FORMAT: TRADE PAPERBACK | RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 3RD
Hero. Villain. Futuristic city cop and dystopian fascist. No story better illustrates the fundamental dichotomy that is Judge Dredd than America. Dredd might be best known for battling the Dark Judges or his many adventures across the Cursed Earth, but his handlers at 2000 AD aren’t afraid of going political either; and this is when the character really shines.
Essential Judge Dredd: America not only reprints John Wagner’s classic titular story, but also those which preceded and followed it too – Letter from a Democrat, Revolution, Politics, The Devil You Know, and Twilight’s Last Gleaming. Had this been written in the here and now, we’d be dismissing it as too on-the-nose. It’s depressing – not for how little has changed, but for how much the real world has caught up with Mega-City One. It’s a case of life imitating art, as the heavily armed police force of the future kidnap peaceful protestors, initiate riots, and brutally beat civilians into submission left, right and centre. Did we mention that this story was written 30 years ago?
This first volume of a new series by Rebellion delivers exactly what it promises. Essential Judge Dredd is essential reading; not only for fans or newbies to Dredd’s world, but anyone remotely invested in comic books and literature at large. Right now, it’s more relevant than ever.
