THE CROSSOVER 50 YEARS IN THE MAKING! What if the old Battle Action comic was merged with 2000 AD in the early ‘80s?
That’s the question posed by this all-new collection that reveals the answer is – action-packed thrills by the bucket-load. It takes old Battle Action strips and reworks them as 2000 AD-appropriate adventures, while remaining true to their original concept and continuity.
This kick-ass crossover sees Judge Dredd feature in a brand-new reimagining of Action’s most controversial strip – Kids Rule O.K., and also includes Darkie’s Mob, Death Game 2049 and Major Eazy amongst others!
Written by Ken Niemand (Judge Dredd), Geoffrey D. Wessel (War Birds), Chris Weston (Rogue Trooper), Karl Stock (Fiends of West Berlin), Arthur Wyatt (Dredd), Gordon Rennie (Judge Dredd), Mike Carroll (Dreadnaughts), Alec Worley (Robo-Hunter) and Alex De Campi (Archie vs. Predator), with art by Simon Coleby (The Authority), Nick Dyer (Tales from the Black Museum), Paul Marshall (Sinister Dexter), Jake Lynch (HAVN), Dan Cornwell (Rok of the Reds), Nick Percival (Slaine), Kieran McKeown (Crime Syndicate), Staz Johnson (Vikings), Patrick Goddard (Battle Action) and The Mighty One himself!
Out on 17 July, this action-packed collection is available to pre-order now in standard retail paperback and a 2000 AD webshop exclusive edition with special cover by Batman and Robin artist Andy Clarke!
BATTLE ACTION RETURNS WITH A COLLECTION OF TWELVE NEW STORIES!
Air Ace Johnny Red and Angel of Death Nina Petrova face off against the Nazi invaders, lethal British agent Dredger deals with the abduction of the only person dear to his stony heart, and the louche Major Eazy must lead his men through the Devil’s Garden of El Alamein. There’s action aplenty with roguish British commandoes Rat Pack, along with Death Squad, their equally deadly German counterparts. And the hellish arctic ocean is the setting for HMS Nightshade, the classic tale of war at sea.
Writer Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Boys) is joined by an incredible roster of top-tier talent, with stories by original Battle Action writer John Wagner (Judge Dredd, Robo-Hunter), Torunn Gronbekk (Thor, Red Sonja), Rob Williams (Suicide Squad, Petrol Head) and Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy, Lawless), and featuring art by industry greats like Keith Burns (Out of the Blue), Chris Burnham (Batman, Doom Patrol), Henry Flint (Hawk The Slayer) and John Higgins (Watchmen, Dreadnoughts). There’s blazing Battle Action on every page!
Battle Picture Weekly was where the revolution in British comics began. Created in 1975 by writers and editors Pat Mills and John Wagner, it introduced new grittiness into comics with its cast of anti-heroes and misfits. Its bombast and energy sparked a sea-change in what comics could do, leading to Mills’ creation of the controversial Action and the globally influential 2000 AD.
The new Battle Action mini-series celebrates the merging of this landmark title with its controversial stablemate, Action, a combination that took the two comics to even greater heights. Now, more than forty years after the original, some of the cream of British comics talent are bringing these classic characters back to life.
This volume contains:
JOHNNY RED by Garth Ennis and Keith Burns
HMS NIGHTSHADE by John Wagner and Dan Cornwell
CRAZY KELLER by Garth Ennis and Chris Burnham
D-DAY DAWSON by Dan Abnett and Phil Winslade
DREDGER by Garth Ennis and John Higgins
MAJOR EAZY by Rob Williams and Henry Flint
COOLEY’S GUN by Garth Ennis and Staz Johnson
DEATH SQUAD by Rob Williams and PJ Holden
HELLMAN OF HAMMER FORCE by Garth Ennis and Mike Dorey
NINA PETROVA AND THE ANGELS OF DEATH by Torunn Grønbekk and Patrick Goddard
There has never before been an anti-hero in British comicslike Hellman of Hammer Force!
From the invasion of Poland in 1939 through to the fall of Berlin in 1945, Hellman of Hammer Force saw action on many fronts, and this collection contains all the hard-hitting war stories told through the eyes of Hellman which were published in Battle from 1977 through to 1978.
This ground-breaking series of thrilling combat is written by Gerry Finley-Day (Rogue Trooper) and drawn by Mike Dorey (Ro-Busters) and Patrick Wright (Day of the Eagle).
Includes all the stories published in Battle, including the never before reprinted ‘Fall of Berlin’ storyline!
Hellman of Hammer Force: Downfall is out on 28 March from comic book stores and will be available for stores to order through Diamond Distribution’s Previews magazine. It will also be available in print and digital from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops and digitally through the 2000 AD app.
The thrilling new BATTLE ACTION mini-series comes to an explosive end with its fifth issue!
The last issue of Battle Action is out from your local comic book store (Diamond code JUL231918) or from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops.
This issue kicks off with an early adventure of ‘Hellman of Hammer Force’, when he leads the Condor Legion in Spain and the conflict forces him to determine what he will stand for – written by Garth Ennis (The Boys, Preacher), with art by Mike Dorey (2000 AD).
In ‘Nina Petrova and The Angels of Death’, Petrova takes a new Commissar under her wing and the green officer sees first-hand what war truly entails, by Torunn Grønbekk (Thor, Punisher War Journal) and Patrick Goddard (Rogue Trooper).
Classic series from the legendary British comics Battle Picture Weekly and Action such as ‘Johnny Red’, ‘HMS Nightshade’, ‘Crazy Keller’, ‘D-Day Dawson’, ‘Dredger’, ‘Major Eazy’, and ‘Hellman of Hammer Force’ burst back into life in this new five-issue mini-series, which features the work of John Wagner (Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog), Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy, Warhammer 40k), Torunn Grønbekk (Thor, Punisher: War Journal), Rob Williams (Suicide Squad, Judge Dredd), John Higgins (Watchmen, Judge Dredd) and Chris Burnham (Batman Incorporated, Unstoppable Doom Patrol)!
Available through comic book stores and the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops, this first issue features the return of fan favourite World War Two flying ace ‘Johnny Red’ by Ennis and Burns, as well as the return of Battle Picture Weekly’s co-creator John Wagner to ‘HMS Nightshade’, the series he co-created with artist Mike Western in 1979, which tells the story of a Royal Navy warship protecting Allied shipping from the U-Boat menace!
Battle Picture Weekly was where the revolution in British comics began. Created in 1975 by writers and editors Pat Mills and John Wagner, it introduced new grittiness into comics with its cast of anti-heroes and misfits. Its bombast and energy sparked a sea-change in what comics could do, leading to Mills’ creation of the controversial Action and the globally influential 2000 AD.
The new Battle Action mini-series celebrates the merging of this landmark title with its controversial stablemate, Action, a combination that took the two comics to even greater heights. Now, more than forty years after the original, some of the cream of British comics talent are bringing these classic characters back to life.
Battle Action #1 is out on 31 May from comic book stores and will be available for stores to order through Diamond Distribution’s Previews magazine. It will also be available in print and digital from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops and digitally through the 2000 AD app.
Issue 1:
JOHNNY RED by Garth Ennis and Keith Burns
HMS NIGHTSHADE by John Wagner and Dan Cornwell
Issue 2 on sale: 28 June
CRAZY KELLER by Garth Ennis and Chris Burnham
D-DAY DAWSON by Dan Abnett and Phil Winslade
Issue 3 on sale: 26 July
DREDGER by Garth Ennis and John Higgins
MAJOR EAZY by Rob Williams and Henry Flint
Issue 4 on sale: 30 August
COOLEY’S GUN by Garth Ennis and Staz Johnson
DEATH SQUAD by Rob Williams and PJ Holden
Issue 5 on sale: 27 September
HELLMAN OF HAMMER FORCE by Garth Ennis and Mike Dorey
NINA PETROVA AND THE ANGELS OF DEATH by Torunn Grønbekk and Patrick Goddard
Or ask at your local newsagent, comic shop, or bookshop
Judge Dredd Megazine #460 is OUT NOW!
IMAGINE IF, IN 1982, THE POWERS-THAT-BE IN KING’S REACH TOWER DECIDED THAT BATTLE ACTION WAS TO merge with 2000 AD, much like Starlord and Tornado had done previously.
What characters would cross over into the pages of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, and what revamps would they undergo to fit with the anthology’s SF/fantasy remit? Well, you can see for yourself in Prog 2350, which takes that very concept and creates an alternate line-up for Tharg’s Mighty Organ – but the speculation doesn’t just stop with one title. What if, two years later, it was such a success that Battle characters were given the Dreddworld treatment in the lawman’s very own mag?
This special issue has the answer, with Dreddverse variants of Rat Pack, Johnny Red/Lofty’s One-Man Luftwaffe and Darkie’s Mob, with a couple of other characters from UK comics history thrown in. Meanwhile, in the second half of this month’s issue, we return to normal programming with the latest instalments of Spector, Dreadnoughts, Lawless, Rogue Trooper and Johnny Red. All in all, an absoutely crammed Meg – I hope you enjoy it, citizens!
Judge Dredd Megazine #460 is out now from all good newsagents and comic book stores, plus digitally from our webshop and apps! Don’t forget that if you buy an issue of the Megazine in the first month of its release then postage in the UK is free!
Cover art by Henry FlintScript: Ken Niemand / Art: Nick Percival / Letters: Annie Parkhouse
JUDGE DREDD // Return To Billy Carter
Mega-City One, 2106 AD. This vast urban hell on the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America is home to over 400 million citizens, with the irradiated Cursed Earth to the west and the toxic Black Atlantic to the east. Crime is rampant, and stemming the tide of chaos are the Judges. Toughest of them all is Judge Dredd – he is the Law! Now, in the wake of the Apocalypse War, Dredd’s returning to Billy Carter block, where the Dark Judges caused havoc…
Following in the footsteps of other late-1970s IPC comics in going direct to the movies for inspiration, Rat Pack took its cue from Robert Aldrich’s gritty 1967 war actioner The Dirty Dozen, in which a group of US Army convicts (played by Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson and co) are enlisted for a dirty and hard-to-survive mission.
Script: Mike Carroll / Art: Staz Johnson / Colours: Gary Caldwell / Letters: Simon Bowland
STRATO SQUAD // Convoy Strike!
One of the launch series in Battle Picture Weekly, with art by the unheralded Italian illustrator Paolo Ongaro, Lofty’s One-Man Luftwaffe lasted for just four months, before aeroplane action left the comic ahead of Johnny Red’s arrival two years later. The premise was simple and effective – that downed RAF pilot and Nazi POW ‘Lofty’ Banks escapes from a concentration camp, takes on the identity of dead German air ace Major Ranke, and begins a secret war of attrition against the Luftwaffe while pretending to be a part of it.
Script: Alec Worley / Art: Patrick Goddard / Colours: Jim Boswell / Letters: Jim Campbell
ANDERSON, PSI-DIVISION // The Wolf & The Dragon
Mega-City One, 2106 AD. There are many divisions in Justice Department dedicated to the fight against crime, from Tek to Wally Squad, and for cases of a paranormal nature there is Psi-Division, its officers all gifted with psychic talents. Most powerful of the telepaths is Cassandra Anderson, who has the ability to read minds and occasionally receive flashes of future events. Sardonic and irreverent, Anderson is given more leeway as as Psi-Judge…
Script: Alex De Campi / Art: John McCrea / Colours: Mike Spicer / Letters: Jim Campbell
DARKE’S MOB
A predecessor to 2000 AD classic Bad Company, Darkie’s Mob had a brutal and uncompromising commander gathering a ramshackle group of fighters around him to fight against an even more monstrously lethal enemy, with their collective descent into the heart of darkness catalogued by a raw private along for the ride.
Script: John Wagner / Art: Dan Cornwell / Colours: Dylan Teague / Letters: Jim Campbell
SPECTOR // Incorruptible, part six
In a near-future US city, corruption within the branches of government has reached unsustainable levels. City Hall is rotten to the core, and the police force is equally on the take. To that end, Spector is created, a robot detective – beyond bribery and untainted by potential malfeasance – charged with rooting out criminal elements. But Spector is making many enemies amongst the cops, and they’re not above murder to try to get rid of him…
Script: Brian Buckley / Art: Alberto Ponticelli / Colours: Stephen Downer / Letters: Tom B. Long
ROGUE TROOPER // Part two
Nu-Earth, just another planet ravaged by a galaxy-wide war, its atmosphere poisoned by chemical weapons. Created to fight in such conditions were the G.I.s – genetically engineered infantrymen. But now only one remains, the man known as… Rogue Trooper!
Script: Garth Ennis / Art: Keith Burns / Colour: Jason Wordie / Letters: Rob Steen
JOHNNY RED // Part five
Legendary British fighter ace, Johnny ‘Red’ Redburn, returns once more as the commander of the Falcons – a Russian fighter squadron battling the Nazis in the skies over Stalingrad. But dogfighting Messerschmitts is about to become the least of his troubles when the NVKD – the notorious Soviet secret police – come calling!
Script: Dan Abnett / Art: Phil Winslade / Letters: Simon Bowland
LAWLESS // Most Wanted, part five
Colonial Marshal Metta Lawson was appointed to the frontier township of Badrock on the planet 43 Rega, intent on stamping her authority on the colony. But in doing so, Lawson made many enemies, including Munce, Inc., the mega-corporation that funded Badrock. Now, having been thrown off the force, and become a vigilante, she’s turned to organised crime, and is proving herself for Mr Fugly, the local crimelord…
Script: Mike Carroll / Art: John Higgins / Colour: Sally Hurst / Letters: Simon Bowland
DREADNOUGHTS // The March of Progress, Part six
USA, 2035 AD. The new Justice Department is still in its early years, with Judges working alongside the police. It’s proving an explosive transition, with many citizens – and uniformed cops – unhappy with these helmeted officers taking to the streets. Now a drugs cartel is striking back at the law, and Judge Veranda Glover is fleeing with a vital prisoner, whom the cartel want returned to them…
ATTENTION, EARTHLETS – 2000 AD Prog 2350 is OUT NOW!
BORAG THUNGG, EARTHLETS! I am The Mighty Tharg, alien editor of this pulse-pounding sci-fi anthology!
Imagine, if you will, Terrans, another 1982 — that as the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic was surfing a wave of cosmic popularity, it was decided to merge Battle Action into it. 2000 AD had merged with other titles before — namely Starlord and Tornado, which gave the prog Strontium Dog, Ro-Busters, Blackhawk and The Mind of Wolfie Smith — so if Battle became part of my emerald empire, what would become of the characters that joined its pages?
That’s the conceit of this special issue, where the likes of Major Eazy, Dredger, Hellman of Hammer Force and El Mestizo are given SF-fantasy makeovers!
But that’s not all — such is the success of the merger, that a couple of years later in our alternate eighties, it’s decided to create a monthly Judge Dredd title in which Battle properties are reinvented in the Dreddverse. You can read what’s become of Rat Pack, Johnny Red, Darkie’s Mob and more in Meg 460, which is on sale right now! And after all that alt-history excitement, you’ve got a zarjaz brand-new line-up of Thrills coming in Prog 2351 — don’t miss it, my Squaxx!
2000 AD Prog 2350 is out now from all good newsagents and comic book stores, plus digitally from our webshop and apps! Don’t forget that if you buy an issue of 2000 AD in the first week of its release then postage in the UK is free!
Cover Art: Cliff Robinson / Colours: Dylan TeagueScript: Ken Niemand / Art: Simon Coleby / Colours: Matt Soffe / Letters: Annie Parkhouse
JUDGE DREDD // JUVES RULE OK!
Mega-City One, 2075 AD. Home to over 800 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. A teenage Cadet Dredd is a rising star in Justice Department, but the Judges and the metropolis itself are about to face a terrifying disaster…
Script: Geoffrey D. Wessel / Art: Nick Dyer / Colours: John Charles / Letters: Jim Campbell
DEATH GAME 2049
In the future, the privatised prisons gave rise to the brutal sport of Spinball, where the Death Row convict teams would play a live-action version of pinball, but on motorcycles and tooled up with all manner of lethal weaponry. These violent games were broadcast to a nation eager for spectacle until it was deemed too dangerous — but fifty years later, it’s back and it’s as bloody as ever…
Script & Art: Chris Weston / Letters: Simon Bowland
EL MESTIZO // Demon with a SIX-Gun!
1860s Texas, and the legend of El Mestizo is known throughout the land. Born a slave, he escaped the plantation upon which he was forced to work and made it across the border, re-emerging during the American Civil War as a mercenary, working for both the North and the South. He had no allegiance to either the Union or the Confederacy — he sold his talents to the highest bidder. But El Mestizo now has a terrible secret…
Script: Karl Stock / Art: Paul Marshall / Colours: Quinton Winter / Letters: Annie Parkhouse
Dredger // Time to Kill
Former Royal Marine turned DI6 agent Dredger is not a man to cross, nor get in the way of — tough, uncompromising and unwilling to negotiate, there isn’t a situation he isn’t prepared to punch, kick, or shoot his way out of. Few can get close to Dredger and though he was in the past partnered with former public schoolboy Simon Breed, who died in a bomb blast, his friendships tend to be short…
Script: Arthur Wyatt / Art: Jake Lynch / Colours: Jim Boswell / Letters: Simon Bowland
Hellman of Hell Force // Fiends of Ungeistwelt Ost
Major Kurt Hellman was a Panzer tank commander, taking part in the 1940 German invasion of Belgium — but he refused to join the Nazi party, setting up ongoing conflicts with the SS. But now, in 1943, German scientists have created a gateway to Hell in a bid to overtake the Allies — and Hellman has found himself stationed there, punishment for his refusal to toe the line…
Writer: Gordon Rennie / Art: Dan Cornwell / Colours: Dylan Teague / Letters: Jim Campbell
Major Eazy // The Treasure of Solomon
The African desert, 1942. During the Allied campaign, few officers were as singular as Major Eazy — long-haired and laconic, this scruffy maverick never failed to irritate his superiors. With a cigar hanging from his lips and often found driving his distinctive Bentley, Eazy seemed crazy — but his eccentricities were overlooked because when it came to warfare, he always gets the job done…
Subscribe to 2000 AD now and get an exclusive subscriber-only cover for our mega-crossover issue by Judge Dredd and Batman artist Andy Clarke – as well as zarjaz free subscriber gifts!
On 20 September, 2000 AD Prog 2350 asks the question – what would 2000 AD have been like if it had merged with stablemate Battle Action in the 1980s? This fantastic stand-alone crossover event merges legendary characters from 2000 AD with classic characters from its former stablemates: the groundbreaking Battle Picture Weekly and the controversial Action.
To celebrate, subscribers to 2000 AD will automatically receive an exclusive edition of this special bumper 48-page issue with thrilling cover art by Andy Clarke! This cover is a brilliant homage to the legendary Carlos Ezquerra’s notorious ‘Kids Rule O.K.!’ cover for Action from 1976 – but now with the Judges in charge!
Meanwhile, the standard newsstand edition – available from newsagents, comic book stores, and the 2000 AD webshop – features a superb line-up cover by Cliff Robinson and Dylan Teague.
In this mega-crossover issue, Judge Dredd meets ‘Kids Rule O.K.!’ in “Juves Rule”, El Mestizo meets Major Eazy in “The Treasure of Solomon”, there’s ‘Death Game 2049’, ‘Hellman of Hell Force’, and more! The crossover action heads over to Judge Dredd Megazine #460 too, also out on 20 September and featuring a wraparound cover by Judge Dredd artist Henry Flint.
So subscribe now and guarantee that you’ll receive the subscriber-exclusive edition of the 2000 AD mega-crossover!
The thrilling new BATTLE ACTION mini-series comes to an explosive end with its fifth issue!
The last issue of Battle Action is now available to pre-order from your local comic book store (Diamond code JUL231918) or from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops.
Out on 27 September, this issue kicks off with an early adventure of ‘Hellman of Hammer Force’, when he leads the Condor Legion in Spain and the conflict forces him to determine what he will stand for – written by Garth Ennis (The Boys, Preacher), with art by Mike Dorey (2000 AD).
In ‘Nina Petrova and The Angels of Death’, Petrova takes a new Commissar under her wing and the green officer sees first-hand what war truly entails, by Torunn Grønbekk (Thor, Punisher War Journal) and Patrick Goddard (Rogue Trooper).
Classic series from the legendary British comics Battle Picture Weekly and Action such as ‘Johnny Red’, ‘HMS Nightshade’, ‘Crazy Keller’, ‘D-Day Dawson’, ‘Dredger’, ‘Major Eazy’, and ‘Hellman of Hammer Force’ burst back into life in this new five-issue mini-series, which features the work of John Wagner (Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog), Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy, Warhammer 40k), Torunn Grønbekk (Thor, Punisher: War Journal), Rob Williams (Suicide Squad, Judge Dredd), John Higgins (Watchmen, Judge Dredd) and Chris Burnham (Batman Incorporated, Unstoppable Doom Patrol)!
Available through comic book stores and the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops, this first issue features the return of fan favourite World War Two flying ace ‘Johnny Red’ by Ennis and Burns, as well as the return of Battle Picture Weekly’s co-creator John Wagner to ‘HMS Nightshade’, the series he co-created with artist Mike Western in 1979, which tells the story of a Royal Navy warship protecting Allied shipping from the U-Boat menace!
Battle Picture Weekly was where the revolution in British comics began. Created in 1975 by writers and editors Pat Mills and John Wagner, it introduced new grittiness into comics with its cast of anti-heroes and misfits. Its bombast and energy sparked a sea-change in what comics could do, leading to Mills’ creation of the controversial Action and the globally influential 2000 AD.
The new Battle Action mini-series celebrates the merging of this landmark title with its controversial stablemate, Action, a combination that took the two comics to even greater heights. Now, more than forty years after the original, some of the cream of British comics talent are bringing these classic characters back to life.
Battle Action #1 is out on 31 May from comic book stores and will be available for stores to order through Diamond Distribution’s Previews magazine. It will also be available in print and digital from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops and digitally through the 2000 AD app.
Issue 1:
JOHNNY RED by Garth Ennis and Keith Burns
HMS NIGHTSHADE by John Wagner and Dan Cornwell
Issue 2 on sale: 28 June
CRAZY KELLER by Garth Ennis and Chris Burnham
D-DAY DAWSON by Dan Abnett and Phil Winslade
Issue 3 on sale: 26 July
DREDGER by Garth Ennis and John Higgins
MAJOR EAZY by Rob Williams and Henry Flint
Issue 4 on sale: 30 August
COOLEY’S GUN by Garth Ennis and Staz Johnson
DEATH SQUAD by Rob Williams and PJ Holden
Issue 5 on sale: 27 September
HELLMAN OF HAMMER FORCE by Garth Ennis and Mike Dorey
NINA PETROVA AND THE ANGELS OF DEATH by Torunn Grønbekk and Patrick Goddard
The next in the thrilling new BATTLE ACTION mini-series is out now!
The fourth issue of Battle Action is now available from your local comic book store (Diamond code JUN232047) or from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops.
This penultimate issue of Battle Action contains two all-new tales of ordinary soldiers performing heroic acts of bravery under extreme conditions!
On the bloody battlefield of Anzio, Italy, a raw 18-year-old soldier, Jim Miller, must devote every waking moment to ensure that Cooley’s Gun keeps firing in order to stave off the relentless Nazi assault, written by Garth Ennis (The Boys, Preacher) and Staz Johnson (Batman/Aliens, New X-Men).
On the Eastern Front the Death Squad are sent on a do-or-die mission to go behind Russian lines in order to rescue a Field Marshal’s son and are faced with a difficult decision when they find him, written by Rob Williams (Suicide Squad, Sword of Hyperborea), and drawn by PJ Holden (The Lion & The Eagle, The Stringbags).
Classic series from the legendary British comics Battle Picture Weekly and Action such as ‘Johnny Red’, ‘HMS Nightshade’, ‘Crazy Keller’, ‘D-Day Dawson’, ‘Dredger’, ‘Major Eazy’, and ‘Hellman of Hammer Force’ burst back into life in this new five-issue mini-series, which features the work of John Wagner (Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog), Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy, Warhammer 40k), Torunn Grønbekk (Thor, Punisher: War Journal), Rob Williams (Suicide Squad, Judge Dredd), John Higgins (Watchmen, Judge Dredd) and Chris Burnham (Batman Incorporated, Unstoppable Doom Patrol)!
Available through comic book stores and the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops, this first issue features the return of fan favourite World War Two flying ace ‘Johnny Red’ by Ennis and Burns, as well as the return of Battle Picture Weekly’s co-creator John Wagner to ‘HMS Nightshade’, the series he co-created with artist Mike Western in 1979, which tells the story of a Royal Navy warship protecting Allied shipping from the U-Boat menace!
Battle Picture Weekly was where the revolution in British comics began. Created in 1975 by writers and editors Pat Mills and John Wagner, it introduced new grittiness into comics with its cast of anti-heroes and misfits. Its bombast and energy sparked a sea-change in what comics could do, leading to Mills’ creation of the controversial Action and the globally influential 2000 AD.
The new Battle Action mini-series celebrates the merging of this landmark title with its controversial stablemate, Action, a combination that took the two comics to even greater heights. Now, more than forty years after the original, some of the cream of British comics talent are bringing these classic characters back to life.
Battle Action #1 is out on 31 May from comic book stores and will be available for stores to order through Diamond Distribution’s Previews magazine. It will also be available in print and digital from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops and digitally through the 2000 AD app.
Issue 1:
JOHNNY RED by Garth Ennis and Keith Burns
HMS NIGHTSHADE by John Wagner and Dan Cornwell
Issue 2 on sale: 28 June
CRAZY KELLER by Garth Ennis and Chris Burnham
D-DAY DAWSON by Dan Abnett and Phil Winslade
Issue 3 on sale: 26 July
DREDGER by Garth Ennis and John Higgins
MAJOR EAZY by Rob Williams and Henry Flint
Issue 4 on sale: 30 August
COOLEY’S GUN by Garth Ennis and Staz Johnson
DEATH SQUAD by Rob Williams and PJ Holden
Issue 5 on sale: 27 September
HELLMAN OF HAMMER FORCE by Garth Ennis and Mike Dorey
NINA PETROVA AND THE ANGELS OF DEATH by Torunn Grønbekk and Patrick Goddard
Pre-order the next in the thrilling new BATTLE ACTION mini-series!
The fourth issue of Battle Action is now available to pre-order from your local comic book store (Diamond code JUN232047) or from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops.
Out on 30 August, the penultimate issue of Battle Action contains two all-new tales of ordinary soldiers performing heroic acts of bravery under extreme conditions!
On the bloody battlefield of Anzio, Italy, a raw 18-year-old soldier, Jim Miller, must devote every waking moment to ensure that Cooley’s Gun keeps firing in order to stave off the relentless Nazi assault, written by Garth Ennis (The Boys, Preacher) and Staz Johnson (Batman/Aliens, New X-Men).
On the Eastern Front the Death Squad are sent on a do-or-die mission to go behind Russian lines in order to rescue a Field Marshal’s son and are faced with a difficult decision when they find him, written by Rob Williams (Suicide Squad, Sword of Hyperborea), and drawn by PJ Holden (The Lion & The Eagle, The Stringbags).
Classic series from the legendary British comics Battle Picture Weekly and Action such as ‘Johnny Red’, ‘HMS Nightshade’, ‘Crazy Keller’, ‘D-Day Dawson’, ‘Dredger’, ‘Major Eazy’, and ‘Hellman of Hammer Force’ burst back into life in this new five-issue mini-series, which features the work of John Wagner (Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog), Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy, Warhammer 40k), Torunn Grønbekk (Thor, Punisher: War Journal), Rob Williams (Suicide Squad, Judge Dredd), John Higgins (Watchmen, Judge Dredd) and Chris Burnham (Batman Incorporated, Unstoppable Doom Patrol)!
Available through comic book stores and the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops, this first issue features the return of fan favourite World War Two flying ace ‘Johnny Red’ by Ennis and Burns, as well as the return of Battle Picture Weekly’s co-creator John Wagner to ‘HMS Nightshade’, the series he co-created with artist Mike Western in 1979, which tells the story of a Royal Navy warship protecting Allied shipping from the U-Boat menace!
Battle Picture Weekly was where the revolution in British comics began. Created in 1975 by writers and editors Pat Mills and John Wagner, it introduced new grittiness into comics with its cast of anti-heroes and misfits. Its bombast and energy sparked a sea-change in what comics could do, leading to Mills’ creation of the controversial Action and the globally influential 2000 AD.
The new Battle Action mini-series celebrates the merging of this landmark title with its controversial stablemate, Action, a combination that took the two comics to even greater heights. Now, more than forty years after the original, some of the cream of British comics talent are bringing these classic characters back to life.
Battle Action #1 is out on 31 May from comic book stores and will be available for stores to order through Diamond Distribution’s Previews magazine. It will also be available in print and digital from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops and digitally through the 2000 AD app.
Issue 1:
JOHNNY RED by Garth Ennis and Keith Burns
HMS NIGHTSHADE by John Wagner and Dan Cornwell
Issue 2 on sale: 28 June
CRAZY KELLER by Garth Ennis and Chris Burnham
D-DAY DAWSON by Dan Abnett and Phil Winslade
Issue 3 on sale: 26 July
DREDGER by Garth Ennis and John Higgins
MAJOR EAZY by Rob Williams and Henry Flint
Issue 4 on sale: 30 August
COOLEY’S GUN by Garth Ennis and Staz Johnson
DEATH SQUAD by Rob Williams and PJ Holden
Issue 5 on sale: 27 September
HELLMAN OF HAMMER FORCE by Garth Ennis and Mike Dorey
NINA PETROVA AND THE ANGELS OF DEATH by Torunn Grønbekk and Patrick Goddard