Rude Dude Productions; $29.99
One of the most distinctive characters of the indy comics movement of the 1980s is back in a new, crowdfunded collection. Horatio Hellpop is better known as the masked avenger of mass murderers, Nexus. Driven by horror-filled visions and powerful headaches until he eliminates the perpetrators that come to him in his dreams, he has become a force unto himself 500 years in the future.
In addition to the beautifully illustrated main feature, “The Coming Of Gourmando,” the collection also includes remastered versions of Nexus: The Origin and “When She Was Young,” a story centered on Hellpop’s significant other, Sundra.
The book is beautifully produced and will no doubt remind many why they’ve been fans of the character for so long. One hopes that some new fans will be attracted as well.
Perhaps a bit of Nexus history would be appropriate here: Nexus #1 debuted in the form of a black and white magazine in 1981 from Capital Comics. The creation of writer Mike Baron and artist Steve Rude, Nexus lasted three issues in that format before switching to color comics with a volume 2 Nexus #1.
The color series lasted six issues at Capital, before they abandoned comic book publishing, and then moved to First Comics beginning with Nexus #7. It stayed there through #80 (1991), augmented by miniseries such as the four-issue The Next Nexus, one-shots and miniseries featuring supporting characters, and crossovers such as the Crossroads miniseries.
Nexus then moved to Dark Horse Comics for seven miniseries and two one-shots, which somewhat retroactively were given continuing numbers. This included Nexus: The Origin (#81), Nexus: Alien Justice #1-4 (#82–84), Nexus: Wages of Sin #1-4 (#85–88), Nexus: Executioner's Song #1-4 (#89–92), Nexus: God Con #1-2 (#93–94), and Nexus: Nightmare in Blue #1-4 (#95–98).
The final four issues were published in black and white and the sales took a corresponding dip, so Rude formed Rude Dude Productions and launched Nexus: Space Opera #99–102 (#101/102 was a double issue) with the story once again in full color.
Following that, the artist moved to create Nexus as oversized Sunday comics pages, the first series of which are now collected in this volume. On the heels of those Sunday pages, which were sold directly to the readers, came a couple of new tales in the then-newly-revived Dark Horse Presents. “Bad Moon Rising” and “Infestation” appeared in DHP #12–14, while the longer “Into The Past” ran in #23–26 and #29–34.
This new book, as its title suggests, collects the first story told in the Sunday page series. There are two versions, a standard comic book-size trade paperback, and a 12” x 15” hardcover.
As wonderful as the standard format edition looks, it’s merely a sales tool for the larger format. The art, colors, and action are just designed to be seen bigger than regular comics. Don’t take that the wrong way; the trade paperback is entirely readable and enjoyable. It’s just going to make you want to see it large.
– J.C. Vaughn
