I think we often forget how strange Dredd often looks compared to some of the American comics and here that world view is really snapping into visual focus. They’re more European and eccentric and unique. McMahon and Smith particularly are using art that would simply never fit in an American comic of the period (or before). With perhaps an exception for the last two, they are all deeply, peculiarly and utterly British in their art style.
That’s quite an achievementĪnd my final thought is linked to that last point: we have settled in this era on several iconic Dredd artists - Ron Smith, Mike McMahon, Brian Bolland, Steve Dillon.
Dredd must eventually be facing death within the next few years so the series still has fascinating things to explore, stuff that few superhero comics ever get to poke through. That’s why Dredd is such a fascinating character: an initially simple action comic about a super cop slowly mutates into a wild satire before focussing on the darker side of an ostensibly heroic figure basically being a fascist and then, obviously with more than several exceptions, showing that heroic figure as something far more interesting than merely flawed: a questioning, doubt filled fascist super cop well into his seventies and still not entirely sure why he does what he does. Pivotal to this is the death of Judge Lopez, a throwaway moment that must be one of the most important moments plot moments in Dredd’s persona: it’s the first and really nagging doubt he’ll get about his actions and the series still uses it for this purpose The series is beginning to show the introspective streak that leads to some of the richest stuff done with the character. The epilogue to the Judge Child saga (less a saga, more a collection of mad ideas with a vague thread to bring them together) feels like the sort of stories that within a few years Grant will use as a way of poking about the world of the Judges and the ride of the democracy movement. We’re not quite onto Dredd questioning his role in the world or his world yet, but there are moments where you can see the older, more haunted Dredd looking back at earlier decisions he made when more convinced of his righteousness. The seeds of that collaboration’s demise is already apparent He’s getting the best out of his writing collaborators but 4. Grant’s confidence in creating popular villains he’ll then happily kill off (with a now regretted exception, most of the Angel gang apart from Fink and Mean Machine are written off here) 3. Grant’s world building is getting more solid and thoughtful (The Apocalypse War basically starts in a throwaway pirate story) 2. But the most interesting thing about these early stories is 1. The book ends with another: Marlon “Chopper” Shakespeare. The book starts with the introduction of some of the most iconic characters in Dredd’s universe: the Angel gang and Judge Barbara Hershey.
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