Judge Dredd Prog 2169: Cold Case

Judge Dredd relinquishes the brutal approach to justice as he finds himself on the verge of cracking a cold case decades in the making in prog 2169, an issue that capitalizes on the storytelling potential of Judges other than Dredd.

To be honest, I truly love one shot style stories exactly like what we find in this prog. Dredd serves as a catalyst to expose a criminal pursuit that really is larger than himself. Giant, Wrexler and of course, Patsy make awesome appearances that flesh the story out quite well. Set against a deadly yet elusive criminal, the creative team pulls off a comprehensive story that feels like it’s a full standalone comic and not a simple 6-8 page short!

The artwork from everyone involved is really solid all throughout. Heavy shadows and perfect Dredd faces give the story a classic feel but there really isn’t much action to provide a special place to shine. Even then, it’s a joy to look at, especially the sequence of Dredd talking to Giant about a case in the middle of a raging block war! These types of interactions make Judge Dredd what it is, and you just can’t find dynamics like that anywhere else.

While the ending is a bit more mysterious than enlightening, the story pulls off a well rounded narrative that is sure to entertain. Faraday the criminal might have made it for longer than he thought, but seeing Giant at the end is a true “drop the mic” moment. It’s no nonsense justice that plays more towards the detective angle of the Judges in general and I appreciate that, especially after all the Bloopy events! It’s not the most impactful or critical story, but it sure is a lot of fun.