Talking to /Film, Grant - co-writer of Dredd for more than a decade, complained that producers hadn't contacted either himself or Dredd creator John Wagner to consult on the movie, but Jock responded on 2000AD's official message board that that was not accurate. According to fans at the board, Wagner has seen the movie script and given feedback to the producers, as early as May this year. So was Grant mistaken, or were his comments a sign of sour grapes over being left out of the loop?

(Thanks for the heads up, Matthew.)

[Slashfilm]

Clickwheel have teamed up with 2000AD owners Rebellion to offer 2000AD Origins, a free collection of the first episodes of such classic strips as Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Rogue Trooper, The Ballad of Halo Jones and many more (including more recent creations like Nikolai Dante and Shakara) in both PDF and CBZ format. Featuring early work from Watchmen's Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, as well as other comic greats such as Kevin O'Neill, John Wagner, Ian Gibson and Dan Abnett, this is an almost-perfect way to get introduced to the self-styled Galaxy's Greatest Comic. Spludig Vur Thrigg, as Tharg would say.

2000AD Origins [Clickwheel]

After a teaser image (below) released early last week, Vertigo's The Bleed blog revealed the details of the six-part series:

London, the year 1854. Gas lamps throw long shadows across closed storefronts; a horse-drawn carriage prattles down the cobblestone street, paying no mind to the feral children sleeping in the alley. The only sounds audible at this late-night hour are a bit of music rising from the pub on the corner and the low moan of a zombie shuffling over the sidewalk.

Wait – zombies?

Why are the dead rising in London? Who or what is behind their resurrection? It's up to a certain famous detective and his erstwhile comrade to find out.

Written by 2000AD veteran Ian Edginton, the thank-God-Holmes-is-in-the-public-domain-now series will be illustrated by Star Wars and Brothers In Arms artist Davide Fabbri. It launches in November.

Victorian Undead – You want answers? Here they are [The Bleed]

Now, we know that this list is going to upset more than a few of you (Especially if you disliked the three Star Wars prequels), but we're not ranking these killer robots in order of awesome - Because then you would have seen IG-88 and KARR, amongst others - nor even in order of evil, but literally in terms of estimated kill-rate. Which robot has killed the most living things? That's all we're interested in.

So, get started with the countdown, and feel free to dispute our choices in the comments. Just don't send a robot after us, to change our minds.

Who else have we missed? Tell all here.

Next: See who didn't make the list.

Next: Science Fiction's Most Killhappy Robots!

Next: Planet-Eating Robots!

Next: Genocidal Robots With A Plan!

Next: Ineffectual-But-Deadly Droids!

Next: Time-Traveling Murder Machines!

Next: Eco-Friendly Killbots!

Next: Mutant-Hunting Robots!

Next: The Self-repairing Murderbot!

Next: Robot Warriors!

The new Dredd movie seems to be doing everything right so far — Jock is one of the most exciting artists to come along in recent years, so I'm very encouraged to see him doing concept art for the film. (He's best known for working with writer Andy Diggle on Losers and 2000 A.D., but has also worked on Green Arrow: Year One and Hellblazer.) As Jock himself says, the Dredd concept needs to be redeemed from the 1995 Stallone movie.

[Standard Attrition]

Sky Doll:
This French story about a sexbot who stows away with space truckers to find her true destiny reads like a more enjoyable The Fifth Element, mixing spirituality, sexuality and awkward humor to create a beautifully-illustrated not-so-guilty pleasure.
(Published by Marvel Comics, $24.99.)

Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus:
This four-volume series of hardcovers collects all of the various comics that made up X-Men and Fantastic Four co-creator Kirby's 1970s magnum opus about godlike aliens bringing their war to Earth. Ignored and cancelled due to low sales at the time, these have since taken their place as some of the all-time best American SF comics.
(Published by DC Comics, each volume $49.99.)

The Babysitter Collection:
You probably won't have heard of Andy Ristaino's mind-bending story of Setsuko Kagaku, the Japanese schoolgirl who happens to be the world's greatest babysitter, but once you've seen this amazing, mind-bending book that gleefully rewrites the rulebook on how comics work and questions the nature of reality, you'll never be able to forget it.
(Published by SLG, $29.95.)

Buffy, The Vampire Slayer Season 8:
Surely you need no explanation why the official comic continuation of the TV series - overseen and written in part by Joss Whedon, with the other writers including Cloverfield's Drew Goddard - makes this list. If you have to pick just one of the four collections to date, we'd suggest the Brian K. Vaughan-written "No Future For You", which brings back Faith and Giles for some ass-kicking in good ol' Blighty that doesn't rely too heavily on the uber-arc for the season.
(Published by Dark Horse, each volume $15.95.)

Laika:
Nick Abadzis' semi-fictional biography of the First Dog In Space is subtle, beautiful and enough to break the heart of even the most cynical bastard. If you're an animal lover, then you'll probably be in tears by the end.
(Published by First Second, $17.95.)

Scott Pilgrim:
Bryan Lee O'Malley's enjoyable series of graphic novels - Probably my favorite current series, not that that really matters to you - blends twenty-something ennui, surreal humor (Wait until you meet the vegan in the third volume), video game references, and some wonderful artwork to create something that's both timeless and effortless contemporary. Plus, where else do you get to read about a boy who has to fight his girlfriend's Seven Evil Ex-Boyfriends in order to win her heart?
(Published by Oni Press, each volume $11.95.)

All-Star Superman, Vol. 1:
Superhero comics may not get much better than this recently-completed series by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely; pulling the genre away from angst-ridden punchfests, ASS - yes, I know - instead offers a more contemplative and imaginative Superman who falls victim to Lex Luthor's ultimate masterplan and still tries to save the day, every day. This volume collects the first half of the series; a second is due next year, so you can give it to someone this time in 2009.
(Published by DC Comics, $12.99.)

100%:
Yes, I'm stretching the "recent" thing for this 2005 collection of Paul Pope's series about life in a future New York, full of love stories and artists and people in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it'll always be an amazing book, the closest we'll ever get to Robert Altman directing a science fiction Bukowski. Or something.
(Published by DC Comics/Vertigo, $24.99.)

The Doctor Who Storybook 2009:
Is this too non-comic-booky? Possibly, but each year in the UK, a Doctor Who Storybook is released for kids, featuring brand new stories written by the TV show's writers (The 2006 edition featured the first version of "Blink," by Steven Moffat; this year, Mark Gatiss, Gareth Roberts and James Moran are all contributing), as well as a "Letter from the Doctor" written by the showrunner (This year is Moffat's first; Russell T Davies has done the last couple). If it helps, there's a comic strip in there too, but I don't think you'll need much more convincing.
(Published by Panini Books, price depending on whatever you pay on import; £7.99 in the UK.)

Any Showcase or Essential Collection:
Help a friend or family member relive their misspent childhood with these black and white phonebook collections of comics from the 1960s and '70s. DC's brand is "DC Showcase Presents", Marvel's is "Marvel Essential," but both offer over 500 pages of reprinted goodness for $16.99; you can find a list of each line here (Showcase) and here (Essentials).
(Published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, $16.99.)

Two Additional Stocking Stuffers That Aren't Really Comics, But Still:
Fables: Covers by James Jean:
All eleven volumes to date of Bill Willingham's wonderful Fables would make ideal stocking stuffers as well, but the pride of place has to go to this stunningly beautiful collection of illustrator James Jean's covers to the first 75 issues (and ten collections) of the series. Breathtakingly illustrated in paint, pencil and digitally, the work contained in this book is awe-inspiring.
(Published by DC Comics/Vertigo, $39.99.)

Thrill Power Overload:
Another import that's well worth tracking down, David Bishop's history of the first thirty years of British comic 2000AD is both salacious and educational, filled with gossip and stories about the creation of characters like Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper and the early careers of creators like Alan Moore, Grant Morrison and even Neil Gaiman. Enjoyable even if you've never read an issue of the comic itself.
(Published by Rebellion Books, price depending on whatever you pay on import; £34.99 in the UK.)

If you think that your family gathering this Thursday - well, if you're in the US, that is - is looking as if it'll be awkward, take heart; you could be in The Umbrella Academy. Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba's superhero family returns in this week's much-anticipated Umbrella Academy: Dallas, a new six-part series that shows what happens after you've saved the world - and why it's always worth remembering that JFK did more than just get shot forty-five years ago (You can view a trailer for the series here). Also, if you've never picked up an Umbrella Academy comic before and have $79.95 to spare, the first series, Apocalypse Suite, is re-released in a limited edition hardcover this week for your education and enjoyment.

(Fans of less outre superheroes aren't left unsatisfied this week; as well as the much-delayed final part of Batman RIP - in Batman #681 - there is also Green Lantern Corps: Ringquest, Captain America: The Death Of Captain America Vol. 3, the first of the New Avengers hardcover collections of their "Secret Invasion" issues, and the Wonder Woman issue that we previewed yesterday.)
Two of the most interesting books this week have nothing to do with superheroes, however; 2000AD: The Best Of Tharg's Future Shocks collects some of the best five-page short stories that've appeared in the last 30+ years of Britain's legendary sci-fi comic, with work from Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman, Peter Milligan and many, many others who cut their teeth on the Galaxy's self-proclaimed Greatest Comic, and is highly recommended. Even more recommended, however, is Sloth, Gilbert Hernandez' spooky suburban dread of a graphic novel, about the boy who fell into a coma because of the boredom of life... and what happened after he woke up (There's a preview here).

I know, I know; you're wondering if there is even more to be grateful for, and the answer is: check out the complete list of this week's new comic releases and smile. And then use the Comic Shop Locator Service to find out where the closest place to go is, just to go and smile in person. That's right; share the love. Make other people thankful.

Let's get the new stuff out of the way, first; Dark Horse and DC are both celebrating Hallowe'en a little bit early, with a new Hellboy novel (The All-Seeing Eye) and a new adaptation of The Evil Dead from the Oregon publisher, and a special DC Universe: Hallowe'en 08 oneshot from the Gotham City purveyor. DC's also putting out Final Crisis: Submit, a one-off tie-in to their ongoing Final Crisis series - which has a much-delayed fourth issue out this week, as well.

In terms of new material from Marvel, you're pretty much stuck with Wolverine: Manifest Destiny, which sees the short hairy one with the claws fight super-powered ninjas in San Francisco (and I only wish that I was joking about that), or Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch, a new series about the Ghost Rider that wasn't the one that Nicolas Cage played in that ill-fated movie.

But, really, this week is all about the reprints. Marvel have the most run-of-the-mill of the week, although for every X-Force: Angels And Demons, you also get an Elektra By Frank Miller Omnibus or Sky Doll hardcover. They're also putting out a hardcover of Longshot, the wonderfully neurotic miniseries about a fake boy in a fake decade by Ann Nocenti, who later found her niche as the editor of High Times. It's genuinely worth checking out. DC have two must-have collections this week: a new edition of Paul Pope's wonderful Heavy Liquid and a new collection of Will Eisner's The Spirit strips called Femme Fatales that will both tie in with, and embarrass in terms of quality, the Frank Miller movie at the end of the year. There's also the first in a series of six Y: The Last Man hardcover collections, for those who missed out on the series the first two times.

Weirdly enough, though, the most unexpected release to hit stores tomorrow is a blast from my past and enough of an oddity to make the curious and strong of stomach amongst you shell out the $30-odd necessary to try out The Complete Ace Trucking Co. Volume 1, a lengthy and entirely unusual collection of 2000AD's misguided attempt to try and jump on the CB radio craze of 1980s Britain by creating an unfunny sitcom about space truckers. Who talk in CB lingo. Really, there's no way to do it justice by trying to explain it. Just buy it and see for yourself.

The complete list of this week's new comic releases will give you even more ways for you to spend your money, but only the Comic Shop Locator Service will tell you where said money should be spent. Your humble narrator, of course, simply tells you which of the new releases you should be craving.

For those of you unfamiliar with the sport - which may be all of you, let's face it - Aeroball was the futuristic sport of choice for the Harlem Heroes, a 1970s comic strip from the early days of Britain's classic 2000AD anthology. Combining as many fads as possible for the day, the strip described the sport as...

...Football, Boxing, Kung Fu and Basketball all rolled into one! Players roar through the air wearing jet packs (controlled by buttons on their belts) and score "air strikes" by getting the ball in the "score tank".

If mixing football (soccer for those of you in the colonies), boxing, kung fu and basketball together doesn't sound like the ultimate sport of the future to you, then I'm sure you were sold as soon as jet packs were mentioned. The rules of Aeroball - which, because it was created for 2000AD, didn't take place in a stadium but in something called a "thrill-bowl" - were never exactly fully explained in the series, but seemed to involve doing whatever was necessary to get the ball into your opponent's basket, even including attempts to kill said opponents, as shown below:
Basically, imagine Harry Potter's Quidditch matches but with jetpacks instead of broomsticks, and death instead of jolly English children with scars on their heads. Who could resist?

Apparently, many people; Aeroball was eventually deemed too dull for the sportsfans of the future, and both the game and the Harlem Heroes strip found themselves replaced by Inferno, which announced itself as "Deadlier than Aeroball" and went on for the next 40 weeks to prove it, being quite so "deadlier" that the series was cut short after accusations of being a little too bloodthirsty for the young adult fanbase of the comic (If you're interested, Inferno was also "Faster than speedway" and "Crazier than ice hockey." I didn't know that ice hockey was that crazy, but everything was different back in those days).

While it may not have qualified as one of the most gruesome sci-fi death sports ever, Aeroball - one of the few fictional sports tame enough to require replacement by something more deadly on the demand of thousands of British teenagers - should definitely be considered for placement in all future Olympic games. Misty and Kerri should start getting fitted for their jet packs right now.

Futuresport of the Past [Those We Left Behind]