The latest issue of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, 2000AD Prog 2333, is on sale today in all good comic shops and newsagents, offering the final episode of “The Out” Book Three, as the current chapter of Cyd Finlea’s epic journey draws to a close — but fear not, for Tharg himself tells us creators Dan Abnett and Mark Harrison are already working on the follow-up as we speak.
Elsewhere, behind a cover by Mark Harrison, there’s more mob-mashing mayhem in “Judge Dredd”, fearful flora and fauna in “Enemy Earth”, bloodsucking and brain-mining in “Durham Red”, and military manoeuvres in “Rogue Trooper”!
Don’t forget that also on sale this week is the new Diceman collection, is out this very week. This hefty book collates all the choose-your-own-adventure strips from the short-lived title, and it features two Rogue Trooper role-playing stories as well as Dredd, Nemesis the Warlock, Sláine, ABC Warriors, Torquemada and more, with fantastic art by the likes Bryan Talbot, Kevin O’Neill, David Lloyd, Steve Dillon, Mike Collins and Hunt Emerson.
In Prog 2333…
JUDGE DREDD: IN THE EVENT OF MY UNTIMELY DEMISE
Script: Mike Carroll | Art: Paul Marshall | Colours: Dylan Teague | 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, he is leading a task force to take down the mega-mobs, unaware one has a psi-connection with him…
DURHAM RED: MAD DOGS
Script: Alec Worley | Art: Ben Willsher | Letters: Simon Bowland
Late 22nd century. Of all the mutants that have operated as Search/Destroy agents, perhaps the most feared is vampire DURHAM RED, who requires blood to survive. Mistrusted by both the criminals she hunts and her fellow Strontium Dogs, Red has a formidable reputation that precedes her. Now, she ’s undertaking a job for the GIC, having dropped into a high-rad zone that a drugs cartel is using as their base…
ENEMY EARTH: BOOK TWO
Script: Cavan Scott | Art: Luke Horsman | Letters: Simon Bowland
The near future. Mother Nature has turned against the people that live upon the
Earth ’s surface. Now, the planet ’s flora and fauna have mutated and are viciously attacking humanity. As society crumbles, and survivors seek safety, young Zoe, who has lost her own family, has rescued Jules, who ’s the prime minister ’s son. Now, the pair have been reunited with the PM, and they ’re journeying to India…
THE OUT: BOOK THREE
Script: Dan Abnett | Art: Mark Harrison | Letters: Simon Bowland
The furthest edge of the universe. 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, after learning what the Zoto have done to her, is facing a tribunal from the Unanima about the Up…
ROGUE TROOPER: BLIGHTY VALLEY
Script: Garth Ennis | Art: Patrick Goddard | Letters: Rob Steen
Nu Earth, site of a galactic war between the Norts and the Southers, where use of chemical weapons has rendered the atmosphere toxic. 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. Now, together with his biochip buddies Helm, Gunnar and Bagman, Rogue ’s found himself on a World War One battlefield…
Also Out This Week
• Check out our full guide to Rebellion and Treasury of British Comics releases here
Complete Dice Man
by Pat Mills, John Wagner, Mike Collins & Mark Farmer, Steve Dillon, Hunt Emerson, David Lloyd, Graham Manley, Kevin O’Neill, Bryan Talbot, John Ridgway, Nik Williams
Out: 23rd May 2023
320 Pages
ISBN: 978-1786189417
Diceman was a short-lived British comic which ran for five issues in 1986. A spin-off from 2000AD, it was devised and, largely, written by Pat Mills, and edited by Simon Geller (aka monster Mervyn!).
Published bi-monthly, Diceman featured stories designed to be played like game books.
Originally published during the adventure gamebook boom of the 1980s, Dice Man has never been reprinted in its entirety before, but now the complete run of Dice Man magazine is presented in this massive collection. Using dice and a pencil, you will become Judge Dredd as he faces off against the Dark Judges, or guide Nemesis the Warlock as they race through the Torture Tube, or help Sláine steal the Cauldron of Blood from the Tower of Glass.
2000AD Regened Volume 5
by Liam Johnson, Joel Carpenter, et al.
Out: 25th May 2023
112 Pages
ISBN: 978-1786189486
2000AD Regened blasts into its fifth volume! Critically acclaimed, action packed and hilarious, there’s something for everyone in thesescience fiction stories. It’s Beast Mode when Cadet Dredd has to stop a mad scientist at the Mega-City 1 zoo! Jaina and Jacen are let loose in another bizarre dimension in ‘Splorers! And with no teachers or grown ups, school’s out in the Unteachables… forever! With brain melting twists and explosive action, 2000AD Regened is the greatest comic in the galaxy!
Coming Soon…
Roy of the Rovers: The Best of the 1980s Volume 2: Dream Team (Roy of the Rovers – Classics)
by Tom Tully and David Sque
Out: 8th June 2023
Hardcover | 176 Pages
ISBN: 978-1786189509
Melchester Rovers’ reign of the 1980s continues! As the team surges forward towards a Milk Cup final, they are undoubtedly the best in the country. But this hasn’t stopped some discontent behind the scenes. With cricket legend Geoff Boycott acting as chairman for the club and Roy bringing veteran keeper Bob Wilson and Liverpool legend Emlyn Hughes back into the game, many fans and critics are questioning Roy’s managerial decision-making. And now Roy is about to sign Steve Norman and Martin Kemp from the hit-making pop group, Spandau Ballet – they may be worth their weight in gold as musicians, but can they perform on the pitch?
Tom Tully is one the most prolific writers ever to grace British comics. His diverse portfolio of work was produced over four decades. Born in Glasgow, Tully entered the industry in the sixties when he began working for Fleetway. One of his earliest strips, Heros the Spartan, ran in the original Eagle and was illustrated by the great Frank Bellamy. He also wrote Mytek the Mighty (Valiant & Vulcan) and The Steel Claw (Valiant & Vulcan) in the same decade. The seventies saw Tully work on a variety of significant stories including Adam Eterno (Thunder), Johnny Red (Battle), Harlem He-roes (2000 AD), The Leopard from Lime Street (Buster) and Roy of the Rovers (Tiger), the strip he worked on longer than any other writer.
David Sque studied at Bournemouth Art College and got his National Diploma in Art and Design. He started working for IPC in the 60s – one of his earliest strips being The Skids Kids – a sports strip in the kids’ humour title, Buster. He defined the ‘modern day’ look of Roy Race in the Roy of the Rovers comic during the 70s, and continued to draw it until August 1986. While concentrating on his fine art, David still kept a hand in football comic art, illustrating some Scorer strips in the Daily Mirror newspaper. In 2020 he returned to familiar territory, becoming the new artist on the rebooted Roy of the Rovers.
• Check out our full guide to Rebellion and Treasury of British Comics releases here
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, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
New thrills aplenty in this week’s 2000AD! 
Kevin O’Neill original “Torquemada”art up for auction 
Vaults of the Book Palace auction offers 2000AD art treats galore 
First British International Comic Rights Market – publishers and creator lineup revealed