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Rebellion Releases: The latest 2000AD – and new Battle Action, too

By John Freeman on August 29, 2023

2000AD Prog 2347 -cover by Stewart K. Moore

2000AD Prog 2347, on sale this week, comes with a striking cover by Stewart K. Moore and plenty of all-out action inside! Plus, we’ve got a new issue of the mini-series, Battle-Action, to enjoy from Rebellion, too! So let’s get straight into the details…

“Judge Dredd: A Fallen Man“, “Azimuth: The Stranger” and “Hershey: The Cold in the Bones” all continue 2000AD, while “Portals & Black Goo” reaches its finale. Joining the line-up is another of Tharg’s “3rillers” in the shape of “Die Hoard” by Eddie Robson and Nick Brokenshire, plus there’s a winning “Art Stars” Dredd one-pager by Alan Kerr.

Tharg is also trailing Prog 2350 2350, just three weeks away, promising amazing delights, and reminds us Judge Dredd Magazine 459 is still on sale which, as previously noted here, offers three new stories: a complete “Judge Dredd”, another retro Mega-City 2099 thriller, and the start of a reprint IDW ’s short-lived “Rogue Trooper” series by Brian Ruckley and Alberto Ponticelli, plus more “Lawless”, “Dreadnoughts”, “Johnny Red” and “Spector”, too and interviews with John Stokes and Steve Sampson

JUDGE DREDD – A FALLEN MAN
by Ken Niemand (Writer) Tom Foster (Artist) Chris Blythe (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, a former Judge called Kyle Asher has returned from Titan, and is working for the Mob…

PORTALS & BLACK GOO – NIGHT SHIFT
Portals & Black Goo by John Tomlinson (Writer) Eoin Coveney (Artist) Jim Boswell (Colourist) Simon Bowland (Leterrer)

In the near future, the job market is more perilous than ever and Generation Y must take on any task to make ends meet. Kroy Plemons is a rider for Devouroo — a food delivery service for creatures of the night. Devouroo policy is ruthless and Kroy barely escapes with his life after being placed on the Night Shift. Elsewhere, Magister Dain makes a fateful call and Nona Nomus fights off a self-styled vampire-hunter…

THARG ’S 3RILLERS – DIE HOARD
Tharg’s 3rillers: Die Hoard by Eddie Robson (Writer) Nick Brokenshire (Artist) Annie Parkhouse (Letterer)

Three episodes, one complete, self-contained story — a condensed hit of super-charged Thrill-power beamed to you directly from the Nerve Centre! Earth, the twenty-second century, in the aftermath of a brutal war with an alien race called the Imishoi. Humanity ’s data-storage systems were attacked, as well as libraries, museums and archives, erasing vast swathes of culture and history…

HERSHEY – THE COLD IN THE BONES
Hershey: The Cold in the Bones by Rob Williams (Writer) Simon Fraser (Artist) Simon Bowland (Letterer)

Barbara Hershey was a respected young officer before she became Chief Judge. Leading the city through numerous challenges, the ‘Small House ’ affair and the revelation of Judge Smiley ’s clandestine operations on her watch made her re-evaluate her position. Seriously ill from a microbial virus, she ’s faked her death to deal with his legacy, and now alien creatures are loose, the result of a drug operation…

AZIMUTH – THE STRANGER
Azimuth: A Job For Suzi Nine by Dan Abnett (Writer) Tazio Bettin (Artist) Matt Soffe (Colourist) Jim Campbell (Letterer)

Welcome to the city of AZIMUTH, a data-driven metropolis, where anything is possible.

Ruled by an aristocracy of the New Flesh, such concepts of life, death, and body-forms are fluid. Anyone can take any shape, if it can be conceived by the imagination. The New Flesh masters have been troubled by strange dreams and portents, which seem to have predicted the coming of a stranger — none other than Ramone Dexter…

2000AD Prog 2347 is available in print from: newsagents and comic book stores via Diamond | Available in digital from: 2000AD webshop, 2000AD apps for Apple & Android

Battle Action #4, on sale in comic shops, features a great cover by Keith Burns and two all-new war stories: “Cooley’s Gun” and “Death Squad”. There are background articles on the original strips, too.

COOLEY’S GUN
Story by Garth Ennis | Art by Staz Johnson | Colours by Len O’Grady | Letters by Rob Steen
Cooley’s Gun created by Gerry Finley-Day and Geoff Campion

“‘Cooley’s Gun’ was never a major Battle Action strip,” notes Garth Ennis. “It ran from mid-March to early October of 1980, and was often overshadowed (but never eclipsed) by the likes of “Charley’s War”, “Johnny Red”, “Rat Pack” and “The Sarge”, all of which appeared alongside it. Yet at only two dozen episodes the story still punches above its weight, and thanks to the skills of its writer and artist remains something of a minor classic.

Battle-Action #4 - Cooley's Gun by Garth Ennis

DEATH SQUAD
Story by Rob Williams | Art by PJ Holden | Letters by Rob Steen
Death Squad created by Alan Hebden and Eric Bradbury

“Battle was, let’s not forget, a comic aimed at children,” notes writer Rob Williams. “So, a story where the ‘heroes’ are the worst band of cut-throats in the Wehrmacht, sending them to endure the frozen horrors of the Eastern Front, and calling the strip ‘Death Squad’… OK…

“Punishment Battalions were where the disgraced German soldiers were sent. There they could be pushed into ‘suicide missions’ as no one would miss them if the inevitable came to pass. So here was a gang of scoundrels and killers and conmen and one pathetic boot-licking Nazi (pleasingly mocked by his team throughout for his fanaticism to the cause). They were the underdogs, sent into impossible situations by uncaring higher ups, with only their wits to save them. You rooted for them, despite them being the ‘bad guys’”.

• Battle-Action No. 4 is available in print from: comic book stores via Diamond, the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops | Available in digital from:2000AD webshop, 2000 AD apps for Apple & Android

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.