‘The Ballad Of Halo Jones Omnibus’: One Of Alan Moore’s Great Early Works – Recoloured And Complete For The First Time

New omnibus edition of the colour version of The Ballad of Halo Jones by Alan Moore and Ian Gibson comes out in January 2023 – you might already have it, but you’re still going to want and need it.

We’ve all got them, the things we buy and buy and buy and buy – I’ve got multiple versions of Love & Rockets collections, Bone, so many Alan Moore collections with the same strips again and again, and anything with the words Luther Arkwright on them. (And that’s just comics – let’s not even start about the whole Kraftwerk thing – German and English versions in every possible medium I can find.)

You know how it goes. Sure, you’ve already got them, but then a new version comes out and you just somehow find yourself ordering the new version even though you can see the multiple versions sat there on your bookshelves.

Which brings us to the latest iteration of The Ballad Of Halo Jones, Alan Moore and Ian Gibson’s wonderful feminist space soap opera of hope, loss, change, meaning, and a desire to just … get out.

Where did she go? Out. What did she do? Everything…

2000 AD & Rebellion have a new full-colour omnibus edition coming out in January 2023, coming out in hardcover and deluxe slipcased edition exclusive from the 2000 AD web shop, complete with new introductions by Kieron Gillen and original commissioning editor Steve MacManus, examples of Moore’s original type-written scripts, Gibson’s restored artwork and Barbara Nosenzo’s subtle and sympathetic colouring of Gibson’s delicate art.

First published in 2000 AD between 1984 and 1986, Halo Jones was Moore’s last work at 2000 AD before he went on to go make a few pretty well-known books – you know, Swamp Thing, Watchmen, The Killing Joke, that sort of thing. Not to mention the brilliance of a career as the greatest living comics writer.

The beauty of Halo Jones is its timelessness, a radical and revolutionary series at the time, it remains one of Moore’s most beloved tales by those who discover it, no matter when they discover it.

“Trapped in a crowded housing project floating off the coast of Manhattan, a dystopian world where jobs are scarce and excitement non-existent, a bored Halo dreams of escaping out into the galaxy any way she can to rewrite her destiny.

But in a city where dangerous riots happen at the slightest provocation and even going to the shops is an ordeal requiring careful planning and a handful of zen-inducing-grenades, the price of freedom might prove to be more than she bargained for. And even when she does get out, there are challenges awaiting her in the cosmos that she could never possibly imagine or be prepared for.”

Over the years it’s been collected and republished multiple times, most recently in three new volumes with restored artwork and freshly coloured by Barbara Nosenzo. The 2023 omnibus edition is the first time all of those newly-coloured editions have been collected in the first place.

Now, whether you’re a fan from decades past or coming to the series afresh (and if you are, you have a wonderful experience awaiting you), Halo Jones is one of the great comic series, following one woman’s journey through dead-end jobs, deadly wars, and personal tragedy, watching her change and grow from wide-eyed innocent teenager into a world-weary woman – the perfect tale of an ordinary woman in extraordinary circumstances.

The Ballad of Halo Jones – Full Colour Omnibus Edition  – written by Alan Moore, art by Ian Gibson, colours by Barbara Nosenzo, letters by Steve Potter.

Published by 2000 AD/Rebellion on 17 January 2023

Now, a little (well, more than a little, but trust us, it’s worth it) preview of The Ballad of Halo Jones – Full Colour Omnibus Edition...