Гало Джонс: Ғылыми-қияли комикс сағасы

Science fiction comic strip

The Ballad of Halo Jones is a science fiction comic strip written by Alan Moore and drawn by Ian Gibson, with lettering by Steve Potter (Books 1 & 2) and Richard Starkings (Book 3). Halo Jones first appeared July 1984 in five page instalments in the pages of the weekly British comic 2000 AD and is regarded as one of the high points of 2000 AD. The eponymous heroine is a highly sympathetic 50th century everywoman, and the tone of the strip ranges from the comic to the poignant. The three "books" span more than ten years of her life, and also serve as a tour of the well realised futuristic universe which Moore and Gibson created. Originally, Halo Jones was planned to run to nine books, chronicling Halo's life from adolescence to old age. However, the series was discontinued after three books due to a dispute between Moore and Fleetway, the magazine's publishers, over the intellectual property rights of the characters Moore and Gibson had co created.

In Book One, 18 year old Halo Jones lives in a floating ring shaped conurbation or housing estate called "The Hoop" that is moored in the Atlantic Ocean off the East coast of America. The story takes place over one day, and follows Halo's violent though also partly comical misadventures on a shopping trip. Finally returning to her apartment, Halo finds her flatmate and best friend Brinna murdered, then discovers another good friend has become a "Different Drummer" (a youth cult perpetually numbed by the implant generated beat of a drum in their ears). She decides to leave Earth, never to return. 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. In Book Three, ten years have elapsed and Halo has become a soldier serving in a Vietnam style guerrilla interstellar war which has appeared as back story in the previous two books, and is courted by a famous general, Luiz Cannibal. The series ends with the cessation of hostilities, after which Halo commandeers a spaceship and deserts, determined to take charge of her own fate.

In his introductions to the three 1986 Titan editions, Moore described its genesis. The story was designed from the outset to avoid the typical 2000 AD story elements: "guns, guys and gore." Moore said that he had "no inclination to unleash yet another 'Tough Bitch With A Disintegrator And An Extra Y Chromosome' upon the world". The idea to base the strip around an ordinary, unremarkable woman, typical of the society she lived in, was also very different for 2000 AD. Gibson and Moore designed the world that Halo would live in with as much detail as possible. Book One may have been mildly criticised for dropping readers into a future world with no explanation of its social structure, culture, language etc., but the Introduction explains that it was designed to reveal aspects of this carefully constructed world in subtle and clever ways. In this book the creators introduce the reader to 50th century politics, social problems, diet, cults, music, futuristic slang, fashion and also an ongoing off world war that is clearly taking place in the background. Moore and Gibson's collaboration paid off when the go ahead for a second series was given. Both men were excited about where the story was heading and Book Two expanded upon what they had created before. They upped the action quotient and also created some shattering emotional scenes. Moore has said that the character of "the Glyph", introduced in Book Two, clinched the book's success (according to his comments in the introduction to the Titan Books collected edition in 1986).

Both Ian Gibson and Alan Moore make a cameo appearance in the series. In Book 3, when Halo first arrives at the Glory Barge on the planet Pwuc (where she meets Toy recruiting soldiers for the Terran army), Gibson and Moore appear as two figures in the crowd – a bearded man holding a pencil and another man holding a paintbrush. Moore can also be seen being rickshawed through the rainy street on the planet Hispus after Halo has signed her release papers.

YearTitle ( * denotes graphic novel)Additional info19842000AD Progs 376–385The Ballad of Halo Jones Book 1 (July–Sept, 10 episodes, 51 pages)19852000AD Progs 405–415The Ballad of Halo Jones Book 2 (Feb–April, 10 episodes & prologue, 51 pages)19852000AD Sci Fi Special1 June, includes Halo Jones centrefold colour poster by Ian Gibson19862000AD Progs 451–466The Ballad of Halo Jones Book 3 (Jan–April, 15 episodes & prologue, 80 pages)1986The Ballad of Halo Jones Book 1*Titan Books, incl introduction by Alan Moore/sketches by Ian Gibson1986The Ballad of Halo Jones Book 2*Titan Books, incl introduction by Alan Moore/sketches by Ian Gibson1986The Ballad of Halo Jones Book 3*Titan Books, incl introduction by Alan Moore/sketches by Ian Gibson19862000AD Prog 500'Thargshead Revisited' (13 Dec, page by Ian Gibson features Halo, Rodice & Toy)1987Halo Jones – Quality ComicsColourised US reprints covering all 3 books, 12 monthly issues from Sept '87 Aug '8819882000AD Sci Fi Special1 June, incl 4 page article on Halo Jones stage tour by in the Red company1989The Best of 2000AD Issue 40January, Book 1 reprinted1989The Best of 2000AD Issue 42March, Book 2 reprinted1991The Best of 2000AD Issue 65February, Book 3 prologue and episodes 1–3 reprinted1991The Best of 2000AD Issue 66March, Book 3 episodes 4–15 reprinted. Incl unique Ian Gibson cover art19912000AD Prog 7256 April, Halo Jones Megascan, free poster magazine, new Ian Gibson Halo artwork1991The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones*Titan Books, incl excerpts from previous three Moore introductions19962000AD Prog 10165 November, incl Halo Jones Fine Art Print, art by Robert McCallum & Jim Murray20002000AD 'Prog 2001'Annual edition, 13 December, with new Ian Gibson Halo artwork2001The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones*Titan Books, including a new introduction by Ian Gibson20022000AD Prog 128022 February, Halo featured in story celebrating 25 years of 2000AD2003The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones*Titan Books, deluxe hardback edition2005The Ballad of Halo Jones*Rebellion2006The Ballad of Halo Jones*Rebellion, 2nd printing, new cover design and chapter headings20072000AD Prog 155015 August, 'Halo Jones Goes To War' – Ian Gibson art poster2013The Ballad of Halo Jones*Rebellion, cover art Simon Parr, introduction by Lauren Beukes, Alan Moore script pages2017The Ballad of Halo Jones*2000AD: The Ultimate Collection #46 (partwork), introduction by Matt Smith, essay by Stephen Jewell2018The Ballad of Halo Jones – Volume 1*Rebellion, Ian Gibson's artwork colourised by Barbara Nosenzo (May, 2018)2018The Ballad of Halo Jones – Volume 2*Rebellion, Ian Gibson's artwork colourised by Barbara Nosenzo (July, 2018)2018The Ballad of Halo Jones – Volume 3*Rebellion, Ian Gibson's artwork colourised by Barbara Nosenzo (September, 2018)2021The Ballad of Halo Jones: The Complete Edition – AudiobookPenguin Audio, unabridged, 3hrs 3 mins (March, 2021)2023The Ballad of Halo Jones Full Colour Omnibus Edition*Rebellion, Ian Gibson's artwork colourised by Barbara Nosenzo, hardback, also limited slipcase edition (January, 2023)