The latest edition of 2000AD, the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, is out now and on sale in all good comic shops and newsagents, aiming to not only stimulate your imagination circuits but also blow away the January blues.

Prog 2314, featuring a stand out cover from Mark Harrison, includes the latest instalments of “Judge Dredd“, “Proteus Vex“, “Joe Pineapples” and “The Out“, plus the penultimate episode of the much-praised “Hope“.

You might be forgiven for thinking this week’s episode of “The Out” is a little, well, quiet to start with, and there is one heck of a lot of intel dropped carefully into the opening pages. But by the end of it, you’ll be screaming for next week’s Prog, because the story looks like it’s going epic!

Don’t forget the latest Judge Dredd Megazine, Issue 451, is still on sale, and includes an interview with downthetubes publisher, comics editor and writer John Freeman – as well as a terrific set of rip-roaring comic strips, this issue released in a new format.

Coming next week is the second volume of The Best of 2000AD, a deluxe 192-page publication that collects classic cuts of Judge Dredd, ABC Warriors, Nemesis the Warlock, “The Ballad of Halo Jones”, “Brink” and more, complete with brand-new covers and accompanying essays.

If you missed it, copies of the first volume are still available from shop.2000AD.com

• 2000AD Prog 2314 is in comic shops and newsagents across the UK now – or subscribe now over at 2000AD.com

In Prog 2314…

JUDGE DREDD – THE NIGHT SHIFTER
Script: Ken Neimand | Art: Nicolo Assirelli | Colours: Peter Doherty | Letters: Annie Parkhouse

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, an activist from Puerto Plata has accused a hottie cook of being her torturer…

JOE PINEAPPLES – TIN MAN
Script: Pat Mills | Art: Clint Langley | Letters: Annie Parkhouse

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 OUT – BOOK THREE
Script: Dan Abnett | Art: Mark Harrison | Letters: Simon Bowland

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 being held and questioned after her brush with the Tankinar…

HOPE …IN THE SHADOWS REEL TWO
Script: Guy Adams | Art: Jimmy Broxton | Letters: Jim Campbell

An alternate 1940s USA. WWII is over, victory having been secured by occult means, and consequently magic is a part of everyday life. Mallory HOPE is one such skilled operative, though calling on the dark arts takes its toll on the user. He ’s also a P.I., hired for all manner of down n ’ dirty jobs — and an investigation into a cursed movie now finds him trapped in a mansion, the film ’s power warping reality…

PROTUS VEX – CRAWLSPACE
Script: Mike Carroll | Art: Jake Lynch | Colours: Jim Boswell | Letters: Simon Bowland

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 2314 is in comic shops and newsagents across the UK now – or subscribe now over at 2000AD.com

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, British Comics, Comics

Tags: 2000AD, Annie Parkhouse, Clint Langley, Dan Abnett, downthetubes News, Guy Adams, Jake Lynch, Jim Boswell, Jim Campbell, Jimmy Broxton, Joe Pineapples, Ken Niemand, Mark Harrison, Michael Carroll, Nicolo Assirelli, Pat Mills, Peter Doherty, SF Comics, Simon Bowland, The Out