Released by: IDW Publishing
Released on: March 19, 2014
This collection gets started by laying out “The Law According to Judge Dredd,†namely:
Let the first law be that I AM the law.
And let the second law be that what I say goes.
And let the third law be that anyone who says different's a dead man.
But the first story is about a mutant imposter who believes himself to be Judge “Joe†Dredd himself. It takes the real deal showing up and wiping them all out in order for justice to be re-established.
The second story has Dredd teamed with an aging Judge Minty who's feeling more like he wants to be one of mercy and hopefulness. But after his slow reactions nearly get him killed he retires with full honors, taking “the Long Walk,†bring law to the lawlessness of Mutie-Land.
The next story is of Tommy Zedd, a “zombie-keeper†at AGG Bio. The “zombies†have been created to be near human, used for testing cures of human diseases and susceptibilities. But Tommy soon gets emotionally attached and, thus, gets fired. He figures the only way to save them is to burn them down but Dredd catches him in the act and shoots him. As he dies, Dredd figures he was just getting back at his employers but Tommy knows differently…
From that dramatic high point we move next on to the story of Uncle Ump's Umpty Candy - “the sweet that was too good to eat.†After seeing the citizenry going bonkers for this new candy the Judges find that Uncle Ump has created the greatest flavor in the history of mankind - and that, in itself, leads to an insatiable craving. Dredd gets the candy banned and the production shut down, enraging the citizens but, ultimately, saving them all from this new, crazy addiction. Later, bundled aboard a spacecraft, Dredd tells Uncle Ump that this is only way to save him and the rest of humanity, if he's believed to be dead and his secret lost forever.
This collection is an all-star kind of lineup for the original Judge Dredd comic, with a variety of stories covering the gamut of types that would become the staple of this line. The writers include long-time series contributors John Wagner (sometimes billed as John Howard) and Alan Grant (sometimes billed as T.B. Grover) with artwork from a bevvy of artists displaying the range on this series: Kevin O'Neill, Mike McMahon, Cliff Robinson, Ron Smith, Ian Gibson, and even 'pinup' of Judge Death by Brian Bolland. This is an excellent introduction to the character for those wanting to dive into the world of Dredd as well as a great volume of “the hits†for long-time fans of the series.