Legendary comics Battle and Action are back as part of a roster of TWELVE new special titles for 2020 from Rebellion Publishing! (https://2000ad.com/post/6056)
Some of the biggest titles in comic books return, many of them for the first time in decades, as Rebellion lights up newsstands, comic stores, and digital devices from March through to December.
Reviving old favourites while introducing new audiences to the very best of British comics, these new specials include original fresh work from top names such as Garth Ennis (The Boys, Preacher), Ram V (Catwoman), Alex de Campi (Dredd), Rob Williams (Suicide Squad), Dan Lish (Egostrip), VV Glass (Doctor Who), Danijel Žeželj (Luna Park) and many, many more!
From the groundbreaking war stories of Battle to the violent carnage of Action, from home-grown superhero action in Smash! to old school derring-do with The Return of Sexton Blake and classic espionage in Thriller Picture Library , there's something in this line-up for all readers! As if that wasn't enough, then we're heading to the future with a special focusing on Rebellion's eagerly anticipated release of Evil Genius 2 and kicking off exciting European Cup action with Roy of the Rovers!
There's also the return of last year's hit specials – Cor!! Buster, Misty & Scream!, and Tammy & Jinty! – along with a 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special celebrating two decades of Thrill-power under the Rebellion banner!
These titles will all be available from all good newsagents and comic book stores.
All the 2020 specials will also be available to pre-order as a special £59.99 subscription bundle from the 2000 AD webshop, which includes 20% off and with an exclusive bagged reproduction of the infamous 'banned' issue of Action from October 1976!
Keith Richardson, senior editor at Rebellion Publishing, said: "We're really excited about our 2020 specials and to be able to put together such an impressive roster of talent has been a real privilege, with plenty more announcements still to come.
"Rebellion owns the world's biggest archive of English language comics and to say we're spoilt for choice is an understatement – but we've picked out iconic titles to reinvigorate for the 21st Century, alongside some of the best new products Rebellion has to offer. We're putting these comics back where they belong – back on the newsstand and back in front of new audiences."
March: Action Special
April: Cor!! Buster Easter Special
May: Smash! Special
June: Roy of the Rovers Euro 2020 Special
June: 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special: Twenty Years of Rebellion
July: Tammy & Jinty Special
September: Battle Special
September: Misty & Scream! Special
November: Thriller Picture Library Special
November: The Return of Sexton Blake
December: Misty Presents... Special
Date TBC: Evil Genius 2 Special
It horrified prudes and censors alike – but the ground-breaking Action is back! The 1970s comic they tried to ban returns with the same blend of unbeatable characters and no-holds-barred action – all brought to you by the best talents of today! Featuring the killer shark Hookjaw by Dan Lish, juvenile delinquency in Kids Rule OK by Ram V and Henrick Stahlstrom, frontline German Panzer with Hellman of Hammer Force by Garth Ennis and Mike Dorey, merciless secret agent action with Dredger by Zina Hutton, and the brand new Hell Machine by Henry Flint. Plus, the exclusive edition available from the 2000 AD website will come with a bagged reproduction of the 'banned' issue of Action from October 1976!
The biggest and brightest humour comic in Britain is back for another 48-page special! A smash hit with kids, the Cor!! Buster Easter Special brings together two of Britain's most beloved humour comics for 48 pages of belly laughs and silly japes from some of the best creators around, including Lew Stringer and John Freeman on Buster and Delbert, Sweeny Toddler and Gah! by Tom Paterson, Grimly Feendish by Ned Hartley and Tom Paterson, Frankie Stein by Cavan Scott and Steve Mannion, Daisy Jones' Locket by Olivia Hicks and Shelli Paroline, Birdman and Chicken by Edward Whatley, Swines of Anarchy by Lee Langford and Pye Parr, Faceache by Matt Smith and John Lucas, Gums by Lizzie Boyle and Abigail Ryder, Deadly Hedley by Paul Goodenough and Rositsa Vangelova, Kid Kong by Alec Worley and Tiernen Travallion, and Duck Turpin by Robin Etherington and David Follett.
They're the home-grown superheroes who gave Superman and Spider-Man a run for their money – and now their back in the Smash! Special! Featuring some of the most original and unusual caped crusaders you'll ever encounter, this 64-page special features super-villain-turned-hero The Spider by Rob Williams and John McCrea, supercharged secret agent The Steel Claw by Danijel Žeželj, the 'missing link' who became the man of the future Johnny Future by Tom Raney, giant robot ape Mytek the Mighty by Suyi Davies Okungbowa and Anand Radhakrishnan, and many more!
It's going to be an incredible summer of football with the European Championships and the Roy of the Rovers Euro 2020 Special will bring you excitement on and off the pitch. Featuring the talents of the Roy of the Rovers creative team – Rob Williams, Lisa Henke and Tom Palmer – this 48-page special kicks off this June!
2020 marks two decades since Rebellion stepped in to save the Galaxy's Greatest Comic. The 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special celebrates 20 Years of Rebellion with a specially-curated look at 2000 AD during the tenure of its longest-serving owners and longest-serving editor; featuring some of the best talents of the past 20 years, this 48-page special celebrates the evolution of 2000 AD since its namesake year with comics and features about Britain's biggest and best comic!
Tammy & Jinty return for two feature-length stories from modern creators in a new 48-page comic, continuing the work of last year's hit special! Tammy and Jinty were ground-breaking female-led comics covered that everything from science fiction and fantasy to romance and domestic drama. Now retooled for the 21st Century, the Tammy & Jinty Special pays tribute to this legacy of trail-blazing comics while introducing a new audience to the medium!
It was the comic than inspired a generation and introduced readers to some of the reality of war – Battle is back and it's bigger than ever! This 96-page special features the returns of Rat Pack, Destroyer, El Mestizo, and more of your favourite characters – direct from the comic book front lines! Inspired by the classic comic and ground-breaking characters, creators such as Garth Ennis, Alex De Campi, Alan Hebden, Brent McKee, Keith Burns, Rob Williams, and more bring you stories of war inspired by real events but with the flair and excitement that made Battle the innovative comic it was!
Following the success of last year's fright-filled outing, the Misty & Scream! Special returns this Hallowe'en! Two of Britain's best loved comics reunite for an anthology of brand new tales that are guaranteed to terrify and entertain you – courtesy of a coven of creators, including Kek-W, Simon Coleby, Vincenzo Riccardi, Cavan Scott, Alec Worley, DaNi, and many more!
Thriller Picture Library was the pocket book series packed with thrilling tales of danger and adventure, which delighted audiences for more than a decade in the mid-20th Century, establishing the careers of D. C. Eyles, Mike Hubbard, Eric Parker and Septimus E. Scott. With a brand new cover by VV Glass, this 128-page special includes two classic John Steel adventures from the 1960s, drawn by Luis Bermejo (Eerie, Vampirella) and coloured for modern audiences!
He's the world's greatest detective and now one of the most popular fictional characters of all time, Sexton Blake, is back! Part Sherlock Holmes, part action hero, Blake was created by Harry Blyth in 1893
and his instant success saw him become the subject of countless novels, comics, radio, and TV, making him one of the last century's most popular characters. Featuring a guide to his adventures alongside just some of his timeless comic book adventures, The Return of Sexton Blake is a 96-page collection that will reintroduce the master of mystery and suspense!
Christmas is the perfect time for a ghost story and this year's Misty Presents... special will bring a few seasonal scares with a 48-page special that will shock your Xmas stocking off the wall and have you cowering under the tree with your presents! Prepare yourselves for a Yuletide shocker as M.R. James meets Black Mirror in a brand new title to round out a very special year!
Evil Genius 2: World Domination is coming to Steam in 2020 in a fully-fledged sequel to the 2004 classic PC game – and, like all the best villains, now that we have you captive we're going to reveal the inner workings of our fiendish plans in a 64-page special! In this spy-fi lair builder you take control of an Evil Genius, with your aim nothing less than taking over the world and the Evil Genius 2 Special will take you behind-the-scenes on this long-awaited sequel!
(https://2000ad.com/assets/pimg/00/69/62-460.jpg)
Direct shop link for the lazy squaxx:
https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/B0015 (https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/B0015)
However, something that struck me - no Vigilant.
and you can't use the 50% off voucher either...
Excellent news!
Sounds like this year's specials sold pretty well then.
Roll on 2020!
Automatic, no-brainer insta-buy.
Fantastic to see the commitment to expanding on this year's suite of goodies, which have all been very well-received by the younglings (and me).
I'm especially excited by the prospect of seeing what the hell Dan Lish has done with Hookjaw! (As a long-time 2000AD fan, Dan's done a few things in my globetrotting sketchbook thing, like this one (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=39617.msg963183#msg963183).)
Every single one of those sounds exciting. Marvellous stuff.
Gonna pre-order on payday.
Whoops, looks like something went wrong.
...is what I get from the shop. I'm only interested in five out of the bundle, might just have to buy from a real shop :o
I wonder if Rebellion will get them into Asda etc?
Quote from: Proudhuff on 24 October, 2019, 12:13:36 PM
Whoops, looks like something went wrong.
...is what I get from the shop. I'm only interested in five out of the bundle, might just have to buy from a real shop :o
I wonder if Rebellion will get them into Asda etc?
It did seem to be down earlier, but appears to be working for me now.
I shall return! :D
I've had that happen in the shop, too. I think it's just the page timing out if you take too long after signing in to use the checkout.
How about A Starlord special for next year?
Is there a way of checking if you ahve purchased this already?! :P
QuoteIs there a way of checking if you ahve purchased this already?! :P
If you go into your shop there is a copy of your order history under the Orders & Payments section
Do we know what the two stories in Tammy & Jinty are going to be? I have genuine preferences!
Also wow, re-reading this whole list it really hits home how seriously Rebellion are approaching this. That's a lot of comics!
I got the opposite impression - it's nice to see the old brands get an airing, but beyond hoping Roy Race gets a boost every time the sportball fights are on tv again, I don't see any long-term strategy beyond gouging existing fans of their dwindling pension money.
Quote from: Professor Bear on 12 January, 2020, 02:16:50 PM
I got the opposite impression - it's nice to see the old brands get an airing, but beyond hoping Roy Race gets a boost every time the sportball fights are on tv again, I don't see any long-term strategy beyond gouging existing fans of their dwindling pension money.
What, by publishing a hugely broader range of titles, targeting multiple interests and age groups outside the core 2000AD-reading demographic, and actually getting those titles into high street outlets?
Yeah, that's precisely the sort of thing we should be greeting with studied cynical ennui.
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 12 January, 2020, 02:25:03 PM
Quote from: Professor Bear on 12 January, 2020, 02:16:50 PM
I got the opposite impression - it's nice to see the old brands get an airing, but beyond hoping Roy Race gets a boost every time the sportball fights are on tv again, I don't see any long-term strategy beyond gouging existing fans of their dwindling pension money.
What, by publishing a hugely broader range of titles, targeting multiple interests and age groups outside the core 2000AD-reading demographic, and actually getting those titles into high street outlets?
Yeah, that's precisely the sort of thing we should be greeting with studied cynical ennui.
Yeah, Grud forbid Rebellion try and cultivate new readers and a broader audience!!! ::)
Quote from: dweezil2 on 12 January, 2020, 02:29:46 PM
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 12 January, 2020, 02:25:03 PM
Quote from: Professor Bear on 12 January, 2020, 02:16:50 PM
I got the opposite impression - it's nice to see the old brands get an airing, but beyond hoping Roy Race gets a boost every time the sportball fights are on tv again, I don't see any long-term strategy beyond gouging existing fans of their dwindling pension money.
What, by publishing a hugely broader range of titles, targeting multiple interests and age groups outside the core 2000AD-reading demographic, and actually getting those titles into high street outlets?
Yeah, that's precisely the sort of thing we should be greeting with studied cynical ennui.
Yeah, Grud forbid Rebellion try and cultivate new readers and a broader audience!!! ::)
I can actually see a plan. Looks like some of specials will become a regular fixture like Scream/Misty and I believe we will also get at least a yearly release of Cor/Buster and the Jinty Specials.
Adding to this is that this year we will get 4 Regen Progs. This looks like a way to test the waters. Hopefully this can result into a Regen prog.
It feels like the plan is to make some informed decisions/predictions, throw a lot at the wall, see what sticks, ensure existing fans are catered for, and follow up on the stuff that succeeds. Which, given the insane amount of content Rebellion now owns, is really the only obvious path forward. My hope is that at least one 6+ comic would be sustainable on a regular basis, to sit alongside The Beano and The Phoenix. But the newsstand right now is a bloodbath, and so anything we get is, to my mind, a bonus.
But Rebellion as a whole does, I think, also pay heed to those who support it. Clearly, Valiant wasn't a megahit or it'd be a monthly. But the series is being closed out, so we get some resolution. That alone goes beyond what many modern publishers would do. As for the notion of gouging, I genuinely don't understand that accusation as levelled at Rebellion. They could sit on all this content and only drip-feed the same old big hitters again and again. But instead, we've already got a huge rage of content from the Treasury line, and some of it's coming out as floppies with the Meg (when it would be much cheaper to just reprint old Dredds they already have in digital).
Like I said, I'd be happy to see more. Make Cor/Buster a monthly and I'd immediately subscribe to it for mini-G. Hell, make Tammy/Jinty a monthly and I'd sign up to it, because it was really great. But it's easy to forget everything Rebellion's done for British comics since it bought 2000 AD and slide into just being cynical.
I agree with you Indigo. Rebellion has done a lot of the IP the acquired. I have the opportunity to read stuff that was never reprinted or available (except in the original format). I will support a Regen prog if it comes out regularly.
Tammy & Jinty hit the sweet spot of my daughter and I both really enjoying it - I'd happily take a sub for a monthly version, maybe even one that mixed new and reprint 50/50.
OTOH while we all enjoyed the Regen prog at home, I don't think any of us were excited enough to pick it up regularly, especially if Full Tilt Boogie has jumped to the weekly. And there was a fairly muted response to the FCBD Treasury issue.
It's a tricky one, I wish them luck!
I enjoyed the change of pace that came with the T&J special, and my main gripe is "where do I get more of it?"
Quote from: dweezil2 on 12 January, 2020, 02:29:46 PM
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 12 January, 2020, 02:25:03 PM
Yeah, that's precisely the sort of thing we should be greeting with studied cynical ennui.
Yeah, Grud forbid Rebellion try and cultivate new readers and a broader audience!!! ::)
My point was rather "how will they do this beyond the odd special?" I imagine the specials are testing the waters and I would like to know what comes next.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 12 January, 2020, 03:23:48 PMAs for the notion of gouging, I genuinely don't understand that accusation
Like the use of the word "pensioners" to describe 2000ad readers, it was a colourful turn of phrase and no more.
I will buy the , 2000ad Special and above all Action and Battle Specials for certain - but will wait till they are available
in the 2000ad Shop - for pre-order seperately
Can I ask anyone from 2000AD to reply if the ACTION 2020 Annual will be sold seperate on the 2000AD website please ??
ACTION
It horrified prudes and censors alike – but the ground-breaking Action is back!
The 1970s comic they tried to ban returns with the same blend of unbeatable characters and no-holds-barred action – all brought to you by the best talents of today! Featuring the killer shark Hookjaw by Dan Lish, juvenile delinquency in Kids Rule OK by Ram V and Henrick Stahlstrom, frontline German Panzer with Hellman of Hammer Force by Garth Ennis and Mike Dorey, merciless secret agent action with Dredger by Zina Hutton, and the brand new Hell Machine by Henry Flint.
Plus, the exclusive edition available from the 2000 AD website will come with a bagged reproduction of the 'banned' issue of Action from October 1976!
Quote from: 73north on 30 January, 2020, 09:05:58 PM
Can I ask anyone from 2000AD to reply if the ACTION 2020 Annual will be sold seperate on the 2000AD website please ??
All the specials will be sold separately. As soon as the release date is reached you can buy them as either digitally or a classic paper
Just ordered the Action web exclusive with the additional banned comic.Really looking forward to this.
Nice surprise to find The Action Special in the post today
I also got the 2000AD - Action Special ( its a magazine ) don't know why but in my head I thought
it was going to be a Hardback Annual - anyway my copy of 2000AD didn't arrive - but my word the
Action 2020 makes up for it in spades , I especially loved the Hellman Special by Garth Ennis
and Mike Dorey on Artwork = just sublime storytelling and it rolled back the years -
and very , very enjoyable , I would love an new extended run of this - or if at all possible , that the entire original series got reprinted as an Hardback edition
the rest of the stories were grand as well - one very happy customer
overall , 5 out of 5 - thanks Rebellion !!
I'm not going to spoil anything and I would happily buy this on a regular basis.Top marks from me too.
Quote from: Swerty on 21 March, 2020, 07:36:40 PM
I'm not going to spoil anything and I would happily buy this on a regular basis.Top marks from me too.
I agree. Best non 2000AD comic I've read in ages!
Mini-G (5) just wandered into the office and asked if she might have the comic I'd read some of to her recently. So I just handed over both Cor/Buster specials. She's now reading them in her room, and says they are "good". There you go, Rebellion! :D
It's really odd looking at the current market. I also got mini-G The Dandy annual last year, and she adored it. Natch, she asked if she could get The Dandy... Ah. (I during lockdown sourced 2019's annual as well, but I don't really want to go too far back with DCT, though, because you pretty rapidly hit boys-only and bullying territory.)
The child updates: Sweeny Toddler is "really, really good" and "he totally mad" in one of the issues. She then spotted the HC advert, and so I'll have to check the content for suitability. (Not sure how well the older tales will hold up.) Grimly Feendish was a hit (more Tom Paterson art!), too, as was Gums.
Update the second: so that's (sadly) a nope. Not sure I can give a book to the 5yo that has various folk spanking a baby. Ah well.
Was there supposed to be another Cor Buster Special before Christmas?
There was the COR! BUSTER BUMPER FUN COLLECTION released on the 25th November, but that was not part of the 2020 specials. The only special left to be released is the Evil Genius 2 issue but that still doesn't not have a release date yet
Quote from: Tomwe on 22 December, 2020, 11:26:08 PM
Was there supposed to be another Cor Buster Special before Christmas?
My 10 year old hopes there's one!
I have three boys, and it's only the youngest who is showing an interest in comics.
He loves the Beano, 70s 2000ad and the specials from this year. He
adored the regened specials.
Someone in the House of Tharg is doing stuff right.
Great NEWS - https://www.brokenfrontier.com/rebellion-treasury-british-comics-2021-roy-rovers-misty-trigan-empire/treasury-british-comics-2021-hellman-hammer-force-a/
Hellman of Hammer Force from Action Comic ( and Battle Picture Weekly ) gets released in December 2021
Quote from: rogue69 on 22 December, 2020, 11:44:18 PM
There was the COR! BUSTER BUMPER FUN COLLECTION released on the 25th November, but that was not part of the 2020 specials. The only special left to be released is the Evil Genius 2 issue but that still doesn't not have a release date yet
Ohhh. Damn I had assumed this was also part of the bundle I bought. There were so many I lost track. Too late to get it for a stocking filler now.
The Bumper Fun Collection is just the two already published specials under one (slightly harder) cover, isnt it? Like the upcoming 2000AD Regened collection?
SBT
Quote from: SmallBlueThing(Reborn) on 23 December, 2020, 08:56:41 PM
The Bumper Fun Collection is just the two already published specials under one (slightly harder) cover, isnt it? Like the upcoming 2000AD Regened collection?
SBT
Aha! Good news, thanks for the clarification SBT!