PR : 2000AD announce new Graphic Novel line.
Jim Connick
but hey, now you get extra comments from me added in, for nothing! Oh, at
least pretend to be happy.)
2000 AD Publishing is delighted to announce it will be releasing a new range
of graphic novels drawing from over 25 years of thrill-powered sci-fi,
horror, fantasy and action comic strips that first appeared in 2000 AD and
the Judge Dredd Megazine.
*Jim : Is the new line running alongside releases from Titan, or replacing
it?
One graphic novel will be released every month from the end of August, and
the list will be a carefully selected mix of long-running high profile
characters - such as Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog and Nikolai Dante - plus the
best one-off series and many of the fan-favourite stories that have
previously never been reprinted.
*Jim : When the new Titan deal was announced back whenever, they said there
would be a GN a month too. There wasn't quite, IIRC.
The range launches with a bang at the end of August, with three acclaimed
and much-requested collections:
Button Man: The Killing Game
Button Man: The Killing Game is a creator-owned project written by Judge
Dredd co-creator John Wagner, with art by veteran artist Arthur Ranson. The
story regularly tops reader polls as favourite 2000 AD story, and has
received much acclaim from comics professionals.
The 'Button Man', Harry Exton, was a hired gun, a soldier of fortune, but
that was before he was offered the chance to earn even more money by taking
part in The Game. Bored millionaires each hire a Button Man and set these
trained killers against each other in a fight to the death. Vast sums of
money are bet between the names as to who would win each contest. But when
Harry decides to quit the game, he finds the only way out is death. Trouble
is, nobody bothered to tell Harry exactly whose death they meant.
Button Man will be released in a completely new prestige hardback edition,
completely rescanned from the original artwork, and will feature a brand new
introduction by John Wagner.
Title: Button Man: The Killing Game
Published: 28 August 2003
Price: £17.99 / $27.95
ISBN: 1 904265 05 7
Format: Colour hardback, 88pp
*Jim : The price point has virtually killed my interest in picking this up.
I believe that Rebellion have to charge more for it, because it is creator
owned material, and ok, it is a hardcover, but £18 for 88 pages isn't a good
enough deal for me. Comparing it like for like to Marvel, that price can get
me 88 pages of Button Man, which I already have, both in original progs and
reprinted in the Megazine, compared to over 200 pages, roughly a year's
worth of issues, of a Marvel title, also in an oversized Hardcover format,
with extra stuff like sketchbooks and introductions. Sorry, but page count
variance will leave me picking up the Marvel ones every time. Also, when
this was reprinted in the Meg, didn't they rescan it all from the original
art that time too? Why do they need to do it again?
Hewligan's Haircut
Hewligan's Haircut is another fan favourite strip that hasn't seen print for
over 12 years now. Written by high-profile UK creator Peter Milligan (Bad
Company, X-Statix), and drawn by Jamie Hewlett, the legendary creator of
Tank Girl and world-renowned cartoon pop band Gorillaz, Hewligan's Haircut
is packed with all the lunatic humor and deranged artwork you would expect.
The surreal story sees Hewligan craft himself the haircut to end all
haircuts - but it could end the world too! Pursued by the laws of physics,
abstract art pirates and formation-dancing policemen, Hewligan and the
lovely Scarlet O'Gasmeter search for the giant stone heads from his fevered
dreams - and try to return to (relative) normality...
Title: Hewligan's Haircut
Published: 28 August 2003
Price: £10.99 / $16.95
ISBN: 1 904265 065
Format: Colour hardback, 48pp
*Jim : Taking the piss with prices now IMO. Also, the hardback format means
no hole in the cover, like there was in the previous collection of this,
which was groovy, although I may be the only person in the World whose copy
didn't rip because of that same hole.
Necronauts
A more recent but no less popular story, Necronauts is an intelligent and
genuinely creepy horror tale by prolific 2000 AD writer Gordon Rennie (Judge
Dredd, Missionary Man, Caballistics Inc.) with stunning artwork by
breakthrough artist Frazer Irving (Judge Death, The Authority). Of recent
years, this is 2000 AD readers' most requested reprint, and features two
talents who are certain to make a huge US impact this year.
Harry Houdini must join three famous aficionados of the uncanny - Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle, Charles Fort and H.P. Lovecraft - to defeat an evil force which
wants to enslave humanity. But this intrepid group must not only face the
enemy's terrifying agents on Earth, but also a traitor in their midst.
Necronauts will be released in a high quality European-format paperback
edition with a brand new cover image by Frazer Irving, plus a six-page
sketchbook, script and covers gallery.
Title: Necronauts
Published: 28 August 2003
Price: £7.99 / $13.95
ISBN: 1 904265 09 X
Format: Black and white paperback, 64pp
*Jim : Now _that_ is more like it. I'll buy this, especially at that price,
especially with groovy new extra bits. I'm affraid I must admit ignorance
here, what exactly is "a high quality European-format paperback edition"
That cover is nice too
(http://www.newsarama.com/Other_Publishers/NEClow2.jpg)
Other forthcoming titles:
September:
Young Death: Boyhood of a Superfiend
John Wagner/Peter Doherty
Young Death is a funny yet creepy memoir of the malevolent Judge Death, as
he reveals what it takes to grow up to become a genocidal superfiend. A
reader favourite story that takes a new perspective on the leader of the
Dark Judges.
*Jim : Another thing I have the previous edition of, and US reprints of.
October:
Durham Red: The Vermin Stars
Dan Abnett/Mark Harrison
The second part of the Scarlet Cantos trilogy sees sexy gothic vampire
bounty hunter Durham Red in the middle of an epic intergalactic
confrontation between the human race and mutantkind. A dark space epic, with
richly detailed artwork by Mark Harrison.
November:
Judge Dredd/Aliens: Incubus
John Wagner/Andy Diggle/Henry Flint
A stunning collectors' edition of the popular recent Judge Dredd epic, in
which the iron-chinned future lawman has to deal with a deadly threat to
Mega-City One in the shape of the well-known biomechanical monstrosities.
December:
Banzai Battalion
John Wagner/Henry Flint/Cam Kennedy/Ian Gibson
Led by Captain Bug Stomper, Banzai Batallion are a platoon of
three-inch-high robots programmed for garden pest control, but with recently
discovered potential for covert operations and infiltration. A fun action
title, suitable for readers of all ages.
John Parkinson
> *Jim : Is the new line running alongside releases from Titan, or replacing
> it?
I spotted a comment on a forum from one of the 2000AD chaps saying that
the Titan deal was for a set number of books, it's now coming to an end,
and this is replacing it.
--
John Parkinson --- Comeuppance Comics
Miranda #1 by Lance Parkin and Allan Bednar OUT NOW!
<http://www.comeuppancecomics.co.uk>
Jim Connick
"John Parkinson" <j...@void.printf.net> wrote in message
news:slrnbde7...@void.printf.net...
: Jim Connick wrote:
:
: > *Jim : Is the new line running alongside releases from Titan, or
replacing
: > it?
:
: I spotted a comment on a forum from one of the 2000AD chaps saying that
: the Titan deal was for a set number of books, it's now coming to an end,
: and this is replacing it.
Cheers, I thought it might be something like that.