Comic Cuts — 5 December 2025

It's starting to feel a lot like Christmas. The tree is up, we've received a couple of cards, I've been given a 2026 calendar, and we had the Bear Alley Books Xmas Party on Wednesday.

The latter was basically dragging Mel and my Mum down to the pub for lunch, which we haven't had a chance to do since August — coordinating everyone can be tricky at times — when we took a trip out to Maldon. It was a beautiful sunny day and we were well fed and watered at the Horse and Groom; we then had a relaxing afternoon and evening and it was lovely just to have some time off.

I'm planning to do the same thing next week with two of Bear Alley's authors, John Chisnall and George Coates, whose books—AND THE WHEELS WENT ROUND and A LAVERDA JOURNEY—I designed. 

On the days I didn't take off, I've managed to crack on with the ACTION book and I'm heading towards the point where it merged with BATTLE. Another push and I might have it almost done by the end of next week, depending on how much I drink down the pub and what other distractions come along. Hopefully it'll be good news next week.

I'm reading—or, rather, re-reading—Dave Hutchinson's EUROPE IN AUTUMN, a fantastic SF/spy story set in a fractured Europe, split by a deadly pandemic (and various economic crises (this was published in 2014) and now broken down into little republics, polities and nations who no longer trust the internet; information, artefacts and even people are smuggled across borders by couriers trained in spy tradecraft.

I read the first book back in 2019 on a tablet that had all four of the books on it (a fifth was subsequently published). Then my tablet went belly-up and I never got to read the other three. I saw a mention of the series recently and decided to get the physical books. Four were easily available second-hand. The fourth (EUROPE AT DAWN) has been trickier to source. I have a copy on order.

Having a lousy memory, I've been enjoying the book afresh. At one or two points in the plot I've had a flash forward of what is about to happen, but it's really like I'm reading it for the first time... and I'm really enjoying it all over again.

Talking of memory, I was trying to remember what books I'd read over the past few months. I'm picking up the pace a little. I used to be able to read a book in a day when I was much younger and just discovering SF. When I was in work I often had a bus or train ride to fill, but nowadays I do more reading for whatever I'm working on than for pleasure. And books these days are often twice or three times the size of books I used to read. For many years I've been taking months to finish a book, a situation I'm now trying to resolve by making sure I read a chapter or two every evening before bed.

I dug out the last few books I've read: a ratio of 5:3 SF over crime. I love the Mick Herron Slough House books and have heard them all as audiobooks, but I'm reading physical copies ahead of each new series of the TV show. I was inspired to read TATIANA by the death of Martin Cruz Smith and the realisation that I had fallen behind on reading his Arkady Renko novels. I still have three to go. THE FLIGHT OF THE HORSE I re-read half of as it contained Niven's delightful Svetz fantasy stories and I was planning to read his RAINBOW MARS novel, which was a late addition to the series. But then they announced the coming release of the fifth season of SLOW HORSES, so Svetz is on hold. 

I picked up THE STARDROPPERS while I was wandering around ahead of Invasion Colchester and started reading it on the bus home. I have to say that it's minor Brunner, but I have shelves full of books I've never read, so I want to try and get through at least some in the hope of finding a gem. I will re-read books that I remember enjoying, so that will mean more Brunner at some point (THE SHEEP LOOK UP, THE JAGGED ORBIT, STAND ON ZANZIBAR, THE SHOCKWAVE RIDER... there are plenty!).

I'd had PROJECT HAIL MARY on the shelf for some while, but thought I'd treat myself after finishing the writing on the AIR ACE book. I loved THE MARTIAN and I think ARTEMIS was an OK follow-up. This was even better, if a little long; every time it jumped back in time I found myself wishing those bits were over so we could get back to the interaction between human and alien (I'm trying not to spoiler the book).

Talking of slow-moving... WORLDS. I may be imagining this, but I get the feeling that this and its sequel (WORLDS APART) were meant to be one book, with a slow build to something explosive happening at the halfway mark. Then someone said, "Why not turn it into two books, Joe?" and that left the first book as a travelogue and me sat there wishing that something would happen, which it did, eventually, right at the end. Now that the thing has happened, hopefully book two will pick up the pace.

I love Murderbot, but this wasn't quite up to the scratch of earlier novellas and novel. Too many characters and a plot that would have made a sprightly novella rather than a slightly disappointing novel. Maybe, just maybe, part of my frustration was down to Tor forcing me to buy a hardback as, after two years in print, there is still no sign of a paperback. There's a new Murderbot novel out next year which I'm excited about because you shouldn't let one dip in quality ruin a whole series for you. SYSTEM COLLAPSE was still very readable.

I've rambled on for too long. Better get some work done.

Commando 5911-5914

The next set of Commando issues go on sale from today, Thursday, 4th December 2025, featuring tales of heroism on the home front and abroad, and the return of a Lord Peter Flint, Codename: Warlord!

5911: Fear of Fire

The Heinkel 111 bombers laid a blanket of fire across Bristol. The blazes spread across the city and infernos raged inside houses and factories alike. Inside one, the wood burned and embers flew into Police Sergeant Eric Roe’s eyes. The foul, black smoke clawed at his lungs and the swirling flames licked at his face, singeing the flesh. 
    Fear bubbled in his throat like bile, but clutching the young child to his chest, he had to get out – he had to survive!

Story: Colin Maxwell
Art: Mike Collins
Cover: Neil Roberts

5912: Torpedo Strike

They said Bob Kernot could pilot his Beaufort back to base from any point of the compass in even the worst weather. He just seemed to sniff the air and hey presto, he and his crew were heading straight for home. 
    Bob had Roma blood in his veins. He could even see into the future and foretell what was going to happen, good or bad. And to know there’s deadly danger ahead and still fly on to meet it without flinching - that takes nerves of steel and real guts. 
    Like Bob had...

Story: Brunt
Art: John Ridgeway
Cover: Ian Kennedy
First published 1971 as No. 594

5913: Codename Warlord: Stormcaster

The Libyan desert is experiencing some funny weather! Mysterious, sudden rainstorms are turning the hot sands to boggy quagmires that are beaching British tanks! But not only that, a Nazi officer has disguised himself as an Arab tribesman to sow discontent, and a German scientist has attempted to defect - something very strange is going on.
    Enter Lord Peter Flint – Codename: Warlord - Britain’s best secret agent, to investigate the weird happenings. A storm is brewing, and he can sense the hand of his old nemesis, Professor Kranz, is behind it all!

Story: Dominic Teague 
Art: Paolo Ongaro
Cover: Neil Roberts

5914: The Cat, The Rat, and The Cobra

A cat and a rat wouldn’t normally stand a chance against a deadly cobra, would they? But when The Cat was a brilliant British agent, The Rat a cunning French thief, and The Cobra a ruthless Gestapo officer, who could tell what would happen? 
    For the sake of the Resistance men the Nazis were intent on killing, the snake had to lose…

Story: CG Walker
Art: Gordon C Livingstone
Cover: Jeff Bevan
First published 1984 as No. 1831

Rebellion Releases — 3 December 2025

One of the most popular and influential British comic books of all time is to get its first new chapter in more than 40 years!

Created by writer Mike Butterworth and artist Don Lawrence, and running for almost two decades in the pages of Ranger and Look and Learn, The Trigan Empire has influenced generations of storytellers, including renowned film-maker Duncan Jones (Moon, Rogue Trooper).

Drawing heavily on ancient history and mythology, the series detailed the long-past events of an empire on the distant planet of Elekton. But it was Lawrence’s stunning painted artwork that made the series a groundbreaking hit, changing the face of the comic book medium and immersing readers in new worlds of imagination.

And now, for the first time since 1982 – the Trigan Empire will rise once again!

From the award-winning creative team of Michael Carroll (Judge Dredd, Dreadnoughts), and Tom Foster (Judge Dredd), New Adventures from the Trigan Empire picks up the torch to continue Butterworth and Lawrence’s classic comics story.

This brand new original graphic novel will be published May 2026 in a luxurious hardcover edition, with a special signed and numbered webshop edition available also exclusively from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British webshops.

While the original series detailed the rise of the mighty Trigan Empire, this new graphic novel depicts its fall. Decades have passed since the empire reached its zenith and an ageing Emperor Trigo has started to think about who his successor may be. His right-hand man and nephew, Janno, is perceived as the natural successor – but Trigo’s abandoned son, Nikko, has long harboured a grudge against his father and now, having built his own Empire whilst in exile, he’s in perfect position to take revenge on his family and seize the Empire he believes is rightfully his….

Will the Trigan Empire rise… or fall? Don’t miss the beginning of an incredible new saga!

Originally titled ‘The Rise and Fall of The Trigan Empire’, the series debuted in the first issue of children’s educational title Ranger in September 1965 and then in Look and Learn from June 1966, when the two titles merged. Unusually for the time, the strip was printed in full-colour, Lawrence’s lush and detailed painting accentuating the epic nature of Butterworth’s scripts, which drew heavily on the history and imagery of the ancient Greek and Roman civilisations, while also evoking the pulp serials of Flash Gordon and Garth, to create a rich and enthralling universe of stories. The series ran in Look and Learn until its closure in April 1982.

Since 2020, collected editions of the classic The Rise and Fall of The Trigan Empire have been a major sales hit for Rebellion, which now cares for the largest archive of English language comic books in the world. Measuring 20.96cm by 27.62cm, these editions present Lawrence’s artwork as it was meant to be seen and introducing its thrilling and entrancing storytelling to a whole new audience

And now, this week's releases..

2000AD Prog 2461
Cover: Alex Ronald.

JUDGE DREDD // MESSENGERS by Ken Niemand (w) Nick Percival (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
DEAD TOWN by David Barnett (w) Luke Horsman (a) Simon Bowland (l)
BRASS SUN // PAVANE by Ian Edginton (w) INJ Culbard (a) Simon Bowland (l)
ROGUE TROOPER // GHOST PATROL by Alex de Campi (w) Neil Edwards (a) Matt Soffe (c) Jim Campbell (l)

The Spider's Syndicate of Crime vs. Spider-Boy by Jerry Siegel (w) Reg Bunn, John Burns (a)
Rebellion ISBN 978-183786560-4, 3 December 2025, 112pp, £16.99. Available via Amazon.

ALONG CAME A SPIDER-BOY!
The Spider is a sensational adventurer who operates on both sides of the law, using a whole host of hi-tech equipment to stay one step ahead of his enemies.
    When gangleader, 'Turk' Dobbs crossed Criminal scientist, Sylvester Jenkins, the evil genius had Dobbs killed and framed the Spider for the murder. Not long after, a new enemy - 'Spider-boy', emerged from the shadows, seemingly intent on causing trouble for the 'King of Crooks'. With access to his own super equipment and an unparalleled hatred for the web-master, the Spider has never encountered a foe like this before!

• 21 Nov. Mark Millar has teased a major SF/Millarworld crossover series coming to Netflix in 2026. Rich Johnston has some ideas.
• 19 Nov. Off Panel interviews Grant Morrison on his career in comics and Batman/Deadpool. "Morrison discusses the rekindled flame of writing comics, how they approach writing, the importance of new experiences, making yourself a laboratory, pushing the medium thinking visually, learning from collaborators, doing what feels right, why Batman/Deadpool was the move, how it came together, preferred flavors of themself, Dan Mora's greatness, the freedom of that project, the power of constraints, their approach to continuity, the joy of Batman/Deadpool, having a late career renaissance, deciding what's next, changing as the comic landscape does, the future of comics, and more." (video, 1h 5m) 
• ... more from Grant Morrison. "I have some new comics coming out next year, including a collaboration with comic book writer/director Etienne Kubwabo, a new Sebastian O story with Steve Yeowell and a couple of horror one-shots. I'm sure you'll hear more about them nearer the time."
• 14 Nov. There's a new Dan Dare project underway from B7 who are launching a Kickstarter for Dan Dare: First Contact by Alex de Campi and Marc Laming. “Alex and I are huge fans of Dan Dare from Frank Hampson and Frank Bellamy’s original stories of the 1950s and 60s, through to 2000AD’s more anarchic take on the character in late 70s. We are both extremely excited to bring Colonel Dare to a new audience.”
• 12 Nov. Freak Sugar has an interview with  Rob Williams in which he discusses Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Ghost Ships of Labrador. "I’ve been writing a fair bit of Judge Dredd of late. Myself and the amazing RM Guera (Scalped) have a Dredd GN out in February: Rend and Tear With Tooth & Claw. That contains two long-form Judge Dredd stories we did in the last couple of years. He’s a real master of an artist. And then in June next year another Judge Dredd GN is released by myself and Henry Flint And To The Sea Return which is a nautical horror that I suspect Hellboy fans would enjoy a lot."
• 10 Nov. Talking of V For Vendetta (below), HBO has announced a TV adaptation to be writen by Pete Jackson (Somewhere Boy, The Death of Bunny Munro). James Gunn and Peter Safran (the executive producers of the recent Superman and other projects) will produce for DC Comics and Ben Stephenson and Leanne Klein for Warner Bros' Wall to Wall Media.
• 5 Nov. The movie adaptation of Alan Moore and David Lloyd's V For Vendetta will be re-released to celebrate its 20th anniversary on 5 November 2026. "V For Vendetta is one of the best-loved comics adaptations of all time, and the rare R-rated comic book movie that got solid reviews and a strong box office."
• 4 Nov. Andreas Butzbach weilds a Big-Ass Sword at Rebellion. "Where I’m from, art was not perceived as something you can make a living from. When you are a kid it is fine, but later, people started to question the urge I had, and still have. The working class is not supposed to thrive in art and media. We are supposed to work in factories, workshops, or behind the counter."
• 1 Nov. John Freeman recalls Dan Dare's 'Mission to the Stars'. "The strip was the work of writer William Patterson, perhaps best known for his stories for Sydney Jordan’s “Jeff Hawke” strip, published in the Daily Express, and drawn by Don Harley, one of the great “Dan Dare” artists."
• 29 Oct. The return of Vertigo will also see the return of Grant Morrison's Sebastian O, re-teaming with Steve Yeowell. “I thought I’d take a swing at one of those late career renaissances I hear about!”
• 28 Oct.  Ian Edginton on the long-awaited return of 'Brass Sun'... and writers' blocks. "In a not so small nutshell, at the heart of the story is The Orrery, a fully functioning, life-sized clockwork solar system. A clutch of planets, moons and asteroids orbiting a vast, life-giving brass sun via immense metal spars. This once unified collection of worlds fell into war and has regressed into eccentric fiefdoms and petty baronies. Millenia later the sun is now winding down and the outer worlds are giving in to entropy and icing over with the rest to inevitably follow."
• 27 Oct. An interview with Al Davison, author of The Spiral Cage and his recent work, Muscle Memory. "The book covers some of the same ground as The Spiral Cage, but also addresses my surviving systematic physical/ritualistic childhood abuse at the hands of my father, which I couldn’t write about when my parents were still alive. It also looks at disability hate crime, something I continue to have to deal with on a daily basis, and the political landscape that has lead to a huge escalation in these crimes."
• 23 Oct. “Basically, I’m hoping to please both nostalgia fans and those who enjoy pop culture critique!” – Paul Cornell on the Bronze Age Avengers, his first Commando comic, and new publishing venture Cosmic Lighthouse.
• 17 Oct. More Grant Morrison as they were involved in an "ask me anything" session on Reddit to promote the Batman/Deadpool crossover.  Asked (for instance) about what their plans were for an Arkham Asylum sequel, Grant answers "I may still write it, so no details yet." One exchange worth highlighting (and Rich Johnston did just that) concerned Zenith and 2000AD: "I'd have preferred if they'd left Zenith alone, but they can't help themselves. Due to their own administrative error, I didn't sign away my rights to the series, but they've been unwilling to acknowledge my position or offer me even a minimal cut while doing everything they can to sneak Zenith stuff in behind my back. If they'd been smarter, I might have come back for a new Zenith story. I'm sure Rob Williams will do a decent job and I have no beef with him, but I find the whole thing a bit distasteful and prefer to have nothing to do with it…. There are legal issues with Zenith that make any return unlikely."

Comic Cuts — 28 November 2025

My self-imposed deadline of finishing the writing on the new book by the end of the month has come and will go over the weekend. I forgot how much I still need to re-read and the fact that the re-tooled Action ran for fifty issues, so that's 150 pages of tiny printed text for all of the longer-running strips (Spinball, Hellman, Lefty, Dredger, Hook Jaw). I have a suggestion for Rebellion, who are planning to reprint the first ten issues next year: Make 'em Apex Edition size so that old geezers like me can read the darn thing.

Other than not finishing it, I'm pleased with the way the book is coming together. Over the past few days I've had to take a look at everything from the history of punk rock to the plot of Lord of the Flies; eagle-eyed David Roach has also just added the name of another artist who contributed to the paper, one I recognise from his having worked with F. Solano Lopez's studio and as an assistant to Hugo Pratt.

Various disruptions (some welcome, some not so) have kept me busy in other areas than what I'm meant to be doing. Vistors on Saturday; a problem with storage on Sunday that involved a whole morning shuffling files between external hard drives; another morning spent researching the aforementioned Tibor Horvath (there isn't anything about him in English); an afternoon experimenting with AI text-to-sound programmes to help a friend "read" a book that he wouldn't otherwise be able to read; lugging a box of envelopes down to the post office to return them to a new supplier... they were meant to be like the envelopes that I send out my books, but these were incredibly flimsy and no better than a standard A4 envelope (the card was that flexible!). I've just put in an order with my previous supplier, and damn the expense.

Tuesday saw the funeral of my friend David Slinn. I learned a few things about David's background (he was a fiercely private man) and his love for—and career in—comics was a big part of the wonderful humanist ceremony his family organised. When something I had written about him was read out by the celebrant, some dust must have got in my eye as I'm usually pretty stoic. Unfortunately, I'm of an age where there will be more and more family funerals in my future.

Let's not end on a sad note. There's a good chance that I will be going to Glasgow in March for what's known as the Commando and British Comics Swapmeet, to be held at Cameron Halls, 147 Mossgiel Road G43 2BY. These swapmeets have been held in Stoke, Glasgow and Colchester for a couple of years now, and I've attended four (three in Colchester, one in Stoke) and I've always managed to do OK. So the offer of a ride to Glasgow seems too good to turn down. Hopefully it'll get some of my books in front of a new audience who might not have seen them before. 

I'd love to do more shows, but frankly the costs are too high. A table at most shows is five times (or more) the price and transport for me (I don't drive) is always going to be a problem; when I took books up to the London Paperback & Pulp Bookfare in March last year I knackered my arm and, eighteen months on, it's still less mobile and more painful to this day, but nowhere near as bad as it was last year.

OK, so I've just spent most of the afternoon looking into the work of Tibor Horvath and it looks like he was Solano Lopez's assistant on over 50 episodes of 'El Eternauta' in 1958-59. Amazing! Even after forty years of digging around in comics, I'm still stunned by how much there's still to learn.

Rebellion Releases — 26 November 2025

Keith Burns is one of the best aviation artists around, a member of the Guild of Aviation Artists, who’s been exhibited at the RAF Club in London, and won Aviation Painting of the year.

But comics run in his blood, particularly 2000 AD. His first published work came in 2006’s Strip Search volume organised by Hunt Emerson and John McCrea. Since then, he’s been busy, busy busy in comics, contributing to Garth Ennis and McCrea’s The Boys: Herogasm and other Boys-related comics, making a hell of a lot of Commando covers, and, of course, Keith and Garth have been working together to tell the definitive saga of classic Brit war hero Johnny Red over the years – with the final Johnny Red tale, A Couple of Heroes, out in January.

His wrapround Megazine cover is one that gives him a chance to really show off all that he’s great at. And it doesn’t stop there, as Keith’s doing the art for the Garth Ennis-written Judge Dredd strip this month, something playing to their love of all things war comics and aviation, in Judge Dredd: Rhinemann Seven. It’s Keith’s very first Megazine cover and his very first time doing Dredd, in a tale of a Messerschmitt pilot taking a very wrong turn and ending up in Mega-City One. It’s a follow-up to the one-off Dredd from Prog 446 in 1985, The Squadron That Time Forgot by Alan Grant, John Wagner, and Ron Smith, under a cover by Ian Kennedy, another great of war and aviation artwork…

... And you can continue reading about how the cover came to be in an interview with Keith by Richard Bruton & Pete Wells at the 2000AD website.

And now, this week's releases...

2000AD Prog 2460
Cover: Nick Percival.

JUDGE DREDD // MESSENGERS by Ken Niemand (w) Nick Percival (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
RED DRAGON by Rob Williams (w) Steve Yeowell & Patrick Goddard (a) Dylan Teague (c) Simon Bowland (l)
BRASS SUN // PAVANE by Ian Edginton (w) INJ Culbard (a) Simon Bowland (l)
ROGUE TROOPER // GHOST PATROL by Alex de Campi (w) Neil Edwards (a) Matt Soffe (c) Jim Campbell (l)

Judge Dredd by Carlos Ezquerra Apex Edition
Rebellion ISBN, 26 November 2025, 128pp, £95.00. 

Carlos Ezquerra was one of 2000 AD’s great pioneers. He co-created Judge Dredd, cementing the look of one the most enduring characters in the history of comics. This collection presents his work to the reader in its true size, newly scanned from the original artwork, showcasing the work of a master in all its glory.
    This Apex volume contains seven complete stories in colour (‘Behold the Beast’, ‘The Big Itch’, ‘It’s Happening on Line 9’, ‘The Other Slab Tynan’, ‘The Big Bang Theory’, ‘Tarantula’, and ‘John Brown’s Body’) from the Judge Dredd Annuals published in the 1980s, when Ezquerra was at the peak of his powers, and more Judge Dredd classics, as well as several of his early Strontium Dog pages.

Comic Cuts — 21 November 2025

I've had a somewhat chaotic week processing orders—thankfully there are lots of names I remember from previous orders, which makes me think the first three books must have been OK; there's nothing quite like a returning customer to gladden the heart!

I'm also trying to get on with the next one, as I have a deadline to hit. I finished writing notes on some of the latter-day stories and I'm now re-reading the whole thing from the beginning so that I can try to match the tone of the early parts, the level of detail, make sure I'm not repeating myself, filling in a couple of places where I'd left myself notes, etc., etc. I need to do this because some of the book was written five years ago, when I was looking at the 45th anniversary. Then my money ran out. 

In a way that has worked to the book's advantage, as I'm now aiming for the 50th anniversary, which means—working backwards—I need to be getting proofs in January, designing the book in December and finishing the writing in November. So things are a little tight, especially as I like to take a few days off around Christmas.

I don't want to sound smug, but I'm going to... I have all my Christmas presents and cards sorted out already, as I was ordering things in such a way that I benefited from free postage each time. It also helps that everyone gets books from me (not written by me, I hasten to add), so I find it quite easy to shop for people. I find that "What book do you want" helps focus people who might need to think forever if the question is "What do you want". 

I, too, like to receive books. I'll sometimes pick a reference book that I might not otherwise buy, but my wants list this year has been all fiction. I won't say what. I'll save that for my new TikTok channel and my latest #bookhaul video. See, I can talk like the young people.

One of the reasons I go for books is that if I need something, it often can't wait, so I go out and buy it. So my new toy this week is a wireless microphone. During the recording of my last couple of videos, I noticed that my old microphone was recording very poorly on one of the stereo channels, and doing the microphone equivalent of "turning it off and on again"—i.e. taking the wire out of the microphone and then putting it back in—didn't improve matters. It's an old microphone that I bought twenty years ago second hand, so I have no idea how old it actually is.

The new microphone is small, you clip it onto your clothing, it connects up to a receiver and that plugs into my laptop; I then record using my usual audio programme, GoldWave. I've only tried it once, but it seemed to work OK. 

I had hoped to be able to use it out of the office, but have run into a technical problem... my phone is too old. And not too smart, I'll add. It doesn't have the right kind of socket for me to plug in the receiver. Curses! My plans are foiled again by my natural thriftiness and sticking to outdated technology until it stops working.

Too late to ask for a new phone for Christmas. Maybe next year.

Commando 5907-5910

The next set of Commando issues 5907-5910 go on sale from today, Thursday, 20th November 2025 — action abundant with tanks, rifles, historic swords and the return of Cadman The Fighting Coward!

5907: Charlie’s Tank

Corporal Charlie Shaw was in the thick of it when tanks rolled into battle during the First World War. As one of the drivers of a Mark IV Male tank, he was certain nothing could stop them taking Bourlon Ridge! 
But the tanks weren’t invulnerable — and soon Charlie found himself and his tank captured by the Germans!
    Well, Sergeant Joe Shaw wasn’t about to stand around and let them capture his younger brother and his tank — even if it meant deserting his trench and rushing headlong at  the Germans to stop them!

Story: Julian Michael Carver
Art: Jaume Forns 
Cover: Neil Roberts

5908: The Rifleman

Danny Willis was the best shot in the regiment. In fact, the NCOs who had trained him said he was the best shot in the entire British Army.
    When he got to the front and found himself with fighting men at last, he was all ready to show them just what he could do. But he soon discovered there was a heck of a difference between a rifle range in England and a trench in the front line in Italy.

Story: E. Hebden
Art: V. Fuente
Cover: Penalva
First published 1971 as No. 592

5909: Cadman: Born to Lead

Lieutenant Gerald Cadman, the fighting coward, once again finds himself precisely where he does not want to be — on the front lines! The arrival of the heroic and aristocratic Captain Blickley-Phipps, however, gives Cadman an idea for how to improve his station.
    But for Private Tom Smith, something doesn’t seem right about Blickley-Phipps. Ruthless in his quest for glory, the captain will gladly sacrifice his own men for victory. Even Scruff the dog can smell an impending disaster, but Cadman may be too distracted to find a way out this time!

Story: Andrew Knighton
Art: Mike Dorey
Cover: Mike Dorey

5910: Two of The Bravest

These were two swords with a history. One belonged to a fearless Arab leader, the other to a heroic Foreign Legion officer. Many years ago, they had clashed as their owners fought a respected foe.
    Now, as the desert wastes were engulfed by the Second World War, these two fine blades were destined to clash again.

Story: CG Walker
Art: Carrion
Cover: Ian Kennedy
First published 1984 as No. 1834

Rebellion Releases — 19 November 2025

Rebellion's new trilogy of Definitive Editions concludes next year, as they celebrate one of 2000 AD’s most enduring and loved characters – Sláine!

Sláine Mac Roth of the Sessair tribe is known as the Warped Warrior – a mighty barbarian who can master the ‘warp-spasm’, harnessing the power of the Earth to transform into a monstrous creature. Accompanied by his dwarf sidekick, Ukko, and wielding his legendary axe Brain-biter, he travels Tir-Nan-Og, a land marred by warring tribes and ruled by merciless gods.

Tir-Nan-Og (the ‘Land of the Young’) is a violent world, home to warring tribes who worship gods both benign and malevolent. One such tribe is the Sessair, brave warriors of enormous skill and the best of them is a young barbarian named Sláine Mac Roth. Sláine is, among other things, a master of the ‘warp-spasm’ channelling the mystical power of the Earth through his body to become a mighty, monstrous berserker!

Created by Pat Mills and Angie Kincaid, Sláine: The Definitive Edition collects the complete series in order, and includes original covers from the full run. This reimagining of Celtic mythology mixed with sword-and-sorcery tropes stood out in the predominantly science fiction anthology 2000 AD, and it proved to be a testing ground for many acclaimed artists.

In this third volume, the Celtic hero continues his arduous journey across Tir-Nan-Og, accompanied by his sidekick Ukko, and faces a slew of mighty warriors, vengeful gods, and legendary beasts in his quest to return to his tribe and claim his rightful place as king. 

This seminal epic by Pat Mills features the artwork of David Lloyd (V for Vendetta), Glenn Fabry (Hellblazer, Preacher), and Mike Collins (American Gothic) as the barbarian ascends to the throne he was deemed unworthy of ever claiming! With the publication of this third volume, readers can now collect every Sláine story up in new hardback editions right up to the classic The Horned God storyline!

Available in standard paperback or as a limited embossed hardcover edition, volume 3 of the trilogy will be available from the 2000 AD webshop and comic shops through Diamond and Lunar.

The Definitive Sláine Volume 3 is available for pre-order now, and will be on shelves May 2026!

And now, this week's releases..

2000AD Prog 2459
Cover: Cliff Robinson, with Dylan Teague.

JUDGE DREDD // AND TO THE SEA RETURN by Rob Williams (w) Henry Flint (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
RED DRAGON by Rob Williams (w) Steve Yeowell & Patrick Goddard (a) Dylan Teague (c) Simon Bowland (l)
VOID RUNNERS // BOOK TWO by David Hine (w) Boo Cook (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
BRASS SUN // PAVANE by Ian Edginton (w) INJ Culbard (a) Simon Bowland (l)
ROGUE TROOPER // GHOST PATROL by Alex de Campi (w) Neil Edwards (a) Matt Soffe (c) Jim Campbell (l)

Judge Dredd Megazine #486
Cover: Keith Burns.

JUDGE DREDD // RHINEMANN SEVEN by Garth Ennis (w) Keith Burns (a) Jason Wordie (c) Rob Steen (l)
MEGATROPOLIS II by Ken Niemand (w) Dave Taylor (a) Jim Campbell (l)
ARMITAGE // DROKK THE RIPPER by Liam Johnson (w) Staz Johnson (a) Quinton Winter (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
ANDERSON, PSI-DIV by Alec Worley (w) Ben Willsher (a) Simon Bowland (l)
ROK THE GOD by John Wagner & Alan Grant (w) Dan Cornwell (a) Jim Boswell (c) Jim Campbell (l)
DREADNOUGHTS // QUALIFIED IMMUNITY by Mike Carroll (w) John Higgins (a) Sally Hurst (c) Simon Bowland (l)

The 2000AD Art of Sean Phillips
Rebellion ISBN 978-183786529-1, 19 November 2025, 272pp, £34.99. Available via Amazon.

In a career that has so far spanned more than 30 years, Sean Phillips has received awards and acclaim at every turn. But before his stand-out career in the US, Sean did some of his earliest work for 2000 AD - The Galaxy's Greatest Comic and its sister publication the Judge Dredd Megazine.
    This collection forms a retrospective of Phillips' work for 2000 AD and shows how his art evolved from the fully painted work and collage of the early 1990s, to the familiar style he employs on hit books today.

2000AD Definitive Edition: Nemesis the Warlock Volume 4 by Pat Mills (w), David Roach, John Hicklenton, Carl Critchlow (a)
Rebellion ISBN 978-183786565-9, 19 November 2025, 192pp, £24.99. Available via Amazon.

In the penultimate volume in the Definitive Nemesis the Warlock series, the cosmic conflict between Nemesis and Torquemada continues to unfold across the history of time and space. Chasing after the dangerous Thoth, Nemesis, Purity and Torquemada race backwards through time to try and claim him first. But time-travel has consequences for the whole of reality, and Thoth's presence causes ruptures which threaten existence itself!
    Written by Pat Mills, this mind-bending volume of Definitive Nemesis features art by John Hicklenton (Heavy Metal Dredd), Carl Critchlow (Batman/Judge Dredd), and David Roach (Star Wars, Aliens).

A Comic Cuts Special — 15 November 2025

 The launch day video... only one day late!

Comic Cuts — 14 November 2025

I usually try to do a little video Comic Cuts whenever I release a book, but the sun and the sky have conspired against me. Yes, the weather is too nice! 

When I moved into the living room from my old (ex-garage) office—it had no insulation, so winters were bitterly cold; also, the concrete floors were better for taking the weight of so many books and magazines—I hadn't anticipated the problem of sunshine. I'm right next to the French windows, which is fantastic during the summer, but a nightmare if I'm trying to use the laptop to shoot a little video. The curtains to my right are so thin they can't stop even a photon, and there's a door to my left that's little more than a window that the sunlight streams through.

I tried filming this (Thursday) morning, as there was plenty of cloud cover, yet it was still too bright. Even with the curtains shut, I knew I was fighting a losing battle. That left me with a choice: option A is to relocate to the middle of the room (which I've done before); unfortunately that would involve clearing the dining table and shifting a load of boxes, so it's not my preferred option. Option B is to wait until this afternoon and let the sun move to the other side of the house and see if I race against time to edit the video down before I collapse into bed. There's also an Option C, which is to film it this afternoon and finish the edit tomorrow (Friday) and put it up when I can.

Hence me writing this on Thursday morning as a back-up just in case the video is unusable or just late. I'm happy to make the announcement, but the video will be nice so that you can actually see what I'm nattering on about. [Thursday night update: I'm partway through the edit, so it'll be tomorrow or Saturday before I post the video, depending on what crops up work-wise tomorrow.]

So, I've been busy: MYTEK THE MIGHTY Volume 4 is ready to go. As a few of you will know, I did all four of the books earlier this year so that I could get them out on a regular schedule, with the first two released in July, the third in September and the fourth in November. During the interim I've been working on another book, THE AIR ACE PICTURE LIBRARY COMPANION, which revamps and vastly expands one element of the now out of print book THE WAR LIBRARIES. 

If you're thinking "Well, I've got the War Libraries book, so I won't need this new one," think again. The only element from the old book (the list of titles) takes up 12 pages of the new book, and even that has been revised with whatever new information that has been unearthed since the earlier book was written twenty years ago. Everything else is new, including two introductions, a dozen biographies of important creators who worked on the library, and an artist and author index for the first time, with brief biographies of everyone we know to have written and drawn on AIR ACE. 

And it's in full colour, which is handy because it features a lot of original cover artwork by the likes of Georgio De Garpari, Nino Caroselli, Pino Dell'Orco, Alessandro Biffignandi, and not forgetting the Brits: Graham Coton, Alan Willow and Ian Kennedy.

The MYTEK THE MIGHTY book this time around features half a dozen stories rather than the long yarn that featured in volume 3. There's an introduction about artist Bill Lacey and almost 200 pages of his fantastic artwork. It's worth noting that MYTEK is still going: there was a story in the Smash! Special a couple of years back, and that's continued in this year's Treasury of British Comics Annual 2026. There's juice in the old robot yet! 

Release info. I will start taking orders today and I'm offering discounts on both that will be available for the next two weeks, after which the books will be available on my Ebay store or directly at full price.

Rebellion Releases — 12 November 2025

“I am very excited about this!” Pat Mills, Sláine co-creator.

Join professional storyteller Jason Buck for ‘Sláine: The Horned God’: a tale of ancient Celtic heroes and villains, monsters and magic, dragons and demons, and goddesses and gods. Set in a “time which is not a time” when Britain was rife with magic and mischief, this show brings together the epic heroic exploits and divine transformation of the one who would be High King of the Tribes of the Earth Goddess, reimagining ancient mythologies, and brought to life through traditional storytelling, for modern audiences.

In partnership with 2000 AD and Rebellion, the show will tour across the UK, with additional dates to be added. Created by Pat Mills ‘the godfather of British comics’ and Angie Kincaid, Sláine has captured the imagination of comics readers for generations.

Ages: Adult and teen (12+), not suitable for children.

“My friends and I saw Jason and I was absolutely blown away. It was my first time at one of his events and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I can’t recommend these events enough.” Erika, Warwickshire

“Jason Buck is a man made of myth, magic and mead. His stories are filled with adventure, his beard is full of unexpected twists and his tankard filled with a poet’s brew. Sit around the fire and listen to his tales – you won’t be disappointed.” Abbie, Strange Times Storytelling Club

DATES AND TICKETS

January

• 15th January: Burton Tayor, Oxford: BUY TICKETS
• 20th January: Temperance Café Bar, Leamington: BUY TICKETS
• 22nd January: Glastonbury Assembly Rooms BUY TICKETS

February

• 9th February: The Hop Sun Tap (Microbrewery), Haywards Heath BUY TICKETS
• 16th February: Cafe #9, Sheffield: BUY TICKETS
• 18th February: Micklethwait Social – Jorvik Viking Festival Fringe BUY TICKETS
• 20th February: Butser Ancient Farm, Hampshire: BUY TICKETS
• 21st February: Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Shropshire: BUY TICKETS

March

• 5th March: Merlin’s Cafe Bar, Birmingham: BUY TICKETS
• 20th March: The Pit at Newstead (Notts): BUY TICKETS
• 22nd March: Digital Screening! BUY TICKETS

And now, this week's releases...

2000AD Prog 2458
Cover: INJ Culbard.

JUDGE DREDD // AND TO THE SEA RETURN by Rob Williams (w) Henry Flint (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
RED DRAGON by Rob Williams (w) Steve Yeowell & Patrick Goddard (a) Dylan Teague (c) Simon Bowland (l)
VOID RUNNERS // BOOK TWO by David Hine (w) Boo Cook (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
BRASS SUN // PAVANE by Ian Edginton (w) INJ Culbard (a) Simon Bowland (l)
ROGUE TROOPER // GHOST PATROL by Alex de Campi (w) Neil Edwards (a) Matt Soffe (c) Jim Campbell (l)

The 2000AD Annual 2026 by Rob Williams, T.C. Eglington, Maura McHugh, Gordon Rennie, Steve Dillon, Jim Alexander, Chris Smith, Hayden Nash, Garth Ennis, Alex de Campi (w) Joe Currie, Staz Johnson, Colin MacNeil, Steve Dillon, John Hicklenton, Glenn Fabry, Martin Emond, Silvia Califano (a)
Rebellion ISBN, 12 November 2025, 112pp, £25.00. Available on Kindle via Amazon.

The 2000 AD Annual returns just in time for 2000 AD's 49th year!
    This celebratory Annual contains several all-new stories, featuring Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and PSI, Anderson. The book also contains a few 2000 AD classics from the thrill-archive which have never been reprinted before.
    The creative line-up bringing their talents to this tome include Rob Williams, Maura McHugh, Joe Currie, T.C. Eglington, Staz Johnson, Crom, Jake Lynch and more!

The Treasury of British Comics Annual 2026 by Stephen Brotherstone & Dave Lawrence, Ned Hartley, David Roach, Suyi Davis Okungbowa, Willie Paterson, Tom Tully, Chris Lowder, James Tomlinson, Peter Milligan, Keith Richardson (w) Henrik Sahlstrom, Steve White, David Roach, Edison Neo, Eric Bradbury, Francisco Fuentes Man, Ken Reid, Frank Langford, Ian Kennedy, Josep Gual, Martin Baxendale, Horatio Altuna, Jesus Reondo, Solano Lopez, Carlos Cruz, Juan Arancio, Marvyn Johnston, Vanyo, Bratt Parson (a)
Rebellion ISBN, 12 November 2025, 112pp, £25.00. Available on Kindle via Amazon.

It's three times the charm as the Treasury of British Comics returns with a third, action-packed Annual!
    This year we have a carefully curated collection of thrilling, diverse strips from a variety of classiic British comics titles, including Jag, Smash!, Wildcat, Wham!, Valiant, Misty, and Whizzer & Chips, amongst others.
    There are also four all-new stories, featuring Spellbinder, Helmet Head, Mytek The Mighty and Gums!

Comic Papers by Small Publishers 1945-1950

I was complaining only last week that I could do with four pairs of hands to cope with the workload I have and to speed up the number of publications Bear Alley Books can manage each year. And as the words left my mouth, a new book by Alan Clark dropped onto the doormat. The 17th book from Half Holiday Publishing in the 4¾ years since February 2021. That's one every 3-4 months. The rest of us should hang our heads in shame.

Comic Papers by Small Publishers 1945-1950 is right up my (Bear) alley, as it covers some of the minor publishers that I've written about in the past. The major publishers (Amalgamated Press and DC Thomson) had been forced to reduce their output, with surviving comics being published fortnightly; newsprint was rationed and books were delayed as publishers sought paper. Imports of magazines and books from abroad were made impossible because the government had imposed a tax to help with paying off the war loan

A few enterprising newcomers realised that this left a gap in the market; pulps, paperbacks and comics imported from American had been sold cheaply in the UK, and if paper could be found, almost anything would sell to an entertainment-starved public. Gangster novels by Darcy Glinto, Ben Sarto and Hank Janson led the way and comics soon followed, printed on whatever paper became available—even the grease proof paper used to wrap margarine.

Some of these 'minor' publishers became quite large: Philipp Marx later produced puzzles as well as books for the very young; Scion published hundreds of comics and novels; and Hamilton & Co. went on to become Panther Books. Others lasted only a few years, or a few issues, before they disappeared. There was a lively provincial publishing scene for a while, in Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, and elsewhere with names like Cartoon Art and Hotspur Publishing. If you could find paper (and didn't mind what you printed on), some small distributors became quite extensive publishers: Gerald G Swan and A Soloway, to name two.

Anyone who has read one of Alan's earlier books will know the format: loads of colourful pictures interspersed with little biographical sketches of some of the many artists who filled the pages of these comics. I'm always amazed how Alan has managed to gather together such an astounding range of photos of these creators. There are dozens of titles covered that are likely to be new even to collectors who have dipped their toes into collecting these post-war independent comics. 

Comic Papers by Small Publishers 1945-1950 by Alan Clark.
Half Holiday Publications [no ISBN], (Nov) 2025, 326pp, £40. Available via Ebay.

Comic Cuts — 7 November 2025

I spent longer than I anticipated on last week's video, and it was only by the skin of my teeth that I managed to post it Thursday night, in time for Friday's regular Comic Cuts column. I thought I'd start putting part two together a bit earlier this week, only to discover that the scans I thought I had a good run of were incomplete. Thankfully, the ever-helpful community of comic collectors came to my rescue (a big THANK YOU to Dave Hayward) and you'll see the results above.

I should also add that those issues helped solve a little mystery and confirm that there was a small error in the Lion: King of Picture Story Papers book where, on page 129, I say that Joe Colquhoun was the artist on Paddy Payne except for Gino D'Antonio between 24-10 and 21-11-59. That should be 28-11. Gino did six issues, not five. It's always good to make sure these little errors are corrected.

While I was waiting to finish off the video, I cracked on with the Action Index, which is now mostly written. I've still to tidy up the details on the second run of the title, but I've now re-read almost all the stories (I'm halfway through '"Jinx" Jackson', which is the last series I need to read). Next up, I'll be going through issue-by-issue to see if there were any interesting features that need to be mentioned. Then I've got to go through the whole thing from word one to make sure it all makes sense. It'll be interesting to see what I wrote, as I started this five years ago and I've slept since then.

I've now had the contract for MYTEK THE MIGHTY Volume 4, so I'll be gearing production on that title next week, alongside the AIR ACE PICTURE LIBRARY COMPANION, which I'm now waiting on. They could be on sale as early as next week if I risk having them sent directly again. I'm tempted, as it means I can offer a discount for everyone who picks up the book(s) ahead of Christmas. Yes, Christmas. Apologies if this comes as a shock, but we're only six, seven (geddit?) weeks away from Christmas Day.

Question is, what should I do for the Bear Alley Christmas Party, and will I let myself go to the pub for lunch, or will I force myself to work through until Christmas Eve? Never work for yourself is my advice: the hours are good but the individual minutes can be grueling.