Rebellion Releases — 17 June 2026

In Berlin, 1945, the Allies unleashed Maximan to take on the German super soldier Masterman. Maximan’s defeat was only kept secret by the nuclear bomb that destroyed both men.

Forty-plus years later, and twenty years after a generation of ’60s British superpowered heroes came and went, the teenage pop star Zenith is the only superhuman left. His only interests – women, drugs, alcohol and fame. So, when he is contacted about the threat from the many-angled ones and the impending destruction of our world, his first reaction is to steer well clear. But the superhumans of the past have other plans…

Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s ground-breaking superhero odyssey is back and presented for the first time in full colour. The original run of the beloved 2000 AD classic series was made up of four stories, with only the final of these presented in colour – for this new edition, Books 1-3 have been freshly coloured by acclaimed new talent JP Jordan (Sink Your Teeth In), providing a new approach to one of 2000 AD’s most acclaimed stories!

Follow the bratty Zenith as he finds himself embroiled in dangers from all sides – not that he’s paying huge amounts of attention to what’s going on; there’s girls to chase and charts to top – from German supersoldiers to extradimensional threats. Zenith is one of 2000 AD’s only ventures into the familiar world of superheroes, and carries our distrust of that entire genre. These heroes aren’t out to help us, they’re just out for themselves – how can Zenith and his ragtag clutch of allies, including the psychic conservative politician Peter St John and drunk firebrand Red Dragon, possibly save the country from the gravest threats it has ever faced?

Collecting the whole of Zenith from Book One to Book Four in complete colour for the very first time, The Zenith Full Colour Omnibus hits shelves this December! Alongside the standard hardback edition, we’re also delighted to unveil a webshop-exclusive hardback edition featuring an all-new cover from Yeowell and Jordan which features characters from across the full run of the series!

A highpoint in 2000 AD’s five-decade history, featuring ascendant writing from Morrison and career-defining artistry from Yeowell, sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll has never looked so good. 

And now, this week's releases...

2000AD Prog 2487
Cover: Toby Willsmer.

JUDGE DREDD // THE OUBLIETTE by Ken Niemand (w) Dan Cornwell (a) Chris Blythe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
BRINK // THE CALL OF THE VOID by Dan Abnett (w) INJ Culbard (a) Simon Bowland (l)
SILVER // MALIGNANT by Mike Carroll (w) Joe Currie (c) Simon Bowland (l)
THISTLEBONE // THE WILD MAIDEN & THE FAIR WOLF by T.C. Eglington (w) Simon Davis (a)
JUDGE DEE by Ben Wheatley (w) Simon Coleby (a) Jack Davies (c) Simon Bowland (l)
THE FALL OF DEADWORLD // JUSTICE by Kek-W (w) Dave Kendall (a) Simon Bowland (l)
HELIUM // RED OCTOBER by Ian Edginton (w) D'Israeli (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)

Judge Dredd Megazine 493
Cover: Lee Carter.

JUDGE RICO // THE BLACK TOWER by Ken Niemand (w) Nick Percival (c) Simon Bowland (l)
ATOMFALL // THE WICKED ISLE by Jonathan L. Howard (w) Anthony Williams (a) Rob Steen)
FARGO & MCBANE // FAVOURED SONS by Ken Niemand (w) PJ Holden (a) Quinton Winter (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
ROGUE TROOPER // AN ITERATION OF ALLIES by Andi Ewington (w) Sinu Senan (a) Jim Boswell (c) Simon Bowland (l)
MEGATROPOLIS II by Ken Niemand (w) Chris Weston (a) Antonietta Saulino (c) Rob Steen (l)

Roy of the Rovers Volume 1 by Rob Williams & Ben Willsher
Rebellion 978-183786782-0, 17 June 2026, 160pp, £16.99. Available via Amazon.

REAL ROY OF THE ROVERS STUFF!
Once a mighty team in English soccer, Melchester Rovers are now a pale imitation of what they once were. Languishing around the bottom half of the table in League Two, the future is looking decidedly grim for the club. Enter Roy Race; a sixteen-year-old striker with a lethal left foot and a burning desire to play for the club he has supported all of his life. Could he be the spark that reignites the Rovers after years in the wilderness?
    From the pages of Tiger to having his own title, Roy of the Rovers is the most popular soccer strip in British comics. This action-packed sporting drama reboots the iconic character for today's generation of football fandom.

Rogue Trooper: Ghost Patrol by Alex de Campi & Neil Edwards
Rebellion 978-183786754-7, 18 June 2026, 112ppp, £19.99. Available via Amazon.

Nu Earth: a battle-scarred, poisned world where Nort and Souther forces fight for control of a nearby black hole. Genetic Infantryman, Rogue Trooper is the sole survivor of the Quartz Massacre.Together with the bio-chipped “ghosts” of his dead comrades he wages a one-man war against the vicious Nort forces.
    A Souther war veteran called Macinrow, Captain Nygaard and a group of fresh recruits, set out for Nu Earth in search of Macinrow's friend, Sgt White, who could hold the key to winning the war... 
    An all-new adventure Alex de Campi (Smoke, Full-Tilt Boogie) and Neil Edwards (Spider-Man, Superman) delves into the secret history of the Genetic Infantrymen.

Comic Cuts — 12 June 2026

Between last week's exciting trips to the pub(s) and next week's trips to Colchester, Southend and Stoke, I've had a dull but productive week. Yes, it's back to the back-breaking job of cleaning up artwork.

Not back-breaking really, but I hunch up and I'm making delicate movements with the mouse to paint out splashes of ink and using cut and paste to fill gaps in panel borders and fix damage to lettering, and that means stresses across the shoulders and neck. Do that for a couple of hours and you'll understand why I'm so slow putting books of reprinted comics together.

But we're getting close to announcing the next title. The contract is now signed off and I have two forewords in the works, and the cover will hopefully be here at the weekend or soon after. Once I have everything in place, I'll be doing the usual reveal and will start taking orders as soon as possible. 

The artwork I'm working on is for the book—or rather two books—after that. I'll need to write some introductions for those, which will be a nice break. 

The last writing I did was for PIRATES!, my history of wartime and post-war independent comic publishers. I reached the end of what I'm calling "Book 1' at the weekend, although there's at least a couple of bits I still need to write. I've clocked off with 42,000 words written. Still a long way to go.

With a couple of reprints under my belt, I'll be happy to get back to the next index, which is likely to be Valiant, as that's already partly written; I actually wrote some of it back in 2019, ahead of writing the opening sections of the Action book that I completed earlier this year—ACTION THE SEVENPENNY NIGHTMARE. (In fact, the opening of the Valiant history was originally written back in 2009... but that's another story entirely.)

Cleaning up the artwork for the latest batch of comic reprints has been made manageable thanks to Youtube. All the artwork clean-up and design work for Bear Alley Books is done on my old PC, which is now getting on for 20 years old. But that frees up the laptop that I usually use for writing (this, for instance), and Youtube is absolutely full of wonderful music. 

I'm a huge Rush fan, but I've never had a chance to see them live, other than on DVD. Technically that means I've seen them play in Rio de Janeiro, on their 30th anniversary tour, on the Snakes & Ladders tour, and on their 40th anniversary tour, and elsewhere. Of course, like others I thought that Neil Peart's death meant I'd never get to see them play again, even on screen. 

Well, they're back, baby! Celebrating their 50th (plus) anniversary with a huge tour, aided by a new drummer and a keyboard player. But it's still Rush! And thanks to Youtube, I've watched two full gigs that they performed in Los Angeles's Kia Forum on June 6th and June 9th. Utterly wonderful to watch. 

I know some folk don't agree with people recording gigs, but fans are going to be buying the inevitable Blu-ray that'll eventually come out. I know I will. But in the meantime, forget the football—I'll be following Rush vicariously right up to the end of the tour in April 2027.

Rebellion Releases — 10 June 2026

Following on from last week's news about The Treasury of British Comics Annual, this November will also see the Eisner-nominated 2000 AD Annual returns once again, this time as an expanded Anniversary edition with even more new stories!

Blaze through the weary Winter weather with the thermonuclear power of 2000 AD – the comics juggernaut which burns ever-bright with Thrill-Power! The 2000 AD Annual 2027 returns once again, a classic yearly feast which this Christmas features more new stories than ever before… as Tharg The Mighty begins his preparations for the 50th Anniversary of The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic!

Running over 100 pages, The 2000 AD Annual 2027 features a standard edition cover from the award-winning Jock (Batman) and a webshop-exclusive cover from legendary fan-favourite 2000 AD Droids Cliff Robinson and Dylan Teague! In addition, the Annual will feature new stories featuring some of 2000 AD’s most beloved characters and creators, including:

    Judge Dredd by Rob Williams and RM Guera
    Robo-Hunter by Garth Ennis and Chris Burnham
    The Out by Dan Abnett and Mark Harrison
    Hawk the Slayer by Alec Worley and Staz Johnson
    Fiends of the Eastern Front by Ian Edginton and Alejandro Aragon
    Tharg’s Future Shocks by Mike Carroll and Kieran McKeown

In addition, the Annual will feature a collection of classic Thrills from across 2000 AD’s fifty years of publication, including plenty of surprises, features, and the returns of classic characters! You may think you know what to expect – but you absolutely cannot predict what Tharg has planned for you this Christmas!

The 2000 AD Annual 2027 is now available to pre-order from the 2000 AD webshop today, in either standard or webshop-exclusive editions!

And now, this week's release...

2000AD Prog 2486
Cover: D'Israeli.

Once again, change is headed for 2000 AD, as we arrive at the final part of Silver with this week's Prog 2486. The Baroness will be back however, as Book Four is coming to the Prog in the near future! This week also brings us the penultimate instalments of Helium and Judge Dee, as next week's Prog 2487 will be our second bumper-sized issue of the year—bringing with it the return of The Fall of Deadworld and Thistlebone!

JUDGE DREDD // THE OUBLIETTE by Ken Niemand (w) Dan Cornwell (a) Chris Blythe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
BRINK // THE CALL OF THE VOID by Dan Abnett (w) INJ Culbard (a) Simon Bowland (l)
SILVER // MALIGNANT by Mike Carroll (w) Joe Currie (c) Simon Bowland (l)
JUDGE DEE by Ben Wheatley (w) Simon Coleby (a) Jack Davies (c) Simon Bowland (l)
HELIUM // RED OCTOBER by Ian Edginton (w) D'Israeli (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)

Comic Cuts — 5 June 2026

I've spent most of the week doing a deep dive into independent comic publishers outside of London, as the paper restrictions that gripped the UK during and after WWII meant that publishers could produce only limited print runs of titles, and these could sometimes be sold entirely in London and the counties around the capital. Little wonder that enterprising artists, publishers and printers in the provinces began publishing their own comics. Manchester and Glasgow had a number of different publishing houses, but they spread to Newcastle, Stoke, Liverpool, Ilford and elsewhere.

I've also been exploring further afield, as a loophole made it possible to import comics from Canada for a while in 1946-47 before being closed down. Thankfully I found some good reference books on the subject of Canada's wartime publishing and they have helped fill in some gaps in my knowledge. 

On the reprint front, I've now received an excellent foreword for the next book—yes, I'm getting lazy in my old age and letting someone else write something! I'm actually waiting on a second piece and still have to sort out a cover, but the contract is signed so it's definitely happening!

I mentioned last week that we were going out to see Tiff Stevenson. This was at a monthly comedy event known as the Funny Farm, a stick and string set-up at the back of a local pub: hand-made backdrop, no stage, an amplifier/speaker on a table nearby... but it works. We have a beer garden, a gazebo and a marquee seating. One day I'll count how many people squeeze in.

So we had three acts (Hazel, who runs the Funny Farm, says she accidentally overbooked the show!) with two putting on full roughly hour-long shows. Glenn Wool I'd heard of but had never seen. Surprising as he lives not far over the border in Ipswich. Canadian, personable and relaxed, even when he was talking about his divorce, makes him easy to like. Maybe I'm biased, as we had friends over from Canada for a meal on Saturday... they were over for a week, not just for one pub meal. Nice meal, actually. One of our local pubs reopened recently with a new landlady.

Meanwhile, back at a different pub two days earlier... Holly Ludlow did a dry, self-effacing, slightly neurotic routine with a surprise twist (it's a tattoo and where that tattoo is). Thoroughly enjoyed her set and the tattoo is real—she showed it to me after the show.

Tiff Stevenson we've followed for ages and she was a "bucket list" comedian for us. So pleased that she not only came to Wivenhoe (we would have travelled to see her, honest) but was as brilliant as we'd hoped. This was a work in progress ahead of the Fringe, but hopefully we will get to see the finished show next year when it is toured.

About the photo. I'm not usually keen on selfies. Mine is not a face that enhances photographs, so I actively avoid getting into them. But someone offered to take a photo and I took them up on it and it turned out not so bad. Good enough for me to put on Facebook and to repeat here.

I'm still managing to keep up a schedule of reading two books a month... or, rather, finishing two books a month. I'd promised myself that I would read more short stories this year, so I picked up a Brian Aldiss collection that included the Nebula Award-winning title story, The Saliva Tree & Other Strange Growths. All good, some psychological thrillers, some bizarre science fantasy. I haven't read Aldiss for years and I really need to re-read some of his novels. 

Reading Aldiss made me think of Harry Harrison and I finally read Make Room! Make Room! which was a brilliant evocation of an overpopulated New York revealed through the investigation of a murder and the approaching millennium. The city's 35 million citizens struggle for housing, welfare and sustenance. It wasn't quite that bad in 1999, but Harrison writes superbly of heat and despair of having water and food shortages, no work and no hope. My copy is a film tie-in, but the novel doesn't make much of Soylent Green. I'll also add that this was so much better than Bill the Galactic Hero and I think I'll stick to Harrison's more serious books in future.

From near future to far future. I had an urge to go back to something really pulpy, and I was tempted to re-read The Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. van Vogt. But that was the last book of his I'd re-read, so I dug a little deeper and pulled out The Weapon Shops of Isher, which is as crazy as I remember. The Weapon Shops help keep a check on the powerful rule of Isher, Empress in the year 4784. A vast new building contains an energy gun powerful enough to destroy the Weapon Shops.... but if the building can be moved in time, that will give the men behind the Weapon Shops a chance. Chris McAllister, a reporter, visits a mysterious shop that appears in his city in the 20th century, is transported into the future and then sent back into the past—this see-saw action building up enough energy to shift the new building further and further into the future.

It's wildly imaginative, vastly conceptual but also has Van Vogt's fascination with human psychology at its centre. I must get to the sequel soon. Incidentally, that rather battered copy is the same one I picked up second-hand in around 1975, so it has been fifty years since I read it. Looking through the cover gallery I put together (part 1, part 2) reminds me how much I loved his novels and short stories (many of which were fixed-up into novels) when I started reading SF in the 1970s. 

The other book I finished was almost finished a few years ago, but has since sat on a shelf with about 50 pages of stories left to read. I love Larry Niven and The Draco Tavern was his last full collection of new stories, dating back to 2006. (I'm pretty sure subsequent collections have been a mix of stories and extract from novels or collections gathering together previously collected stories with maybe one extra story.) The premise is simple: the tavern has been set up in Siberia for various species of visiting aliens. The stories are generally short (there's 27 of them in 316 pages), and some are slight, but for the most part enjoyable. You get to meet a wide range of visitors—and Niven is great at creating aliens—and I have been inspired to go find some more stories with lots of weird aliens, namely James White's Sector General series, the first of which I started the other day. I'm rather enjoying letting one book inspire what I'll read next, rather than having a formal "to be read" pile. That said, I bought three new books this past week, so I really ought to get some new books read amongst the re-reads.

Commando 5963-5966

This week's Commando set includes a high noon face-off between Commandos, SAS and a group of Nazi Cowboys, and over in Normandy, Hauptmann Lange is interrogating the captured, and surprisingly nonchalant, Private David Taylor. Issues 5963-5966 are on sale today, Thursday 4th June.

5963: Commandos Vs Cowboys

High noon in the town of San Cavino. Two gunslingers. One victor.
    Nazi Cowboys have formed the despicable SS George Washington Legion, terrorising Allies and civilians in Northern Italy. That’s where SAS Major Hugh Hulke comes in. He knows the area and can assist Captain Andrew Ashe and his elite Commando unit in taking down the turncoats. But is Hulke out for justice — or revenge?

Story: Rossa McPhillips
Internal Art: Marc Viure
Cover Art: Marco Bianchini

5964: Hero on Horseback

How do you attack a Nazi Panzer supply base guarded by huge Tiger tanks? Do you use bombs? Or rockets? Perhaps artillery? 
    Not if you’re Captain Brad Blake you don’t. You charge with your own roughneck, bareback cavalry!

Story: Spence
Internal Art: AC Kennedy
Cover Art: Penalva
First published 1972 as No.613

5965: What Are You Doing Here?

Although currently tied to a chair in a medieval church, Private David Taylor could climb like a monkey and talk the hind legs off a donkey. But, fuelled by coffee, cruelty and a desire to push back against the Normandy Invasion, Hauptmann Lange only wanted to know one thing from Taylor… What Are You Doing Here?

Story: Andrew Knighton
Internal Art: Vicente Alcazar
Cover Art: Marco Bianchini

5966: The Last Raiders

On foot, in a foreign land, with every police force and army unit on the alert for them, a small bunch of Italian sailors tried desperately to get over the border to the safety of Mexico. 
    What were they doing in the USA in the first place? Well, it started when they raided a big American harbour, thousands of miles from their home, in a midget submarine!

Story: Bill Fear
Internal Art: Blasco
Cover Art: Jeff Bevan
First published 1985 as No. 1882

Rebellion Releases — 3 June 2026

The Treasury of British Comics Annual returns in November for a collection of both new and classic stories hand-picked from the archive to guarantee some warmth this Winter! Featuring stories – including several never reprinted before until now – from across the decades, The Treasury of British Comics Annual 2027 will reprint an assortment of astounding comics from the pages of Action, Misty, 2000 AD, Tiger, Boy’s World, Buster, Monster Fun, Valiant, Hurricane, Whizzer & Chips and more!

A festive feast for fans of comics, the Annual also features four new strips commissioned exclusively for this collection, including:

    Helmet Head & Janus Stark by Stephen Brotherstone, David Lawrence and Laurent LeFeuvre
    Robot Archie Vs Vanessa From Venus by David Roach and Emily Roach
    Black Beth by Alec Worley and Aly Fell
    Death Wish by Rich Prinn and Shane Connery Volk

Celebrating the depth, diversity and dynamism of British Comics History, as we champion classic characters and breathe vibrant new life into their wild and wonderful adventures!

The Treasury of British Comics Annual will be released this November, available either as the standard edition featuring a cover from the Mighty Mike Perkins, or as a fiendish webshop-exclusive edition cover from the gory Godmachine!

Stay tuned as we’ll reveal the reprint stories later this year – but with comics from Jim Baikie, Don Lawrence, Tom Tully, Ian Kennedy and more you’re guaranteed a stocking stuffer this Winter!

And now, this week's releases...

2000AD Prog 2485

JUDGE DREDD // THE OUBLIETTE by Ken Niemand (w) Jake Lynch (a) Emily Roach (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
BRINK // THE CALL OF THE VOID by Dan Abnett (w) INJ Culbard (a) Simon Bowland (l)
SILVER // MALIGNANT by Mike Carroll (w) Joe Currie (c) Simon Bowland (l)
JUDGE DEE by Ben Wheatley (w) Simon Coleby (a) Jack Davies (c) Simon Bowland (l)
HELIUM // RED OCTOBER by Ian Edginton (w) D'Israeli (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)

Peaches' Creatures – The Big Heist by Ned Hartley & Dan Boultwood
Rebellion ISBN 978-183786562-8, 4 June 2026, 144pp, £16.99. Available via Amazon.

It's the Creature Crime of the Century!
    Peaches Jones is a brilliant and unconventional young girl with an amazing power...she can talk to monsters! Always accompanied by her best friend, Jonny the Golem, Peaches is travelling the world recruiting a small team of strange beasts and beings so she can carry out a big heist. Hot on her heels are a team of government agents, led by Agent Daffodil, determined to keep Peaches from her prize.
    Written by Ned Hartley (Bananaman) and featuring the vibrant art of Dan Boultwood (It Came!), Peaches is an exciting and unique addition to the world of British comic book characters.