h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

From the way it got canned, it can't have been too popular because it was I suppose trying to do something a bit different with a costumed hero - put him in something more like a true science fiction setting, where a rechargeable power ring alone wouldn't get our hero very far. Still, it is always nice that such experimentations do still come along, even at the major publishers. I used to enjoy the whole range of 'Ultraverse' comics, especially Firearm, Mantra and Prime, until the owner of the company surprised his roster of creators, who rather thought that they had some say-so over their characters, by selling the whole line to Marvel...who were more interested in their state-of-the-art computer colouring studio than anything else. Sigh...

From the way it got canned, it can't have been too popular because it was I suppose trying to do something a bit different with a costumed hero - put him in something more like a true science fiction setting, where a rechargeable power ring alone wouldn't get our hero very far. Still, it is always nice that such experimentations do still come along, even at the major publishers. I used to enjoy the whole range of 'Ultraverse' comics, especially Firearm, Mantra and Prime, until the owner of the company surprised his roster of creators, who rather thought that they had some say-so over their characters, by selling the whole line to Marvel...who were more interested in their state-of-the-art computer colouring studio than anything else. Sigh...

Whoops, sorry, I left rather hurriedly after clicking the'post' button and got an 'action cancelled' screen, so I posted the darn thing again, and got stereo. Why can't we go back to painting our discussions on cave walls, I'd got the hang of how to do that!

I never said it was popular, just that it deserved to be. The problem was that GL readers weren't into something so weird and oblique (plus John Stewart's never been the most popular Green Lantern) and Vertigo readers wouldn't hear about, let alone buy, a book about a GL. I'm really impressed by a lot of Gerard Jones' stuff, it's just a pity he fell out with DC.

Gerard Jones co-created 'The Trouble With Girls', which I remember as a lot of fun. Certainly a versatile writer, but the comics business isn't as big now as it once was, leading to fewer job opportunities. Anyway, if you get a chance to pick up the old Eternity black & white issues, go for it. It's like, shag-tastic, babee!

I think that perhaps for the more light hearted out there, Jhonen Vasquez's "Squee" ought to be considered as a starting point for his work. It has the same excellent artwork, and includes some Happy Noodle Boy work (a comic about a crazy homless stick figure... don't ask.) but the point of the main character is to survive, instead of to paint a wall with blood like in Johnny the Homicidal Maniac.

Both comics are well done, and should at least be glanced at.

I also agree that the tick should be on the list of the best.