The Ballad of Halo Jones - Reissued & Rediscovered

Reissued & Rediscovered

In December 2000 a special 2000AD issue (titled 'Prog 2001') was released featuring another full colour portrait of Halo. Titan were planning a reissue of the Complete Ballad Of Halo Jones in July 2001 and this portrait was used as the cover art. The first collected edition had been published by Titan in September 1991. This time the introduction to the book was written by Ian Gibson. The release of this volume garnered positive reviews and renewed many people's interest in Halo Jones. 2000AD hyped up the release on its site: "Alan Moore’s hugely acclaimed saga of one woman’s quest for reason in a galaxy gone mad. Out of print now for nearly a decade, fans have been clamouring for this collection anew, especially with the success of Moore’s ABC line. This classic tale, lovingly rendered by artist Ian Gibson, is now available again in its epic entirety"

The back cover of the book similarly heralded the return of a comic legend: "Meet Halo Jones. She's going out...and out...and out! Escaping the Hoop, Manhattan Island's land of mindless leisure, is just the first step in a cosmic adventure that will take Halo to the far ends of the galaxy, through war and peace, trial, despair and triumph. You've never met anyone quite like Halo...and you never will again."

"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 2000 AD 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!"

US reviewers also welcomed the book's return: "Criminally out of print for the last few years. Halo Jones is one of the finest graphic novels ever created - if you've never given them a go, shame on you - but this is the perfect place to start if men in tights superhero stuff puts you off. Halo Jones has it all - a fantastic storyline, cinematic graphics and characters that knock dead most of the ciphers you find in contemporary fiction."

Another review at the Spiderfan site: "Halo is among the best of Alan Moore's work, which is to say, among the best comic work you'll find anywhere. Titan Books in conjunction with 2000 AD is doing Alan Moore fans a great favor. It is one of the most remarkable transitions of a character ever presented in comics and it includes some of the most poignant and thought-provoking moments you could wish for. It created such an impact that, even now, almost twenty years later, readers are writing in to 2000AD (in Prog 1272, for example) asking for a continuation of the series. It is still so esteemed that, in the 2000AD 25th Anniversary Annual (Prog "2002"), the editors chose an event from "The Ballad" as #2 in the Most Heart-Breaking Moments in the whole of the history of their magazine."

The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones was voted the third best book of 2001 by the readers of Dreamwatch magazine.