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Abc warriors/nemesis. Reading order

Started by Jesusones, 23 March, 2014, 04:05:00 PM

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Jesusones

Hi. I'm a bit of a newbie and need some advice. I want to start reading abc warriors and nemesis the warlock books. I've tried to research the reading order but can't find anything. Can anyone help me out??

Greg M.

Thankfully, the forum's own reading-order guru Dark Jimbo has created just such a list on Amazon - you'll find it here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ABC-Warriors-amp-Nemesis-the-Warlock/lm/RO2KZS82FA1VL/

Jesusones

Ace. Just what the doctor ordered. But do I really need to read the savage books?

Greg M.

Nah, not really - though it is all one timeline, and the later Savage collections do feature the first chronological appearances of Howard Quartz and early iterations of ABC robots (albeit they were published decades later.) Personally, the 'Savage' stuff is not really to my taste, and I would probably just start with the first ABC Warriors collection - you can always come back to them later.

Dark Jimbo

Greg's on the money - start with The Meknificent Seven and go on onward from there.

Invasion/Savage isn't essential to understanding the Millsverse by any means, I just included it on there for completeness' sake.
@jamesfeistdraws

TordelBack

Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 23 March, 2014, 07:46:23 PM
Invasion/Savage isn't essential to understanding the Millsverse by any means, I just included it on there for completeness' sake.

S'right.  And if you did ever feel the need to see the MkI and MkII war robots in action you could just pick up the relevant volume of Savage (which I think is 'The Guv'nor') and feast your eyes without having to read the earlier non-ABC Warriors stuff.  You don't need to know much beyond: alternate 1999 Soviet-analogues invade Britain to get North Sea oil, there's various colourful folk in a resistance movement, the yanks plan a 21st C D-Day in Wales using robots, and there you go you're up to speed.

James Stacey

Shouldn't Dredd be included for completeness after all that faf in the time tunnels with Thoth  :lol:

TordelBack

#7
Quote from: James Stacey on 24 March, 2014, 10:26:47 AM
Shouldn't Dredd be included for completeness after all that faf in the time tunnels with Thoth  :lol:

Ah but ABC Warriors/Nemesis takes place in an alternate universe to our own, seeing as how Savage takes place in 'another Britain', whereas the events of Dredd take place 122 years from today, and thus by definition are a chilling/thrilling vision of our future!  The presence of Old One Eye's vile spawn in Dredd is due to Time Change caused by wanton killing of purgatory rates in the Upper Cret.  Totally separate things, do not adjust your weak lemon drink.

glassstanley

I would start with Ro-Busters, and then the Meknificent Seven. That's the order the characters were introduced in, and ABC Warriors was at one point advertised as Book 2 of Hammerstein's War Memoirs.

You also need to read the Deadlock stories at the end of Nemesis Vol 3 *before* Nemesis Book 10 (also in Vol 3).

Extra marks if you are able to explain why Torquemada didn't need returning to his own timeline after Book Five, and a distinction will be awarded if you can conclusively prove that Books 1-4 of Nemesis did or did not take place :)

Dark Jimbo

Quote from: glassstanley on 24 March, 2014, 04:06:20 PM
I would start with Ro-Busters, and then the Meknificent Seven. That's the order the characters were introduced in, and ABC Warriors was at one point advertised as Book 2 of Hammerstein's War Memoirs.

Agreed. It would have fucked up the continuity of my list a bit to do it this way, but it's the best way to read them - especially as all the newer Meknificent Seven collections include the Ro-Busters framing device, which makes absolutely no sense if it's the first book you start with (I should know, that was the case with me).
@jamesfeistdraws

8-Ball

A big e-high five (like a regular high five but electronic) to Jesusones for bringing up this topic (and Dark Jimbo's Amazon list.) In a roundabout way you have inspired me to search out the whole Invasion!/Ro-Busters/A.B.C. Warriors/Nemesis/Savage saga. I already had the Nemesis books but I have now come into possession of the Invasion!, Savage and Ro-Busters GNs and I am currently laughing my tits off at the sheer audacity/improbability of Bill Savage and his fight against the Volgan occupiers. The current A.B.C. Warriors GNs are in the post so this is turning out to be a fine start to spring/summer. Nice one.
Whatever happened to Rico, Dolman and Cadet Paris? I'm sooo out of the loop.

Fungus

Quote from: TordelBack on 24 March, 2014, 10:39:45 AM
Quote from: James Stacey on 24 March, 2014, 10:26:47 AM
Shouldn't Dredd be included for completeness after all that faf in the time tunnels with Thoth  :lol:

Ah but ABC Warriors/Nemesis takes place in an alternate universe to our own

You're suggesting Hammerstein and Nemesis are not real?

Get out.

TordelBack

#12
Quote from: Fungus on 05 April, 2014, 11:23:20 PM
You're suggesting Hammerstein and Nemesis are not real?

Not at all, that would be foolish. Merely that they exist in a different timeline that diverges from our own at least as early as the 1990's (and thanks to Thoth, probably a lot earlier than that).  Whereas we are assured that events in Judge Dredd take place 122 years into our future. The status of Strontium Dog and Ace Trucking would be an ecumenical matter.

The current presence of Mek-Quake in Oxford is the fly in this continointment, having apparently been developed during an early 21st century war that never took place.  Probably something to do with the Rossette of Sirius.

Frank

Quote from: TordelBack on 06 April, 2014, 12:12:24 AM
(Nemesis and ABC Warriors) exist in a different timeline that diverges from our own at least as early as the 1990's (and thanks to Thoth, probably a lot earlier than that).  Whereas we are assured that events in Judge Dredd take place 122 years into our future.

The Exterminator (episode 8, prog 926) informs us that the Pan Astra made first contact with alien life back in 2001, on a commercial passenger tour of Mars. That's two reality altering divergences, by my count. We'll know for definite in just a decade's time, when president Gurney does/does not take over from Obama's successor. There's a Megacity One being constructed towards the end of Hammerstein's time serving in the Volgan War. You could argue that it's an alternate timeline MC1, but y'know ...


Fungus

I have been tag-teamed, am tired, and bow to sauchie's book-learnin'.