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Best of 2000 AD #1
Best of 2000 AD Volume 1: The Essential Gateway to the Galaxy's Greatest Comic
"A slab of pop...a great place to start to explore this huge swathe of British comics" - Kieron Gillen (Die, Once & Future, Eternals)
"A slab of pop...a great place to start to explore this huge swathe of British comics" - Kieron Gillen (Die, Once & Future, Eternals)
Best of 2000 AD is a landmark series from the cult comic, bursting with our greatest stories for a new generation of readers.
Every Best of 2000 AD contains a mix of modern classics and gems from the vault. In each edition you'll find an explosive new Judge Dredd adventure, fresh essays by prominent popular culture writers, a graphic novel-length feature presentation by global legends and a vintage Dredd case.
In this volume: Judge Dredd battles Mutie Block anarchy; Halo Jones escapes in Alan Moore’s first masterpiece; humanity is on the Brink in the space murder mystery from Dan Abnett and INJ Culbard; Judge Anderson takes centre stage in the search for Shamballa.
Boasting brand new covers from an all-star line-up of artists including Jamie McKelvie (The Wicked + The Divine) and Karl Kerschl (Gotham Academy) with designer Tom Muller (X-Men), Best of 2000 AD is the essential gateway into the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic.
"A slab of pop...a great place to start to explore this huge swathe of British comics" - Kieron Gillen (Die, Once & Future, Eternals)
Best of 2000 AD is a landmark series from the cult comic, bursting with our greatest stories for a new generation of readers.
Every Best of 2000 AD contains a mix of modern classics and gems from the vault. In each edition you'll find an explosive new Judge Dredd adventure, fresh essays by prominent popular culture writers, a graphic novel-length feature presentation by global legends and a vintage Dredd case.
In this volume: Judge Dredd battles Mutie Block anarchy; Halo Jones escapes in Alan Moore’s first masterpiece; humanity is on the Brink in the space murder mystery from Dan Abnett and INJ Culbard; Judge Anderson takes centre stage in the search for Shamballa.
Boasting brand new covers from an all-star line-up of artists including Jamie McKelvie (The Wicked + The Divine) and Karl Kerschl (Gotham Academy) with designer Tom Muller (X-Men), Best of 2000 AD is the essential gateway into the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic.
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2022
9 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Alan Moore
1,578 books21.6k followersAlan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance art/spoken word pieces) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 3, 2022
that’s some weird shit
October 15, 2022
I was kindly sent a copy of this book from the publisher, through a marketing agency, in exchange for posting content on my social media. This has not impacted my review.
2000AD is something I've been vaguely aware of since I started reading comics and probably a little before. My local comic shop has a box of 2000AD books and when I listen to podcasts from comic creators they always speak positively of their time working with the company. That being said, the only character I was aware of was Judge Dredd and I have of course seen the movie from the 90s.
This volume is comprised of a number of key issues throughout 2000AD's almost 50-year history, covering what I assume are vital tales to some of their characters including (of course) Dredd, Halo Jones, Johnny Alpha and the Anderson Division. I found myself enjoying some of the stories more than others, simply based on my preference for more modern comics over those published in say the 80s. I really enjoyed the Anderson Division story as it deals with issues often glazed in comics such as grief and loss and eventual hope.
I really enjoyed this collection and I would 100% be interested in collecting more from this world now that I feel I have a bit of a foundation on who is who and what their powers/motivations are.
2000AD is something I've been vaguely aware of since I started reading comics and probably a little before. My local comic shop has a box of 2000AD books and when I listen to podcasts from comic creators they always speak positively of their time working with the company. That being said, the only character I was aware of was Judge Dredd and I have of course seen the movie from the 90s.
This volume is comprised of a number of key issues throughout 2000AD's almost 50-year history, covering what I assume are vital tales to some of their characters including (of course) Dredd, Halo Jones, Johnny Alpha and the Anderson Division. I found myself enjoying some of the stories more than others, simply based on my preference for more modern comics over those published in say the 80s. I really enjoyed the Anderson Division story as it deals with issues often glazed in comics such as grief and loss and eventual hope.
I really enjoyed this collection and I would 100% be interested in collecting more from this world now that I feel I have a bit of a foundation on who is who and what their powers/motivations are.
September 20, 2025
The British speculative comic book 2000 AD has been running weekly since the 1970s, so there’s a lot of material they can call on for reprint volumes. This collection isn’t for a single series or creator, but what the current management thinks was the best from the past.
“Mutie Block” script by John Wagner, art by Kev Walker, is our first Judge Dredd story. Mutants had for decades been banned from residence in Mega-City One, but the restriction has now been lifted. Even though the government can’t legally keep them out, that doesn’t mean most of the people in charge actually want them there. The official greeters warn about the extreme prejudice against mutants, trying to discourage entry.
If they persist, the new citizens are housed in segregated Cit-Blocks, in this case Norma Jean Baker Block. This is to protect them from attacks by “normal” citizens while assimilation occurs. In theory, anyway. In reality, it makes it easy for hate groups to find their targets and think they can exterminate them all at once.
Judge Dredd drives by Norma Jean one cold night in search of a petty crime suspect and notices that there are no protestors, and the usual police guard has been withdrawn to deal with a riot elsewhere. Sure enough, a certain person has managed to coordinate a plan between various groups of criminals, vigilantes, militias and generate haters to attack the block.
It’s not a very well coordinated plan, but Judge Dredd is the only armed defender of the building and the mutant inhabitants for most of the story.
Sadly relevant satire of issues involving prejudice towards and violence against immigrants in real life. But with plenty of violence and explosions to keep your attention.
“Brink” script by Dan Abnett, art by Inj Culbard, is the first couple of chapters about detectives Carl “Brink” Brinkmann and Bridget “Bridge” Kurtis investigating a murder aboard a space habitat in the 2070s. Earth has become uninhabitable, or so we’re told, so the remainder of humanity now has evacuated to orbiting habitats collectively known as “the Brink.” Yes, Carl is aware this is hilarious.
They quickly connect the murder to cult activity that seems to have originated on a different habitat, so it’s time to follow the leads. Problem is, this cult may be worshipping something real and very dangerous…
This one comes across as cosmic horror, given that just saying the name of one of the “gods” causes nausea, and the nature of the threat seems to lurk under another layer of reality.
“The Ballad of Halo Jones” script by Alan Moore, art by Ian Gibson, reprints the entire first “book” of the series. Halo is a young woman of the 50th Century living in “the Hoop”, a habitat floating off Manhattan Island. Unemployment is endemic, as is violence. A subculture known as “drummers” have sonic implants in their brains to allow them to just not care how depressing Loop life is.
Halo and her friend Rodice have to go on a shopping trip to the other side of the Hoop, a hazardous journey with many twists and turns. When they return, their neighbor has been murdered, another friend has become a Drummer in despair, and Halo decides to try to escape the Hoop by getting a job. Even if this requires going off-planet.
This is an interesting setting with many inventive details, and Halo is a likeable character. The creators intended to tell her entire life story, sketched out in advance, but the series ended after three volumes due to contractual disputes. It’s available in an omnibus if you like this sample.
“The Sad Case” script by John Wagner, art by Carlos Ezquerra, is a Strontium Dog story. Due to a nuclear war in the 22nd Century, large portions of the British population were dosed with Strontium-90 fallout and many of their children were born as mutants. Most are just deformed, but a few have special abilities. Many mutants have become mercenary Search/Destroy agents, basically bounty hunters, and nicknamed Strontium Dogs.
Johnny Alpha, who has unusual eyes with special perception, is our main character. On a time-travel adventure, he met and befriended Norse warrior Wulf Sternhammer, who became his bounty hunting partner. In this story, they’re approached in a bar by Kid Knee, a down on his luck S/D agent whose mutation is that he has no head and his face is where one of his knees should be. (It’s not clear where he keeps his brain.)
Kid Knee feeds the pair a sob story, and Johnny agrees to take him along on a lucrative fugitive hunt. The Kid’s drinking habit, whining and impulsiveness result in the fugitive getting away, and Johnny promising not to work with him again. (Kid Knee would go on to be a recurring bit character, mostly incompetent but sometimes useful.)
There’s quite a bit of dark humor in this series.
“Shamballa” script by Alan Grant, art by Arthur Ranson, comes with a critical essay by Adam Karenina Sharif examining this Judge Anderson, PSI-Division story. A series of bizarre and deadly psychic phenomena striking all over the world link Judge Cassandra Anderson and her Sov-City counterpart Psikop Mikhail Amisov. In a reflection of the glasnost policies going on in the real world at the time the story was written, the American and Soviet governments allow their police forces to team up to investigate.
The disturbances turn out to be connected to the underground Deros of the Shaver Mystery, a malevolent offshoot of humanity with mental powers. The defenses against them are fading, so they’re able to affect the surface world more strongly. Soon, they will be able to rise and plunge the Earth into a war of all against all, with the Deros ruling over the ruins.
The combined team winds up in Tibet, where a ruined monastery contains answers to how to stop the Deros. But are they answers you can live with?
Meanwhile, Judge Anderson is having internal struggles with her increasing awareness that she’s a cog in an oppressive system and the fact that she keeps losing the people important to her. Are upholding the law and saving the world worth the social and personal cost?
This is an unusually layered story for 2000 AD in the time period, and has a lot to recommend it. It does have some uncomfortable undertones of Orientalism that may turn off some readers.
“Spok’s Mock Chocs” script by G. Grant, art by Hewlett Whitaker is a Judge Dredd short. It turns out that the new artificial chocolate bars put out by the title company have a one in ten thousand allergic effect. The affected rat or human becomes highly aggressive, biting anyone in range, then explodes. Unfortunately, this was only discovered after the quality tests were concluded and the candy was already on the market.
The company owner decides not to reveal this to the public as he’d be imprisoned for negligence, and he’s dying of cancer anyway. Judge Dredd promptly freezes the old man for a future cure and life in the Iso-Cubes.
Interesting, but mostly here to fill space.
“D.R. & Quinch’s Agony Page” script by Jamie Delano & Alan Davis, art by Alan Davis, concludes the volume with a one-pager starring two alien juvenile delinquents answering letters from readers.
For non-British readers, a quick glossary note. What Americans call “advice columns” were known in England as “agony pages” written by “agony uncles” and more often “agony aunts.”
This time, D.R. and Quinch answer a question about catching a milk thief (this was back when most people got their milk by door to door delivery) through their usual ultra-violent and overkill methods.
Content note: Loads of often-lethal and gory violence. While the primary audience of the source magazine is teenage boys, more sensitive younger readers might need guidance.
This is a good sampler of the type of material published in the venerable comic weekly. If you like a particular title, most of these have their own collections. Recommended primarily to science fiction fans with a high tolerance for violence.
“Mutie Block” script by John Wagner, art by Kev Walker, is our first Judge Dredd story. Mutants had for decades been banned from residence in Mega-City One, but the restriction has now been lifted. Even though the government can’t legally keep them out, that doesn’t mean most of the people in charge actually want them there. The official greeters warn about the extreme prejudice against mutants, trying to discourage entry.
If they persist, the new citizens are housed in segregated Cit-Blocks, in this case Norma Jean Baker Block. This is to protect them from attacks by “normal” citizens while assimilation occurs. In theory, anyway. In reality, it makes it easy for hate groups to find their targets and think they can exterminate them all at once.
Judge Dredd drives by Norma Jean one cold night in search of a petty crime suspect and notices that there are no protestors, and the usual police guard has been withdrawn to deal with a riot elsewhere. Sure enough, a certain person has managed to coordinate a plan between various groups of criminals, vigilantes, militias and generate haters to attack the block.
It’s not a very well coordinated plan, but Judge Dredd is the only armed defender of the building and the mutant inhabitants for most of the story.
Sadly relevant satire of issues involving prejudice towards and violence against immigrants in real life. But with plenty of violence and explosions to keep your attention.
“Brink” script by Dan Abnett, art by Inj Culbard, is the first couple of chapters about detectives Carl “Brink” Brinkmann and Bridget “Bridge” Kurtis investigating a murder aboard a space habitat in the 2070s. Earth has become uninhabitable, or so we’re told, so the remainder of humanity now has evacuated to orbiting habitats collectively known as “the Brink.” Yes, Carl is aware this is hilarious.
They quickly connect the murder to cult activity that seems to have originated on a different habitat, so it’s time to follow the leads. Problem is, this cult may be worshipping something real and very dangerous…
This one comes across as cosmic horror, given that just saying the name of one of the “gods” causes nausea, and the nature of the threat seems to lurk under another layer of reality.
“The Ballad of Halo Jones” script by Alan Moore, art by Ian Gibson, reprints the entire first “book” of the series. Halo is a young woman of the 50th Century living in “the Hoop”, a habitat floating off Manhattan Island. Unemployment is endemic, as is violence. A subculture known as “drummers” have sonic implants in their brains to allow them to just not care how depressing Loop life is.
Halo and her friend Rodice have to go on a shopping trip to the other side of the Hoop, a hazardous journey with many twists and turns. When they return, their neighbor has been murdered, another friend has become a Drummer in despair, and Halo decides to try to escape the Hoop by getting a job. Even if this requires going off-planet.
This is an interesting setting with many inventive details, and Halo is a likeable character. The creators intended to tell her entire life story, sketched out in advance, but the series ended after three volumes due to contractual disputes. It’s available in an omnibus if you like this sample.
“The Sad Case” script by John Wagner, art by Carlos Ezquerra, is a Strontium Dog story. Due to a nuclear war in the 22nd Century, large portions of the British population were dosed with Strontium-90 fallout and many of their children were born as mutants. Most are just deformed, but a few have special abilities. Many mutants have become mercenary Search/Destroy agents, basically bounty hunters, and nicknamed Strontium Dogs.
Johnny Alpha, who has unusual eyes with special perception, is our main character. On a time-travel adventure, he met and befriended Norse warrior Wulf Sternhammer, who became his bounty hunting partner. In this story, they’re approached in a bar by Kid Knee, a down on his luck S/D agent whose mutation is that he has no head and his face is where one of his knees should be. (It’s not clear where he keeps his brain.)
Kid Knee feeds the pair a sob story, and Johnny agrees to take him along on a lucrative fugitive hunt. The Kid’s drinking habit, whining and impulsiveness result in the fugitive getting away, and Johnny promising not to work with him again. (Kid Knee would go on to be a recurring bit character, mostly incompetent but sometimes useful.)
There’s quite a bit of dark humor in this series.
“Shamballa” script by Alan Grant, art by Arthur Ranson, comes with a critical essay by Adam Karenina Sharif examining this Judge Anderson, PSI-Division story. A series of bizarre and deadly psychic phenomena striking all over the world link Judge Cassandra Anderson and her Sov-City counterpart Psikop Mikhail Amisov. In a reflection of the glasnost policies going on in the real world at the time the story was written, the American and Soviet governments allow their police forces to team up to investigate.
The disturbances turn out to be connected to the underground Deros of the Shaver Mystery, a malevolent offshoot of humanity with mental powers. The defenses against them are fading, so they’re able to affect the surface world more strongly. Soon, they will be able to rise and plunge the Earth into a war of all against all, with the Deros ruling over the ruins.
The combined team winds up in Tibet, where a ruined monastery contains answers to how to stop the Deros. But are they answers you can live with?
Meanwhile, Judge Anderson is having internal struggles with her increasing awareness that she’s a cog in an oppressive system and the fact that she keeps losing the people important to her. Are upholding the law and saving the world worth the social and personal cost?
This is an unusually layered story for 2000 AD in the time period, and has a lot to recommend it. It does have some uncomfortable undertones of Orientalism that may turn off some readers.
“Spok’s Mock Chocs” script by G. Grant, art by Hewlett Whitaker is a Judge Dredd short. It turns out that the new artificial chocolate bars put out by the title company have a one in ten thousand allergic effect. The affected rat or human becomes highly aggressive, biting anyone in range, then explodes. Unfortunately, this was only discovered after the quality tests were concluded and the candy was already on the market.
The company owner decides not to reveal this to the public as he’d be imprisoned for negligence, and he’s dying of cancer anyway. Judge Dredd promptly freezes the old man for a future cure and life in the Iso-Cubes.
Interesting, but mostly here to fill space.
“D.R. & Quinch’s Agony Page” script by Jamie Delano & Alan Davis, art by Alan Davis, concludes the volume with a one-pager starring two alien juvenile delinquents answering letters from readers.
For non-British readers, a quick glossary note. What Americans call “advice columns” were known in England as “agony pages” written by “agony uncles” and more often “agony aunts.”
This time, D.R. and Quinch answer a question about catching a milk thief (this was back when most people got their milk by door to door delivery) through their usual ultra-violent and overkill methods.
Content note: Loads of often-lethal and gory violence. While the primary audience of the source magazine is teenage boys, more sensitive younger readers might need guidance.
This is a good sampler of the type of material published in the venerable comic weekly. If you like a particular title, most of these have their own collections. Recommended primarily to science fiction fans with a high tolerance for violence.
March 12, 2023
I recently finished a long history book and wanted to follow it up with something lighter. This was perfect. If you are not familiar with 2000 AD, it’s a British anthology comic that has been published since the 1970s. Best of 2000 AD is a collection of stories from the comics. I had read some Judge Dredd stories in the early 90s and they were pretty much as I remembered. Fun with a little social commentary. I was not familiar with the Brink, written by Dan Abnett, and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Think police drama set in space. I had not read much Judge Anderson, but her story turned out to be my favorite. knew Alan Grant was a good writer, but I don’t recall having seen anything drawn by Arthur Ranson previously. I would describe his style as photo realistic. Reminds me very much of John Cassaday’s work on Planetary and Captain America. If every story in the book had been this high quality, I would have given it a five. Looking forward to reading the next collection.
June 28, 2023
This was a great first collection. The two Dredd stories and the Strontium Dog story were decent, but the stars of the show were the three longer works. To my surprise, Shamballa was my favourite, beautifully drawn by Arthur Ranson in an realistic yet ethereal fashion, and a great story with adventure, mystery, romance, and psychedelia, with real character work. This story has prompted me to check out more Judge Anderson stories immediately. Halo Jones book 1 was also very good, as one would expect of Alan Moore, weird and funny and very punk, I shall be checking out the rest of her story too. And finally Brink book 1 part 1: Dan Abnett is I think of the most underrated British writers, known mainly only to fans of 2000AD and Warhammer. His stories are consistently the best in 2000AD and the Megazine (e.g. The Out, Lawless) and Brink is no exception. A fantastic cosmic horror sci-fi police procedural, and with beautiful and unique art by Inj Cullbard.
I would very much recommend this collection and look forward to the rest of the series.
I would very much recommend this collection and look forward to the rest of the series.
July 13, 2025
The opening Judge Dredd comic about gangs teaming up to take down a mutant refugee block, with Dredd being its sole defender at first, hits uh...it hits different in 2025.
I skipped the Ballad of Halo Jones, just never cared for it. The Strontium Dog story was fine, but Ezquerra's own coloring of his art is not great. How was there no Rogue Trooper in here?
I've heard lots of good things about the Judge Anderson story, Shamballah, and it lived up to the hype and alone is worth the price of admission. Very moody, occasionally Hellboy-esque, and Arthur Ranson's art really sings.
I skipped the Ballad of Halo Jones, just never cared for it. The Strontium Dog story was fine, but Ezquerra's own coloring of his art is not great. How was there no Rogue Trooper in here?
I've heard lots of good things about the Judge Anderson story, Shamballah, and it lived up to the hype and alone is worth the price of admission. Very moody, occasionally Hellboy-esque, and Arthur Ranson's art really sings.
December 21, 2022
This was my first exposure to 2000AD having only come across Dredd through both the films. The stories here were all interesting and very different to what I usually read.
The art varies, I liked Arthur Ranson's the most for the Anderson PSI Division story, this was also the most engaging one for me and with Alan Grant leaning into some mysticism.
I'll definitely pick up the second volume to read the next part of Brink from Dan Abnett and for Al Ewing's writing.
The art varies, I liked Arthur Ranson's the most for the Anderson PSI Division story, this was also the most engaging one for me and with Alan Grant leaning into some mysticism.
I'll definitely pick up the second volume to read the next part of Brink from Dan Abnett and for Al Ewing's writing.
February 12, 2023
I was incredibly excited when this complication first came out, and reading it has only fueled me with a fire to read as many of these as they release. Being in the mood for some hard science fiction concepts, and being vaguely aware of 2000AD properties outside of Dredd already had me wanting a way to ease into the publication history, and it seems I now have my wish. There were some stories I preferred more than others, but overall, I was blown away. I can not wait to pick up the next volume.
April 29, 2024
Judge Dredd and Judge Anderson’s stories were both great, especially Shamballa with Anderson that was incredible. The other stories range from mediocre to outright boring. Brink is just a set up for another comic. Halo Jones felt like an incoherent ramble. I’d probably just recommend getting the Judge Dredd/Anderson case files or essential series.
September 30, 2022
Recent Reads: Best Of 2000AD Volume 1. A look back at the galaxy's greatest comic, with a mix of recent and older pieces. Worth it for the newly colored Halo Jones Book 1, while Brink shows what today's 2000AD looks like. A good selection of stories bodes well for more volumes.
March 18, 2023
I'd always avoided Judge Dredd cos I thought he was a bit fash and therefore the whole 2000ad thing was best avoided but a friend got me this collection and showed me that there's a lot more going on and shame on me for being so reductive. The psi division story is a real highlight.
March 11, 2024
I love 2000Ad but for some reason they decided on this not to really give complete stories. Hence the rating. Would have preferred more self-contained work.
July 19, 2024
I am old enough to remember when 2000AD used to carry some cache. This does not live up to the early standards - even with Judge Dredd and Judge Anderson.
March 26, 2023
It’s impossible not to give this collecting of great stories a perfect score. Every single story in the book is good, that’s so rare in anthology formats!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews