The past and future of British comics will collide in 2019, as 2000 AD publisher Rebellion has announced seven all-new special releases throughout the year to celebrate the history of the U.K. comic book industry and the creators that shaped it.


Available across multiple platforms — from comic book stores and digitally to British newsstands — the special issues revive a number of titles and characters from the back catalog of legacy publishers including IPC and Fleetway, purchased in recent years by Rebellion, and span multiple genres and audiences beyond the traditional sci-fi fare of the long-running 2000 AD anthology. (Although that, too, is well-represented in the lineup, with three titles included.)


The seven titles announced are:


The Cor!! & Buster Humour Special: A revival of characters and strips from beloved humor anthologies Buster and Cor!!, with new material from a number of top British cartoonists. (Apr. 17)


2000 AD Villains Takeover Special: A low-priced (99 cents in the U.S.) anthology featuring stories starring the bad guys from fan-favorite 2000 AD strips including Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper. (May 4)


2000 AD Sci-Fi Special: A tribute to artist Carlos Ezquerra, co-creator of Judge Dredd, who died last year, this 48-page issue will include work from Specter, the unpublished and incomplete project he was creating with his Dredd collaborator John Wagner at the time of his death. (June 19)


Tammy & Jinty Special: A 48-page anthology revival of two “girls comic” titles from the 1970s and ‘80s that, in their heyday, outsold material aimed at boys. (June 27)


The Vigilant: A second release for the superteam made up of characters from the back catalog of British anthology comics from the 20th century, following up on their 2018 debut. (Aug. 14)


Roy of the Rovers 65th Anniversary Special: The beloved soccer hero continues his return to the world of comics with a 128-page release celebrating both his longevity and also the start of soccer season in the U.K. (Sept. 11)


Scream & Misty Presents The Thirteenth Floor: The third annual horror comic anthology focuses on the fan-favorite strip created by John Wagner, Alan Grant and José Ortiz, where a homicidal computer commits murder in virtual reality — but only targets those it considers deserving of its wrath. (Oct. 16)


Additionally, the May 8 issue of 2000 AD — Prog 2130 — will be an oversized issue as the series is taken over for one issue by 2000 AD Regened, the all-ages version of the series’ most popular characters debuted as Rebellion’s 2018 Free Comic Book Day effort. Rebellion’s 2019 Free Comic Book Day release is Funny Pages, a collection of humor comic reprints aimed at children.