NYCC 2023: The Latest 2000 AD Apex Edition Announced; Steve Dillon Gets The Apex Treatment

During Rebellion’s 2000 AD: The Galaxy’s Greatest panel on Friday 13th October, we got the welcome announcement of a new Steve Dillon Apex Edition coming in 2024….

The 2000 AD Art of Steve Dillon will join 2000 AD’s existing Brian Bolland, Mick McMahon, and Kevin O’Neill Apex Editions, presenting the artist’s work in a massive, over-sized, deluxe format, something that Steve’s work more than deserves. Although Steve sadly left us back in 2016, his work lives on, with this new Apex Edition celebrating the phenomenal talent and legacy of one of the greatest comic storytellers.

Rightfully considered to be one of 2000 AD‘s greats, Dillon worked extensively for the comic with his sublime art gracing the pages of A.B.C. Warriors, Bad Company, Judge Dredd, Harlem Heroes, Ro-Busters, Rogue Trooper, and Tyranny Rex. He’d then go on to set the comics’ world ablaze with his work on Punisher and Preacher, co-created with frequent collaborator Garth Ennis.

So it’s fitting that Steve’s work gets the Apex treatment, with the volume containing pages from his 30+ year career at 2000 AD, printing it all at the size of the original artwork – a massive, beautiful thing to look at, and the sort of book that you need a reinforced bookcase for!

That means you get to see his art in its originally drawn size, including the classic pages of ‘Block Mania‘ alongside the ‘Emerald Isle‘ storyline, one of his first collaborations with Ennis – and one that, had I had a bet with you, would have been the only choice for the cover of this one. He co-created the Irish Judge Joyce and that cover really is the one we all think of when we think of Steve’s 2000 AD work.

You’ll also find the complete art for Alan Moore‘s sole A.B.C. Warriors story, ‘Red Planet Blues‘, with painted colour by John Higgins – recently reprinted in The Best of 2000 AD Volume 2.

As with all of the Apex Editions, The 2000 AD Art of Steve Dillon gets released in a standard edition available from comic book stores and the 2000 AD webshop; and as a webshop-exclusive edition with special slipcase.

It’s a deluxe, 128-page, over-sized facsimile edition (a rather huge 19 x 14 inches) reproducing his original art pages at their actual size. The archive and reproduction team at Rebellion/2000 AD really have gone above and beyond with the Apex Editions to make books that act as a lasting legacy of the artists and their art – which is exactly what Steve’s 2000 AD art deserves.

The 2000 AD Art of Steve Dillon Apex Edition will be released on 19th June 2024, with pre-orders available now on the 2000 AD webshop.

Now, a few images from the Apex Edition…