Preview: Time To Shiver With ‘Tales From The Black Museum Volume 1’ – A Perfect Digital Offering For The Season

by Richard Bruton

The latest of 2000 AD‘s year of digital-only collections continues with something fearful and frightening for the season with Tales of the Black Museum Volume 1.

“Mega-City One, 2128 AD. Deep in the heart of the Grand Hall of Justice lies the Black Museum, Justice Department’s permanent exhibition of the relics from bygone crimes. Whether it’s a notorious serial killer’s trophies or the weapons of the Dark Judges, the violent history of the Big Meg is laid bare here. Let guide Henry Dubble show you around…”

That’s the hook for Tales of the Black Museum. And it’s a series that’s consistently given us some great one-off tales from the great and the good at 2000 AD.

The longer page count afforded to these done-in-one tales in the Judge Dredd Megazine has allowed the storylines that little more room to breathe, to develop, and to deliver a satisfying shiver down the spine.

And with the entire history of Mega-City One to play with amongst the artifacts of the Justice Department’s Black Museum, there’s plenty of material for writers to tap into and plenty of strangeness for artists to draw.

Here, we have the first five years of Black Museum tales, featuring the likes of John Wagner, Alan Grant, Rufus Dayglo, John Ridgway, Robin Smith, and plenty more, doing their best to give you that delicious little shiver down the spine.

So, be prepared to see what happens when a Black Museum guard dips into the archive for a few extra creds, learn the incredible secret of the notorious headshot killer, discover why Ruddler’s Cuddlers were far from the cute lil’ toy they seemed, even uncover the secret of Noah’s Ark… and so many more shorts, all with that little twist, all with that great hint of darkness in their makeup.

There’s plenty of reading and plenty of entertainment to be found in these Tales From the Black Museum, 100 pages of dark little thrillers, perfectly constructed, a satisfying extension of the good old Future Shock format, given that little bit more space to do that little bit more to thrill and frighten.

The first volume of Tales From the Black Museum is released by 2000 AD in digital-only format on Wednesday 3rd November.

Tales From The Black Museum – Volume 1

Written by John Wagner, Dan Abnett, Simon Spurrier, John Smith, Jonathan Clements, Al Ewing, Alan Grant.

Art by Shaun Thomas, John Ridgway, Graham Manley, Adrian Salmon, Len O’Grady, Dom Reardon, Vince Locke, Rufus Dayglo, Dean Ormston, Dylan Teague, Robin Smith, Jack Lawrence.

Letters by Ellie De Ville, cover by Dylan Teague.

Originally serialised in Judge Dredd Megazine #244-252, 256, 265, 275 (2006 – 2011)

Published by 2000 AD & Rebellion in digital format on 3rd November.

Okay then… preview time…

First off, the very first Tales from the Black Museum with art from Shaun Thomas…