Judge Dredd 100-Page Giant: What You’ve Been Missing

IDW’s Judge Dredd 100-page giant issue is a look back at what the publisher has done so far with the iconic character as well as a preview at what’s to come. While it is essentially a collection of reprinted material, for those who have been unsure of whether or not to check out the Dredd books at IDW this will be the perfect introduction.

With four separate stories including Mega-City Zero, The Blessed Earth, Under Siege and Toxic, this issue certainly isn’t lacking in material. Some are better than others, but it’s ultimately a nonissue to determine the individual quality because these are just snippets of much larger and mostly already completed stories. This is essentially a teaser book to get you interested in the current selection of Dredd stories at IDW.

So does it succeed in this?

The answer to that question is an easy yes. If these special looks into such a wide range of stories featuring Dredd and other Judges isn’t enough to have you searching for the completed versions I’m not sure what will. The artwork is certainly varied, but all uniquely contribute to the stories they’re paired with and none of them are particularly bad. This helps to give the book a polished feel overall.

As an edict on IDW’s work with Judge Dredd so far, it serves as an interesting highlight reel. These stories take place in vastly different time periods and explore many different facets of Dredd’s path as a Judge. For those wondering, none of these stories are tied directly into the work at 2000 AD, instead, we see a new vision of Dredd’s past and future unfold ripe with new storytelling potential. This has allowed IDW to hit the ground running and allow creative teams to tell original and engaging stories that don’t require years of reading back issues to enjoy.

While Mega-City Zero is a personal favorite, Toxic is certainly one of the most exciting of the bunch. Paul Jenkins and Marco Castiello’s work on Toxic is impressive. However, we are also treated to a few pages of the upcoming series False Witness as well! So, while these aren’t necessarily completed stories, it’s a comprehensive look at the past and future of IDW’s plans for Dredd and in my opinion, the character is in good hands. Pick up the 100-page giant and see for yourself, there’s sure to be something you enjoy!