There haven't been any clear announcements at all.

But the DC solicitation for Hellblazer #251 (January '09) would seem to imply he is taking over the title on a permanent basis:-



But as i said there have been no clear announcements from DC so who knows...


I agree but who will be the artist, I hope it isn´t Camuncoli.

[FanboyStranger]

I agree but who will be the artist, I hope it isn´t Camuncoli.

At one of the Vertigo panels at one of the conventions during the summer, the news was that Leo Manco would be sticking around for awhile, even with his duties on War Machine. Of course, this was around the time that Simon Oliver was announced to be the new writer of HB, so who knows what his status is now.

[Madrox84]

I agree but who will be the artist, I hope it isn´t Camuncoli.

At one of the Vertigo panels at one of the conventions during the summer, the news was that Leo Manco would be sticking around for awhile, even with his duties on War Machine. Of course, this was around the time that Simon Oliver was announced to be the new writer of HB, so who knows what his status is now.

It really is fairly unclear what is going on at the moment. Hopefully DC will clear things up soon.

As for Camuncoli, i like his art, but he doesn't really fit the book. I would like to see Manco stay on.

[cpahl2000]

As for Camuncoli, i like his art, but he doesn't really fit the book. I would like to see Manco stay on.

I agree. i really don´t know if manco will continue, specially with the War machine series. If he won´t I prefer a realistic artist but I really don´t have any one in mind.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Milligan and Frusin would make a great team.

Or Milligan and Fregado.

Or Milligan and Higgins.

Or Milligan and Snjeberg.

Or Milligan and anyone really.

Personally, I don't mind Manco's art, but he's been on the runs from some of my least favourite Hellblazer writers, so I find it hard to get excited about his art now.

[cpahl2000]

Milligan and Frusin would make a great team.

Or Milligan and Fregado.

Or Milligan and Higgins.

Or Milligan and Snjeberg.

Or Milligan and anyone really.

Personally, I don't mind Manco's art, but he's been on the runs from some of my least favourite Hellblazer writers, so I find it hard to get excited about his art now.


I really don´t mind in fact I loved manco´s art but I really don´t believe he will continue, I hope I´m wrong.

Frusin or Fregredo are excellent choices but Snjeberg is another excellent art who could be amazing on Hellblazer.

[FanboyStranger]

Or Milligan and Fregado.

.

I'm pretty sure that Fergrado will be busy with Hellboy now that he's taken over art chores from Mignola. I could see him filling in on Hellblazer every now and then, though, especially if Milligan does turn out to be the new regular writer.

[mauisunset]

Thank you to whoever took down my earlier mean-spirited remark about his work. I should have myself.

I was not a fan of his recent 1984 pastiche from avatar.

Having said that, I forgot he wrote enigma which is one of my all-time favs just for it's weirdness. I think I'll reread it whenever I get a chance.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

I was not a fan of his recent 1984 pastiche from avatar.

Having said that, I forgot he wrote enigma which is one of my all-time favs just for it's weirdness. I think I'll reread it whenever I get a chance.

I think you might have gotten Jamie Delano and Peter Milligan mixed up.

Pretty sure it was Delano who had a recent Avatar mini, although it was Milligan who wrote Enigma.

Delano is much more likely to tie his stories pretty directly to the politics of the day, where as Milligan will address issues of the day, just not as directly.

[FanboyStranger]

Yeah, you're thinking Jamie Delano's Narcopolis. I generally like Delano's work, but I have to admit there's good Delano (Captain Britain, Hellblazer, 2020 Visions, Outlaw Nation) and there's bad Delano (Ghostdancing, Cruel and Unusual, Shadowman). I've heard that Narcopolis falls into the bad category, although I have not had a chance to read it yet.

[dancj]

but I have to admit there's good Delano (Captain Britain, Hellblazer, 2020 Visions, Outlaw Nation) and there's bad Delano (Ghostdancing, Cruel and Unusual, Shadowman).
I agree - though I'd put most of his Hellblazer stuff in the bad category

[mauisunset]

I think you might have gotten Jamie Delano and Peter Milligan mixed up.

Pretty sure it was Delano who had a recent Avatar mini, although it was Milligan who wrote Enigma.

Delano is much more likely to tie his stories pretty directly to the politics of the day, where as Milligan will address issues of the day, just not as directly.

You guys are exactly right!

So sorry for the mixup! I am a Milligan fan!

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

It only just crossed my mind, but now I find it really odd that Milligan hasn't already had a Hellblazer run...

[Spastic Minnow]

I'm a huge Milligan fan.
I'm a pretty big Hellblazer fan.

That being said... I cannot exactly see Milligan fitting with Hellblazer well. Especially not a long run. Years ago I wrote a spot on description of what Milligan's stories are, I lost it though. Basically though he is about these things. In this order.

1. Skewed identity- often with sexual identity.
2. Facial and body disfigurement.
3. "Unreal" reality.
4. Death and resurrection


He's had his worst failures working with established characters that he's not allowed to make his own, and the only times he's worked well with these types of characters (like Batman) is when he's limited to just a couple issues.

So, let him do 4-5 issues. Maybe explore that usually ignored bisexual aspect of his character. Or have some characters return from the daed as if they were never gone and make him deal with it.

But I'd rather not see him in an extended run. I don't think he could keep John in his established character for long.


BTW, he did write John in a couple issues of Shade the Changing Man. They both ended up back in time in Salem or something. Not all that memorable really.

[FanboyStranger]

I'm a huge Milligan fan.
I'm a pretty big Hellblazer fan.

That being said... I cannot exactly see Milligan fitting with Hellblazer well. Especially not a long run. Years ago I wrote a spot on description of what Milligan's stories are, I lost it though. Basically though he is about these things. In this order.

1. Skewed identity- often with sexual identity.
2. Facial and body disfigurement.
3. "Unreal" reality.
4. Death and resurrection


.

The solicits for HB 252 mention Constantine trying to hide some kind of mystical fungal growth from his new ladyfriend, so I'm suggesting we will definitely see #2 with a helping of #3 and possibly a touch of #1.