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Released by: IDW Publishing
Released on: December 4th, 2013
Dredd, still recovering from recent action, gets pulled back into active duty due to the apparent assassinations of nine other judges. He's been in stasis but lead Judge Cal - who clearly doesn't care much for Dredd - wants him on the case as soon as possible. Dredd thinks that an old, disgraced judge named Tarjay is behind the murders and Cal agrees. So Dredd sets off to find him to deliver justice.
Meanwhile, Anderson is taking a young, very powerful pre-cog named Dannn into the academy. But he only senses death - strongly - and just in time, too, to prevent Anderson's assassination. It comes at the cost of his own life, however, and this further infuriates & motivates Dredd. But he and Anderson are good investigators and they realize that this is all the plot most likely of someone within their administration.
As they head back to HQ, though, the assassin strikes at them and vanishes when they retaliate. But not before a number of civilians are mowed down. Cal shows up, angry at Dredd and puts him under arrest.
Also included in this issue is a short story called Harsh Conditions, narrated by a criminal named Pachoda who, when caught, gets offered a chance by the corrupt Judge Harvies to swap bodies. But the deal goes sour when internal affairs captures Pachoda-as-Harvies right after the swap. She's sentenced to life on the prison on Titan. But she's a survivor and learns to not only adapt to the harsh environment but to also grow strong, readying herself for a return to Meg-City and dealing with Harvies.
Duane Swierczynski writes both of the stories in this issue. Staz Johnson handles the short story and Nelson Daniel gets the full-story duty. The stories are very true to the Dredd universe, cold, brutal and unrelenting. Daniel's artwork relies heavily on the use of shadow and that suits the story quite well, featuring a killer that can't really be seen and much of the motivations “in the dark.†Johnson's artwork, on the other hand, is creepy and detailed since its story is set in the underworld and prison. Both set the tone to really match their respective stories which are also both very much in keeping with Dredd lore. A very solid entry in this latest series with this iconic character.
