Considered by some to be Alan Moore's magnum opus, and also his most famous incomplete work, The Ballad of Halo Jones is a trilogy of stories written by Moore and drawn by Ian Gibson that feature the life of a young working class woman who went on to become a legend. And the Adventure Continues: The ending of the series/book three. Halo boards a ship she has stolen, to continue to explore outer space and build upon the legend that we learn she will blaze through history at the end of book two. Possibly the first feminist heroine in comics", wrote The Observer of Alan Moore's epic tale of one woman's search for her place in a galaxy out of control. "Originally published in 2000AD and then collected by Titan Books, this classic tale of future alienation and an individual's struggle remains a timeless testament to the genius of Moore. Beautifully illustrated by artist Ian Gibson, this is the ultimate sci-fi opus. Don't dare miss it!" Helter Skelter", a Judge Dredd story written by Garth Ennis (12 episodes Progs 1250–1261) features cameos from a myriad of previous 2000AD characters including Halo Jones in episodes 6 & 7. Artwork by Carlos Ezquerra and Henry Flint.

Space Marine: Averted. Most of the soldiers are hapless conscripts with inadequate training. Even those who prove competent fighters have no capabilities beyond those of a contemporary soldier. The bulky power armor that Halo and the others wear isn't standard, it protects them from the devastating effects of gravity in the Crush. She's a character type I still see too rarely – a restless female loner, who's seen many places and jobs and friends, can be melancholy about what is gone but has some essential drive to go ever onward. The male equivalent is familiar enough, you might find him sitting in a bar in a Tom Waits song, but for women I can think of fewer fictional examples in any form than real ones I've met. (The only other who readily springs to mind is in the film Wendy and Lucy.) It's great that there isn't a big romantic plotline. - Halo just sometimes fancies people but it doesn't go anywhere because there's too much else to deal with in life. And I do like the bit at the end which basically goes “yeah, I can see you're bad news but I like you, and hey, I'm not exactly great news myself.” But when he turns out to be just too bad, the thing to do is travel off on her own, not throw herself at some alternative bloke because she has to have one Relativistic combat, religion, racism, veteran PTSD issues, the whole morality of war, sexism in combat (in the 50th century, it's unusual for men to be soldiers), toxic relationships, atrocities, toxic masculinity (the genetically-engineered male soldiers are literal Rambo parodies). Oh and a lesbian woman trying to come out to her friend.Ian Gibson’s cover for “The Ballad of Halo Jones” Book Four – or at least, a might-have-been cover; a commission for a fan, Ian Leonard, had the character’s stories continued beyond ” The Ballad of Halo Jones” Book Three. In Book Four, Halo is on her way to becoming Halo Jones – Pirate Queen, a theme Ian recalls might have extended into Book Five. Reproduced here with permission of Ian Gibson He Knows Too Much: Discussed in book two, as the Rat King warns (or threatens) Halo that if she tells anyone else about the King's existence, she will be killed.

A stage adaptation of The Ballad of Halo Jones was a surprise hit at the 1987 Edinburgh Festival. In 1988 the Red Theatre Company toured the show around the UK. Book Two depicts Halo's life as a stewardess on a year-long space voyage. Halo discovers that it was her loyal robot dog Toby, harbouring a perverse crush on Halo, who was responsible for her flatmate's death and is forced to destroy him. It is also revealed, in a framing sequence, that Halo becomes a legendary historical figure in centuries to come. As you would expect of a classic, this graphic collection has been in print virtually continuously since the 1980s, first as three separate volumes (one for each part) in 1986 and then, as with these editions, in a single collected volume first published in 1991. The surprise for us is that nobody on the Concat team has reviewed this before: especially as Tony is well into Moore, and Graham and I are into 2000AD. This Rebellion edition (2007) is in the new, slightly reduced format: so purists may wish to seek out an earlier full-sized edition such as The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones (2001 from Titan Books) that also has introductions from Moore and Gibson. Alas, the 2013 edition's new cover does not have Gibson's distinctive artwork. Try to Fit That on a Business Card: The Proximen acquire extra words in their names as a sign of increased status.This volume collects together all the strips that were originally published in 2000AD, prefaced by a new introduction by artist Ian Gibson. The original three book reprint has long been out of print. At the time of its release the book caused a revival of interest in the character. Gibson is fantastic artist, great at producing both SF landscapes and memorable characters. As Moore himself observes “His women are fantastic”. Fantastic because they are full of personality. Often attractive yes, but rather than the pneumatic goddess with gravity defying breasts which are common in comic strips, Halo and her friends have a variety and a reality to them. The two men put a lot of work into the world of the 50th century, devising not just its look but its politics, slang and culture. The result is a detailed convincing future.