A landmark issue of 2000AD, Prog 2500, arrives in Local Comic Shops and newsagents trying to survive retail apocalypse this week, with a line up of all-new thrills, including Judge Dredd and a Silent Hill games tie-in.
Celebrating 2500 issues of 2000AD since Tharg, The Mighty One launched the local edition of The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic on Earth back in February 1977 (what do you mean, this isn’t true?), every story inside this issue starts anew, including the much-anticipated “Judge Dredd: The New Future”, the sequel to “A Better World”, by Rob Williams, Arthur Wyatt and Henry Flint, out in collection next January.
Alongside that slow burn, there’s the start of new stories for “Herne & Shuck”, “Azimuth”, “Ghosted” and vampiric bounty hunter “Durham Red”, alongside a standalone “Thistlebone” text story.
All this, and an exclusive “Silent Hill: Townfall” story from game director Jon McKellan and artist David Roach. After the success of bringing Rebelliin’s own “Atomfall” game to comics in Judge Dredd Megazine previously, it’s perhaps no surprise that another games tie in would follow, and this one sets the scene in style.
Talking of Judge Dredd Megazine, an action-packed Issue 496 is out this week, with a brand new story for Judge Dredd, “Rojimbo” by Geoffrey D. Wessel and Nick Roche; as well as new “Lawless”, a one off Dredd story called “Zomball” – guess what that’s about – and the continuing series of both “Storm Warning” and “Rogue Trooper”.
Plus, “The Angry Planet” comes its explosive finale, and there’s chats with creators Bryan Talbot, Dave Gibbons, John Higgins, Rob Williams and Arthur Wyatt, the latter discussing their new epic Dredd story in 2000AD.
A packed week for all Squaxx dek Thargo, then! Happy 2500th, everyone!
2000AD Prog 2500
UK RELEASE DATE: 16th September £4.99
LUNAR RELEASE DATE: 30th September $8.99
COVER ART Mike Perkins
JUDGE DREDD // THE NEW FUTURE
By Rob Williams & Arthur Wyatt (Writer) Henry Flint (Artist) Annie Parkhouse (Letterer)
Mega-City One, 2148AD. Home to over 300 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America. Crime is rampant and only the Judges — empowered to dispense instant justice — can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law! Accounts Judge Maitland attempted to lower crime through social programmes, and was shockingly assassinated…
AZIMUTH // HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DAGON
By Dan Abnett (Writer) Tazio Bettin (Artist) Matt Soffe (Colourist) Rob Steen (Letterer)
Welcome to the city of AZIMUTH, a data-driven metropolis, where anything is possible. Ruled by an aristocracy of the New Flesh, such concepts of life, death, and body-forms are fluid. Anyone can take any shape, if it can be conceived by the imagination. A stranger has ridden into town — none other than Ramone Dexter — and revealed that Azimuth is in fact Downlode recrafted by a rogue Artificial Intelligence…
SILENT HILL: TOWNFALL // THE DOCK HOUSE
By Jon McKellan (Writer) David Roach (Artist) Emily Roach (Colourist) Rob Steen (Letterer)
Douglas, a veteran harbourmaster, has spent decades maintaining St Amelia’s dock house. Trapped in a routine surrounded by fog and isolation, Douglas discovers an impossible staircase descending beneath the harbour, forcing him to confront a terrifying reality hidden beneath the surface. Written by lead writer and game director Jon McKellan, this serves as an official narrative companion to the game…
DURHAM RED // HUNGRY CITY
By Alec Worley (Writer) Ben Willsher (Artist) Simon Bowland (Letterer)
Late 22nd century. Of all the mutants that have operated as Search/Destroy agents, perhaps the most feared is vampire DURHAM RED, who requires blood to survive. Mistrusted by both the criminals she hunts and her fellow Strontium Dogs, Red has a formidable reputation that precedes her, and she often takes on jobs outside of the Galactic Crime Commission…
THISTLEBONE // THE WITCHFINDER’S APPRENTICE
by T.C. Eglington (Writer) Simon Davis (Artist)
The cult of THISTLEBONE hangs heavy over the village of Harrowvale. Surrounded by dense, dark woods, many stories have been told about a mysterious and terrifying ancient entity that exists within the trees. Such beliefs have led to Thistlebone being worshipped by crazed occult groups, donning animal masks and sacrificing victims to the woodland deity. Many are the tales that surround it…
GHOSTED II // PART ONE
By Guy Adams (Writer) Megan Huang (Artist) Simon Bowland (Letterer)
Kinshasa, capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the far future. One of the fastest-growing mega-cities in the world, the metropolis is now a walled cityworld, so vast and divorced from the rest of the planet that it’s virtually its own realm. Young citizen Benu found herself neurally connected to a soldier fighting an alien war — but upon fleeing the city, she’s discovered that war is taking place outside the wall…
HERNE & SHUCK // STORMING THE STONE
By David Barnett (Writer) Lee Milmore (Artist) Quinton Winter (Colourist) Annie Parkhouse (Letterer)
Herne is a troubleshooter and hired help for many different magical factions. Accompanied by Shuck, a demon in dog form, he travels the country picking up work where he can, whether it be an exorcism or a rescue. Recently, he was tasked with saving young Carys from ritual sacrifice, and has made an enemy of the organisation known as St Michael. Now, they have her again, and Herne must lead a rescue…
• Available in print from: 2000AD webshop, newsagents, Local Comic Shops and supermarkets | Available in digital from: 2000AD webshop, 2000AD app for Apple & Android | Buy a Cover Print
Don’t forget that if you buy an issue of 2000AD in the first week of its release from 2000AD direct, then postage in the UK is free!
Judge Dredd Megazine 496
RELEASE DATE: 16th September £7.50
US RELEASE DATE: 14th October $14.99
COVER: ANTHONY WILLIAMS
JUDGE DREDD // ROJIMBO
By Geoffrey D. Wessel (Writer) Nick Roche (Artist) Pippa Bowland (Colourist) Simon Bowland (Letterer)
Mega-City One, 2148 AD. This vast urban hell on the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America is home to over 300 million citizens, where tensions run a knife-edge. Unemployment is near total, and boredom is universal. Crime is rampant, and stemming the tide of chaos are the Judges, zerotolerance cops dispensing summary justice. Toughest of them all is Judge Dredd – he is the Law!
STORM WARNING // SLAUGHTER HOUSE
By John Reppion (Writer) Lee Carter (Artist) Rob Steen (Letterer)
Brit-Cit, 2147AD. Much like its Mega-City counterpart, Brit-Cit Justice Department has its various divisions, from Tek to plainclothes, Tactical to Psi, and one of its more prickly operatives in the latter is Lillian Storm, who has the ability to talk to the dead, and is always accompanied by her ghostly helpers. Now, Storm’s been called to a stately home called Slaughter House…
MEGA-CITY 2099 // ZOMBALL
By Ken Niemand (Writer) Conor Boyle (Artist) Rob Steen (Letterer)
Mega-City One, 2099AD. Before the Judges took complete control of the metropolis, there were two strands of law enforcement – regular uniformed cops did much of the day-today policing, while the helmeted Judges were called upon to pass judgement on certain criminals, their vested powers giving them the ability to dispense on-the-spot sentences…
ROGUE TROOPER // AN ITERATION OF ALLIES
By Andi Ewington (Writer) Sinu Senan (Artist) Jim Boswell (Colourist) Simon Bowland (Letterer)
Nu Earth, a planet ravaged by war, its atmosphere poisoned by chemical weapons. It is the site of the conflict between the Southers and the Norts, and where Genetic Infantryman Rogue Trooper, along with his biochipped buddies Helm, Gunnar and Bagman, is on a quest to find the Traitor General that sold out his comrades. Now, he’s found Norts and Southers hiding in an abandoned fortress…
LAWLESS
By Dan Abnett (Writer) Phil Winslade (Artist) Simon Bowland (Letterer)
Colonial Marshal Metta Lawson was appointed to the frontier township of Badrock on the planet 43 Rega, intent on stamping her authority on the colony. But in doing so, Lawson made many enemies, including Munce, Inc., the mega-corporation that funded Badrock. Now, with the SJS also running things, Lawson’s recently returned to the force after going undercover…
The Megazine also sees “The Angry Planet” by Alan Hebden and Massimo Belardinelli come its explosive finale, and includes interviews with creators Bryan Talbot, Dave Gibbons, John Higgins, Rob Williams and Arthur Wyatt, plus a look at the new Thunderbolt Jaxon collection, in shops in December.
• Available in print from: 2000AD webshop, newsagents, Local Comic Shops and supermarkets | Available in digital from: 2000AD webshop, 2000AD app for Apple & Android | Buy a Cover Print
Coming Soon…
Brass Sun Volume 1: The Wheel of Worlds
By Ian Edginton and INJ Culbard
Out: 24th September 2026
Paperback | 208 pages
ISBN: 978-1837868568
• Preeorder it from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
• Preorder it from 2000AD
A ground-breaking steampunk epic, in which the survival of a clockwork solar system lies in the hands of a courageous young girl!
The Orrery is a fully functioning, life-sized clockwork solar system. Several planets attached to huge metal spars, orbit a great brass sun. For many years, these worlds have fought amongst each other and many have degenerated into minor kingdoms. Worse yet, the sun has begun to wind down, and the outer worlds are starting to freeze while the rest will inevitably follow.
Wren, a young girl who lives on the outer world of Hind Leg, is tasked by her scientist grandfather to find the lost pieces of a key that can restart the sun. Setting off from her homeworld of Hind Leg, Wren is given part of the secret of the lost key that has the power to restart the sun again. Charged with travelling across the various worlds to pick up other parts of the key which was broken up after The Great War, she alone possesses the power to save the galaxy from extinction…
From the creative team behind New Deadwardians, Ian Edginton (Stickleback, Ampney Crucis Investigates) and I.N.J. Culbard (The Picture of Dorian Gray, Deadbeats) Brass Sun is a unique fantasy adventure, executed with panache. One of the most critically-acclaimed series in 2000AD’s history, the series made a recent return to the pages of The Galaxy’s Greatest in 2025 as a welcome reminder of the creative team’s mastery of comics.
Now, 2000AD celebrate the series with a new collection which makes Brass Sun available in paperback for the first time.
This huge paperback collection includes the first three series: Wheel of Worlds, The Diamond Age and The Floating World.
Featuring stories set across the fragile clockwork universe which Wren is determined to save, it’s time to live the adventure in this acclaimed, expansive series which has enthralled readers around the world.
The Dark Judges: The Fall of Deadworld Omnibus
By Kek-W (Author), Dave Kendall (Artist)
Out: Scheduled for 24th September 2026
Hardcover | 388 pages
ISBN: 978-1837868469
• Order it here from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
On the planet Deadworld, the insane Judge Death and his lieutenants Fear, Fire and Mortis have deemed that as only the living could break the law, life itself should be a crime, and living person is due their judgement. As the Dark Judges set out to bring extinction to their world, a small group of rebels led by Judge Fairfax launch a desperate effort to halt their city’s conversion into a Necropolis.
In the midst of all this chaos, the neighbouring Soviet forces launch an attack on their American enemies in a bid to stop the devastation.
This omnibus collection contains all the Fall of Deadworld stories from the first three volumes, all written by Kek-W (The Order) and drawn by Dave Kendall (Dreams of Deadworld).
REBELLION RELEASES – CURRENT CHECKLISTS
• Check out our guide to 2000AD and Treasury of British Comics releases for 2026
• Check out our guide to 2000AD and Treasury of British Comics releases for 2027
• Roy of the Rovers – Rebellion Books Check List
PREVIOUS YEARS CHECKLISTS
• Check out our guide to 2000AD and Treasury of British Comics releases for 2025
• Check out our guide to 2000AD and Treasury of British Comics releases for 2024
• Check out our guide to 2000AD and Treasury of British Comics releases for 2023
• Check out our guide to 2000AD and Treasury of British Comics releases for 2022
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as 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.
Categories: 2000AD, British Comics, British Comics - Current British Publishers, Comic Previews, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
The Countdown is On: 2000AD Prog 2500 Imminent! 
Good news for Squaxx dek Thargo as 2000AD maintains schedule against the odds 
Bumper 2000AD On Sale Today, and Shocks Ahead! 
Mega City Madness spreads its wings across 2000AD, Judge Dredd Megazine
Leave a Reply