Sunday, July 19, 2026
The Art of Reginald Heade Volume Three
Some of the images, especially of paperbacks from the Hank Janson-era—although not HJ himself, as that is a separate book, Hank Janson Under Cover (2021)—you'll recognise as having appeared in earlier volumes, but here they are often printed full page and from superior scans. An example is The Tenderfoot by W.H.B. Kent, previously in volume 1 (Special Edition, p.154) which was comparatively dark and muddy up against the new version (Volume 3, p.211). A quarter page scan of Ladies of the Red Lamp by Roland Vane (Special Edition, p.77) is now a full page (Volume 3, p.373) and the quarter page White Slave Racket by Vane (Special Edition, p.79) has now been scanned from the original artwork (Volume 3, p.372).
There are many more full page images this time around, and these images are 15-20% larger than the original paperback covers. I don't have many dust jackets for comparison, but it looks like they vary from life size to a little smaller where the spine image is shown. I'm certainly not complaining, as the reproduction is sharp and someone (Stephen Walker?) has gone to a lot of trouble to make the images free of any defects. All the images are identified and often accompanied with a light-hearted comment—many Heade couples show a tendency for the men to be laser-focused on their lady, while the women seem preoccupied with other things.
Fans of Heade's work will find plenty of new covers that they have never had an opportunity to see before and, even if you recognise the cover, chances are you've never seen it looking so good. The whole thing is an unexpected delight for those of us who thought volume two was the final word.
The Art of Reginald Heade Volume Three. Telos Publishing ISBN 978-1845-83261-2, July 2026, 390pp, £49.99. Available from the publisher and via Amazon.
Friday, July 17, 2026
Comic Cuts — 17 July 2026
I'm still waiting on the delivery of my second proof for THE SHRINKER, but I know it's on its way and hopefully will be here on Monday, which means that, if it's OK, I'll launch the pre-orders next week. Fingers crossed.
In the meantime, I'm deep into the next pair of books that Bear Alley will be publishing in the next couple of months. I'm thinking it might be best to have a little gap between publication, as we're coming up for holiday season and during August and September many potential customers will be (a) on holiday; or (b) paying their credit cards off after their holiday. Back in 2011, when I put out Eagles Over the Western Front in three volumes (I was more cautious back then) there was a six week gap between each release. The Mytek books were meant to have a month between volumes 1&2 and 3, but printing problems meant that 1&2 came out late, and 3 crept out in September, by which time I was designing the next book (the AIR ACE COMPANION), so I waited until November to release volume 4 to benefit from getting the two books sent to me in one go.
Because of the Topsy-turvy way the latter was published, I haven't a clue whether it helped or not. So I'll try again, with perhaps a six week gap; that means the folk who want the book immediately can spread the cost over a couple of credit card bills, while others who are happy to buy the books as a pair won't have too long to wait.
While I'm waiting for proofs and restocks to arrive, I have been working on writing some introductory bits for the new books, which I'll get into a little closer to publication.
There isn't really any other news. We've had our first two small cucumbers of the year and we'll soon have a few tomatoes. We're a step closer to making the utility room a little cooler—it has a clear plastic roof and large windows on two sides which means it gets incredibly hot, even with the door open as the outside temperature is almost as hot. As this is where we have the fridge and freezer, we need to do something before they conk out like the freezer cabinets in our local Co-Op.
The solution (we hope) is camouflage netting, which we will be putting over the roof to stop some of the heat getting in. I saw this mentioned in a newspaper article and a large net is not that expensive (we paid £25 for one 2 x 5 metres (about 6½ by 16½ feet).
I think that's all the news that's fit to print. Keep an eye over on Facebook for news of when I'm going to start taking pre-orders, or I'll let you know here next week. At the moment I'm pleased to say that my prediction that we'd start taking orders next Friday seems to be panning out!
Thursday, July 16, 2026
Commando 5975-5978
This week's Commando set includes a brand-new Harrier Squadron story and a wartime mystery in the Black Forest. Issues 5975-5978 are on sale today. Thursday 16th July.
5975: Harrier Squadron: Ghost Flight
It is the mid-1990s and across a battle-scarred Europe, the forces of WESFED (Western Federation) and the Eastern armies of the ASBLOC (Asian Bloc) are in a delicate state of truce. But the fragile peace is under constant threat and only Harrier Squadron — an international allied task force of jump-jet pilots — can prevent a flight of bandit “ghost fighters” from re-igniting the deadly conflict!
Story: James Swallow
Internal Art: Esteve Polls
Cover Art: Keith Burns
5976: Assassin!
John Daniels had only one thought in his mind — revenge. Revenge against the Brigadier who had sentenced him to prison for the crime of self-defence.
Now, the Brigadier was a prisoner in Germany, and John was on his way to find him. But it was no rescue attempt — John had orders to silence the Brigadier once and for all!
Story: Gentry
Internal Art: V. Fuente
Cover Art: Penalva
First published 1972 as No.620
5977: Erlking
Germany, 1945. Following Germany’s surrender, Allied forces occupy much of the country. In pursuit of an escaped Nazi prisoner, a troop of US soldiers encounters a French-occupied village on the edge of the Black Forest, which has been experiencing a spate of missing people.
The villagers blame the malevolent Erlking — a forest spirit. Only Klara Hoffman, a local clockmaker’s daughter, believes a more human threat dwells in the woods.
Story: NA Breakenridge
Internal Art: Esteve Polls
Cover Art: Marco Bianchini
5978: Operation “Terror”
When a man has seen too much fighting and come close to death, he wants only one thing — a safe job, and a bit of peace and quiet away from the shells and the bullets. So Ned Simpson reckoned his luck was in when he was sent home from Italy and posted to guard a Welsh reservoir.
But how wrong can you be? For soon he was to come face-to-face with a crack German parachute unit.
In Wales? Yes, that’s right...
Story: Staff
Internal Art: Escandell
Cover Art: Philpott
First published 1985 as No. 1893
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Rebellion Releases — 15 July 2026
Cyd Finlea is a photo journalist who works for Global Neographic, who have assigned her a universal beat! Leaving Earth, she heads out into the furthest edges of the universe, cataloguing alien societies and photographing the strange new worlds that she finds. As she heads ever-further into the endless adventure of the universe, she encounters all kinds of new creatures, cultures, and dangers. But then one day… Global Neographic stop sending her paycheques.
Realising she’s completely alone in the universe and has no idea what direction Earth would be, let alone how she can get back there, Cyd is lost in THE OUT! From creators Dan Abnett and Mark Harrison, follow Cyd as she tries to find her way home, hopping from planet to planet, hitching a ride on the cosmic trail in the hopes of finding home!
Long-awaited by fans, this second volume of The Out takes Cyd’s journey into even more extraordinary territory as, accompanied only by her talking space-hopper bag, she seeks answers both personal and metaphysical in her quest to find a way home, and a sense of meaning in the Universe.
As one of 2000 AD’s most popular modern stories, The Out Book Two will be available in two formats – either in standard paperback, or as a webshop-exclusive hardback edition featuring the art of Mark Harrison!
Continuing the fan-favourite and critically acclaimed series, The Out Book Two is available for pre-order now from the 2000 AD webshop!
And now, this week's releases...
2000AD Prog 2491
Cover: David Roach, with Emily Roach
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)
THE FALL OF DEADWORLD // JUSTICE by Kek-W (w) Dave Kendall (a) Simon Bowland (l)
NIGHTMARE NEW YORK // BOOK TWO by Kek-W (w) David Roach (a) Peter Doherty (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
JUDGE ANDERSON // THE VOID by Liam Johnson (w) Rob Richardson (a) Rob Steen (l)
Judge Dredd Megazine 494
Cover: John McCrea, with Jack Davies
JUDGE RICO // THE BLACK TOWER by Ken Niemand (w) Nick Percival (c) Simon Bowland (l)
LAWLESS // AN EXHIBITION by Dan Abnett (w) Phil Winslade (a) Simon Bowland (l)
TALES FROM THE BLACK MUSEUM // BAD IDEA by James Peaty (w) Stewart K. Moore (a) 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)
Sunday, July 12, 2026
Eagle Times v39 no2 (Summer 2026)
The author was actually Peggy Cornwell, wife of artist Bruce Cornwell, and the stories were submitted to Eagle in early 1956 via an agent. The full synopses are printed following the article, so readers can see precisely how stories were submitted at that time. They appear here for the first time, having never appeared in any form in Eagle or Eagle Annual.
The Eagle Society had its annual gathering in Peterborough earlier this year and Eagle Times stalwart Steve Winders gave a speech, reproduced here, discussing collecting, lost bookshops and owning a Tintin book translated into Cornish. Reg Hoare offers his perspective of the weekend and there are plenty of photos and details from various talks.
There are the usual miscellany of features, including Peter Barr's look back at the career of speedway rider Jack Parker, part two of the latest PC49 adventure, 'The Case of the Funny Money' penned by Steve Winders (who tells me these are new adventures, not (as I had supposed) based on the old radio show scripts), and David Britton's continued look at the historical background of the Jeff Arnold (Riders of the Range) stories.
The quarterly Eagle Times is the journal of the Eagle Society, with membership costing £30 in the UK, £50 (in sterling) overseas. You can send subscriptions to Bob Corn, Mayfield Lodge, Llanbadoc, Usk, Monmouthshire NP15 1SY; subs can also be submitted via PayPal to membership@eagle-society.org.uk. Back issues are available for newcomers to the magazine and they have even issued binders to keep those issues nice and neat.
Friday, July 10, 2026
Comic Cuts — 10 July 2026
I'm in that hinterland between working on a book and waiting for the final jigsaw piece to arrive, namely the second proof that tells me everything is OK and I can order a full print-run. The temptation is to do nothing, especially in this heat. We're still getting into the low thirties which is enough to melt your enthusiasm for work.
As Mel was home on Sunday we actually took the opportunity to cut the large hedge we have, which had grown over half of the public footpath while I dithered about buying a new hedge trimmer — the last one went bang when I plugged it in and tripped out the fuses in the house. I'd managed to cut through the wire a couple of years ago, but had used tape to reconnect the wires and create a sleeve. It worked... but we had it in the utility room which is essentially a hothouse with wide windows and a clear plastic roof.
It get really hot... hot enough to melt the glue on the tape, which then stopped protecting the wiring and instead allowed them to blow up the motor.
Fortunately, while I was dithering about spending a bunch of money on a new hedge trimmer, I bumped into our neighbour and managed to borrow theirs. Hence spending Sunday cutting back the hedge. We filled our green waste bin (we have one of the big ones) and four bags, and that was just the front. We still have our side of the hedge and we'll have to take some off the top to make it manageable in the future. But the waste collection is only every fortnight, and the four bags will fill up the bin again, meaning another fortnight's wait until it's emptied and we can attack the hedge again — and that will be another month's worth.
Meanwhile, the rest of the garden is growing wild and there's nothing we can do. It's less hassle to keep the unwanted garden refuse attached to the trees, the weeds rooted in the ground and the grass spread at least semi-neatly across the whole lawn.
One positive note. We have our usual quota of one cucumber and two tomato plants, and it's looking hopeful that we'll have a reasonable crop after last year's disappointment. (Long-time readers will recall the tomato plants suffered from Blossom End Rot, caused by a lack of calcium. That reminds me... I need to get some tomato feed...
I haven't been entirely lazy. There are more books in the works and I'm cleaning up artwork. But you can see how much enthusiasm I've put in by Monday's tally: started the day with 33 pages to do, finished the day with 31 pages to do. Every time I opened a page, something would happen that dragged me off in another direction.
I'm hopeful that we'll hit the official release date with THE SHRINKER, which I've set as 24 July. Early bird discounts will be offered... more news one I've received the proof.
Wednesday, July 08, 2026
Rebellion Releases — 8 July 2026
The Nacelle Company, Oni Press, and Rebellion are proud to announce a historic partnership, which officially begins with the announcement of JUDGE DREDD /BIKER MICE FROM MARS #1 – launching the wreckage-strewn collision of the 22nd Century’s most feared lawman against its hardest-charging mutant outlaws in a no-holds-barred showdown for supremacy!
JUDGE DREDD /| BIKER MICE FROM MARS #1 will also mark the first milestone in a newly cemented merchandising partnership between Rebellion and the Nacelle Company that will see Nacelle’s Consumer Product division create a new line of highly detailed action figures and other collectibles that will feature crossovers between The Biker Mice From Mars and Rebellion’s Judge Dredd characters. The first wave of figures will be made available for pre-order this autumn and will be released online and in stores in 2027.
To celebrate the new partnership, Nacelle, Oni Press, and Rebellion will be giving fans a special reward directly from the streets of Mega-City One at Comic-Con International 2026 in San Diego, CA, beginning on Thursday, July 23rd! Simply visit the Rebellion booth (#2121) to retrieve your free Mega-City One parking ticket with an official Department of Justice stamp – then get it stamped again in sequence at the Nacelle Company booth (#2547) and Oni Press booth (#1829) to avoid the death penalty, and receive one of 500 limited-edition JUDGE DREDD /| BIKER MICE FROM MARS art prints, featuring the upcoming cover art of Eisner Award-winning superstar David Finch (Batman, Skinbreaker)!
“It’s truly a thrill to be walking the streets of Mega-City One with our amazing partners at Rebellion and the Nacelle Company. The amount of love and fervor for Judge Dredd and the iconic legacy of 2000 AD that flows through both Oni and Nacelle is palpable, and, thanks to the huge talents of Dan Watters, Ryan O’Sullivan, and Jordi Tarragona, we’re excited to give fans the 22nd century’s first truly great comic event,” said Oni Press President & Publisher Hunter Gorinson.
“I’ve been a massive fan of Judge Dredd for at least 35 years and when Hunter suggested this collab, I warned him that he better not be punking me,” said Nacelle CEO, Brian Volk-Weiss. “Being able to play in the Mega City One sand box is beyond a dream come true!”
Across the frayed cordons of space-time, the greed-fueled oligarchs Limburger and Karbunkle have identified a strange new world to plunder, but they never anticipated that Throttle, Vinnie, and Modo – the extraterrestrial anti-heroes known as the BIKER MICE FROM MARS – would dare to foil their latest cross-dimensional conquest: the smog-clogged metropolis known as Mega-City One.
Now, the Martian brothers and their bikes are stranded between blocks in Mega-City’s endless, chaotic sprawl … alongside 400 million citizens who want them dead and the one man committed to delivering them to justice at any cost: the unforgiving JUDGE DREDD! The law has no place for vermin on Mega-City One’s streets … but when the Biker Mice’s otherworldly abilities draw the gaze of the inhuman entity calledJudge Death, man and mouse alike will be caught in the crosshairs in the first-ever BIKER MICE FROM MARS crossover outside of the NacelleVerse!
“Mutants and mayhem are two of the founding pillars of Judge Dredd’s world, so when Oni and Nacelle approached us about a crossover with the Biker Mice From Mars we knew this would be exactly our kind of Thrillpower,” said Ben Smith, Head of Publishing for Rebellion. “The Biker Mice From Mars are the perfect fit for Dredd’s radical, radioactive vision of the future, and this is going to be a revved-up, all-action spectacular for fans. To take this crossover off the page into a new toy range is next level exciting – Rebellion and 2000 AD are delighted to bring this new partnership with our new partners Oni Press and Nacelle into fifth gear.”
Created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, JUDGE DREDD has been bringing law and order to the crime-ridden, dystopian streets of Mega-City One since he first appeared in the pages of 2000 AD 1977. Throughout his almost 50 year history, Dredd has faced down everyone from Batman to Aliens and Predator … but he’s never met anyone quite like Throttle, Vinnie, Modo. Set to appear in a brand-new animated series from executive producers Brian Volk-Weiss, Ryan Reynolds, George Dewey, Matt Kravitsky, and Kevin Hill in 2027, the BIKER MICE FROM MARS have been a fixture for fans and collectors since their first appearance in 1993 and have since helmed multiple new comic series published by Oni Press.
JUDGE DREDD / BIKER MICE FROM MARS #1 will arrive in comic shops worldwide in December 2026, featuring covers by David Finch (Batman, Karl Kerschl (The Flash), and Andrew Krahnke (G.I. Joe), and more to be revealed!
And now, this week's release...
2000AD Prog 2490
Cover: Dave Kendall.
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)
THE FALL OF DEADWORLD // JUSTICE by Kek-W (w) Dave Kendall (a) Simon Bowland (l)
NIGHTMARE NEW YORK // BOOK TWO by Kek-W (w) David Roach (a) Peter Doherty (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
JUDGE ANDERSON // THE VOID by Liam Johnson (w) Rob Richardson (a) Rob Steen (l)
Friday, July 03, 2026
Comic Cuts — 3 July 2026
After last week's announcement that the next book from Bear Alley will be THE SHRINKER I have very little news. The proof arrived, looked good, I made a couple of minor changes and I'll be ordering a second proof. After that I'll be taking the usual "early bird" orders ahead of official publication with a bit of a discount, and then we'll have the book on sale as usual.
For your delectation and delight (I hope), below are the opening few pages. The story barrels along at a terrific pace, and Mike Western seems to have had a terrific amount of fun using the perspective of the inch-high RAF pilots to give the strip a unique viewpoint. I'll confess here that I'd pretty much forgotten about he strip until earlier this year when I was re-reading another strip in Valiant and spotted the opening pages of 'The Shrinker'.
'The Shrinker' had already started when I began buying Valiant, which was mid-1969, Carlos Cruz had already taken over the artwork, so it was only years later, as I built up a collection of Valiant's earlier years, that I saw the first two tales of Capek and the miniaturized Squadron Leader Flint and Sergeant Slake and mostly out of order thanks to the somewhat random nature of collecting weekly comics. I still had gaps up to about four years ago.
By the time our miniaturized heroes were attacked by the cat, I was gripped.
We've reached the mid-point of the year, so here's the Top 10 bestsellers from Bear Alley Books to the end of June:
1 Action: The Sevenpenny Nightmare
2 Mytek the Mighty volume 4
3 Mytek the Mighty volume 3
4= Mytek the Mighty volume 1
4= Air Ace Picture Library Companion
6= Mytek the Mighty volume 2
6= Countdown to TV Action
8 Lion King of Picture Story Papers
9 Ranger: The National Boys' Magazine
10 Rocket: The First Space-Age Weekly
Not surprising that the most recent books are selling the best, but also nice to see that the older books are still in that "long tail" of sales, and Lion and Countdown are still finding an audience. So that audience at even the lower end of the Top 10 you can almost count on the fingers of your hands, but the plan for Bear Alley was always to have books that would contribute a small amount every year that would add up to a reasonable wage when multiplied by the 100 books I had under my belt.
(Yes, it has gone a little bit wrong... I've published 50 books (if you count the volumes of Mytek individually), which is only half my target. I'm going as fast as I can....)
I've mentioned that I've been on a bit of a book-buying spree recently, so to end this week we have some random scans... and the usual advice: keep hydrated and wear a hat, folks, because the hot weather hasn't gone away.
Thursday, July 02, 2026
Commando 5971-5974
5971: Commandos Vs Dragons
Sergeant Terry Banks and his colourful team of Commandos were known for getting the job done. But the Commandos might have bitten off more than they could chew when their next mission, to find and dispatch a Nazi Oberfuhrer obsessed with the occult, led them to the beautiful and mysterious fjords of Norway.
Nobody could have guessed what lay slumbering in the mountains…
Story: Andrew Knighton
Internal Art: Juan Ferdandez
Cover Art: Graeme Neil Reid
5972: Buccaneer Bob, R.N.
Thrashing in to attack at forty knots, guns blazing, torpedoes hissing from the tubes...that was how they fought their war in the little ships of the Royal Navy.
To command one of those MTBs, you had to be brave as a lion, quick as lightning, tough as steel. And Lieutenant Bob Stacey was a guy just like that.
Story: RA Montague
Internal & Cover Art: Gordon C Livingstone
First published 1972 as No.618
5973: The Long, Bad Night
The Ardennes, 1944. A fog descended on the forest, and former detective Rick Brennan found himself in the thick of it. Separated from his unit, he took shelter in a farmhouse with a disparate crew of American soldiers, a captured German and a disgruntled civilian.
When one of the men was murdered, Rick was convinced the German was innocent, but he’d have a long, bad night ahead of him trying to catch the real killer.
Story: Sean Mason
Internal Art: Vicente Alcazar
Cover Art: Simon Pritchard
5974: Caught In The Trap
For some Burmese tribes, the only way a young lad could prove himself a man was by catching a tiger single handed. Even though the occupying Japanese forbade such hunts, Kam-Lee was determined to carry out the age-old ritual. But he wasn’t the only hunter, for the brutal Colonel Samato was stalking a British fighter-pilot through the jungle. Soon, someone was going to be... Caught In The Trap!
Story: McDevitt
Internal Art: Ibanez
Cover Art: Ron Brown
First published 1985 as No. 1881
Wednesday, July 01, 2026
Rebellion Releases — 1 July 2026
The latest in Rebellion’s Apex Edition oversized hardcover art books series will feature early work from one of Britain’s most distinctive comic artists, known the world over thanks to his partnership with Alan Moore on the groundbreaking superhero series Watchmen.
With his work appearing from the very first issue of 2000 AD, Gibbons quickly established himself as a pre-eminent talent — his clean lines, bold characters, eye for detail, and inventive imagination winning over a generation of readers and marking him out for greatness.
Due for publication on 11th November 2026, The 2000 AD Art of Dave Gibbons: Apex Edition will give readers a unique insight into this pivotal moment in Gibbons’ career, from establishing himself as the definitive artist on future sports strip Harlem Heroes and revamping the archetypal British comic character Dan Dare, to co-creating the genetically-modified sci-fi warrior Rogue Trooper — the subject of a forthcoming movie written and directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code).
Lovingly put together by Rebellion’s experienced reprographics and editorial teams, this new 128-page collection will presents Gibbons’ work at its true size — all pages will be newly-scanned at high resolution from the original artwork, giving readers an unprecedented up-close look at the work of a comics master.
Measuring 481mm × 371 mm, this Apex Edition will feature work from Gibbons’ runs on Harlem Heroes and Dan Dare alongside pages from robot rescue squad series Ro-Busters, its anarchic successor ABC Warriors, Judge Dredd, and Rogue Trooper.
It will also include many pages from his first collaborations at 2000 AD with writer Alan Moore, including the time-travel short story ‘Chrono-Cops’. Following their work on 2000 AD, the pair would go on to redefine the superhero genre with their stunning work — alongside fellow 2000 AD alumni colourist John Higgins — on the twelve-issue 1986 series Watchmen for DC Comics, which remains one of the best-known and best-selling graphic novels of all time.
The 2000 AD Art of Dave Gibbons: Apex Edition (ISBN: 978-1-83786-761-5) is out on 11th November 2026. The standard edition will be available from all good comic book stores and the 2000 AD webshop at 2000AD.com, while a special, limited edition slipcase edition will be available exclusively from the 2000 AD webshop.
And now, this week's release...
2000AD Prog 2489
Cover: Steven Austin.
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)
THE FALL OF DEADWORLD // JUSTICE by Kek-W (w) Dave Kendall (a) Simon Bowland (l)
NIGHTMARE NEW YORK // BOOK TWO by Kek-W (w) David Roach (a) Peter Doherty (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
JUDGE ANDERSON // THE VOID by Liam Johnson (w) Rob Richardson (a) Rob Steen (l)














































