A great adaption of a classic sci-fi feminist Alan Grant story of the girl who, trapped by circumstance, headed “out, just out”. Not sure if I’d recommend the audiobook to those not familiar with Halo simply as some things are not entirely clear from the audio narrative alone – most notably the fate of Glyph. However highly recommended for existing fans of Halo Jones.

My thanks to Penguin Random House U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Ballad of Halo Jones: the Complete Edition’ by Alan Moore.

This is another in the recent series produced by Penguin Audio U.K. of dramatised productions of classic comic strips from the U.K. comic magazine 2000AD. ‘The Ballad of Halo Jones’ premiered in 1984 and ended in 1986. It is a space opera that chronicles the adventures of Halo Jones in the 50th Century.

The first part has the teenage Halo and her friends living in The Hoop, an urban housing estate. Dramatic events take place over the course of one day and ends with Halo deciding to leave Earth and never return. The second part is set on the luxury space-liner, the Clara Pandy, where Halo has signed on as a hostess for its year long voyage.

The final part has Halo drifting through a number of dead-end jobs before signing on as a soldier in a fierce war. The time period here spans ten years. While more adventures were planned for Halo, creative differences ended it prematurely with Book 3.

I came to this audiobook with no knowledge of the original comic, though it didn’t take long for me to get in synch with its setting and characters. The story was great fun, with plenty of humour mixed in with the action, intrigues, battles, and deaths. The actors certainly gave great performances with sound effects and music that perfectly complimented the story.

I totally enjoyed this adaptation of ‘The Ballad of Halo Jones’ and likely will now check out the original graphic novel.

Highly recommended.

Few stories from the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, 2000AD, are remembered with such affection as Alan Moore and Ian Gibson’s mid-80s classic, The Ballad of Halo Jones.

This new audiobook does an excellent job of retelling the adventures of Halo, an ordinary 50th century girl who escapes the restrictions of a depressing teenage existence in vast urban settlement, The Hoop to find work on a space cruiser, the Clara Pandy. As in the original classic comic story, she ultimately becomes embroiled in the affairs of the sinister General Luiz Cannibal and the horrors of the Tarantula Nebula War.

As with the first of the three books adapted here is less accessible than the others, largely because of the futuristic slang spoken by Halo and the other Hoop dwellers is slightly off-putting. There is also a bizarre error here in which one character, Lux Roth Chop, who is clearly supposed to be a child in the story is voiced by a grownup actor.

But, generally this is a first-class production which generally follows the original version very closely. Sheila Atim, in particular, does an excellent job of voicing Halo herself as she grows from being a naive teen into a cynical thirtysomething.

As with Halo herself, this is just out.

A good production. Assured performances from the narrators and inventive sound design lifts the material. I was not a big fan of the comic but Halo Jones audiobook is a successful adaptation that makes the story more appealing.

Absolutely excellent!

I’d like to take a moment to thank the publishers - penguin and 2000 ad for this wondering audio arc!

Okay, so bare with me: this is a comic but as an audio play. So everyone is voiced by different people (okay not all different people but you know). These are comics that only had a limited run - 3 books and first appeared in 1984. For context this is when gremlins, the terminator, dune, the neverending story and footloose came out.

It was a good year for movies and for science fiction (I just included footloose because I love Kevin Bacon).
Anyway, what I’m saying is this comic is 37 years old and still feels relevant!

The audiobook follows the entire three book journey (about 3 and a half hours) and spans from Halo being from 18 to 32. Although you’ll understand why that’s not technically true later haha.

She’s not a superhero, she’s just a girl from the poorest area of Earth in the 4949 who wants a better life. Who wants to see a world where she can be free and safe. Halo is brave but she’s normal and just a girl really, which is why she’s so relatable. The story is told through the lens of a history professor explaining the myth of a character called Halo Jones.

Her story is different but familiar with a girl trying to escape the life she was born to and wanting more. Loving and losing and generally just trying to make a life for herself among the stars.

The voice acting is wonderful!
My only gripe is that some stuff is clearly lifted from the panels and could have done with some extra exposition so we knew what was happening immediately. But it was still a great and engaging way to tell a comic story that came out almost 4 decades ago.