Judge Dredd: Case Files 01 [Paperback]

John Wagner (Author), Pat Mills (Author), Brian Bolland (Illustrator), Ian Gibson (Illustrator), Mike McMahon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: June 15, 2010 | Series: Judge Dredd (Book 1)

The iconic character Judge Dredd finally received the graphic novel platform he deserved in the Case Files editions.

Since 1977, one man has dominated the British comic scene. He is judge, jury and executioner; a merciless farfuture lawman delivering justice with an iron fist on the mean streets of Mega-City One. He is Judge Dredd! US readers can discover the roots of this legendary character in this vast a thrill-packed series of graphic novels, which collect together all of Dredd’s adventures in chronological order.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Wagner is the co-creator of Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Ace Trucking Co. and Button Man, amongst many others, for 2000 AD. His graphic novel A History of Violence has been adapted into a critically acclaimed hit film by David Cronenberg. Brian Bolland is one of the most celebrated artists in the Western comics industry. His iconic work on Judge Dredd included the co-creation of one of the characters’ most notable foes, Judge Death. Brian is best known to US readers for his ground-breaking work with writer Alan Moore on the one-shot Batman: Killing Joke graphic novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: 2000 AD; Original edition (June 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1906735875
• ISBN-13: 978-1906735876
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels > Science Fiction

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Verdict: AWESOME July 15, 2010

By Joseph Esposito

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have read bits of Judge Dredd over the years, mostly by way of crossovers like Batman / Dredd or recent one-shots, but I never took the time to go back and read the stories from the beginning. When I saw this omnibus come out, I decided the only way to judge the Judge was to read the series proper and it was a good call.

For those unfamiliar, Judge Dredd is the central character in a long running comic series out of the U.K. that is set in the far future where most of the planet is a wasteland and the few remaining cities are overpopulated fortresses called MegaCities. Within these cities the rule of law is contained within the Judges, computerized cycle-riding individuals who carry out sentencing and execution on the spot. The most recognized Judge is Joe Dredd, a harsh dispenser of law and order.

These books are an interesting mix, as they really are sustained by breakneck pace more than character development. In many ways, they are the polar opposite of a series like The Walking Dead, which is all about the people and less about their world. With Dredd, the world is really the story. This is hard far future sci-fi, with cities that are completely computerized and rampant with robots, a colonized Moon and Judges that can fire heat-seeking bullets from their guns. Most stories are short, especially in the earlier runs where the criminals were found and stopped within 6 or 7 pages. That's not a criticism, though, the artwork and future-shock feel of the Mega City makes these stories great short burst reading. Later in the volume the stories begin to get bigger, with cliffhangers and longer lengths. The artwork throughout is also solid, especially Brian Bolland who is a fantastic illustrator.

As for Dredd himself, it's easy to see why he's so popular. While he's not the deepest of protagonists you'll ever read about, he has a code and he sticks to it. I think Dredd the character is like comfort food, no matter what's blowing up around him you know he's coming through in the end.

If you like action mixed with sci-fi that's not too worried about being realistic, Dredd will appeal. If you're going in looking for deep insight into the character and some exploration of why he's the way he is, look elsewhere. This is simpler stuff, but that's not to say it's not great reading.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Lots of early Dredd stories for a low price July 21, 2010

By Kid Kyoto VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

In the 21st century Earth's surviving population live in overcrowded mega-cities where order is maintained by officers empowered to act as judge, jury and executioner. And the toughest, meanest judge of them all is Judge Dredd!

For over 30 years this English comic has gone through many phases so people tend to forget it started as a satire of Hollywood heroes and science fiction in general. So most of the 8 page stories in this book can be summed up as 'cute'. There are some straightforward action stories, some humor ones, and some plain old misses. What's interesting is that Dredd is amazingly consistent, his character, personality, even his world in this book are not that different from how they are written and drawn today.

With rotating artists and writers this book is a bit inconsistent. Sometimes you get the great Brian Bolland or Carlos Ezquerra... sometimes you don't. Since most of these stories were originally in black and white the reproduction is fine, though some of the pages look like they were originally in color and come out a bit muddy in B&W.

These stories are not the best Dredd stories, but they're not bad by any means. And you're getting more than 300 pages for a low price. So if you're a Dredd fan add a star, but if you're not that into him this probably is not for you.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Comic Anit-Hero EVER! June 25, 2011

By Tim Donderevo

Format:Paperback

If you've never read Judge Dredd - do yourself a favor and get stuck into the Case Files series. These are NOT the best Dredd stories, but the reader will benefit from reading the complete collection (which this essentially is), the good, the bad and the lousy!

Its important to point out that Judge Dredd was first printed in a weekly sci-fi comic in the 70s, so the short 7-11-page format might seem alien to American comic readers. There is also a tradition of switching-up writers and artists for Judge Dredd - so don't expect consistency. Dredd is also a unique anti-hero in the comic-world - an unlikable stalwart who serves as counterpoint to almost every 'cool' villain or weirdo he takes on. However - when it comes to the crunch, everyone's glad that Dredd is there, Supermanlike, to save the day!

So Judge Dredd is a strange beast - but its also the cleverest, most satirical comic strip ever published. Expect a lot of irony and laughs! Many of the strips work on two levels, the slapstick horror-show stuff aimed firmly at 70s/80s British teens, and the wry satire at the teens' dads, who inevitably picked up the comics, and eventually became the main demographic. This double-level writing gives a lot of depth.

This volume of reprints is perhaps not the slickest looking thing - but these strips were often drawn fast for publication in a WEEKLY comic starting in the 1970s. The original comic itself was printed (mostly in B&W) on fairly grainy newsprint, so its amazing that these reproductions look as good as they do!