The second volume of the best-selling Best of 2000AD hits book and comic book store shelves on 31st January – and to celebrate, there are great events on both sides of the Atlantic with some of the top talent featured in this volume.
Cover artist Becky Cloonan will be signing at Floating World Comics in Portland, Oregon on 8th February, and the following Saturday webshop exclusive cover artist Charlie Adlard, artist INJ Culbard, and writer Al Ewing will be at Worlds Apart in Birmingham for a special launch talk and signing.
Every Best of 2000AD contains a mix of modern classics and gems from the vault, intended as a gateway into the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic for a new generation of readers. Each edition includes a new Judge Dredd adventure, fresh essays by prominent popular culture writers, a graphic novel-length feature presentation by global legends – and a vintage Dredd case.
The first volume of Best of 2000AD sold gang-busters, and had to go to reprint two weeks before its publication date, and was the third best-selling graphic novel in the UK last September.
We’ve seen an advance copy, and it comes simply crammed with great comic strips from across 40-plus years of 2000AD.
Two editions are available: the retail edition, with a cover by Becky Cloonan, and the 2000AD webshop version with a cover by Charlie Adlard.
In this volume, Judge Dredd hunts untraceable assassins firing “Magic Bullets” by Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk) and Colin Wilson (Blueberry); even robots get the “Red Planet Blues” from Alan Moore (Watchmen), Steve Dillon (Preacher) and John Higgins (Judge Dredd); SF adventure in “Brink” by Dan Abnett and INJ Culbard; not even Mega City One’s brightest can escape “The Vampire Effect” by John Wagner (A History of Violence), Alan Grant (Batman) and Mick McMahon (The Last American); and join the front line of the resistance against intergalactic bigots in the Gothic masterpiece, Nemesis The Warlock by Pat Mills and Kevin O’Neill.
Supporting that, we’re also treated to a critical essay about “Nemesis the Warlock” by Tom Shapira, author of Curing the Postmodern Blues (Sequart, 2013) and The Lawman (PanelxPanel, 2020). His articles about comics have appeared in The Comics Journal. Haaretz, Shelfdust, PanelXPanel and others. If you want a taster of his work, check out his recent review of The Last American by John Wagner, Alan Grant, and McMahon, over on the Solrad web site.
“It’s clear from all the feedback we’ve had that it’s achieving its goal of reaching new audiences,” 2000AD’s Michael Molcher tells us, which is great to hear.
• Best of 2000 AD Volume 2 Release Party & Signing
Wednesday 8th February 2023 5.00pm – 7.00pm
Floating World Comics, 400 NW Couch St. Portland, USA
Guest: Becky Cloonan (Gotham Academy, Punisher)
• Best of 2000 AD Volume 2 Launch Signing & Talk
Saturday 11th February 2023, 5.00pm – 7.00pm
Worlds Apart Birmingham, 14-16 Smallbrook Queensway, Birmingham B5 4EN
Guests: Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), INJ Clubard (Brink), Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk), series editor Owen Johnson and comic journalist Olly MacNamee
• Best of 2000 AD Volume 2 is released on 31st January 2023, available from all good book and comic book stores, as well as digitally from the 2000AD webshop and apps | Pre-order either edition here from the 2000AD web shop
• Best of 2000 AD Volume 2 Retail Edition from BookshopUK (Affiliate Link, using this link helps support downthetubes)
• Best of 2000 AD Volume 2 Retail Edition from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link, using this link helps 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, British Comics - Collections, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events
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