Considering that he's an extremely strict dude in head-to-toe black leather with a penchant for dealing out harsh punishments, I think it's safe to say that Judge Dredd has always been more than a little fetish-y. This month, though, things are finally going to be taken to their logical extreme, as Mega City One's greatest lawman faces an underground fetish club... where the fetish is Judge Dredd himself.In an interview with Comic Book Resources, writer Rob Williams -- recently spotlighted here at CA as one of the writers of 2000 AD's "Trifecta" crossover -- described the story as focusing on Taylor, a teenager in Mega City One whose father doesn't take well to his son's homosexuality:

A brutal act takes place, Taylor's father disappears and suddenly this kid is all alone in a world that seems to be firmly telling him to keep who he is hidden so no one gets hurt. Then he finds himself in a Dredd-themed underground gay club, where everyone dresses either as Dredd or as a perp, Dredd being the ultimate symbol of macho, leather-clad repression in this city. It's kind of a Village People deal turned up to 100 in a Mega-City One style. And then the real Dredd arrives.

It's not often that you see a story that examines the cultural impact of a character within their setting, but it makes sense that after 35 years of dispensing justice on the streets and becoming the most famous Judge, Dredd would have a hand in shaping the Mega City's culture in a way that he would never have expected. Plus, as Williams says, the image of Dredd scowling his way through a fetish club full of people in Dredd costumes is pretty great all on its own, as artist Mike Dowling proves.


"The Closet" kicks off in 2000 AD prog 1817, out in the UK on January 30. Hopefully, it will not involve Rob Schneider, but enjoy that mental image. You're welcome!

More From ComicsAlliance