Wed Dec 19, 2007 — by Mike Gold

2000 AD, Straight To You

Seminal UK Comic Goes Digital

You’ve heard about 2000 AD – most recently, on ComicMix Radio. I doubt that there’s been a more influential comic book published in the past three decades. Cutting edge at the outset, the various series launched in 2000 AD were as different from the norm as Marvel was from DC back in 1961.

I was lucky enough to read the first, oh, couple hundred issues of the weekly publication from the very first issue (OK, prog), as friend, fan and later 2000 AD editor Richard Burton sent ‘em to me with a note saying “Hey, look at this!” Since then, the weekly became the showcase for a lot of the best talent to appear in the medium. A complete list would frighten you, but at least I can provide a short and highly incomplete list: Alan Moore, John Wagner, Dave Gibbons, Brian Bolland, Ian Gibson, Brendan McCarthy, Kevin O’Neill, Bryan Talbot, Alan Davis… good grief, the list goes on forever.

And so does 2000 AD. And, as Mike Raub reported on ComicMix, now they’ve gone online.

I checked out the new offering: you can download the latest issue, a special 100 pager, each story beginning a new arc, with favorites Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog (both written by co-creator John Wagner, the latter drawn by co-creator Carlos Ezquerra) in tow. As if they’d publish an issue without Dredd; they haven’t done that since… well, since issue 1. Prog 1. Sorry.

Unlike the brand new comics offered here on ComicMix, you’ve got to pay to download each issue – is costs about $2.50, U.S., depending on the current value of the dollar. But this is a 100-page issue, and it’s quite a bargain. Check it out at http://www.clickwheel.net/.

Just to be polite, here’s the story and creator line-up:

• Judge Dredd: The Spirit of Christmas , written by John Wagner and drawn by Colin MacNeil

• Strontium Dog: The Glum Affair , written by John Wagner and drawn by Carlos Ezquerra

• Caballistics, Inc: The Nativity , written by Gordon Rennie and drawn by Dom Reardon

• Nikolai Dante: Destiny's Child , written by Robbie Morrison and drawn by John Burns

• Sinister Dexter: Inner Waldorf Hire and Dice , written by Dan Abnett and drawn by Simon Davis

• Shakara: The Defiant , written by Robbie Morrison and drawn by Henry Flint

• Stickleback: England's Glory , written by Ian Edginton and drawn by D'Israeli

• Kingdom: The Promised Land , written by Dan Abnett and drawn by Richard Elson 

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