Merry Christmas, Punks! The festive bumper 2000AD is here!

By John Freeman on December 15, 2022

Thrill suckers permitting, the bumper festive issue of 2000AD – Prog 2312 – should be in your local newsagents now, with an ace cover from Andy Clarke.

2000AD - Prog 2312 - cover by Andy Clarke

While it’s alway wonderful to have a mega-issue of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic to enjoy over Christmas, there’s a touch of sadness to know this will be the last Prog to feature an all-new story drawn by the late, great, Kevin O’Neill, written by Garth Ennis. He will be much missed, but the “Bonjo From Beyond The Stars”, a throwback to classic 2000AD, featuring a character a strip Kevin originally created well over forty years ago comes crammed with the kind of craziness we loved him for.

The Prog also includes smashing tributes to Kevin and the late Alan Grant, who contributed so much to making 2000AD great, the latter instrumental in persuading me into a life of working in comics and magazines. Both are honoured in style. Thank you, Tharg.

Needless to say, these deserved tributes aside, there are plenty of thrills to savour in this Yuletide flavoured special issue, and don’t forget the new Judge Dredd Megazine is on sale next week, crammed with more SF action – and including an interview with me! Gwarsh!

Judge Dredd: The Last Temptation of Joe by Ken Niemand (Writer) Lee Carter (Artist) Annie Parkhouse (Letterer)

Mega-City One, 2144 AD. Home to over 180 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America. Unemployment is rife, and crime is rampant. Tensions rest on a knife-edge and only the zero-tolerance Judges can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law!

Thirty-nine years ago, Dredd locked up the Devil himself in Iso-Block 666, where he’s remained…

Rogue Trooper: Brothers by Kek-W (Writer) Warwick Fraser-Coombe (Artist) Jim Campbell (Letterer)

Nu Earth, site of a galactic war between the Norts and the Southers, where use of chemical weapons has rendered the atmosphere poisonous. So the Southers created the Genetic Infantrymen, bred to be immune to the planet’s lethal cocktail of pollutants — G.I.s like ROGUE TROOPER, the last of his kind. Together with biochip buddies Helm, Gunnar and Bagman, they’re searching for the traitor that sold them out…

Bonjo From Beyond The Stars: Solids In The Bile Tube by Garth Ennis (Writer) Kevin O’Neill (Artist) Rob Steen (Letterer)

Over forty years ago, the alien entity known as BONJO arrived on Earth, and set about causing carnage. A creature with an insatiable appetite, who grew to Godzilla-sized proportions, he caused an inordinate amount of damage to the planet, and it seemed nothing could stop him — other than his grumbly gut when he consumed something that disagreed with him, which was pretty often…

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 she discovered that she’d been contaminated by the Tankinar, turning her into a cyborg. Cyd has managed to break free…

Joe Pineapples: Tin Man by Pat Mills (Writer) Simon Bisley (Artist) 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, Happy Shrapnel, the Mek-Nifcent Seven’s sharpshooter was Joe Pineapples, a robot with more secrets than most. Needing a break from his comrades, Joe’s headed off across the cosmos with sewer-droid Ro-Jaws in tow…

Hope: …in The Shadows Reel Two by Guy Adams (Writer) Jimmy Brixton (Artist) Jim Campbell (Letterer)

An alternate 1940s USA. World War Two 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 has led to the reappearance of Hope’s missing wife, Alice, whose coven plans to use the film…

Ace Trucking Co.: Untrenched by Karl Stock (Writer) Nick Dyer (Artist) Simon Bowland (Letterer)

The universe is a big place, and if you want cargo delivered from one planet to another you’re going to need a shipping company you can rely on. Fortunately, there’s ACE TRUCKING CO., the premier courier service for all your transportation needs. Captain of the Speedo Ghost is Ace Garp, and together with his engineer Feek and bodyguard GBH they’re the galaxy’s most tucker truckers!

Judge Dredd: Troublemaker by Gordon Rennie (Writer) Robin Smith (Artist) John Charles (Colourist) Jim Campbell (Letterer)

There’s one perp the lawman has been wanting to get his hands on: the troublemaker Alvin Gaunt…

Protus 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…

• Available in print from: newsagents and comic book stores via Diamond Available in digital from: 2000AD webshop and apps for iPad, Android and Windows 10

• There’s a fantastic subscription offer running for 2000AD right now. 2000AD’s short-lived but much-loved companion title Starlord would be celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2023, and if you take out a physical combi subscription (either monthly or annual) to both 2000AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine, you can grab yourself a specially commissioned pin badge based on the designs of the free gift given away with
the first issue back in 1978.
Not only that, but all physical subscribers will also receive a special 48-page Garry Leach tribute comic, collecting his zarjaz Judge Dredd and Future Shock stories.
All subscribers (physical & digital) will receive a 50% off voucher to use on either the 2000AD or Treasury of British Comics webshop.

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.