Rebellion, who have been publishing 2000AD for the past seven or eight years, have announced some changes to the spin-off titles. The all-reprint 2000AD Extreme Edition comes to an end with issue 30 and, as of issue 275, Judge Dredd Megazine takes a price hike to £4.99 and each new issue will have a reprint collection bagged with the title. The first title is 'Judge Dredd: The Jock Collection', to be followed by reprints of 'Snow/Tiger', 'Dredd: Lawcon', 'Armitage: Flashback', 'Pussyfoot Five', a John Burns Dredd collection and 'Son of Mean Machine'.These aren't truly "graphic novels" as they're 64 pages and stapled, but they're being produced at the same size as recent Rebellion GN reprints and should sit nicely alongside them on your shelf.
There's a big argument going on at the 2000ADonline forum about the move, with many people bemoaning the price rise, many complaining that, whilst they had a choice to buy or not buy the Extreme Edition on an issue-by-issue basis, the bagging of collections with the Megazine gives them no choice, whether they want the story or not.
The other big news for that issue of the Megazine is that it marks the return of Tank Girl to UK comics. The new series by Alan C. Martin & Rufus Dayglo, the new series is called 'Tank Girl: Skidmarks'. Incidentally, there's a new official Tank Girl website under construction, due to open "this summer".Other new stories beginning in that issue include a new Dredd serial, 'Ratfink', by John Wagner & Peter Doherty, Psi-Judge Anderson in 'WiiERD' by Alan Grant & Boo Cook; 'Black Atlantic: Rig' by Dan Abnett & Steve Roberts; plus the usual interviews and reviews. Enough new material for the price tag? We shall see.
(* Tank Girl: Skidmarks © Alan C. Martin & Rufus Dayglo.)
History teaches us that if you back your readers into a corner,they will bite you in the proverbial ass!Complacency is the first step towards oblivion!Never be under the illusion that readers will follow blindly no matter what decisions you take,editorial or otherwise.Just look at the litany of defunct titles down through the years.Keep up or get out.Readers are very discerning and they will swiftly move their money elsewhere if things don't look well!
ReplyDeleteI actually preferred the bigger 'meg of 2004/5, however it was "nice" for this change to be announced in the preceding issue... (well if it was it can't have been too obvious as i didnt see it!). All we need is the return of the "British Icons" articles (they never did do Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, Dennis The Menace...) and some text stories thrown in every few issues and all will be well
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