On Sale This Week: 2000AD 2073 – New Readers Start Here!

By John Freeman on March 20, 2018

There’s a treat in store for 2000AD readers this week – the 48-page Prog 2073 offering five new stories, all starting this issue and offering a perfect “jumping on” point for both new and lapsed fans of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic!

Judge Dredd crosses paths once more with the terrifying Judge Pin in “Fit for Purpose” by Rob Williams and Chris Weston, which opens with one of the daftest examples of a revenge kill you’ve ever seen. Meanwhile, mutant bounty hunter Johnny Alpha is back and partnered with the offspring of his old buddy Wulf Sternhammer in “Strontium Dog: The Son” by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra. The latter is a bit of a slow burn of an opener, but has all the makings of a great tale as Johnny’s past catches up with him.

Nort war-crimes investigator Atalia Jaegir returns to the hellworld that is Nu Earth in “In the Realm of Pyrrhus” by Gordon Rennie and Simon Coleby. The art on this breathtaking – check out the opening page below!

Also this issue, Psi-Judge Anderson must face a new threat rising from the Undercity in “Undertow” by Emma Beeby and David Roach and hitmen Sinister Dexter are back in a new story by Dan Abnett and Steve Yeowell and John Charles.

There’s also a wicked horror tale to savour as Judge Fear gets a spooky solo outing in “Judge Fear: Memories are Made of This”, a story set in Deadworld by Kek-W, with great art from Dan Cornwell.

• 2000AD Prog 2073 is on sale in all good UK comic shops and newsagents from today, Wednesday 20th March 2018

Episodes include:

Judge Dredd » Fit for Purpose (part 1)

Mega-City One, 2140 AD. Home to 72 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America, where crime is rampant. Only the zero-tolerance Judges — empowered to dispense instant justice — can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law! Now, the psychopathic Pin of the SJS (internal affairs) has her sights set on Gerhart, one of the lawman’s chief allies…

Jaegir » In The Realm Of Pyrrhus (part 1)

The Greater Nordland Republic. While the Norts are currently engaged in a galaxy-wide war with the Souther forces, it falls to military officers such as Kapiten-Inspector Atalia JAEGIR of the Nordland State Security Police to investigate war criminals amongst her own ranks. She’s also suffering from the Strigoi curse, a fault in the Nort DNA that can bring out the beast within. Now, she’s on a mission with her team to Nu Earth…

Tharg’s Future Shocks » Freedom Wears Two Faces (part 1)

Out in the vast reaches of the universe, there are an infinite number of stories waiting to be told. These cautionary tales pass from traveller to traveller in the spaceports and around campfires on distant planets, acquiring the status of legend, their shocking ends a salutory lesson in hubris. Anything is possible in these twisted trips into the galaxy’s dark side. Abandon your preconceptions, and expect the unexpected…

Sinister Dexter » The Salad Of Bad Cafe (part 1)

Gun-sharks Finnigan SINISTER and Ramone DEXTER are the best hitmen money can buy in the future city of Downlode. Having spent the last year offworld hunting for Holy Moses Tanenbaum, a ganglord from an alternate dimension whose presence threatened the fabric of reality, they’ve returned home, and are getting back to business. But whacking Tanenbaum has reset the continuum, meaning no one knows who they are…

Judge Anderson » Undertow (part 1)

Mega-City One, 2140 AD. Psi-Division is a section of Justice Department that specialises in Judges with accentuated psychic talents — from precognition to exorcism, it deals with all manner of paranormal crimes. Cass ANDERSON is Justice Dept’s top telepath, and has saved the city on numerous occasions from all manner of supernatural threats. Recently she’s taken the rookie Psi-Judge Flowers, a danger pre-cog, under her wing…

Judge Fear » Memories Are Made Of This (part 1)

JUDGE FEAR is one of the four Dark Judges, twisted creatures from a parallel dimension, who believe that since all crime is committed by the living then life itself is a crime. Together with his brothers Death, Fire and Mortis, they purged their own world, and have sought to do the same to Mega-City One. Recently, they instigated a massacre on the colony spaceship the Mayflower, and Fear’s spirit was captured in a suction trap…

Strontium Dog » The Son (part 1)

Late 22nd century. After the Atomic Wars, many survivors were warped by the Strontium 90 fallout. These ‘mutants’ became a victimised underclass, forced into ghettos, and the only job open to them was bounty hunting. One such Search/Destroy agent, or STRONTIUM DOG, is Johnny Alpha, who recently led a mutant revolt against the norms. Now, the Doghouse, orbiting base of the S/D agency, had reopened for business…

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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.