Alien attack! Action ahead in the new 2000AD, on sale today

By John Freeman on February 8, 2023

2000AD Prog 2318 is on sale from today, featuring a terrific cover from Toby Willsmer, and a thrill-packed set of stories.

This week, Judge Dredd fends off an alien assault as he tries to track down wanted bounty hunter Keeper Hag; Cyd learns some shocking truths on the Zoto homeworld in an absolutely stunning episode of “The Out”, Mark Harrison’s art truly astonishing; sharpshooter Joe Pineapples reveals a past assassination attempt on Blackblood in “Tin
Man”; the Scorcher fleet descends on the Imperium Ascendant in “Proteus Vex”; and The Order are under pressure from the shadow-kraken in “Heart of Darkness”.

In this issue:

Judge Dredd: The Hagger They Fall by Arthur Wyatt, Rob Williams (Writer) Paul Marshall (Artist) Dylan Teague (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. Crime is rampant and 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! Now, Dredd is on the planet Skeev, on the trail of the alien bounty hunter Keeper Hag…

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 she’s returned to the Zoto homeworld to learn more about her mending…

Joe Pineapples: Tin Man by Pat Mills (Writer) Simon Bisley (a) Annie Parkhouse (Letterer)

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!

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…

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 2318 is available in print from newsagents and comic book stores via Diamond | Available in digital from: 2000 AD webshop and apps for iPad, Android and Windows 10 | DIAMOND: DEC221607

About the Author
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John Freeman

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.