2000AD anniversary celebrations continue with latest Prog

By John Freeman on February 27, 2023

2000AD Prog 2321, with a cover featuring Judge Dredd by Jock, is on sale in all good comic shops and newsagents on Wednesday. Here’s a sneak peek…

Inside, Old Stoney Face, as ever, takes top billing, in a brand-new case, courtesy of Ken Niemand and former Sláine artist Leonardo Manco, as
“Succession” sees corporate bloodletting reach typically Mega-City maniacal levels. (It’s forty-six years, of course, since Dredd made his ghafflebette debut in Prog 2 and go on to become the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic’s most iconic character).

In this issue:

Judge Dredd: Succession by Ken Neimand (Writer) Leonardo Manco (Artist) Chris Blythe (Colourist) Annie Parkhouse (Letterer)

Mega-City One, 2145 AD. Home to over 200 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America, where tensions run a constant knife-edge. Unemployment is rife, boredom is universal, and violent crime is rampant. Only future cops the Judges – empowered to dispense instant justice – can stop total
anarchy. Toughest of them all is Judge Dredd – he is the Law!

The Out: Book Three by Dan Abnett (Writer) Mark Harrison (Artist) Simon Bowland (Letterer)

The furthest edge of the universe, far into the future. Cyd Finlea is photo-journalist working for the publishers Global Neographic, travelling deep into outer space – otherwise known as The Out – and cataloguing the alien societies that she encounters. She left Earth ten years ago and has been seeking other ex-pat humans – but now, having learned what the Zoto have done to her, escapes with old pal Cheerio…

The Order: Heart of Darkness by Kek-W (Writer) John Burns (Artist) Jim Campbell (Letterer)

Throughout history, mankind has been under threat of extermination by the Wurms, creatures that break into our reality. Defending humanity are The Order, a band of warriors that have fought the entities across the centuries. But time has become fractured, and the despotic Francis Bacon is determined to rule a vast empire. Now, The Order must battle the shadow-creatures at the edge of time itself…

Joe Pineapples: Tin Man by Pat Mills (Writer) Simon Bisley (Artist) Annie Parkhouse (Letterer) | Story by Pat Mills and Simon Bisley

Former war-droids, the ABC Warriors were reassigned to bring peace to the frontier planet of Mars. Comprising Hammerstein, Deadlock, Blackblood, Steelhorn, Mongrol and Happy Shrapnel, the Mek-Nifcent Seven’s sharpshooter was Joe Pineapples, a robot with more secrets than most. Now he and sewer-droid Ro-Jaws are at the other end of the universe – Joe n’ Ro, lost in space, out of gas, out of love n’ outta luck!

Proteus Vex; Crawlspace by Mike Carroll (Writer) Jake Lynch (Artist) Jim Boswell (Colourist) Simon Bowland (Letterer)

The far future. The centuries-long war between the Alliance and the Obdurate people is over, a conflict brought to an end with the deaths of billions when the Alliance teleported a dying white dwarf star into the Obdurate system. Imperium agent Proteus Vex – who is operated by a flesh-pilot – became an enemy of the Alliance when he released info about past war crimes. But now war with the Scorchers has broken out…

• 2000AD Prog 2321 is available in print from newsagents and comic book shops via Diamond | Available in digital from: 2000AD webshop and apps for iPad, Android and Windows 10

Don’t forget that if you buy an issue of 2000AD in the first week of its release direct from 2000AD, then postage in the UK is free

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.