The Geeky Brummie Pull List with Once and Future

Two regular favourites return this week with Once and Future taking the top stop. Star Trek: Year Five continues to be a great read and fills the gap between TOS and TMP very nicely. Included this week is On The Radar which features some comics not quite on the Pull List but worth checking out.

In Meanwhile… this week some recent announcements from 2000AD and Rebellion.

Now on with the comics…

Title: Once and Future

Issue: 16

Publisher: BOOM! Studios

Genres: Horror/Fantasy/Action/ Adventure/Science Fiction

From the Publisher:

Surrounded by British government forces, Nimue calls for backup — but will Merlin and Galahad help stop the opposition… or expose Britain to the truth? Meanwhile, Bridgette and Duncan are trapped in the Otherworld and blocking their exit is Arthur’s greatest knight: Lancelot.

Once and Future bags Comic of the Week and it continues to be one of my favourite books. I’ve long been a fan of British myths and magic, enjoying shows like Robin of Sherwood and the Alan Moore Captain Britain comics, and this series is doing something new and interesting with it. Kieron, Dan and Tamra keep delivering the good each issue and this new story arc is proving to be every bit as good as the previous ones. I find these kind of stories return when this country is in crisis and they do a great job of reflecting back the times we are living in. A great comic and highly recommended.

 

 

Title: Star Trek: Year Five

Issue: 19

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Genres: Movies & TV/Science Fiction

From the Publisher:

A pandemic raging across Alpha Centauri. A powerful enemy aboard the Enterprise. With death lurking around every corner, the crew will face down one of their greatest challenges yet in the shocking conclusion to this episode from Eisner-winning writer Jim McCann (Return of the Dapper Men) and superstar artist Angel Hernandez (Star Trek: Picard)!

I’ve read a lot of Star Trek comics over the years. From Gold Key, through Marvel, DC, Malibu and Wildstorm and more recently at their new home with IDW. IDW have been doing a great job with the licence and this series based in the gap between the original series and the first motion picture has been amongst their best. Consistently great art and stories that hark back to some of the best moments of the original show this book has captured the crew of the Enterprise perfectly. It’s nice to read comics that are just fun and this one does just that. If you’re a fan of Star Trek you really should be reading this book as it’s just great.

 

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On the radar this week some other comics not yet on the Pull List but worth checking out:

Young Hellboy #1

Dark Horse Comics

Second Coming: Only Begotten Son #2

Ahoy Comics

 

 

 

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Future Transmissions

Richard Armitage, Sheila Atim and Joseph Fiennes to star in new audiobook adaptations of legendary 2000 AD comics, including Judge Dredd and Halo Jones, to be released March 2021

The Handmaid’s Tale and Shakespeare in Love star Joseph Fiennes will star as the legendary future lawman Judge Dredd in the new series of audiobook adaptations from Penguin Random House and 2000 AD.

The Underground Railroad’s Sheila Atim will play the lead in the adaptation of The Ballad of Halo Jones, Alan Moore and Ian Gibson’s groundbreaking feminist space opera, while The Hobbit’s Richard Armitage and His Dark Materials’ Nina Sosanya will star in Dan Abnett and INJ Culbard’s space-noir Brink.

These five new dramatic audio adaptations of the best-selling 2000 AD graphic novels are performed by an ensemble cast, and accompanied by an original score and immersive soundscapes. These action-packed audio recordings will take fans on an immersive listening experience like no other.

Brink is great sci-fi. It tells a scarily plausible story in an extraordinary, compelling way. Being involved in turning the graphic novels by Dan Abnett and INJ Culbard into a purely audio experience has been fascinating; hearing the story played out means that individual characters and situations become vivid in a whole new way. So Brink now exists on yet another plane, and in another dimension. – Nina Sosanya

The themes of the novels remain as relevant today as when they were first printed. From the tyrannical law enforcement of Judge Dredd in America to the stunning feminist space opera of Halo Jones, these dystopian worlds draw unnerving parallels to the politics and society of the world we live in today.

Written by some of the biggest names in comics – including Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), Dan Abnett (The Legion of Super-Heroes, Aquaman, Guardians of the Galaxy), Pat Mills (Marshal Law), Simon Bisley (Lobo) and John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, co-creators of Judge Dredd – the series of five new audiobook adaptations will include:

 

Judge Dredd: America featuring Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale, Shakespeare in Love), America is long considered one of the most important stories in British comics history; a story about freedom, terrorism, and armed struggle against an oppressive totalitarian police state. Wagner and Colin MacNeil’s groundbreaking story confirmed Judge Dredd‘s place as one of the most politically charged and nuanced series in comics.

 

Judge Dredd: The Pit featuring Paterson Joseph (Neverwhere, Timeless), The Pit is an epic police procedural saga infused with action, politics, and corruption – The Wire meets Britain’s home-grown superhero Judge Dredd. Alongside a supporting cast of Judges, Dredd must clean up the dirtiest sector in Mega-City One.

 

Brink featuring Richard Armitage (The Hobbit, Captain America) and Nina Sosonya (His Dark Materials, W1A) from hit comics duo Dan Abnett and INJ Culbard sees humanity living in vast space platforms and on the brink of extinction in this atmospheric space-noir.

It’s an incredible feat to be able to turn a visual medium like a comic into audio, and it was something I just had to be part of, especially after dipping into the comic book world in

Captain America. 2000 AD has an incredible legacy in British comics, and it’s a thrill to bring these stories to life. Brink is such a wonderful space-noir drama, and I loved stepping into the shoes of Carl Brinkmann. – Richard Armitage

 

The Ballad of Halo Jones featuring Sheila Atim (The Underground Railroad), is a galaxy-spanning adventure story, a feminist space opera, and an epic written by arguably the world’s greatest comic book writer, Alan Moore.

 

Sláine: The Horned God featuring Colin Morgan (Merlin, Humans), is an exhilarating mix of Celtic mythology, violence, and heroism, telling the story of the Horned God’s journey of death and rebirth, as Sláine leads his tribe in the service of the Earth goddess.

These adaptations in audio have been produced by the award-winning Penguin Random House Studios. Working closely with authors and editors at 2000 AD, all 300 characters in the graphics novels have been voiced by over 40 narrators, alongside mesmerising sound effects and original music.

 

Make 2021 Special

From mighty warriors fighting through way across distant lands to the high-danger streets of the future megalopolis and bonkers Halloween monster fun – there’s something for everyone with the Rebellion comic book specials this year! Rebellion is pleased to announce its roster of comic books specials for 2021, which will be available from all good newsagents and comic book stores, as well as from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops. After her appearance in the Scream! & Misty Special, by popular demand the sword-swinging Black Beth is back in Black Beth and the Devils of Al-Kadesh! Written by Alec Worley (Durham Red) and drawn by DaNi (Coffin Bound), Beth is a warrior-woman born in anger and forged in rage. She and her blind aide Quido have travelled to the wicked city of Shadrivar, in search of the evil witch Anis-Amuun. Many think that she is long dead, but a mage called Estevan believes otherwise. He charges Beth with a quest to destroy the witch, initiating a sea-spanning quest which pits Beth’s curved blade against all manner of mystical creatures…and possibly Anis-Amuun herself! The 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special is back for a fantastic collection of original Dredd-world stories, all connected to the same over-arching narrative and plotted by writers Mike Carroll (Judge Dredd) and Maura McHugh (Anderson, Psi Division). Dive into the dystopian world of Judge Dredd as he brings law to the lawless on the mean streets of Mega-City One! And the popular 1970s comic book Monster Fun is back for Halloween 2021! Join the Treasury of British Comics’ creepiest and coolest goblins, ghouls and vamps for brand new, HELL-arious comic strips in the The Monster Fun Halloween Spooktacular! Everyone’s favourite monsters – including Frankie Stein, Kid Kong, Draculass, Teddy Scare, and the Hire A Horror crew – have returned, courtesy of creators including Tom Paterson, Chris Garbutt, Matt Baxter, Juni Ba and Lew Stringer! If that wasn’t enough, a brand new Leopard of Lime Street tale sees Selbridge’s premier superhero face off against a fantastic new foe! Specials editor Keith Richadson said: “We’ve got an eclectic mix of specials this year from a whole special dedicated to swords-and-sorcery character Black Beth and a revival of Monster Fun, one of those fantastic all-ages titles from the 1970s. “Despite the many obstacles put in our way last year, Rebellion’s 2020 roster of specials were a great success. While the world strives to resolve the terrible crisis that we still find ourselves in, we’ve scaled back the number of specials this year – but we’re keeping the quality high thanks to our roster of brilliant creators.”

Black Beth and the Devils of Al-Kadesh Publication date: 23 June Pages: 48 Price: £4.992000 AD Sci-Fi Special Publication date: 7 July Pages: 48 Price: £4.99The Monster Fun Halloween Spooktacular Publication date: 22 September Pages: 48 Price: TBC

Art credits: Black Beth cover by Andrea Bulgarelli Gah! art by Tom Paterson Hell’s Angel art by Chris Garbutt Hire A Horror art by Matt Baxter Tokoloshe art by Juni Ba Wiz War art by Lew Stringer

 

One More and It’s A Crossover

Calling all evil geniuses! The hotly anticipated lair-building strategy management game Evil Genius 2 World Domination is coming to your computer screen AND the comic book page!

Evil Genius 2 World Domination is out on 30 March – and the Evil Genius magazine special will take you behind-the-scenes on the new chapter in this acclaimed title!

This 48-page special magazine features interviews with the creative team behind the game, character profiles of all the new playable characters and a rundown of the new special features.

It will also include brand new comic book stories featuring the Evil Genius characters, their extraordinary henchmen, and their downtrodden minions!<
Written by Kate Heartfield (The Magician’s Workshop) and Karl Stock (Future Shocks), and drawn by Elkys Nova (Tammy & Jinty) and Leigh Wortley (And Then Everybody Died), the brand new comic book stories explore the world of this critically-acclaimed game!

The Evil Genius special is out on 7 April, priced at £4.99, and will be available from all good newsagents. It is available to pre-order now from the Rebellion and 2000 AD web stores and also as part of the Evil Genius 2: World Domination Collector’s Edition.

The Collector’s Edition is available to pre-order now via the Rebellion Store at up to 15% off – with all pre-orders coming with the Aurora Borealis, Fountain of Youth and Trojan Horse in-game items FREE.

For more information please visit EvilGeniusGame.com

 

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Your Local Comics Shops

With Covid-19 restrictions in place across the country please check in with your local comic shop to see how it affects them and support them in any way you can.

FORBIDDEN PLANET INTERNATIONAL (VARIOUS) – includes Worlds Apart Birmingham

Please check with stores for any changes to opening times and services.

Follow the stores social media pages for updates!

Our Stores

FORBIDDEN PLANET (VARIOUS) – includes Birmingham Megastore

Check their website for more information –

https://forbiddenplanet.com/stores/

GOSH! COMICS (LONDON)

Check their website for more information –

https://goshlondon.com/the-gosh-blog/the-gosh-authority-130620-reopening-news/ and https://twitter.com/GoshComics

OK COMICS (LEEDS)

Follow the stores social media pages and website for updates!

http://www.okcomics.co.uk/ and https://twitter.com/OKComics

PAGE 45 (NOTTINGHAM)

Check their website for more information –

http://www.page45.com/ and https://twitter.com/PageFortyFive

TRAVELLING MAN (VARIOUS)

Check their website and social media for more information –

https://travellingman.com/ and https://twitter.com/TravellingManUK

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