The Story of Father Christmas part 1

(* The Story of Father Christmas © Look and Learn Ltd. Reprinted by permission.)

Comic Cuts — 23 December 2021

I'll keep this short 'n' sweet because you're going to be busy today and tomorrow and the last thing you need is me rabbiting on. So this week I've spent a couple of days wrangling scans of a strip that will be appearing in a Spanish reprint of 'Patty's World'. Patty was hugely successful here in the UK, running for seventeen years in the pages of Princess Tina, Pink & Mates and, finally, in the revival of Girl.

Even then it wasn't finished, and the strip continued in Spain under the name 'Esther'. It was drawn throughout by the wonderful Purita Campos and written (at least at first) by Philip Douglas. It remains one of the highlights of British comics and it is still hugely popular in Spain. Sadly, the lack of collections from Fleetway/IPC/etc. over the years means that it is nowadays a bit of a distant memory as far as fans are concerned (Mel remembers reading the strip when she was a kid in the early Eighties, so in the pages of Girl). It's over thirty years since the strip folded... just think what sort of industry we might have had if we'd developed the same album/collection culture they had in Europe, keeping older strips alive and available for new generations to enjoy.

(Don't take this as a knock against Rebellion, who are doing a good job of bringing back some of the old characters and gathering old strips into nice hardback albums. I just wish their predecessors had gotten around to it forty years ago.)

Talking about work that isn't getting on with the history of Action, I received a couple of books this week that I had a small hand in. One is unusual for me, a collection of poems by David F. Cheshire. I became involved through the book's editor, John Ashbrook, a friend of many years, and David's daughter, Ellen, who wrote some bits 'n' bobs for me when I was editing at Trinity Mirror.

I did some typesetting, but the rest is down to John and the results are a lovely little hardback with a nice expressive dust jacket. I'm not sure if it is generally available — if it is, I'll post a link in a future CC column.

The other book is Hank Janson Under Cover, put together with loving care by Stephen James Walker. My involvement was to scan a bunch of Heade images, which means that the early Janson covers are, for the most part, the best images available. And there are a few scarcities amongst them. I'll do a proper review when I get a chance, but in the meantime, I'll just say that this covers the whole Janson saga, all the way through his Compact days, and also covers foreign reprints from across Europe and Scandinavia, so there is an astonishing array of styles on show, even a couple of Robert Maguires on the US editions. You can buy it here.

Well, that's me done for the year. My plans for January are to get this Action history finished and get the pages designed. I've mentioned in private to a couple of people that the reason BAM! has been delayed so long is that I wasn't happy with the content. I was putting together a magazine aimed at an audience of one — me! And nice tho' it is to wallow in older strips, I wanted something that wasn't over fifty years old and that had a significant impact on British comics. Hence Action, which I have been wanting to write about for years. I'll build the rest of the magazine around that, but it will include a long piece on John M. Burns and various other articles by me and others. I already have parts of issue two and three written, so hopefully, once I can get to grips with doing the layouts and whatnots, I won't get into the same merry-go-round where time just runs away from me. Believe me, I can easily lose a whole day to an unforeseen problem... as has happened today. I meant to have this written and posted this morning, but the day got off to a bad start (Mel slipped in the bathroom and broke a tooth) and that put paid to doing anything before lunch (she's fine: one visit to the emergency dentist later, the tooth is temporarily restored and will be replaced in the new year). That and Wednesday's slight cooking mishap (my latest banana bread turned into a solid brick after I left it in the oven too long) has meant I'm playing catch-up: I haven't reviewed the stuff I wanted to review; haven't caught up with e-mails as I had planned; haven't read the paper or listened to the daily podcasts I usually listen to.

So, a typical day in the Holland & Hyland household. Merry Christmas, everybody. I'll see you on the other side once I've had some festive cheer, fed my family with too much food, settled down with (or passed out because of) a nice drink (I seem to have ended up with a bottle of very strong vodka) and watched a load of TV that has tinsel all over it. Stay safe.

Commando 5499-5502

Four new Commandos incoming! Heroes find themselves under siege and villains under fire, as luck keeps life and limb together in another four stonking adventures! Issues 5499-5502 are out this Thursday.

5499: Ramsey’s Raiders: The Castle

The Raiders are back for another adventure — and this time under siege! Teamed up with a hot-headed Commando unit and holed up in a gothic castle, the rag-tag team of heroes are outgunned and outnumbered by wave after wave of enemy soldiers. However, the real problem may come from the enemy within… and only some cool, calm and collected teamwork might be able to save the mission!

Another rollicking adventure from Ferg Handley with lively interiors from Carlos Pino and another striking cover from veteran artist Ian Kennedy.

Story | Ferg Handley
Art | Carlos Pino
Cover | Ian Kennedy

5500: Honk Kong Hooky

For our five-thousand-five-hundredth issue, Commando visits Hong Kong, as Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander “Hooky” Jackson defends invasion with a paltry group of military scruffs, fresh from the glass-house and ready for a fight! But as one man’s deviousness might hand the region over to the Japanese, can Hooky turn him around and continue to fight the good fight?

An action-packed Commando classic from Newark with dynamic artwork from J Fuente and one of the most iconic Commando covers from Ken Barr!

Story | Newark
Art | J Fuente
Cover | Ken Barr
Originally Commando No. 245 (1967).

5501: Knock of the Gestapo

A sinister tale of three devious SS officials with a taste for the finer things in life. As these Nazi rats arrange to escape the sinking ship that is the Third Reich, an unexpected visitor comes knocking. What could connect these three guilty parties? And will they pay for their crimes against the Reich or the people they oppress?

An intriguing and ominous story from Colin Maxwell with dramatic artwork from Vicente Alcazar and an arresting cover from Neil Roberts.

Story | Colin Maxwell
Art | Vicente Alcazar
Cover | Neil Roberts

5502: Who Needs Luck?

Pilot Officer Sid Carter flies the renowned Beaufighter on raids over the jungle — a job requiring courage and skill. But Carter lacks faith in himself and insists that luck is all that keeps him and his fellow airborne heroes together — and he’ll need more of it if he’s going to survive this war!

Story | Staff
Art | Jose Maria Jorge
Cover | Ian Kennedy
Originally Commando No. 1757 (1983).

Comic Cuts — 17 December 2021

Could that be a glimmer of light I see at the end of the tunnel? After a couple of weeks writing about individual artists who worked on Action, I've managed to get back to the main narrative and I'm taking a break from re-reading 'Kids Rule OK' to write this. The intention at the moment is to end part one with the closure of the first run of Action, with part two looking into the reasons why that happened and how the paper was retooled by hands other than those of Pat Mills to make it more acceptable to retailers.

Doodling around on Wednesday while I was talking to my Mum on the phone, I found that the main narrative to this point runs to 25,000 words, so you can see I've gone into it quite deeply. For comparison, the Countdown/TV Action book had 40,000 words of introduction, and that, along with the indexes, became of 200 page book. I'm still trying to figure out where to fit in the artists essays—maybe run them with part two or as a piece in a later issue... I won't know how much space I have until I start laying out the main article, which I will be starting on early next year if all goes well.

I was very pleased to get back to the bigger story because I'd had a nagging voice in the back of my brain telling me that I shouldn't have taken time out to write other stuff. You lose momentum and all the details you're storing in your brain start to fade away; the worry is that you come back and have to relearn everything from scratch before you can pick up all the threads. Thankfully, I had left myself in a position where, on Monday morning, I was able to get straight back in to where I had left off back in November and start writing (about Hell's Highway).

The only frustration is that so many of the participants have disappeared without there being any interviews to fall back on. Anyone who has read my histories of comics will know I try to write from first hand account wherever I can — hence all the transcribing of interviews a few months ago before I even wrote a sentence. Quite a few of the people involved I've spoken to, but there are still gaps, the biggest of which is John Smith, who was editing Action when it was pulled. He has been the fall guy for 45 years, and it would be fascinating to get his side of the story. I have a couple of ideas about why the axe came down on Action when it did; I'm not going to go into it here but something significant happened the day after it was axed that may have made defending the comic further impossible.

Having just now read the opening episode of Kids Rule O.K., I'm worried about how prescient it was. I've used the opening two pages as a header, and no doubt your eyes were drawn immediately to the violent affray on page two. But if you read the Prologue, its a description of what happened in 1986:

Eeeek! If only Jack Adrian had the status of David Attenborough, we might have done something about this twenty years before An Inconvenient Truth (2006) and Frozen Planet (2009) made climate change a talking point and thirty years before The Blue Planet II (2017) made everyone aware of how pollution was destroying the planet.

Let's see what else Jack's crystal ball predicted...

Aaaaaggghhhh!

Rebellion Releases — 15 December 2021

2000AD Prog 2262
Cover: Toby Willsmer.

Judge Dredd: Trinity by Ken Niemand (w) Richard Elson (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
The Fall Of Deadworld: Jessica by Kek-w
(w) Dave Kendall (a) Jim Campbell (l)
Interview: Doug Church by Karl Stock
Kingmaker: Falls The Shadow by Ian Edginton (w) Leigh Gallagher (a) Jim Campbell (l)
Dexter: Bulletopia by Dan Abnett (w) Tazio Bettin (a) Matt Soffe (c) Simon Bowland (l)
The Order: Fantastic Voyage by Kek-W (w) John Burns (a) Simon Bowland (l)
Tales From Mega-city One: Christmas Comes To Devil's Island by Karl Stock (w) James Newell (a) John Charles (c) Annie Parkehouse (l)
The Out: Book Two by Dan Abnett (w) Mark Harrison (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Proteus Vex: Desire Paths by Mike Carroll (w) Jake Lynch (a) Jim Boswell (c) Simon Bowland (l)

Judge Dredd Megazine 439
Cover: Lee Carter.

Judge Dredd: Saviour by Ken Niemand (w) Steven Austin (a) Matt Soffe (c) Annie Parkhouse
Death Cap by TC Eglington (w) Boo Cook (a) Simon Bowland (l)
Diamond Dogs III by James Peaty (w) Warren Please (a) Simon Bowland (l)
Fiction - Lenny Zero: Isolation by Andy Diggle
Interview: Colin Wyatt by Karl Stock
New books: SK Moore by Stephen Jewell
Lawless: Ballots Over Badrock by Dan Abnett (w), Phil Windslade (a) Jim Campbell (l)
Surfer by John Wagner (w) Colin MacNeil (a) Chris Blythe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Bagged graphic novel: Judge Dredd: Christmas is Cancelled

2000AD Covers Uncovered Annual 2021
Rebellion ISBN 978-178618677-5, 15 December 2021, 132pp, £9.99.

The secrets behind the greatest comic book covers in the galaxy – revealed in a brand new annual! Every week, 2000 AD Covers Uncovered takes readers of the 2000 AD website behind-the-scenes on the covers of both 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine. From idea to pencils, from inks to colours, 2000 AD Covers Uncovered reveals the processes behind the jaw-dropping, genre-defining art that graces the covers of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comics! For the first time, this new annual collects the artwork for every 2000 AD and Megazine cover from a single year in a square-bound bookazine format. Each cover is presented without logos and cover furniture, allowing readers to savour each image in all its glory. Alongside, step-by-step images such as wireframes, pencils, inks, and inspiration are presented alongside commentary from the artists themselves, providing fascinating detail about the process behind their covers Written and curated by blogger Richard Bruton, the 2000 AD Covers Uncovered Annual 2021 is not only an enthralling collection of stellar art but also an indispensable insight into the artistic process.
    Art by: Cliff Robinson, Neil Roberts, Mark Montague, Ben Willsher, Will Simpson, Dan Cornwell, Simon Fraser, Patrick Goddard, John Higgins, Nick Roche, PJ Holden, Brendan McCarthy, Simon Davis, Nick Percival, John McCrea, Tom Foster, Mike Collins, Richard Elson, Leonardo Manco, Dave Taylor, Dermot Power, Pye Parr, Neil Googe, Dylan Teague, Dave Kendall, Stewart K. Moore, Toby Willsmer, Clint Langley, Luke Preece, Mark Harrison, Alex Ronald, Paul Marshall, Paul Williams, Mick McMahon, D’Israeli, Colin MacNeil, Tazio Bettin, Chris Weston, Lee Carter and Neil Roberts.
    Print edition available via 2000AD Webshop.

Rebellion's Graphic Novel Schedule for 2022

Four and a half decades, and no signs of slowing down - 2000 AD will celebrate its 45th anniversary in 2022 with a bumper year of incredible collections.
     From over-sized ‘artist editions’ of original art to brand new all-ages comics to non-fiction tomes, there’s something for everyone in the graphic novel collection schedule for the coming twelve months, as Rebellion showcases the best of old and new to mark its special anniversary year.
     The 2000 AD Encyclopedia (February) provides chapter and verse on the characters and series that have made 2000 AD a powerhouse of comics innovation, bringing more than four decades of comics together in a sumptuous hardcover with dust jacket.
     Paying tribute to some of the best talents 2000 AD has ever published, next year will see separate focusing on the work of Judge Dredd co-creators John Wagner (March) and Carlos Ezquerra (May), and co-creator of Rogue Trooper and The VCs Gerry Finley-Day (August), as well as a collection of critically-acclaimed writer Al Ewing’s Judge Dredd work (March). In September, the brand-new Strontium Dog: The Son (November) collection showcases Carlos Ezquerra's final work on the character he co-created for Starlord in 1978, drawn just before his death in 2018.
     Artwork from two of 2000 AD’s all-time greatest artists will be showcased in over-sized ‘artist edition’ Apex Edition hardcovers, with Judge Dredd pages by Brian Bolland (February) and Mick McMahon (October) scanned at high resolution and presented at original size. These gorgeous collections will give fans an unprecedented chance to see every line, each blob of white-out, and every printers’ mark on these original pages, covering some of the most influential moments in 2000 AD history and key years in the character’s evolution.
     In May, 45 Years of 2000 AD gives forty-five popular artists from the worlds of comics and illustration the chance to show their unique takes on some of 2000 AD’s most famous characters. This new collection will feature work by Michael Allred (X-Statix), Jamie Smart (Bear), Annie Wu (Hawkeye), Mick McMahon (Judge Dredd), Kevin O’Neill (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), Rachael Stott (Doctor Who) and many, many more.
     September sees the first ever collection of DC Comics’ Judge Dredd: Legends of the Law series from the 1990s. Written by John Wagner and Alan Grant, this volume features art by Brent Anderson (X-Men) and Anthony Williams (Judge Dredd).
     But it's not just about looking back - this year sees new collections of the very best 2000 AD has to offer today, including all-ages comics with two 2000 AD Regened collections in March and July, as well as the first collection of breakout all-ages Dredd-world sci-fi action series Department K with Interdimensional Investigators in November. Plus there’s collections of brand new series such as Michael Carroll, Henry Flint and Jake Lynch's ‘alien space opera James Bond’ Proteus Vex (April) and Dan Abnett and Mark Harrison's smash hit space opera The Out (October).
     There are new collections of ongoing series, War of the Worlds sequel Scarlet Traces (March), hit folk horror series Thistlebone (May), fan favourite Dredd-world Western Lawless (June) and critically-acclaimed sci-fi noir Brink (August), as well as series from the archive with Essential Dredd: Dredd vs Death (January), Essential Judge Dredd: Necropolis (June), and Pat Mills, Tony Skinner and Jim Elston’s pagan eco-terrorist Finn (December).
     And there’s more digital-only releases, expanding 2000 AD’s digital library on its app and webshop, including Garth Ennis and Nick Percival’s explosive Dredd-world road trip series Sleeze ‘N’ Ryder (January) and the second volume of classic The Mean Arena (March). Plus new series get a digital release such as sci-fi thriller Skip Tracer: Legion (May), interdimensional nerd comedy Survival Geeks (July), the latest follow-up to space horror series Dark Justice (September), and Dredd-world crime sprees in Tales from the Black Museum Vol.2 (November).

Essential Dredd: Dredd vs Death

The essential Judge Dredd graphic novel series - the ultimate introduction to the Lawman of the Future! The crime is life! The Judgement is death! When Judge Death enters Mega-City One from a parallel dimension, his plan is simple: to find every single living cit and sentence them – to death! The fourth volume in the oversized Essential Dredd series includes the first two Judge Death stories, from John Wagner (A History of Violence) and Brian Bolland (The Killing Joke) presented in stunning black and white, and featuring restored pages. It also includes the first solo Judge Anderson adventure, presented in luscious new colours, also starring Judge Death. The critically acclaimed Essential Dredd Collection is a perfect jumping on point for new readers and this volume introduces Judge Death, the Dark Judges and wisecracking Psi Judge Cassandra Anderson.

Format: Paperback; Release date: 18 January 2022; Price: £19.99 / $25; Pages: 160

Sleeze ‘N’ Ryder (digital)

Where did they go? Out. What did they see? Freakin’ everything, man! Sleeze and Ryder are on the roadtrip of their drokkin’ lives. Far from Mega-City 1 and deep in the Cursed Earth, these no-good hell trekkers are looking for adventure – but what they find is dinosaurs, mutants and the grud-dang apocalypse! This outlandish classic of 1990s 2000 AD is brought to you by the outrageous minds of Garth Ennis (Preacher) and Nick Percival (The Dark Judges) and is available in an exclusive digital edition for the first time ever!

Format: Digital only; Release date: 5 January 2022; Price: £7.99; Pages: 54

2000 AD Encyclopedia

What are the essential Judge Dredd stories? In which progs did The Ballad of Halo Jones run? What year was the first appearance of Nemesis the Warlock? Just who are the Thrillsuckers? Look no further, Earthlets! Every strip and major character from 2000 AD’s trailblazing 45 year history is catalogued and detailed, accompanied by stunning artwork and illustrations. With this show-stopping hardcover collection, must-read characters and storylines from across the cosmos are at your fingertips!

Format: Hardcover; Release date: 15 February 2022; Price: £39.99 / $50; Pages: 336

Judge Dredd by Brian Bolland Apex Edition

Acclaimed as one of the greatest artists of his generation for his work on such titles as Camelot 3000 and Batman: The Killing Joke, Brian Bolland’s work on Judge Dredd helped catapult both the series and Bolland himself to international acclaim. His incredible black & white art is showcased in this deluxe, over-sized facsimile edition featuring new high-resolution scans of his original art from 2000 AD showing Bolland’s delicate inking brushwork in unprecedented detail, as well as the titles and word balloons placed over it at the time by IPC’s art team. It promises to be an unmissable collection for fans of comics and of fine art. This book will include pages from the Judge Dredd epics; The Cursed Earth, The Day the Law Died, The Judge Child Quest, and Bolland’s masterpiece Judge Death Lives. Also included is a gallery of covers ranging from 2000 AD to the Judge Dredd reprints published by Eagle Comics which brought Brian to the attention of American readers and show off Bolland’s inventiveness and sardonic humour.

Format: Hardcover; Release date: 17 February 2022; Price: £65; Pages: 128

The Best of John Wagner’s Judge Dredd

He is one of the best-known voices in British comics, respected and revered for revitalising the industry in the 1970s and co-creating the iconic ‘Lawman of the future’ – Judge Dredd. In celebration of his forty-five years chronicling the madness and mayhem of Mega-City One, this collection features some of the funniest, most poignant and action-packed tales penned by the great man himself.

Format: Hardcover; Release date: 15 March 2022; Price: £24.99 / $29.99; Pages: 304

2000 AD Regened Vol.3

The galaxy’s favourite thrill-powered science fiction comic is back with another line up of electrifying stories aimed at all ages! Reimagined versions of classic 2000 AD characters like Judge Dredd, star alongside brand new characters, specially created for a younger audience. In this, the third smashing volume, follow the action packed adventures of Cadet Dredd as he battles robots! Save the world from aliens with Judge Anderson! Meet the mightiest cat burglar of Mega-City One! Marvel at the brain-busting and jaw dropping Future Shocks! Plus, in an exclusive new strip, classic 2000 AD characters the Harlem Heroes return! Critically acclaimed and beloved by old and new fans alike, 2000 AD Regened storms into its third brilliant collection. Can you handle the awesomeness of 2000 AD Regened?

Format: Paperback; Release date: 15 March 2022; Price: £12.99 / $15.99; Pages: 112

Scarlet Traces Vol.3

The visionary comic series from Ian Edginton and D’Israeli continues! It is 1968 and the Martians have finally returned and are ready to wreck their terrible revenge. Can a ragtag team of Humans and Venusian survivors, spread across the solar system, stop the Martian plan to weaponise the sun itself and wipe humanity off the Earth in this third volume of the critically acclaimed sequel to H.G. Wells' iconic novel The War of the Worlds.

Format: Paperback; Release date: 15 March 2022; Price: £14.99 / $19.99; Pages: 128

Judge Dredd: Blaze of Glory

Go on patrol and see Mega-City One - and beyond - through the eyes of Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk), one of the most original writers in comics, as Judge Dredd dispenses justice to mutants, laidback religious cults, the Sex Olympics and Santa Claus. But when polite ex-stripper Zombo appears in his dimension, has old Stoney Face finally met his match? Collecting many of Ewing’s outrageous Dredd stories for the first time and featuring an all-star cast of artists, including Liam Sharp (Green Lantern, Wonder Woman), John Higgins (Dreadnoughts: Breaking Ground, Judge Dredd, Watchmen), Simon Fraser (Judge Dredd, Nikolai Dante) and Ben Willsher (Roy of the Rovers, Judge Dredd), this is an essential collection for fans of the Law.

Format: Paperback (with 2000AD Webshop exclusive hardcover); Release date: 1 March 2022; Price: £14.99 / $16.99; Pages: 144

The Mean Arena Volume 2: Eat, Slay, Shove! (digital)

In a dystopian future where the ultra-violent sport street football is played in evacuated towns, Matt Talon isn't playing just to win - he's playing for revenge! In the second instalment of this violent, action packed 2000 AD classic, Slater's Slayers take on the the Penzance Riggers, the Edinburgh Executioners, the Salford Slicers and the Oxford Invaders! In the Mean Arena, it's not just football - it’s mayhem, madness and murder! The second volume of The Mean Arena by Tom Tully (Roy of the Rovers), Eric Bradbury (Invasion!, Hook Jaw) and Mike White (Abelard Snazz) is collected for the first time ever in a digital exclusive graphic novel!

Format: Digital only; Release date: 2 March 2022; Price: £7.99 / $7.99; Pages: 112

Proteus Vex: Another Dawn

For fourteen brutal centuries, the Imperium Ascendant and the Obdurate have clashed in an intergalactic war that spanned planets and peoples. Then the war – and the Obdurate – came to a dramatic end. Now, the galaxies are picking up the pieces. In the midst of this sprawling, dazzling system of galaxies, is Proteus Vex, ex-soldier for the Imperium Ascendant turned super-agent. He’s fast, brutal, and he always gets his prey. But when he is sent to find his former superior officer, Vex finds himself caught up in a deadly conspiracy. Hit comics team Michael Carroll (The New Heroes, Judge Dredd), Henry Flint (Judge Dredd, Zombo) and Jake Lynch (Judge Dredd) bring you a mind-expanding, colourful story that will plunge you into a series of strange new worlds.

Format: Paperback; Release date: 14 April 2022; Price: £14.99 / $19.99; Pages: 112

Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol.39

In the nightmare metropolis of the future he is judge, jury and executioner - he is Judge Dredd! The best-selling Complete Case Files series continues with Judge Dredd taking on terrorist organisations, hunting down PJ Maybe who has taken on a new disguise, and Pat Mills returns with Blood of Satanus II: Dark Matters. Drawn by a roster of the greatest artists working on Judge Dredd in the 21st Century - Chris Weston (The Filth), Cam Kennedy (Star Wars), Henry Flint (Zombo) ,and Ian Gibson (Halo Jones) - the Judge Dredd Case Files series has sold over half a million copies.

Format: Paperback; Release date: 28 April 2022; Price: £19.99 / $24.99; Pages: 304

Skip Tracer: Legion (digital)

The Cube, the twenty-seventh century. This vast city floating in the depths of space was once a monitoring station, but has been refitted by the Earth-led Consociation as a solution to a universal housing problem. It’s now home to every kind of undesirable, and an easy refuge for wanted criminals and fugitives. That’s where Skip Tracer Nolan Blake comes in, a former soldier turned tracker-for-hire... Written by James Peaty (Doctor Who) and with art by Paul Marshall (Firekind), this action packed science fiction adventure is available in a digital exclusive graphic novel for the first time!

Format: Digital only; Release date: 4 May 2022; Price: £7.99 / $7.99; Pages: 96

45 Years of 2000 AD

To celebrate forty-five years of bringing Thrill-Power to earthlets, Tharg the Mighty has tasked forty-five of Earth's most popular comic and illustration artists to interpret the characters featured in the pages of the Galaxy's Greatest Comic, 2000 AD. Featuring all new work by Jamie Smart (Bunny vs Monkey), Hannah Templer (GLOW, TMNT), Michael Allred (Madman, Silver Surfer), Kevin O'Neill (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), Racheal Stott (Star Wars, Doctor Who).

Format: Hardcover; Release date: 24 May 2022; Price: £29.99 / $35; Pages: 96

The Art of Carlos Ezquerra

Spanning 50 years, this collection of Carlos Ezquerra's comic work begins with samples from such titles as Valentine and Mirabelle, collects never before reprinted short war comics from Battle, shows off his sumptuous colour Strontium Dog art, and culminates with a section on his 2000 AD work and his greatest creation, Judge Dredd.

Format: Hardcover; Release date: 10 May 2022; Price: £??.?? / $29.99; Pages: 240

Thistlebone Book Two

Britain, 2020. It’s been over a year since journalist Seema Chaudry accompanied cult survivor Avril Easton back to the village of Harrowvale, the site of her terryifying experiences at the hands of Jasper Hillman’s THISTLEBONE worshippers, a crazed occult group that believed in an ancient woodland deity. Intended as a cathartic experience, both women were changed forever by what they were confronted with. In the process of researching for a book on the Thistlebone legend, Seema believes much of it centres around one man — Malcolm Kinniburgh.

Format: Hardcover; Release date: 10 May 2022; Price: £14.99 / $19.99; Pages: 80

Lawless Book Four: Boomtown

Having narrowly avoided being wiped from the face of the planet by Munce, Inc., Badrock is now a thriving boom town, predicated on an uneasy peace between the Zhind, the settlers and the Mega-City One Justice Department. Designated a Free Town, the future’s there for taking, and folks from all over the planet 43 Rega are flocking to Badrock to begin anew, all under the watchful, disapproving eye of the SJS. Many are hardworking, honest folk – but some are parasites, drawn to Badrock to find new ways of making a killing. And when a caravan of settlers is brutally slaughtered, it’ll take all that Colonial Marshal Metta Lawson has to stop an outright war. Dan Abnett (Aquaman, Guardians of the Galaxy) and Phil Winslade’s (Howard the Duck, Wonder Woman) frontier epic Lawless continues in this fourth action packed volume, which includes the all singin’, all dancin’, Lawless the Musical!

Format: Hardcover; Release date: 23 June 2022; Price: £14.99 / $16.99; Pages: 128

Essential Judge Dredd: Necropolis

The essential Judge Dredd graphic novel series – the ultimate introduction to the Lawman of the Future! Mega-City One is under siege from the Dark Judges, Dredd has been exiled to the harsh wastelands of the Cursed Earth and time is running out for the citizens he once swore to protect. With the body-count rising and hope running out, will the Judges be able to turn back the tide of death? Essential Judge Dredd: Necropolis is the ultimate Judge Dredd Vs The Dark Judges storyline. A comic book ‘summer blockbuster’, written and drawn by Dredd’s co-creators John Wagner (A History of Violence) and Carlos Ezquerra (Strontium Dog), where Dredd must reclaim his badge from the imposter Judge Kraken and retake Mega-City One from the grip of the Dark Judges; Death, Fear, Fire and Mortis.

Format: Paperback; Release date: 7 June 2022; Price: £19.99 / $35; Pages: 160

Survival Geeks: Crisis of Infinite Nerds (digital)

Sam, Simon, Clive and Rufus having been traversing the multiverse in a misfiring trans-dimensional terrace house! Armed only with their wits and nerd trivia, they have to survive the deadly universes in which they find themselves! But with a deadly interdimensional comic con and an army of themselves standing their way, will the hapless geeks ever find their way home? The second volume of Gordon Rennie, Emma Beeby and Neil Googe's hilarious sci-fi satire continues in this digital exclusive graphic novel!

Format: Digital only; Release date: 6 July 2022; Price: £7.99 / $7.99; Pages: 132

Judge Dredd: The Citadel

The Apocalypse War rages and Judge Dredd leads a squad of Cadet Judges into battle, launching an assault upon The Citadel, where Sov forces have set up base. But now, 40 years later, former Cadet Judge Winterton, on the day of his execution, will tell the truth about what happened during the Apocalypse War, why the mission was subsequently covered up, and the secret that Judge Dredd himself has been hiding for the past 40 years.

Format: Paperback; Release date: 19 July 2022; Price: £14.99 / $19.99; Pages: 128

2000 AD Regened Vol.4

2000 AD's all-ages science fiction anthology series returns with a fourth thrill-powered collection of epic, action packed stories featuring all of your favourite characters and a brand new, exclusive Harlem Heroes strip! Cadet Dredd goes undercover as a renegade runaway! It's the Harlem Heroes versus the Harlem Hellcats in the most dangerous - and deadly - aeroball game Mega-City One's ever seen! Does Chopper have what it takes to evade the Judges and win the Sky Surfing competition? Travel to other dimensions with Jaina and Jacen in 'Splorers! And Judge Anderson is back with another collection of brainbusting puzzles! It's the Galaxy's best and brightest all-ages comic - it's 2000 AD Regened!

Format: Paperback; Release date: 19 July 2022; Price: £12.99 / $15.99; Pages: 112

Brink Vol.5

The year is 2096 and Earth has been reduced to an uninhabited wasteland. What was left of humanity was evacuated into overpopulated space stations, or 'Habitats'. Nolan Maslow, a journalist working for The Herald, is investigating the death of HSD agent Brinkmann and the sect that has infiltrated the maintenance workers of Ludmilla Habitat. He will find out that even his most outrageous theories cannot encompass what is actually happening behind the scenes of the habitat. Taking place during the events of Brink Book One, this graphic novel adds extra layers to the story of Bridget Kurtis and her ongoing fight against the forces which are haunting the remains of humanity and driving them to madness.

Format: Paperback; Release date: 16 August 2022; Price: £12.99 / $15.99; Pages: 128

The Best of Gerry Finley-Day

From Tammy to the Eagle, Gerry Finley-Day was one of the most prolific comic book writers throughout the 1970s and 80s. His work for 2000 AD in particular was extraordinary and included such beloved strips as future war G.I. Rogue Trooper, the 'Great escape' in space titled Harry 20 on the High Rock, the Star Wars inspired V.C.'s and a gritty 1970s take on the iconic Eagle character Dan Dare. This collection contains some of Gerry's greatest work on these strips and more. Tight plots, non-stop action and plenty of thrills are here in abundance and highlight why 2000 AD became the stand out comic title in Britain.

Format: Hardcover; Release date: 16 August 2022; Price: £19.99 / $24.99; Pages: 244

Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol.40

In the nightmare metropolis of the future he is judge, jury and executioner - he is Judge Dredd! The best-selling Complete Case Files series continues with the gripping and timely epic Total War. Judge Dredd battles a terrorist organisation called Total War, who are determined to democratise Mega-City One - or destroy it. Total War have two hundred thermonuclear devices planted across the city and one will be detonated each day the Judges remain in power. Total War will have democratisation - or they will have mass-death. The choice is the Judges' - and time is running out. Drawn by a roster of the greatest artists working on Judge Dredd in the 21st Century - John Higgins (Watchmen), Henry Flint (Zombo), Ian Gibson (The Ballad of Halo Jones) and D'Israeli (Scarlet Traces) - the Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files series has sold over half a million copies.

Format: Paperback; Release date: 4 August 2022; Price: £19.99 / $24.99; Pages: 272

Judge Dredd: Legends of the Law

DC Comics take on Mega-City One’s toughest lawman! Launched in late 1994 to coincide with the release of the 1995 Judge Dredd movie, Legends of The Law was a 13-issue series published by DC Comics and initially written by Judge Dredd co-creator John Wagner and his writing partner, Alan Grant. This book collects the first seven issues for the first time since their original publication. The madness and majesty of Mega-City One are perfectly captured in these full-colour, all new stories, Judge Dredd is presented with a host of colourful villains, including the organ-harvesting, musical-obsessed Dr. Bliss!

Format: Paperback; Release date: 13 September 2022; Price: £19.99 / $24.99; Pages: 176

Dark Justice: Deliverance (digital)

There is no Grud, only the Dark Judges! Trapped in a bubble of Boing® in space, Judge Death is rescued by a Mortarian Death Cult, determined to unleash the Dark Judges for the ultimate execution ceremony! Reunited with his fellow Dark Judges, only one person stands between Death and his quest for mass extinction - the determined teen runaway Roscoe. The Dark Justice saga by David Hine and Nick Percival continues in this not to be miss digital exclusive graphic novel!

Format: Digital only; Release date: 7 September 2022; Price: £7.99 / $7.99; Pages: 112

Strontium Dog: The Son

Carlos Ezquerra's final work on the character he co-created for Starlord in 1978. In The Son Johnny Alpha is assigned to mentor Kenton Sternhammer, one of the new recruits to the ranks of the Strontium Dogs. Johnny knows that Kenton Sternhammer is his old partner Wulf’s offspring and while Kenton understandably wants to follow in his father's footsteps, Johnny is reluctant to allow it, knowing the fate that has befallen many a Strontium Dog, including Wulf, a death which still eats away at Johnny's conscience.

Format: Paperback; Release date: 24 November 2022; Price: £14.99; Pages: 128

The Out

Cyd Finlea is a photo-journalist working for the publishers Neographic. It has been a decade since she left Earth and travelled to into the deepest reassesses of outer space – otherwise known as THE OUT. Her encounters include meetings with strange alien societies and ex-pat humans, an experience that she shares with her trusty sentient backpack… This exciting, first volume introduces a brand new world introduced recently in the pages of 2000 AD, with an intriguing new female lead brilliantly executed by writer Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy) and featuring the inventive visuals of Mark Harrison.

Format: Paperback; Release date: 25 October 2022; Price: £14.99 / $19.99; Pages: 144

Judge Dredd by Mick McMahon Apex Edition

Presenting Mick McMahon's Judge Dredd art in a format that matches the size he originally drew the pages. Using scans taken from the original art, complete stories such as Frankenstein II, The Wreath Murders, and Dream Palace are published alongside pages from The Cursed Earth, The Day the Law Died, The Judge Child, and The Fink, his colour eighties Annual work is also presented in this book too, with the complete Pinboing Wizard, and selected pages from other colour classics.

Format: Hardcover; Release date: 26 October 2022; Price: £80; Pages: tbc

Department K: Interdimensional Investigators

Tech Whizz Cadet Afua is the newest intern at Mega-City One's Department K. A team made up of geeks, robots and misfits, their job is to protect our dimension at all costs! For beyond the fabric of reality lies a multitude of multiverses and monsters, determined to reach our world. But when a routine mission goes wrong, Afua and her new team become stranded in a different dimension. If Afua is to survive - let alone pass - this internship, she'll have to find her way home from the furthest corners of the multiverse.

Format: Paperback; Release date: 8 November 2022; Price: £12.99 / $15.99; Pages: 80

Tales from the Black Museum Vol.2 (digital)

Welcome back, ghoulish guests, to the Mega-City One's Black Museum, where relics from the most gruesome, horrific crimes are put on display. In this second volume of terrifying tales from the vaults, chilling creators Michael Carroll, Arthur Wyatt, Alec Worley, Vince Locke, Tiernen Trevallion, P.J. Holden and more take you through the grislest, most inexplicable crimes in the Justice Department's history!

Format: Digital only; Release date: 2 November 2022; Price: £7.99 / $7.99; Pages: 104

Finn: Origins

Finn is a cab driver by day, and a witch by night, part of a coven dedicated to protecting humanity from the agents of the old 'Great Ones', the ancient intergalactic beings who separated humanity from their beastly nature, and have maintained control ever since. These arcane and anarchic adventures from Pat Mills, Tony Skinner, Jim Elston, Kevin Wicks, and Liam Sharp are collected for the first time.

Format: Paperback; Release date: 8 December 2022; Price: £14.99; Pages: 160