2000 AD/Rebellion May 2023 Solicitations • Artist's Edition Index

With publishers leaving Diamond for Penguin Random House (PRH), the days of a single neat and tidy solicitation for all publishers are gone. Individual publishers’ listings will be posted on a monthly basis as I discover them, either from their websites or catalogues.

2000 AD Art Of Mick McMahon Apex Edition cover prelim

The 2000 AD Art of Mick McMahon Apex Edition

A master artist at the height of his talents. A collection of art unparalleled in its startling style and inventiveness, presented at original size in a stunning hardcover.

Rebellion is proud to announce that The 2000 AD Art of Mick McMahon Apex Edition is to be published in November 2023.

This unmissable book presents high-resolution scans of stunning original art pages by artist Mick McMahon – at their actual size – in a deluxe, over-sized hardcover facsimile edition. As well as his brush and pen work, these pages include original titles, word balloons, printer’s marks and other ephemera, giving fans the chance to see art by one of 2000 AD‘s biggest talents in all its glory.

Mick McMahon is one of the most influential artists in British comics and this volume features eagerly-anticipated pages from his groundbreaking 1980s work on 2000 AD’s legendary barbarian, Sláine.

His work on Sláine – including ‘Warrior’s Dawn’, ‘Heroes Blood’, and the incredible ‘Sky Chariots’ – contrasts with the chunky shadows and bold shapes of his art on Judge Dredd, using inks and markers to create a style akin to woodcuts. From the gritty savagery and character work of ‘Warrior’s Dawn’ to crafting long ships in ‘Sky Chariots’ that appear to float effortlessly in the air, McMahon imbued Pat Mills’ saga of fantasy and legend with a quality that is both epic and dynamic.

This volume also includes pages by McMahon from Mills’ classic robotic-team series Ro-Busters and its successor A.B.C. Warriors, as well as the complete first episode and original concept art for Gerry Finley-Day’s fan favourite space war series The VCs.

McMahon is perhaps best known for his seminal work on Judge Dredd and this Apex Edition explores his colour work for the 2000 AD and Judge Dredd annuals, such as ‘The Fear That Made Milwaukee Famous’ (presented in its entirety) and ‘Mega-City Rumble’, with bold markers and bright shades competing to create pages bursting with light and energy. It also features pages from Mills’ Judge Dredd story, ’The Return of Rico’, in which Dredd’s evil twin brother is revealed. The story inspired the 1995 Judge Dredd movie starring Sylvester Stallone as well as providing the storytelling spark that would lead to some of Judge Dredd’s biggest stories.

This stunning collection closes with one of his most important works outside of the pages of 2000 AD. Created for Marvel’s Epic imprint, The Last American is a profound meditation on loss and hope at the end of the world. Written by John Wagner and Alan Grant just as their legendary writing partnership was drawing to a close, McMahon’s pages sing with colour and clarity, his post-apocalyptic landscapes filled with despair and emptiness as its lead character, Ulysses S. Pilgrim, searches for what remains of humanity.

Following last year’s Judge Dredd by Mick McMahon Apex Edition this second Apex Edition showcases McMahon’s near-constant state of evolution and change, from his early roots in mimicking the great Carlos Ezquerra on Judge Dredd to the bold, impressionistic style of his later years. It charts his career in unprecedented detail and gives fans and admirers the chance to see just why McMahon became one of the greatest 2000 AD artists of all time and influenced generations of comic book artists.

The standard edition of The 2000 AD Art of Mick McMahon Apex Edition is available to pre-order now from the 2000 AD webshop and will also be available for comic book stores to order through Diamond Distribution’s Previews magazine this summer. The limited edition slipcase is available to order only through the 2000 AD webshop.