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2000AD To Republish Zenith?

Published Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:26:52 -0500

Last updated Wed, 04 Aug 2010 06:23:33 -0500

Zenith was a 2000AD strip that asked, basically, what if Morrissey was a superhero? The first superhero strip for the sci-fi weekly, Zenith first appeared in 1987, created by Grant Morrison, Brendan McCarthy and Steve Yeowell. And was an early treatise on the impact of fame through superhero tropes, and its mpact on politics. It's also rather good.

While the first three volumes were collected in trades, a recent attempt by current 2000AD owners Rebellion to collect the full run licensed to Titan Books was scuppered when Grant Morrison pointed out that there was no paperwork to show any transfer of owenership for Zenith. Which meant Titan had to warehouse the entire print run hoping to work out a deal. When nothing was forthcoming, they pulped the entire run rather than pay the warehouse fees any longer. A few copies did escape, and were recently sold on eBay. Copies are, shall we say, in demand.

Anyway.

In a CBR interview with Rebellion's Keith Richardson about plans to launch a Dreddless 2000AD Presents title in the USA again, as well a expanding their line of graphic novels, they drop mention about 3/4 of the way down the piece that Rebellion is planning to start turning the wheels on Zenith again. And getting it republished in a complete done-in-one volume.

I believe that's called hiding your lead. If it all works out, that would be quite the project to launch at, say, next year's San Diego Comic Con.

Richardson is quoted as saying that they regard Zenith as "our Marvelman" – the Alan Moore/Garry Leach/Alan Davis/Rick Veitch/Chuck Austen/John Totleben/Neil Gaiman/Mark Buckingham comics that are still not announced for publication a year after Marvel announced their intention to do so.

Talking of Alan, 2000AD will also be republishing for the first time the Alan Moore/Steve Dillon ABC Warriors story in the US version of The Meknificent Seven graphic novel.

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