Forthcoming Thrills - 2024

[Dash Decent]

Nemesis the Warlock - The Definitive Edition, Volume 2 - Paperback, 192 pages, 24th September 2024

Long out of print, The Definitive Nemesis the Warlock collects one of the stand-out 2000 AD series and presents it in the best possible format for a comprehensive reading experience!

The Definitive series of the Nemesis the Warlock saga continues as Torquemada's crusade to destroy all alien life reaches the planet of the Goths, a species of alien which has modelled their culture on early twentieth-century Britain. Nemesis must team up with the Goth leader, the Ion Duke, to stop them being eradicated by Torquemada's army of Terminators.

Collecting the entire series in order, with the colour centre-spread pages reproduced in their original form, the Definitive collection of Nemesis the Warlock is the ultimate way to read one of the most important sci-fi sagas published in the pages of 2000 AD.

Written by Pat Mills (Marshal Law) and drawn by Kevin O'Neill (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) and Bryan Talbot (Sandman, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright), this definitive series compiles the complete storyline in order.

[Dash Decent]

Fiends of the Eastern Front Omnibus Volume 2 - Paperback, 176 pages, 8th October 2024

The second omnibus in the Fiends of the Eastern Front series, collecting Ian Edginton and Tiernen Trevallion's thrilling horror tales into a new, definitive edition.
In 1970, Lieutenant Tim Wilson is haunted by the memories of war - not just the bloodshed of the battlefield, but the horrors witnessed at the hand of Captain Constanta, who rescued him after a gruesome encounter with the King-Bats of Maximilian Von Klorr - the Black Max himself! Years later, Lt. Wilson sets on a journey to hunt down Constanta in his native Romania, and uncovers his origins among beasts and creatures of magic.

Collecting the work of Ian Edginton and Tiernen Trevallion, the second omnibus of Fiends of the Eastern Front follows Constanta's bloody trail across history, and brings monstrous terror from the skies of wartime France to the streets of 1960s London.

[Dash Decent]

Essential Judge Dredd 8: Tour of Duty - Book 2 - Paperback, 228 pages, 5th November 2024

The Essential Judge Dredd series is the perfect introduction to the Lawman of the Future - in the second volume of Tour of Duty, Dredd is forced to investigate corruption within the Judges' council, in a mission that confines him to the Cursed Earth!

The essential Judge Dredd graphic novel series - this is the ultimate introduction to the Lawman of the Future!

After Dredd and Hershey's decision to restore mutant access to Mega-City One is confronted with widespread criticism, Dan Francisco - a reality TV star who holds the people's favour - challenges Hershey's leadership as Chief Judge. Under his rule, the conditions of mutants across the Big Meg would be worse than ever. But when Judge Francisco is gunned down on camera in an alleged mutant attack, Dredd begins to suspect someone else might be masterminding the rushed election...

[Dash Decent]

Cadet Dredd 1: Tooth and Claw -  Paperback, 224 pages, 19th November 2024

YOUNG JUSTICE!

Before Judge Dredd, there was Cadet Dredd - a keen, fresh-faced apprentice, and stickler for the rules, with no idea of the legend he will one day become.

Young Joe hits the streets of Mega-City One for the first time, facing off against perps, monsters and genetically modified movie stars as he learns how to become the greatest Judge the Meg has ever seen.

Zarjaz adventures await inside this thrilling new collection!

[Dash Decent]

The Stainless Steel Rat - Colour Omnibus - Paperback, 208 pages, 17th December 2024

The iconic 2000 AD adaptation of Harry Harrison's beloved science fiction classic is now reprinted in full colour throughout.

The 2000 AD adaptation of Harry Harrison's classic science-fiction novels by Kelvin Gosnell and Carlos Ezquerra returns in a new full colour omnibus!

James Bolivar DiGriz aka 'The Stainless Steel Rat' is many things - a con man, a thief, and a member of an elite law-enforcement agency known as the Special Corps. After escaping the corps, DiGriz crosses paths with the beautiful but deadly Angelina who, like Jim DiGriz, is also a master criminal, albeit a lot more ruthless. They must travel through time to stop a master criminal meddling with the past, and help to overthrow an evil President by haveing The Rat become a candidate for the job himself!

A classic from 2000 AD's first 'golden age', Stainless Steel Rat is a must-read for fans of Harrison or old school sci-fi action with bold characters and a wry twist of humour, complemented by Ezquerra's dynamic and inimitable artwork.




This is what I've been saying for years.  We're going to see more classic material in full colour, to entice repeat sales and also a younger audience who expect colour and won't engage with B&W.

[Dash Decent]

Dreadnoughts: The March of Progress - Paperback, 80 pages, 3rd December 2024

The hard-hitting second volume of the acclaimed Dreadnoughts series, depicting the early days of Judge Dredd's world.

After a crime blitz in Boulder leads to riots against the Judges' excessive use of force and violation of human rights, the Hemlock Cartel takes advantage of the chaos to declare all-out war against the Justice Department. It is up to Judge Glover to eradicate their threat - even if her crusade could risk revealing the long-buried secrets of her past.

[IndigoPrime]

Thoughts:

- Hoping Nemesis goes OOP in HC, so I'm not tempted to buy that story yet again
- Fiends: lovely to see this getting a collection; I wish it didn't have 'volume 2' so prominently on the front. Will buy this anyway, but may hang on in case it's in the UC.
- Dreadnoughts: Yay. And I really hope there's a webshop HC to match my volume 1.

Also:

This is what I've been saying for years.  We're going to see more classic material in full colour, to entice repeat sales and also a younger audience who expect colour and won't engage with B&W.

And an overseas audience. Quite a few folks from the US say they find it hard to engage with classic 2000 AD because it's in black and white. Although that didn't stop many of them from buying Walking Dead, but there you go. (Density appears to be the other blocker. Because the stories are packed so tightly, some folks not used to British comics can find them a little overwhelming, apparently.)

[Dash Decent]

I bought the original SSR collection, and the special hardback, and I can see myself buying this new colour omnibus.  I can also see a full colour Strontium Dog coming a little while down the track after the hardback Strontium Dog has been completed. That's a reasonably finite set of stories to tackle.  Perhaps the Rogue Trooper movie will prompt full colour releases of classic RT too, at least in part.  IDW already made a start on that.

Dredd is an interesting one to consider.  There is a heap of B&W stories to tackle if you want to do anything, but equally a plethora of full colour material to entice the reader, and perhaps little value trying to make the quirky early stories more attractive.  Rebellion could pick a random point, e.g. Apoc War, and start colouring from there; even jumping around and publishing volumes out of order to get the good stuff out first.  Again, IDW already released a full colour Apoc War volume so there's a little bit of a start in place already.

Now I think about it, I'd be all over a full colour Meltdown Man book.

[IndigoPrime]

It's strange. So much of this comes down to your own personal background. I was really happy with the current Tharg (I _think_ Matt?) being a lot more relaxed than their predecessors  regarding black and white, giving creators more flexibility regarding the visual appearance of strips. Some just work better without colour.

But, yeah, that certainly isn't close to being universal. I've seen quite a few Reddit threads with people asking where they can eg get the "full colour" versions of Dredd, and being quite surprised when told there aren't any.

[Dash Decent]

Some just work better without colour.

I totally agree.  Ichabod Azrael, for example, should stay as is.

[Trooper McFad]

Some just work better without colour.

I totally agree.  Ichabod Azrael, for example, should stay as is.

Seconded

I'd add Insurrection & Lawless are another 2 B&W classics that should never be touched with colours 

[I, Cosh]

Presumably the colouring on Stainless Steel Rat is from the Eagle Comics reprints (like the Nemesis one) rather than something completely new. Did Carlos colour that himself? I know he did the covers.

[Max Headroom]

I must say that I prefer classic black and white stories to stay faithful to their original form and not be revisited unnecessarily. However, I did buy the fairly recent coloured Halo Jones book and thought it was great. Probably will upgrade my Stainless Steel Rat to this new colour edition if it comes out in hardcover.

[Lorenzo]

... and on the other hand I'm really glad I have the original B&W omnibus of Halo Jones as I actually preferred it over the over priced colour hardback! Still, gonna keep both though 

[Max Headroom]

Lorenzo - just out of interest, is your B&W Omnibus the old black Titan edition? Is it really superior to the newer colour edition?