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Tweak says, "my remote is stuck in my freez"

richardak (richardak) wrote in scans_daily,
@ 2009-06-09 03:32:00

Entry tags:

char: nexus/horatio hellpop, char: sundra peale, char: the merk/drizripool, creator: mike baron, creator: steve rude, publisher: dark horse, publisher: first comics, series: one perfect moment week, title: nexus

One Perfect Moment: Nexus

Sundra has gone to confront the mysterious creature who has both empowered and enslaved Horatio, her estranged lover. Said creature, the Merk, tries to get rid of her, but, at long last, Horatio arrives to save her, and she tells him what she has learned. He...doesn't take it so well:

In the end, then, a perfect moment not only for Sundra, but also for Horatio, and even for the Merk itself, in a way.

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	filkertom 2009-06-09 03:57 am UTC (link)
	Why oh why oh why isn't there a big-ass hardcover coffee-table monster edition of Nexus? Absolutely one of the best philosophical space adventures ever. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	richardak 2009-06-09 09:00 am UTC (link)
	Dark Horse is putting out a series of hardcover collection. I don't know if that's what you're looking for. But you're right, it is one of the best ever. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	filkertom 2009-06-09 11:22 am UTC (link)
	Just found out about 'em, and yeah. That would damn well be what I'm looking for. :D (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lord_snooty 2009-06-09 12:58 pm UTC (link)
	Or maybe just wait til next wednesday the 17th when Steve Rude reprints the first Nexus Archive in black and white for $9.99 in paperback like I am (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

richardak
2009-06-09 02:49 pm UTC (link)

Both good options. Personally, I think color adds a lot to the art, although it must be noted that the first six issues were never in color in the first place. That being said, the color hardcover collections are expensive, which would probably tend to deter readers who aren't already fans. Hopefully, a cheaper alternative will give new people a chance to see what they've been missing.

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	lord_snooty 2009-06-09 03:30 pm UTC (link)
	I can only hope it will, Richardak, as at times it feels that there are far too few of us who have read and enjoyed this work and that is a real shame, with the fact that Steve Rude has made the move into painting full time and comic art a part time hobbie makes me sad. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	galateus 2009-06-09 05:59 am UTC (link)
	The Merk steals the whole moment, really--who cares about boring humans? Merk deserves its own spinoff, meeting ever more random adventurers who're also delving into the deep underworld or other dimension or R'lyeh or wherever it's dreaming, and having life-changing conversations with them to make them go away. It's just such a sweet old master of mind control. (Reply to this)

	Deep joy at seeing this (Anonymous) 2009-06-09 10:20 am UTC (link)
	I have loads of love of this comic and its great to see someone took the time scan this part of it, well done to you ! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Deep joy at seeing this richardak 2009-06-09 02:56 pm UTC (link)
	Thank you very much for saying so. And I agree, they really don't make them like this anymore. Well, except for the Nexus: Space Opera miniseries that Baron and Rude are taking forever to finish, but never mind! I was very glad to be able to share this piece of perhaps the best comic-book series ever done with people, and I hope to post other bits in the future. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Re: Deep joy at seeing this lord_snooty 2009-06-09 03:36 pm UTC (link)
	Nexus: Space Opera will finsh double sized 101/102 its in previews and will ship 15th july as all artwork and cover are done and ready to print when they get there order numbers (Reply to this) (Parent)

	katzedecimal 2009-06-09 11:58 am UTC (link)
	NEXUS!!! \o/ "That's it?!" -- Bwahaha! Best line ever XDDD Ah, I love love love love love Nexus, but I do feel it lost a lot of its core when the Merk was evicted. There was a bizarre tension between Horatio and the Merk, over "alien passing alien judgement", that felt right, something that Hal Jordan and the Guardians never really seemed to achieve. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	richardak 2009-06-09 03:02 pm UTC (link)
	I tend to agree. I a very real sense, Alien Justice was the natural end-point to the story. It's not a coincidence, in my opinion, that its title alludes pretty strongly to this scene here. What has followed Alien Justice is largely a kind of denouement. But a good denouement, so I'm not complaining. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lord_snooty 2009-06-09 03:40 pm UTC (link)
	I also agree that Alien Justice kicked butt but also have to give some love to the God Con to pull a story like that lte in its run, just knocked me off my feet (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Dude! citygod 2009-06-09 02:37 pm UTC (link)
	How do we persuade Pixar to make a movie of this fantastic book? (Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Dude!

richardak
2009-06-09 03:05 pm UTC (link)

It's a little bit more adult in some of its themes than Pixar's usual fare. Also, I'm not sure computer animation is really the way to go here, because even at its best, CGI still can't do realistic, life-like human beings very well. As such, I think a lot of visual beauty of the comic could be lost with computer graphics. A live-action version might work better, to be honest. After all, Star Wars showed that a live-action space opera could be a commercial success.

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	Re: Dude! citygod 2009-06-09 03:29 pm UTC (link)
	I'm actually thinking both - Nexus would be the perfect vehicle for a mix of live-action and animation. And I think Pixar could handle the themes - imagine the first 20 minutes of Up mixed with WallE and The Incredibles. They're working on John Carter of Mars as a live-action/animation hybrid, so I guess we'll soon see! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Uh, can I get a footnote here? nefrekeptah 2009-06-09 05:56 pm UTC (link)
	Who are these people? What's the Nexus they keep talking about? (Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Uh, can I get a footnote here?

richardak
2009-06-09 06:30 pm UTC (link)

Nexus is the man in the mask with the red visor. His real name is Horatio Hellpop, although later in the series, others would serve as the Nexus. The name refers to the fact that he is the nexus, or connecting point, between humanity and the Merk, a precursor alien race possessed of tremendous psychic powers. When the rest of the Merk left our galaxy for parts unknown, one of them, Drizripool, the blue giant seen in these scans, remained behind to pass on the Merk dream of perfect justice to another race deemed worthy. All the powers of the other Merk, and their blood, were bequeathed to Drizripool, and he slept for eons until he found humanity, whom he deemed worthy of his gift. He selected Horatio Hellpop, and gave him nightmares of mass murderers who had escaped justice; he would also send him debilitating headaches that would force Horatio to bathe in a special tank of unknown liquid. This would give Horatio tremendous powers, which he would then use to hunt down and kill these murderers.

Over time, the Merk tightened his control over Horatio, sending more frequent and more severe headaches. Eventually Sundra, Horatio's erstwhile lover, traveled into the catacombs of Ylum to find and confront the Merk. This scene is the outcome.

This all took place in the series Nexus, written by Mike Baron and published first by Capital Comics, then First Comics, then Dark Horse Comics, and now Rude Dude Studios; the issues from which the above scans were taken were published by First and then reprinted by Dark Horse. Does that explain this a little better?

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