Preview: 2000 AD Prog 2312

It's the final Prog of the year, so of course, 2000 AD Prog 2312 is a bumper prog jam-packed with thrills to celebrate the end of the year. It's also a special one, as it contains the last work for 2000 AD that the late, legendary Kevin O'Neill drew as he teamed up with Garth Ennis to revisit that scourge of the spaceways, Bonjo From Beyond the Stars, a strip he originally created well over forty years ago.

There are also tributes to Kevin along with Alan Grant. We lost too many good comic folks this year, so it's nice that they're remembered in this special issue.

Elsewhere, an old face from Dredd's past turns up in The Last Temptation of Joe. There's the start of new series for Joe Pineapples, Proteus Vex and The Out, a complete Rogue Trooper story, and much more.

• UK and DIGITAL: 14 December £3.50
• NORTH AMERICA: 1 March 2024 $22 (per pack)
• DIAMOND: NOV221768
• COVER: ANDY CLARKE

In this issue:

Judge Dredd: The Last Temptation of Joe

Writer: Ken Niemand
Art: Lee Carter
Letters: Annie Parkhouse

Mega-City One, 2144 AD. Home to over 180 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America. Unemployment is rife, and crime is rampant. Tensions rest on a knife-edge, and only the zero-tolerance Judges can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law! Thirty-nine years ago, Dredd locked up the Devil himself in Iso-Block 666, where he's remained...

Rogue Trooper: Brothers

Writer: Kek-W
Art: Warwick Fraser-Coombe
Letters: Jim Campbell

Nu Earth, site of a galactic war between the Norts and the Southers, where use of chemical weapons has rendered the atmosphere poisonous. 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. Together with biochip buddies Helm, Gunnar and Bagman, they're searching for the traitor that sold them out...

Bonjo From Beyond The Stars: Solids In The Bile Tube

Writer: Garth Ennis
Art: Kevin O'Neill
Letters: Rob Steen

Over forty years ago, the alien entity known as BONJO arrived on Earth, and set about causing carnage. A creature with an insatiable appetite, who grew to Godzilla-sized proportions, he caused an inordinate amount of damage to the planet, and it seemed nothing could stop him — other than his grumbly gut when he consumed something that disagreed with him, which was pretty often...

The Out: Book Three

Writer: Dan Abnett
Art: Mark Harrison
Letters: Simon Bowland

The furthest edge of the universe, far into the future. 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 she discovered that she'd been contaminated by the Tankinar, turning her into a cyborg. Cyd has managed to break free...

Joe Pineapples: Tin Man

Writer: Pat Mills
Art: Simon Bisley
Letters: Annie Parkhouse

Former war-droids, the ABC Warriors were reassigned to bring peace to the frontier planet of Mars. Comprising Hammerstein, Deadlock, Blackblood, Steelhorn, Mongroland Happy Shrapnel, the Mek-Nifcent Seven's sharpshooter was Joe Pineapples, a robot with more secrets than most. Needing a break from his comrades, Joe's headed off across the cosmos with sewer-droid Ro-Jaws in tow...

Hope: ...in The Shadows Reel Two

Writer: Guy Adams
Art: Jimmy Brixton
Letters: Jim Campbell

An alternate 1940s USA. WWII is over, victory having been secured by occult means, and consequently magic is a part of everyday life. Mallory HOPE is one such skilled operative, though calling on the dark arts takes its toll on the user. He's also a P.I., hired for all manner of down n' dirty jobs — and an investigation into a cursed movie has led to the reappearance of Hope's missing wife, Alice, whose coven plans to use the film...

Ace Trucking Co.: Untrenched

Writer: Karl Stock
Art: Nick Dyer
Letters: Simon Bowland

The universe is a big place, and if you want cargo delivered from one planet to another you're going to need a shipping company you can rely on. Fortunately, there's ACETRUCKING CO., the premier courier service for all your transportation needs. Captain of the Speedo Ghost is Ace Garp, and together with his engineer Feek and bodyguard GBH they're the galaxy's most tucker truckers!

Judge Dredd: Troublemaker

Writer: Gordon Rennie
Art: Robin Smith
Colours: John Charles
Letters: Jim Campbell

Mega-City One, 2144 AD. Home to over 180 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America. Unemployment is rife, and crime is rampant. Tensions rest on a knife-edge and only the zero-tolerance Judges can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law! There's one perp the lawman has been wanting to get his hands on: the troublemaker Alvin Gaunt...

Protus Vex: Crawlspace

Writer: Mike Carroll
Art: Jake Lynch
Colours: Jim Boswell
Letters: Simon Bowland

The far future. The centuries-long war between the Alliance and the Obdurate people is over, a conflict brought to an end with the deaths of billions when the Alliance teleported a dying white dwarf star into the Obdurate system. Imperium agent PROTEUS VEX —who is operated by a flesh-pilot — became an enemy of the Alliance when he released info about past war crimes. But now war with the Scorchers has broken out...

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