The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones (2000 Ad) (Paperback)

For while 2000AD comic has produced some pretty decent stories in the past quarter century none, I think, have been better than this, the story of a galactic space heroine, which first appeared in the mid-eighties.

Its main strength, of course, is that Halo Jones is no Barbarella but a normal, realistic female character (unusual for 2000AD) in a bizarre futuristic environment.

The first of these three stories is probably the worst. Based almost entirely in The Hoop, a subterranean metropolis, Moore deploys potentially alienating slang throughout Book One which is slightly annoying at best, off-putting at worst. Moore is no Burgess and he abandons this after Book One. Yet it is easy enough to follow and there is fun to be had as Halo hangs out with her friends and Toby the robotic dog.

If this sounds unappealing, don't be put off. In Books Two and Three (all included here) the story ascends into levels of brilliance rarely seen in comics. In Book Two, Halo escapes Earth altogether to work as a waitress on a luxury space cruise liner. Every episode is a triumph, whether anecdotally telling the life story of a character whose name escapes me to the more dramatic episodes concerning Toby.

The third and longest book depicting an older, more cynical Jones as she becomes drawn into a devastating war in the Tarantula Nebula is quite literally brilliant. The 'fast forward war' on the gravity-warping planet Moab is particularly effectively realised. Here, Moore and Gibson utterly surpass themselves. It is at times hilarious, harrowing and devastating. For me, the greatest tragedy is that Moore and Gibson never returned to Halo - but perhaps they could never have maintained this high standard anyway. Either way, if you're feeling like trying out a graphic novel, try this one. You won't be disappointed.

As a non-fan of stereotypical superhero action comics, the prospect of a thoughtful, clever sci-fi drama immediately attracted me to The Ballad of Halo Jones. The unusual portrayal of a female character (she wears a sensible amount of clothes! She's capable, despite lacking super-powers!), the fact that the plot actually *goes* somewhere (though it ends too soon, sadly - the series was cut short thanks to management issues), the excellent writing and art - all of these helped to get me besotted with the title.

Halo Jones, as a character, remains one of the most interesting, most three-dimensional characters to appear in a comic, and the situations she is thrust into - though extraordinary - manage surprisingly well to avoid feeling contrived. There are twists and turns like you wouldn't believe, and the story manages to mix action, drama, romance and pathos with aplomb.

In all, this stands out as a seminal work, and has the power to move almost any reader. An absolutely essential purchase to anybody with a passing interest in comics - and even those who don't.