Wednesday, December 06, 2023

Rebellion Releases — 6 December 2023


Out Now! The 2000 AD Art of Mick McMahon Apex Edition

This unmissable book presents high-resolution scans of stunning original art pages by artist Mick McMahon – at their actual size – in a deluxe, over-sized hardcover facsimile edition. As well as his brush and pen work, these pages include original titles, word balloons, printer’s marks and other ephemera, giving fans the chance to see art by one of 2000 AD‘s biggest talents in all its glory.

Following last year’s Judge Dredd by Mick McMahon Apex Edition, this second Apex Edition showcases McMahon’s near-constant state of evolution and change, from his early roots in mimicking the great Carlos Ezquerra on Judge Dredd to the bold, impressionistic style of his later years. It charts his career in unprecedented detail and gives fans and admirers the chance to see just why McMahon became one of the greatest 2000 AD artists of all time and influenced generations of comic book artists.

In addition to the standard retail edition, fans can order a special slipcase edition exclusively through the 2000 AD webshop that comes in an attractive slipcase, adorned with one of McMahon’s epic wraparound Sláine covers. This edition also comes with an extra bound page – individually numbered and signed by McMahon – with brand new art created exclusively for this edition.

Mick McMahon is one of the most influential artists in British comics and this volume features eagerly-anticipated pages from his groundbreaking 1980s work on 2000 AD’s legendary barbarian, Sláine.

His work on Sláine – including ‘Warrior’s Dawn’, ‘Heroes Blood’, and the incredible ‘Sky Chariots’ – contrasts with the chunky shadows and bold shapes of his art on Judge Dredd, using inks and markers to create a style akin to woodcuts. From the gritty savagery and character work of ‘Warrior’s Dawn’ to crafting long ships in ‘Sky Chariots’ that appear to float effortlessly in the air, McMahon imbued Pat Mills’ saga of fantasy and legend with a quality that is both epic and dynamic.

This volume also includes pages by McMahon from Mills’ classic robotic-team series Ro-Busters and its successor A.B.C. Warriors, as well as the complete first episode and original concept art for Gerry Finley-Day’s fan favourite space war series The VCs.

McMahon is perhaps best known for his seminal work on Judge Dredd and this Apex Edition explores his colour work for the 2000 AD and Judge Dredd annuals, such as ‘The Fear That Made Milwaukee Famous’ (presented in its entirety) and ‘Mega-City Rumble’, with bold markers and bright shades competing to create pages bursting with light and energy. It also features pages from Mills’ Judge Dredd story, ’The Return of Rico’, in which Dredd’s evil twin brother is revealed. The story inspired the 1995 Judge Dredd movie starring Sylvester Stallone as well as providing the storytelling spark that would lead to some of Judge Dredd’s biggest stories.

This stunning collection closes with one of his most important works outside of the pages of 2000 AD. Created for Marvel’s Epic imprint, The Last American is a profound meditation on loss and hope at the end of the world. Written by John Wagner and Alan Grant just as their legendary writing partnership was drawing to a close, McMahon’s pages sing with colour and clarity, his post-apocalyptic landscapes filled with despair and emptiness as its lead character, Ulysses S. Pilgrim, searches for what remains of humanity.

And now, this week's releases....

2000AD Prog 2361
Cover: John McCrea / Mike Spicer (cols).

Judge Dredd: Clanker by Kenneth Niemand (w) Nick Dyer (a) John Charles (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Helium: Scorched Earth by Ian Edginton (w) D'Israeli (a) Simon Bowland (l)
The Devil's Railroad by Peter Milligan (w) Rufus Dayglo (a) Jose Villarrubia (c) Jim Campbell (l)
Enemy Earth Book III by Cavan Scott (w) Luke Horsman (a) Simon Bowland (l)
Feral & Foe: Bad Godesberg by Dan Abnett (w) Richard Elson (a) Jim Campbell (l)

Monster Fun #14
Cover: Chris Garbutt.

Tis the season to be jolly...scared!
    The Monster Fun Christmas Special is here again, bringing readers the gift of 32 pages of comics, competitions, and gags to entertain and inspire over the holiday period!
    Not only is there the return of Kid Kong, Hell's Angel, Gums, Witch Vs Warlock, Space Invaded! but this issue also sees the introduction of Peaches Jones, the globe-trotting 14-year-old meeting monsters from all over the world in Peaches’ Creatures, and making their debut in this Christmas issue is Rex Power, the Tyrannosaurus Rex from space!

Definitive Nemesis the Warlock Vol. 1 by Pat Mills & Kevin O'Neill, Jesus Redondo
Rebellion ISBN 978-183786010-4, 6 December 2023, 178pp, £19.99. Available via Amazon.

Long regarded as one of the crown-jewel epics from the pages of 2000 AD, at long last Nemesis the Warlock is back in print and better than ever in a brand-new series of definitive editions. Written by Pat Mills (Marshal Law) and drawn by Kevin O'Neill (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), this definitive series is a collection of the complete storyline in order, and features development sketches showing the evolution of Nemesis and the Blitzspear.
    Termight is the ruling planet of a cruel galactic empire led by the diabolical Torquemada, a twisted human despot intent on purging all alien life from the galaxy and punishing the deviants. His motto: Be pure! Be vigilant! Behave! Against his tyrannical rule, resistance rises in the form of devilish-looking alien warlock Nemesis, who represents everything that Torquemada hates and fears. Together, Nemesis and Torquemada are locked in a duel which will affect their fate and the fate of humanity itself as their conflict spans time and space!

The Helltrekkers by John Wagner and Alan Grant & Jose Ortiz, Horacio Lalia
Rebellion ISBN 978-178618796-3, 7 December 2023, 128pp, £17.99. Available via Amazon.

They were the new frontiersmen—men and women who hated life in Mega-City One so much that they were willing to travel 2000 kilometres across the radiated desert known as the ‘Cursed Earth’ in order to start a new life. The chances of reaching the new territories are slim – the hostile environment is full of danger, including acid rain downpours, killer viruses, mutants and herds of hungry dinosaurs! To increase their chances of survival, Helltrekkers set off in large convoys. But sometimes fellow travellers can cause just as many problems as the threats from outside.
    Written by John Wagner and Alan Grant, The Helltrekkers is a monumental survival story and one of the earliest Dreddverse spin-off strips.

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