NEXUS Comics RULE! But, the Origin DOESN'T!
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
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They are both still working on Nexus. Mike Baron wrote a Nexus novel recently, with a cover by Rude. Rude seems to be handling the comic by himself, though they will do more together in the future.
I'm glad to hear. These guys were important to me in the 1980s -- this and American Flagg! really turned my head and got me into non-DC-Marvel stuff.
Nexus is such an amazing book. I feel like it is one of the greatest comics of all time. So under-rated. It is a masterpiece
I think that Baron and Rude tried to square the circle so to speak. They wanted to produce something more literate and substantial than another monthly slugfest in a market that is dominated by superheroes. Nexus' design, I think, is an attempt by the creators to say "come for the costumed hero, stay for the rich story". There are more ideas in this one story than in a year's worth of other comics produced at the same time. I think Baron and Rude succeeded in producing a superior comic. The real failure lies with the people who didn't give it a chance.
So, I had the great fortune of scoring those 3 Capitol Nexus b/w comics for .50 cents each (which included a floppy record insert of Nexus) about 40 years ago at a Providence, RI comic book store's (Starship Excalibur) going out of business sale. I recall the owners were getting out of selling comic books and were getting into the burgeoning video rentals business. Gee, I wonder how that turned out?
I think they even had a spat over the character when Rude attempted to write his own Nexus stories. would be a cool interview!
Great video! I’ve been reading Nexus since 1983,Rude’s creative visuals is very attractive and Baron’s quirky dialogue and character names kept me coming back! B&W 3 issue origin is always my favorite just to watch Steve improve on the ground running! This book really hit for me because of it wasn’t boring,characters are very 3 dimensional and flawed with consequences! Origin is the tip of what’s going on and going forward that things are gonna get interesting/complicated for Nexus! Thanks for being honest with your review,this character has a lot of moving parts and I’ll definitely take it over anything the big2 reboot sausage Hollywood factory is crapping out! Hail Nexus!
Very nice. I always enjoyed Nexus comics. They were abundant in bargain bins, which was where I got most of my early comics. In addition to the Rude issues, there are some phenomenal fill-ins with art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Mike Mignola, Adam Hughes, Paul Smith, and some others.
Nice to finally see some serious coverage on Steve Rude. It would be nice to see a deep dive on his World's Finest mini series for DC or the superb Superman/Hulk crossover.
It is nice to see all the comments by those who have enjoyed Nexus over the decades (as well as those who've only discovered this amazing book more recently). I recall buying my first Steve Rude book back in college: Vangard Illustrated (at the long defunct "Monkey's Retreat" comic/head shop on High St.). I picked it up based on the cover which had a Kamandi-looking character hanging from a helicopter ladder. I've been buying everything with Steve's art ever since. My first Nexus comic was the B&W #3 issue and I remember playing the flexi-record and following along with the story. I was hooked immediately. I faithfully followed Baron & Rude's Nexus for the entire series and the follow-up mini-series, too. Clearly, I'm a fan of "The Dude" and his fantastic art, but Baron's scripts were an ideal complement to the art. The early story of Nexus, Judah and Badger in the black hole world was particularly memorable ("There are no dreams here"...), but I don't recall if they ever returned (now THAT would be a great mini-series... hint hint). Just a few things of note: The tank actually kept Nexus from going insane. It was the Merk who placed the dreams into Horatio's head and drove him to exact revenge upon the galaxy's mass murderers. Horatio didn't want to be an executioner - he was forced into that role by the dreams. He eventually negotiated with the Merk and was able to take some control over the executions. To me, this made Horatio a sympathetic character, as he was only killing out of self-defense. It was a winding, complex story that I feel still has a few chapters left to be written. It was not (and should never be) mainstream. The underlying themes alone will keep it from that level of fame, but hey, I could be wrong. Deadpool is an incredibly violent and yet popular character, so I think (in the right hands) Nexus could be, too. I can still dream, can't I?
Nexus is one of my all time favorite comics! Thanks for posting!
After I watch these episodes, I go straight to amazon or online comic shops looking for these books…I remember Nexus but never picked up…I’m on amazon right now looking to buy haha
I've pieced my collection together from bargain bins, flea markets... so in that vein I suggest maybe looking for ebay lots over amazon to save some $
You won't regret it.
"... being published on and off for over 40 years..." man, that makes me feel ancient.
Been wanting to check him out.
Oh, my droogs. You totally hit the nail on the head with this evaluation. I was *SO* excited when I heard Nexus was going to be published by Dark Horse. And then this less than satisfying kick off with the Origins issue. And then, each successive miniseries at Dark Horse was nowhere near the equal of the First Comics issues. Ah, well. At least we'll always have the first 25issues of Nexus along with the 3 BnW magazines.
I love Nexus so much. I had a couple issues when I was a kid, bought from a bargain bin because he looked cool- like my favorite X-Man, Cyclops. But obvious, the storytelling flew over my head with room to spare. Several years ago, I looked into it again having stumbled across a handful of issues at a flea market- and I got hooked. Ended up buying the entire 80 issue run that first and capital put out. Great stuff.
Horatio Hellpop is compelled by an outside force to be Nexus, it's the only reason he's an executioner. He doesn't just get headaches and nightmares, they are sent to him to force his actions as Nexus by a judgmental alien. Horatio styles himself as an archaeologist dandy because that's how he justifies his actions as Nexus, and it's the reason he lives on and does archaeological digging on Ylum, a compulsively open refugee planet and Mike Baron's libertarian utopia. Nexus rejects power and yet uses it, infinitely. He mostly hates himself, and yet is narcissistic. The world-building with its politics and religion is streets ahead of Frank Herbert. It is a genius engine for stories.
Gorgeous page layout's.
Such a classic character as only Baron and Rude could deliver. Steve Rude makes stunning comics.
A new issue of Nexus came out sometime last year through Splatto Comics- Mike Barron wrote it, but the art was by Kelsey Shannon. Think it's supposed to have two other issues coming out soon.
I'd LOVE to see a kayfabe video on BADGER.
I pulled this issue out of a dollar bin. When I got it home and cracked it open, I found that Steve Rude had signed the first page! My take on both Steve Rude's art and Nexus as a comic I find that I love the aesthetic of it, but I find that the substance falls short. The painted covers always outshined the stories. Rude's art is eye catching and technically sound, but it just doesn't seem "special". Is that because he style is so derivative that he doesn't add enough of himself? Is it because of the bad storytelling like you mentioned? Maybe that adds up to me buying the run of early Nexus comics, but never felt the compulsion to read them page by page. I tried. It seemed like a slog, so I gave up. But the art is pretty!
This would have been the first Nexus and first Steve Rude comic I’ve read, and it for sure got me as a first intro.
What a pleasant trip down nostalgia lane. Steve "The Dude" Rude is awesome! I would love to have seen what this team on Doctor Strange. Could you guys please shine a light on Too Much Coffee Man and Cursed Pirate Girl sometime? Thank you.
Nexus was made available in the omnibus format from Dark Horse. The first one is a great intro to the character. Rude's art gets better and better through the book.
Love you guys for doing this, I was a Nexus collector from the very beginning. Please do more and see if you can find the theme song they released as a collectible record in one of the early issues. Yeah, it could never have worked as a Saturday morning cartoon, but I think it would be good subject matter for a streaming show today.
This is how I start my day love 💘it!!!
“Encyclopedias” was published in Vanguard Illustrated (Pacific Comics) issues #1-4. The story ran 24 pages.
I'd discovered this character years before I read him (I think); his costume has a great timeless appeal (something I rarely say of anything post Bronza Age). He caught my eye immediately but he wasnt quite classic super hero enough to draw me in. Maybe the death and killing? Im more of a Batman view (Cap and Sup actually) than Punisher/Peacemaker. But his going against child hood hero Magnus Robot fighter finally got me to read him. Still not a fav hero but good story telling, ideas and art will always win with me.
Just thinking, that will be a legal nightmare to publish a collection of his appearances to date. I never heard of so many companies connected to one character.
Ghosts of the cold war and the threat of a communist takeover are in the book's DNA early on.
You have got to review Magnus Robot Fighter/Nexus next... then perhaps Nexus meets Madman!
I love the black and white origin story more than when it is colored with dark horse. I feel like i am watching a 1950s black and white sci fi move, with some horror in there. The place his dad finds with his wife being this like abandoned desolate, yet seemingly brand new space tech is really spooky. Really appeals to "the backrooms" type of horror.
I was reading a lot of Nexus like 20 years ago, like crazy. Being Swedish it was even harder to understand what was going on in the story, but I just loved the art work. He made that really great book on inking that I learned a lot from back in high school in the late 90's. I worked as the editor for the Swedish edition of The Phantom for about 10 years and I was dreaming about hiring The Dude for an issue or a cover, but I never managed to get the courage to contact him ...
I remember when I was working at Sony back in '99 they were talking about possibly doing a Nexus animated series. I never thought it was going to happen even back then.
Thanks for the Nexus overview! I stumbled upon the Alien Justice mini-series in the 90s and fell in love with Rude's amazing draftsmanship and design, as well as the satirical yet epic sweep of the stories! Plus I liked that Baron's other creation, Badger, made guest appearances in Nexus! Keep up the great work, guys!
NEXUS is one of my favorite comic book series of all time - absolutely love it. Glad you fellas covered this as I have both versions. Love this channel - I dig it
Evan Doc Shaner seems to have taken a lot of inspiration from Steve Rude and Mike Allred.
The first time I read it I loved it but I also remember that it was sooo hard to understand... But I was intrigued
Loved that heavier stock some of the 80s b&w comics had!
This was a new one for me thanks guys!
Fantastic stuff !
I’m glad you featured Nexus. I found another book series by them that seemed to have been canceled. It was called Sonic Disruptors. Both seemed to have left it off of their Wikipedia page. I thought it was fun. It was another wild complicated story with a lot great art. DC carried it. It was promoted as the next Watchmen. That was my first introduction to Baron and Rude. I’ve remained a fan since then.
While Baron did write Sonic Disruptors, Rude didn't draw it. Barry Crain did. And the series is listed on Mike Baron's Wikipedia page under the DC books that he wrote.
The art on Sonic Disruptors was Barry Crain, not Steve Rude.
Sonic Disrupters was created by Baron and Barry Crain. Rude had nothing to do with it.
I read Nexus for the first time a few years ago. Beautifully drawn but the dark, convoluted story contrasted with bland characters and odd looking creatures just didn't gel together to create a believable world.
Fun Fact: there was a 2-min animated short of Nexus watch?v=ekfCRzn9pQM