It’s getting close – 2000AD Prog 2000 is just two weeks away, and the excitement is pretty much uncontainable – but the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic is building to it with some stonking, fully thrill-powered issues and Prog 1998 is no exception. “Judge Dredd” is brutally brilliant and I’m loving the twists and turns of “Scarlet Traces: Cold War” and Judge Anderson is really getting put through the ringer (no, that wasn’t an intentional gag if you’ve picked up the Prog already) in “The Candidate“. Check it out at your local newsagent (and if it’s hidden from view by idiot staff at your local WHSmith, like they were in mine a couple of weeks back, do your duty and move the copies front and centre, Squax de Thargo!)
It’s a big week for Titan Comics, which includes the first issue in their Dark Souls mini-series anthology Legends of the Flame, featuring a collection of fantastic, mystical tales from some of the best creators in comics today – including Nick Percival, Dan Watters, George Mann, Alan Quah and many more.
Plus, how could we not mention – yes, again, and yes, since I’m fully editing the book from #3, I’m biased – the release Doctor Who: The Third Doctor #1 – written by Paul Cornell and illustrated by Christopher Jones – classic Doctor Who action like you’ve never seen before. Some surprises and lovely tips of the hat to the TV show of the time along the way!
The critically acclaimed Samurai series enters its second series with the start of “Brothers in Arms”, a perfect jumping on point for new readers, don’t miss this blade-filled, feudal epic.
The highly popular Mycroft Holmes series – written by NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – enters its explosive second issue, and Sherlock: A Study in Pink #4, Tenth Doctor #2.14, Norman #4 and Titan’s Summer Doctor Who event Supremacy of the Cybermen #3 also hit stores.
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, Danger Mouse comic, Commando (latest release intel here), Judge Dredd Megazine, Panini Comics Marvel Collector Editions 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.
Still on sale this week in newsagents is Panini Comics first issue of their new Lion Guard comic, packed with original adventure stories featuring Kion and his group of friends on their journey to protect the Pride Lands and defend the Circle of Life. It comes with two jigsaw puzzles plus a collectable figurine.
Don’t forget the wonderful Phoenix Comic is on sale in many (but not all) Waitrose supermarkets and 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 Novelseries.
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.
Digital Comic Picks
Aces Weekly Volume 23 has completed – be ready for Volume 24! Just £1 a week gets you on board, forever! The two week break between volumes gives new subscribers the chance to join an elite group with Volume 23 in complete form – like a bound set of seven issues – to start their subscription, just before getting a weekly fix of the fine from 19th September onward as Volume 24 begins! Just £1 per week in any currency gets onward streams of massive volumes right to your device! Jump on board now. This is great original digital comics from great people. More info at 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 Comic Publishers
2000AD/Rebellion
Are you ready for Prog 2000? Here’s some special events to mark it!
2000AD Prog 1998
Cover by Paul Marshall
Judge Dredd: Ladykiller by John Wagner (w) Carlos Ezquerra (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Scarlet Traces: Cold War by Ian Edginton (w) D’Israeli (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Jaegir: Warchild by Gordon Rennie (w) Simon Coleby (a) Len O’Grady (c) Simon Bowland (l)
Outlier: Survivor Guilt by TC Eglington (w) Karl Richardson (a) Ellie De Ville (l)
Anderson : Psi Division by Emma Beeby (w) Nick Dyer (a) Richard Elson (c) Ellie De Ville (l)
Titan Comics
Dark Souls: Legends of the Flame #1 – Cover A
Dark Souls: Legends of the Flame #1
Writers: George Mann, Dan Watters and various
Artists: Alan Quah, Nick Percival and various
In a realm where hollowed champions rise and fall with the ages, where brave knights quest for absolution and bonfires blaze against the everdark, myth and legend will forever prevail…
From the desolate worlds of Namco-Bandai’s critically-lauded videgame series comes this unsettling collection of all-new Dark Souls tales, written and drawn by some of the comic industry’s finest. Building upon the extensive lore of the franchise, this action-packed anthology is essential for all fans of the game.
COVER A: ALAN QUAH
COVER B: TYLER CROOK
COVER C: ROBERT HACK
COVER D: JANA HEIDERSDORF
COVER E: NICK PERCIVAL
COVER F: Blank Sketch
Doctor Who: The Third Doctor – Cover D: Paul McCaffrey
Doctor Who: The Third Doctor #1
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Christopher Jones
Colors: Hi-Fi
Paul Cornell returns to Doctor Who comics with THE HERALDS OF DESTRUCTION! When something enormous crashes into Bedfordshire, the Doctor, Jo Grant, and the forces of UNIT under Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart mobilise immediately – and find themselves in the middle of a pitched battle against a terrifying invader… But the shocking face that awaits their return to base may tip the whole world off its axis!
Cover A: JOSH BURNS
Cover B: PHOTO
Cover C: SIMON MYERS
Cover D: PAUL MCCAFFREY
Cover E: BLANK SKETCH VARIANT
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Volume 2 #14 – Cover A
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Volume 2 #14
Writer: Nick Abadzis
Artist: Eleonora Carlini
Colorist: Arianna Florean
The Doctor, Gabby and Cindy face a difficult choice, as Anubis’s ticking clock strikes the alarm, and the ancient Osiran’s patience finally runs out! But they’ve dealt with the Son of Sutekh before… Now, armed with a year’s worth of adventures and experience, can the TARDIS triumvirate rewrite the rules of a cosmic game of life and death?!
Cover A: Arianna Florean
Cover B: Photo
Cover C: Simon Myers
Doctor Who: Supremacy of the Cybermen #3 – Cover A
Doctor Who: Supremacy of the Cybermen #3
Writers: George Mann & Cavan Scott
Artist: Ivan Rodriguez & Walter Geovanni
Witness the birth of the new Cybermen invasion, as the history of this aggressive Cyberiad is at last revealed! The Tenth Doctor takes a titanic machine into combat. The Twelfth Doctor finds an unlikely ally. The Ninth Doctor loses one of his own. And the Eleventh Doctor discovers something impossible!
Cover A: Alessandro Vitti
Cover B: Photo
Cover C: Cybermen Variant – Fabio Listrani
Mycroft Holmes #2 – Cover A
Mycroft Holmes #2
Writers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Raymond Obstfeld
Artist: Joshua Cassara
Colorist: Luis Guerrero
Letterer: Comicraft
Mycroft Holmes: rake, adventurer, intellectual; deductive mind without peer! Thrust into the greatest quest of his young life, Mycroft is forced to battle a monstrous abombination in the bowels of Buckingham Palace, as a courtly conspiracy threatens the world with steampunk weapons of mass destruction! With only his wits to aid him, Mycroft is soon set on a globe-trotting mission to reclaim the plans for the weapons – before they fall into more nefarious hands!
Cover A: Joshua Cassara & Luis Guerrero
Cover B: Claudia Ianniciello
Cover C: Adrianna Florean
Norman #4 – Cover A
Norman #4
Writer: Stan Silas
Artist: Stan Silas
Shenanigans and sibling rivalry abound in this second glimpse into Norman’s home life, as more is revealed as to how this gorgeous, golden, charming little boy became such a horrifying mini-monster in the making – albeit one who still has a lot to learn about the art of a skillful kill!
Cover A: MARC ELLERBY
Cover B: AMOONA SAOHIN
Cover C: STAN SILAS
Samurai #2.1 – Cover A
Samurai #2.1
WRITER: Jean-François Di Giorgio
ARTIST: Frédéric Genêt
Having bested the legendary Shobei in a duel, Takeo has finally left the Isle with no Name, accompanied by his brother Akio. The excitement of their voyage from the Island awakens Akio from his mute state, and Takeo is finally ready to discover the answers to the questions that have driven him so far…
COVER A – Frédéric Genêt
COVER B – David Mack
COVER C – Jung Shan
Sherlock #4 – Cover A
Sherlock #4
Concept by: Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss
Writer: Steven Moffat
Artist: Jay
Sherlock and John take to the streets of London on a breathless foot chase – but is their quarry any closer to being caught? What kind of mind does it take to baffle – and challenge – the peerless Sherlock Holmes?! The mystery deepens in the latest thrilling issue of the Sherlock manga!
Cover A: Yijeng Jiang
Cover B: Photo
Cover C: Simon Myers
Mew Graphic Novels On Sale in all Good Book and Comic Shops
Information courtesy distributor Turnaround
▪ Amazing Spider-Man: Amazing Grace (Panini, 9781846537301)
▪ Attack On Titan Adult Colouring Book (Kodansha, 9781632364142)
▪ Betty & Veronica: Girls Rule! (Archie Comics, 9781627389525)
▪ Complex Age 2 (Kodansha, 9781632362490)
▪ Cosplayers (Fantagraphics, 9781606999486)
▪ Goblins (Sloth, 9781908830081)
▪ The Lust Of Us (NBM, 9781681120478)
▪ Manor Threat (Microcosm, 9781621063810)
▪ Metabarons Genesis: Castaka (New Edition) (Humanoids, 9781594651618)
▪ Mysterious Girlfriend X Volume 3 (Vertical, 9781942993704)
▪ Ninja Slayer Kills Vol. 3 (Kodansha, 9781632360885)
▪ Picnoleptic Inertia (Breakdown, 9780957438118)
▪ Real Account Volume 4 (Kodansha, 9781632362377)
▪ The Seven Deadly Sins 16 (Kodansha, 9781632362926)
▪ Spoof On Titan 1 (Attack On Titan) (Kodansha, 9781632364081)
▪ Yamada-kun & The Seven Witches 10 (Kodansha, 9781632361394)
US Comics On Sale This Week
List in part courtesy First Age Comics Lancaster – all the comics below can be ordered through your local comic shop, as can the 2000AD and Titan Comics titles above
• Check out our British and Irish Comic Shops Map | Art by Nick Miller. We’ve got a range of merchandise featuring this art on sale via CafePress
A-Force #9
Abe Sapien #36
Action Comics #963
Adventure Time #56
All New X-Men #13
All Star Batman #2
Astro City #38
Avatar Last Airbender TP Vol 13 North South
Batgirl & the Birds of Prey #2
Batman 66 #3
Black Panther #6
Black Science #21
Bob’s Burgers ongoing #15
Cinema Purgatorio #5
Civil War II Amazing Spider-Man #4
Civil War II Ulysses #2
Control #4
Dark Souls Legends of the Flame #2
DC Comics Bombshells #1
Deadpool #18
Deathstroke #2
Detective Comics #940
Doctor Who 10th doctor year 2 #14
Doctor Who 3rd doctor #1 of 5
Doctor Who Supremacy of the Cybermen #3
Doom Patrol #1
Earth 2 Society #16
Faith #3
Fix #5
Flash #6
Gotham Academy 2nd Semester #1
Green Lanterns #6
Gwenpool #6
Hal Jordan & the Green Lantern Corps #4
Injustice Gods Among Us Year Five #17
Lumberjanes Gotham Academy #4
Marvel Universe Guardians of the Galaxy #12
Mycroft #2
New Superman #3
Old Man Logan #11
Power Rangers Pink #3
Prometheus Life & Death #4
Red Hood & the Outlaws #2
Rocket Raccoon & Groot #9
Rue Morgue Magazine #170
Scarlet Witch #10
Scooby Doo Apocalypse #5
Southern Cross #7
Spider-Man 2099 #15
Star Wars Force Awakens #4
Stray Bullets Sunshine & Roses #18
Street Fighter X GI Joe #4
Suicide Squad #2
Superwoman #2
Teen Titans #24
Uncanny Avengers #14
Walking Dead TP Vol 15
Weavers #5
Wonder Woman #6
Wrath of the Eternal Warrior #11
• Check out our British and Irish Comic Shops Map
• No local comic shop? Use this link to ForbiddenPlanet.com and help support downthetubes!
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, British Comics
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