Queen & Country

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Anyone read this? I've got and highly recommend the first two volumes. Ought to pick up more sometime soon.

― Ian c=====8 (orion), Thursday, 16 September 2004 23:02 (nineteen years ago) link

It's good stuff. A little hard to read in a month-to-month fashion, though - getting the collections is probably the way to go. Leeeeee can probably say more, though.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 16 September 2004 23:15 (nineteen years ago) link

This is one of the series ILC has made me want to check out, but I always forget to look for the tpbs. If the first one isn't in, does it matter which I start with?

― Tep (ktepi), Thursday, 16 September 2004 23:18 (nineteen years ago) link

I don't think so - you can enjoy each trade on its own, though it is nice to see how things progress from start to end. Also, #25 is a stand-alone story; doesn't involve any spy stuff, but it's a neat little story (w/ great Steve Rolston art).

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 16 September 2004 23:28 (nineteen years ago) link

Q&C? I've heard of it.

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Friday, 17 September 2004 02:52 (nineteen years ago) link

Maybe up to a certain volume, the order doesn't matter quite so much, but I'd still recommend starting with vol 1 -- Broken Ground, not to be confused with the mini Declassified which has the same volume number -- because vol 2 Crystal Ball is the fallout from the prior arc. Definitely make sure you've read the previous trades before opening vol 5 Storm Front.

Volume 4 Blackwall is the best art, though. I love me some J. Alexander.

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Friday, 17 September 2004 03:02 (nineteen years ago) link

Q&C is fantastic. I read them in order, which I recommend, although I did read Declassified first which is completely unnecessary for continuity (but good!). Is that newest trade out yet?

Leee, I hope Blackwall isn't the one where Tara Chace suddenly doubled her breast size and got a lip injection.

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 17 September 2004 05:09 (nineteen years ago) link

Daffodil, vol 6, w/ Mike Hawthorne, has been out a several weeks now.

Blackwall

The individual issues are so interconnected that it's frustrating reading it monthly -- definitely go with the trades.

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Friday, 17 September 2004 05:19 (nineteen years ago) link

Can someone give me a little summary of what the idea of this is, I assume its a recent series.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 17 September 2004 10:37 (nineteen years ago) link

Spy novel.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 17 September 2004 11:14 (nineteen years ago) link

Based in the UK. Not flashy, though.

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 17 September 2004 11:58 (nineteen years ago) link

Just take James Bond, his martini, and his laser cufflinks and make him a 30 yr old woman with a bottle of whiskey and a handgun.

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 17 September 2004 12:32 (nineteen years ago) link

three weeks pass...

OMG TEH NEW BOOK IS TEH OUT!!! & I SWORE NEVER TO READ ANOTHER BOOK WITHOUT PICTURES!!1

Also, how many issues has it been since the end of Dandelion and the start of the Gent's Game?

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 15:01 (nineteen years ago) link

So can Greg Rucka write novels? And do I need to read this to keep up with the story?

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 15:09 (nineteen years ago) link

I haven't read any of his previous novels-proper, though his text w/ pictures thing (his prose Wolverine & Elektra) was largely excellent.

And yes, the novel is canonical, i.e. it's going to pick up where the last issue left off, and the next batch of issues will continue from the end of the novel (I don't mean a cliffhanger, at least I don't think).

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 15:14 (nineteen years ago) link

Wow, that's one way to speed up the plot. I wonder if anyone other than Q&C readers will buy it?

The cover looks pretty cool & respectable at least, maybe Rucka can get a piece of that Robert Ludlum airport thriller market.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 15:22 (nineteen years ago) link

Isn't Rucka a (more than) semi-successful genre fiction novelist? How the heck did he get suckered / enticed into writing comics, anyway?

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 15:41 (nineteen years ago) link

Found an interview with him about the novel here:

http://aolsvc.bookreporter.aol.com/authors/au-rucka-greg.asp

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 15:43 (nineteen years ago) link

What's the order of the Q&C graphic novels?

― Vermont Girl (Vermont Girl), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 16:25 (nineteen years ago) link

Check here.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 16:31 (nineteen years ago) link

The tricky bit is that there are two #1's. Operation: Broken Ground is the real first trade, while Declassified is more of a prequel. I read it first, and it's pretty good, but doesn't need to be read at all. After that they're numbered pretty clearly, but it goes:

2. Operation: Morningstar
3. Operation: Crystal Ball
4. Operation: Blackwall
5. Operation: Stormfront
6. Operation: Dandelion

(um, x-post)

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 16:33 (nineteen years ago) link

I discovered Rucka through his genre fiction (his Atticus Kodiak novels are nicely gritty), and then the comics. He writes very good narrative fiction and I imagine this Q&C novel will go down well with Spy Genre lovers.

― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 14 October 2004 15:21 (nineteen years ago) link

I bought A Gentleman's Game last night! It was in the Mystery section of B&N. I'm not sure that I've ever actually bought anything out of the Mystery section before.

― Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 17 October 2004 14:00 (nineteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

OMG, Operation: Dandelion is so good. I finished it and thought "man, wonder when the next trade comes out, I can't wait." Then I sat there for a second before remembering, "wait, I have the Q&C novel RIGHT OVER THERE."

It's also very good so far.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 1 November 2004 15:52 (nineteen years ago) link

Are the issues b/w Dandelion and Gent's Game collected yet?

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:12 (nineteen years ago) link

I don't think so. I know there are issues after Dandelion (I'm reading Q&C in trades), but I thought Gent's Game was supposed to pick up where it left off?

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:17 (nineteen years ago) link

At WonderCon he said that Gent's Game was perfectly continuous with the monthlies, i.e. that it picks up where #28 leaves off. Also, THERE'S A NEW DECLASSIFIED OUT!!!

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:21 (nineteen years ago) link

Really?? Sweet!

How many issues after Dandelion is #28?

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:31 (nineteen years ago) link

Whoah, okay, according to ONI #24 is the end of Dandelion. This REALLY makes me want to break down and buy the singles.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:34 (nineteen years ago) link

I think I would probably enjoy this.

― Huk-L, Monday, 1 November 2004 18:00 (nineteen years ago) link

http://www.chud.com/news/sept04/sept27comics.php3

I hadn't noticed this interview linked from Rucka's site before, it's very good.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 1 November 2004 19:33 (nineteen years ago) link

BARF I JUST SPOILED MYSELF.

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Sunday, 7 November 2004 21:54 (nineteen years ago) link

Leee recommended I buy the first trade and I only just got round to reading it...but so, so good! The art really put me off at first but I think it's fantastic (I bet they all say that).

― adam... (nordicskilla), Friday, 12 November 2004 16:23 (nineteen years ago) link

I love the art too, except for that arc in the middle where Tara suddenly got D-cups and collagen injections, but especially Operaton: Dandelion.

I started reading the novel for real last night. It's very good so far, and it's very interesting being already informed by the comic (i.e., I'm almost translating the images in my head to Q&C art as I read).

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 12 November 2004 16:32 (nineteen years ago) link

novel????!!!???

― adam... (nordicskilla), Friday, 12 November 2004 16:34 (nineteen years ago) link

Yeah! As far as I know, it's something that hasn't been tried before: a 'real' novel (i.e. not a cheap licensed knock-off that gets filed next to the Resident Evil and Wolverine 'novelizations') that is designed to appeal to the non-comic book reading populace, yet directly continues the storyline of the comic book, which will in turn pick up the story where the novel leaves off.

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 12 November 2004 16:38 (nineteen years ago) link

adam... I'm thrilled you like it!

Jordan, did you take the plunge and buy the issues in between Dandelion and the novel?

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Friday, 12 November 2004 17:06 (nineteen years ago) link

No, I sorta wish I had (when reading the novel I was all, "Who's this minder three fuck-up, then?"). Still holding for the trade though.

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 12 November 2004 17:21 (nineteen years ago) link

I just got the novel from Amazon in an LP-sized cardboard package, and I was like, "Wuh? It's just a book, why would it be so big?" Then I rip the mofo open and it's a HARDCOVER!1!

OMG, it's so SHEXY.

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 01:20 (nineteen years ago) link

Yeah, isn't it a great cover? I told my stepmom (who's got a bookstore) about it, she both remembered seeing the cover and knew Rucka's name from his thriller novels.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 01:44 (nineteen years ago) link

Can anyone *coughs* gmail this to me? I can't afford it. :-(

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 23:17 (nineteen years ago) link

Does this book transcend it's genre? IE I've been putting my non-enchantment with it down to my general uninterest in the nuts and bolts of espionage. I've only read the prequel and the middle east one.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Sunday, 21 November 2004 23:43 (nineteen years ago) link

Yes.

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Sunday, 21 November 2004 23:52 (nineteen years ago) link

Leee, did you love the novel, 'cause I loved it, and I just wondering if you loved it, you know.

― Jordan (Jordan), Saturday, 27 November 2004 08:43 (nineteen years ago) link

I love it, but I haven't read it yet.

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Saturday, 27 November 2004 16:44 (nineteen years ago) link

You have to read it so I can have fanboy discussions with someone about all the shit that goes down!

Not to mention the weird experience of reading a continuing story in a different medium.

― Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 28 November 2004 22:36 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm stubbornly waiting for the last trade to come out, even though I already ruined my TPB-only policy when I splurged on the Blackwall issues (which I later bought again in TPB format!).

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Monday, 29 November 2004 02:13 (nineteen years ago) link

two months pass...

Come play a Q&C game with me (since vol. 7 isn't going to come out till April 27 according to Amazon and thus have no Q&C shwag to wag)!

S&D operation names!

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 15:52 (nineteen years ago) link

Oh, geez, I forgot to come back. I picked up the first trade a while ago, and really, really liked it. And the trades seemed to be priced lower than most (maybe because it's B&W--are they all B&W?).
Great stuff, thanks again, ILC.

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 15 February 2005 16:01 (nineteen years ago) link

All the operation names are classic (as far as I recall). I'd rather S&D Q&C artistes.

S: Carla Speed McNeil & Steve Rolston (these are the U&K searches)
D: NOT A DAMN ONE (though I can guess who'll end up on here, JORDAN)

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 16:10 (nineteen years ago) link

But Saddlebags is lam0r!

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 16:11 (nineteen years ago) link

Oh, whatever!

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 16:15 (nineteen years ago) link

(Best rebuttal ever.)

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 16:16 (nineteen years ago) link

What were the operations mentioned in A Gentleman's Game? Those were funny and possibly destroyable names. Oh what's that Leee, you haven't READ IT YET? :>

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 16:24 (nineteen years ago) link

Anyway, artists:

S: Mike Hawthorne, Steve Rolston, Carla "Speed" McNeil

D: WHOEVER MADE TARA CHACE LOOK LIKE JESSICA RABBIT IN THAT ONE ARC, DAVID

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 16:27 (nineteen years ago) link

Haha grrr!

Leandro "Juggy Tara" Fernandez is indestructible for the way he drew Crocker's big honking nose!

My destroy would be Brian Hurtt though. His style looks too rough for me.

The unfortunately named Jason Alexander/J. Alexander is easily my favorite out of all the excellent artists.

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 16:31 (nineteen years ago) link

one month passes...

I read Saddlebags last night. Okay, I guess it's cool and sophisticated and all to have dialogue in French and German without translation, but would it have killed Rucka to have some footnotes? Just a page in the back with some English, maybe?

This possibly disturbed me more than it should have because I'm actually going to Switzerland in a couple months, and it made me realize that I will not understand the dialogue/plot then either.

Anyway, the trade is very good (and not just because of the unprecedented amounts of Tara Chace nud1ty!) and it was nice to finally read the stories referenced in the Q&C novel.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 28 March 2005 14:57 (nineteen years ago) link

THE TRADE IS OUT?

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Monday, 28 March 2005 15:27 (nineteen years ago) link

It's out! I didn't think it was, but I found it shuffled away with the 'new indie releases' section at the store. Maybe it just came out last week?

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 28 March 2005 15:30 (nineteen years ago) link

one month passes...

I just finished Saddlebags. Did you guys know that I heart Q&C?

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Thursday, 5 May 2005 02:33 (eighteen years ago) link

NOW are you going to read the novel, Leee?!

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 5 May 2005 03:24 (eighteen years ago) link

Whenever I don't feel like working on my thesis, the novel will be beckoning me.

― Unexplained Bacon (Leee), Thursday, 5 May 2005 12:06 (eighteen years ago) link

You need to incorporate in INTO your thesis, then you'll be straight.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 5 May 2005 13:40 (eighteen years ago) link

I would only end up hating it -- it's what's happening with my thesis right now. (Stupid Alias the tv show!)

― Unexplained Bacon (Leee), Thursday, 5 May 2005 15:08 (eighteen years ago) link

Ooh it started off slowly, but now it is the heating up!

― Le (Leee), Tuesday, 10 May 2005 19:30 (eighteen years ago) link

Okay guys. I've read the first two, and seeing this thread has made me want to go read the third, so it's off to the comic shop I go...

thanks!

― Ian John50n (orion), Tuesday, 10 May 2005 20:38 (eighteen years ago) link

I should get me some more, too.

― Huk-L, Wednesday, 11 May 2005 14:24 (eighteen years ago) link

i read a buncha these - they're good reading (and i like all the artists, which is cool) but it feels like there isn't quite enough at stake sometimes: viz. whichever one where it looked like they might get involved with a scheme to bring down mugabe, bcz obviously they wouldn't...

up to volume five i think. does the new minder three last any longer than the others?

― tom west (thomp), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 15:30 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't understand what you mean by "stakes" -- do you mean in relation to (political) reality?

the new minder three = Brian Butler?

― Le (Leee), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 18:21 (eighteen years ago) link

Somewhat perversely, I like the lower stakes arcs better, i.e. the ones where they are running around London politicking and trying to keep their jobs rather than fighting terrorism.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 19:03 (eighteen years ago) link

one month passes...

HOO WOO.

There is also a new Q&C novel coming out this fall.

― Leeeeee (Leee), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 17:10 (eighteen years ago) link

Randall Jarell? Wasn't that a prominent U.S. poet in the 50s?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 17:25 (eighteen years ago) link

one month passes...

Hey, the Declassified vol. 3 #2 is very good and on time!

― Leeeeeeee (Leee), Thursday, 4 August 2005 19:21 (eighteen years ago) link

It's out? Sweet.

I was thinking about Declassified the other day after reading the new Courtney Crumrin thing, which is doing the same thing (going back and doing solo stories delving into the pasts of peripheral characters).

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 4 August 2005 19:39 (eighteen years ago) link

two months pass...

DAMN YOU RUCKA

Re: the book.

BTW, the paperback version of A Gentlemen's Game features a few pages from the (OUT THIS MONTH?) new Q&C novel.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 20 October 2005 19:02 (eighteen years ago) link

Rucka said that the first few pages would make us want to punch him!

― Leeeeeeeeee (Leee), Thursday, 20 October 2005 21:07 (eighteen years ago) link

He's pretty right!

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 20 October 2005 21:08 (eighteen years ago) link

October 25 when Rucka becomes punchable!

― Leeeeeeeeee (Leee), Friday, 21 October 2005 16:12 (eighteen years ago) link

The ONE THING that disappointed me about AGG - when they were doing the thing before the thing, I KNEW that the thing was gonna get the thing. KNEW KNEW KNEW.

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 21 October 2005 16:14 (eighteen years ago) link

OTM! But you may want to keep AGG spoilers to I have finally read A GENTLEMAN'S GAME (spoilers etc.)

― Leeeeeeeeee (Leee), Friday, 21 October 2005 16:38 (eighteen years ago) link

My bad! I'll delete & move.

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 21 October 2005 17:00 (eighteen years ago) link

one month passes...

omg! guys this is great! i love this series so far!

like seemingly everyone else i got snookered on the whole "two #1s" thing and read declassified first. which is ok though, i really liked it, and it served as a very nice amuse-gueule for the series. since then i've read the "real" #1 and #2, the latter of which is my favourite so far. a really terrific story.

go queen & country!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 11 December 2005 17:03 (eighteen years ago) link

how are the other artists?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 11 December 2005 17:03 (eighteen years ago) link

Vol. 1 - Cartoony but great!
2 - Eh!
3 - Big juggies! Lots of complaints! But one of my favorite Crocker designs!
4 - Cool, inna Dave McKean-stylee!
5 - Very different, but now one of my favorites!
6 - Less cartoony than 1, but still good!
7 - Cartoony like 1 because the artist returns for one issue, then BIG KNOCKERS again! But a lot more polished than 3!

― Obsessing over the unobtainable and nonexistent. (Leee), Sunday, 11 December 2005 18:52 (eighteen years ago) link

I have a feeling everyone but you & me will be on the same page re: Leandro Fernandez (Vol. 3). Carla Speed McNeil (Vol. 5) is my fave, to this point, w/ Steve Rolston (Vol. 1 & the first chapter of Vol. 7) a close 2nd. I think they're all good, FWIW.

― David R. (popshots75`), Sunday, 11 December 2005 18:58 (eighteen years ago) link

Here is an example of CS McNeil's art, a sketch of Q&C's delightfully sassy Kate!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/plechazunga/comics/csm-kate-small.jpg

― Obsessing over the unobtainable and nonexistent. (Leee), Sunday, 11 December 2005 20:35 (eighteen years ago) link

Those are not fart lines!

― Obsessing over the unobtainable and nonexistent. (Leee), Sunday, 11 December 2005 20:36 (eighteen years ago) link

that's what she said

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 12 December 2005 01:15 (eighteen years ago) link

More representative example of CSM's

― Obsessing over the unobtainable and nonexistent. (Leee), Monday, 12 December 2005 03:28 (eighteen years ago) link

three months pass...

I've started rereading my trades in order again, and Broken Ground came off flat! Crocker wasn't quite mean enough, and the contrast between the first-person narration in Broken Ground and the lack thereof in all the subsequent volumes changes the texture and maybe even the narrative of Q&C.
However, Morninstar is better than I remember -- I didn't like it as much originally because very little happened, but then when I got to the "Wizard"/Harry Potter line and Crocker telling Kate to "shut up," Morningstar is probably the first volume of Q&C as we know it.

― c(''c) (Leee), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 00:31 (eighteen years ago) link

ten years pass...

I never finished this series, so now I'm re-reading from the beginning. Just started vol. 5. I'm not a huge Carla Speed McNeil fan, and in fact i would say that volumes 3 & 4 have my fave art, as it is the least 'cartoony.' The cartoony vibes give me some weird cognitive dissonance, like, it feel disconnected from how serious the tone of the series is.

whatever it's still all good.

― ian, Wednesday, 11 May 2016 18:07 (seven years ago) link

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