DC Universe Rebirth #1 includes art and a cover by Gary Frank

Top US publishers DC Comics and Marvel are competing like crazy to grab  your hard-earned pounds with revamps of top characters and universes at the moment – and my, what a fuss about Captain America, eh? Along the way, there’s some great stuff coming up in the whole DC Universe Rebirth from a number of top British talents in coming weeks (and the introductory comic, on sale this week, includes art and a cover by Gary Frank).

2000AD Prog 1982: “The Timeless Assassin”

Over at 2000AD, we already mentioned the debut of ace artist Steven Austin in this week’s Prog (1982) – but the whole comic is ace and the “Time Twister” is just icing on a delicious cake.

It’s a also a Doctor Who-crammed week, with three new titles from Titan Comics, Issue 500 of Doctor Who Magazine – which features its biggest comic strip ever, including art from John Ridgway – and an all-new issue of Doctor Who Adventures. Who needs the TV show when there’s this much SF adventure to enjoy?

But if you prefer your SF grittier, then Judge Dredd is invading comic shelves again across the globe, with the latest issues of IDW’s ongoing title and the second issue of Dredd: Dust from Rebellion out now, the sequel to the DREDD film. Details below!

Titan Comics also release their highly acclaimed Assassin’s Creed: Trial by Fire Volume One by Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery this week – two top talents who have crafted an intense and globe-spanning story, with immeasurable art by legend Neil Edwards. With the highly anticipated film trailer just released, this is a perfect time to plug in to this comic, Animus-style. 

UK Newsagents Releases

There are plenty of comics on sale in newsagents that still delight in bringing you such subversive delights, including 2000AD, The Beano, Commando (latest release intel here), Judge Dredd Megazine, Panini’s superhero titles, Titan Comics superhero titles and VIZ, with great strips also featuring in titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Doctor Who Adventures, Titan’s Doctor Who: Tales from the TARDIS (collecting their strips from the US format titles) Mega, TOXIC and many others.

Plus, the wonderful Phoenix Comic is now on sale in many (but not all) Waitrose supermarkets and – at last, selected high street WH Smiths stores – and some comic shops (stockist list here) as well as available on subscription.

So let’s not get too downhearted by some British publishers lack of faith in full-blown cover to cover comic strip action and humour that only those of us over a certain age remember.

Hachette Partworks, whose partwork titles include Doctor Who: The Complete History and Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection, continue their How To Draw The Marvel Way, along with their re-release of their hugely successful part work, Marvel’s Marvel Ultimate Graphic Novel series.

Some of you in certain areas of the country may also be able to pick up a copy of the new Star Trek Graphic Novel Collection, which is currently being road tested by Eaglemoss.

Note that you may now have to subscribe if you want to continue buying Part Works some are not distributed in newsagents after their first few issues.

New Digital Comic Picks

Aces Weekly Volume 22, is available now, featuring a tale of betrayal and vengeance in Tales Of The Black Root from Koh Hong Teng and Don Bosco; Batton Lash returning with the stylish, First Gentleman Of The Apocalypse; there’s a wilder, Wild, Wild, West, in W.E.S.T.E.R.N. Inc, from John A. Short and Alex Paterson; and a dark drama, Deophonic, comes from Martin Hayes and the pen of the extraordinary, Brian Corcoran; plus Jok LP and Rodolfo Santullo continue the fantastic, Dungeons and Burglars; and a very special member of the special forces makes her debut in, Debbie Drake Of The SAS, from Tim Quinn and Paul Collicutt – the ongoing debut at last of a strip first created by Aces Weekly publisher David Lloyd many years ago!

All this – a seven-week extravaganza of great comic art and storytelling – is exclusive to all Aces Weekly subscribers for just £1 per week! Grab it now via www.acesweekly.co.uk/shop. Don’t miss out on all the Previous Volumes, either, which have up to 200 pages of comics including Extras, and in full form feature in an exclusive Week-to-Week facility, which transforms any volume’s serialised stories into continuous comic book-sized narratives.

British Publishers

2000AD/ Rebellion

2000AD Prog 1982

Featuring: Judge Dredd: The Lion’s Den by Michael Carroll, PJ Holden, Adam Brown, and Annie Parkhouse; Survival Geeks: Lord of the Ringers by Gordon Rennie, Emma Beeby, Neil Googe, Gary Caldwell, and Ellie De Ville; Brink by Dan Abnett, INJ Culbard, and Simon Bowland; Sláine: Psychopomp by Pat Mills, Simon Davis, and Ellie De Ville; Time Twisters: The Timeless Assassin by Rory McConville, Steven Austin, and Ellie De Ville.

Dredd Dust #2

Dredd Dust #2
Writer: Arthur Wyatt Artist: Ben Willsher

Judge Dredd heads beyond the walls of Mega-City One and into the irradiated wasteland known as The Cursed Earth in search of a deadly assassin, who has been infiltrating the metropolis and mercilessly executing particular targets. Just what is the truth behind the murders?

Titan Comics

Assassin’s Creed: Trial by Fire Volume One
Writers: Anthony Del Col & Conor McCreery
Artist: Neil Edwards
Colorist: Ivan Nunes
Letterer: Comicraft

The first stunning arc of the Assassin’s Creed series collected. New initiate Charlotte De La Cruz ventures into the Animus, and the genetic memories of her ancestor, Tom Stoddard, to discover the truth about the hidden world of the Assassins and Templars and the feud that spans centuries.

Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor #2 Cover A

Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor #2
Writers: Cavan Scott
Artist: Adriana Melo
Colorist: Matheus Lopes
Letterer: Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
FC – 32PP – $3.99 – On Sale: May 25

The ongoing adventures of the Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack continue, as Part 2 of ‘DOCTORMANIA’ confronts the three with a solar system wide conspiracy, an intergalactic crime family, a murderous case of acid rain, and, more importantly, the return of an unexpected old foe in a hideous new guise!

Cover A: Mark Wheatley
Cover B: Photo
Cover C: Adriana Melo
Cover D: Blair Shedd
Cover E: Stephen Byrne

Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Year 2 #10 – Cover A

Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Year 2 #10
Writer: Nick Abadzis
Artist: Elena Casagrande
Colorist: Arianna Florean
Letterer: Comicraft

The Doctor, Gabby and Cindy land in New Orleans at the dawn of the Jazz Age, tracking down the source of the Nocturnes, twisted memetic creatures who ride music and use it as a weapon. Can the TARDIS team change the Nocturnes’ tune before they infect all life on Earth?!

Cover A: Elena Casagrande
Cover B: Photo Subscription – Will Brooks
Cover C: Eleonora Carlini

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Year Two #6 – Cover A

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Year Two #6
Writer: Robbie Morrison
Artist: Rachael Stott
Colorist: Ivan Nunes
Letterer: Comicraft

ALL-NEW STORY ARC BEGINS! In the wake of Clara’s exit, the Doctor is flying solo – and finding just as much trouble, danger, and cosmic wonder as when Ms. Oswald was around!

PLUS! A NEW comics companion for the Twelfth Doctor? Find out here! All this, and the new Sonic Screwdriver makes its debut!

Cover A: Steve Pugh
Cover B: Photo – Will Brooks
Cover C: Todd Nauck & Hi-Fi
Cover D: Robert Hack
Cover E: Simon Myers (Album Homage)

Johnny Red #7 – Cover A

Johnny Red #7
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Keith Burns
Colorist: Jason Wordie
Letterer: Rob Steen

As Johnny and the Falcons attempt to clear their tracks and make good their escape, a rogue German fighter wing threatens to shred their plans to ribbons! And as the flak gets heavy, Johnny discovers a secret that could shake the Russian state to its core!

Cover A: Mike Perkins
Cover B: Keith Burns

Other Comics On Sale in UK Comic Shops

On Sale in all good UK comic shops from Wednesday 25th May 2016. Info via First Age Comics Lancaster

Afterlife With Archie #9
Aliens Defiance #2
Amazing Spider-Man #1.5
Art Ops #8
Back to the Future #8
Batgirl #52
Batman 66 Meets the Man from Uncle #6
Bill & Ted Go to Hell #4
Bloodshot Reborn #13

Causing outrage: Captain America Steve Rogers #1

Captain America Steve Rogers #1
Captain Marvel #5
Carnage #8
Cry Havoc #5
Cyborg #11
Daredevil #7
DC Comics Bombshells #13
Deadpool #12
Deathstroke #18
Descender #11
Dirk Gently A Spoon Too Short #4
Divinity II #2
Doctor Strange #8
Drax #7
East of West #26
Empty Zone #8
Extraordinary X-Men #10
Flash #52
Grimm Fairy Tales Robin Hood Annual #1
Ghost Busters International #5
Grayson #20
Hyperion #3
Imperium #16
Jem & the Holograms #15
Joyride #2 of 4

Judge Dredd #6 (IDW)
Writer: Ulises Farinas, Erick Freitas Artist: Dan McDaid Cover Artist: Ulises Farinas

Justice League #50
Justice League 3001 #12
Legacy of Luther Strode #6
Lobster Johnson Metal Monsters of Midtown #1
Marvel Graphic Novel Collection Volume 116 Black Panther
Marvel Movie Trivia Quiz Cards
Marvel Universe Guardians of the Galaxy #8
Marvel Universe Ultimate Spider-Man Contest of Champions #2
Mighty Thor #7
Mockingbird #3
Monstress #6
Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur #7
Ms Marvel #7
Nighthawk #1
Omega Men #12
Orphan Black Helsinki #5 of 5
Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat #6
Rick & Morty #14
Scooby Apocalypse #1
Secret Six #14
Sex #28
Shaft Imitation of Life #4
Spider-Man Deadpool #5
Star Wars #19
Starfire #12
Street Fighter X GI Joe #4
Superman #52
Superman Lois & Clarke #8
Tarot #98
Teen Titans #20
Tokyo Ghost #7
Totally Awesome Hulk #6
Transformers #53
Transformers More than Meets the Eye #53
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #8
Uncanny Inhumans #9
We Are Robin #12
The X-Files #2
X-Men Worst X-Man Ever #4

• With thanks to First Age Comics, 3 Moor Lane, Lancaster | Find them on Facebook

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.

Categories: 2000AD, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News

Tags: Anthony Del Col, Captain America, Conor McCreery, DC Comics, Doctor Who Adventures, downthetubes News, Gary Frank, Judge Dredd, Marvel Comics, Neil Edwards, SF Comics, Something for the Weekend, Superhero Comics, Titan Comics