judge dredd

Aside from Rob Schneider, the Dark Judges are probably Judge Dredd's most notable foes --- and they're definitely some of the most terrifying characters in comics. So terrifying, in fact, that they have inspired an actual nightmare for 2000 AD artist Dave Kendall, and since he's not one to let an opportunity for inspiration slip by, that dream has led to a new series exploring the origin of John Wagner and Brian Bolland's most horrifying creations. Set after their all-encompassing genocide of the dimension that would become Deadworld --- once the judges determined that all crime was committed by the living, but before they discovered their ability to travel to Dredd's Mega-City One to try their hand at exterminating another world --- Dreams of Deadworld explores each of the four Dark Judges in turn in stories drawn by Kendall and written by Kek-W.

Like many comic book fans, I am deeply suspicious of books that try to get ideas across to the reader without using pictures. I mean, honestly, I think we can all agree that having to use adjectives is a sign of an inferior medium, right? Right. I will say, though, that my opinion on prose could probably be softened a bit if I had some books about Judge Dredd going to other dimensions and fighting a gang of future-crooks who broke out of Iso-Block 666, but as I do not live in Great Britain in the '90s, that has been impossible... until now! Today, 2000 AD announced the release of a series of nine out-of-print Judge Dredd novels on Amazon for Kindle, including one with the amazing premise of Judge Death running for mayor.

As someone who only got really into Judge Dredd relatively recently, I get asked pretty often about good places to start. For more recent stuff, it's not hard to figure out a good place, and if nothing else, the folks at 2000 AD are pretty good at providing jumping-on points for new readers. When it comes to finding those classic Dredd stories, though, the ones that sometimes played out over the course of years and explored not just Dredd but the strange world in which he lives, that can be a little more difficult. But that's about to change. Next week marks the release of John Wagner and Colin MacNeil's Judge Dredd: America, in paperback for the first time on the west-side of the Atlantic --- and when even the publisher is declaring it to be "the best Judge Dredd story ever," that's probably something to take note of.

ThreeA has long been crafting original figures and collectibles based on the art and designs of co-founder Ashley Wood, but in recent years, the company has expanded its reach with a variety of licenses in comics, animation and films. That essence of Wood's aesthetic is still ever present though, and his influence still informs the design sense for many of ThreeA's upcoming pieces. At San Diego Comic-Con this year, the company went all out with a major presentation of its upcoming slate. Normally included as a small part of IDW's booth, ThreeA's installation this year was set up like an art show, and showed off a great deal of promising figures in a range of scales and sizes. With figures from Frederator and 2000 AD, as well as Marvel, it appears the company is finally ready to make a big splash in the market beyond its original works.

Assuming that you have any money left after the massive sales that went on during San Diego last weekend, I've got some good news: Comixology is bouncing back after the con with another round of digital dollar books, and this time, they've got a half-off sale featuring the future's greatest lawman, Judge Dredd. Just not the version you might expect.

Mezco's One:12 Collective hasn't been around very long (just one released figure, and one shipping soon), but it's already made a major impression on collectors. Featuring incredible articulation, real fabric costumes and a wealth of accessories, Mezco has seemingly brought the same kind of quality and experience you'd expect from larger, more elaborate (read: expensive) collectibles to an affordable scale that fits in with most other figure lines. As the first entry in the brand, the Dark Knight Returns Batman may have set an impossible bar for Mezco to meet again, but that doesn't mean the company isn't trying. At San Diego Comic-Con this year, Mezco revealed a partial upcoming slate of figures it has planned for 2016, including more DC heroes, and some interesting surprises. Though only in prototype form, the pieces look to continue what Mezco started, and evolve the One:12 Collective into more than just a flash in the pan.

Given that 2000 AD is literally a comic book from the far-off future of the year 2000 --- and also possibly from space, I'm not really quite clear on how it all works yet --- it shouldn't be too surprising that it was a pretty early adopter in terms of digital comics. It's been offering same-day DRM-free downloads through its website for a while now, but this week it took the next step: A new app for Android and iOS devices that offers readers the chance to subscribe, read and download comics every week, as well as catch up on back issues with discounted bundles.

Ah, summertime! The temperature's high, school's out, and everyone's hitting the beach for sun, sand and surf! I mean, I've heard that's what some people do. Personally, I sunburn very easily and don't really enjoy swimming, so I'm staying inside with a copy of the 2000 AD Sci Fi Special. Set for release this week in print and digital, the special is a 48-page addition to the regular prog that brings you new adventures from 2000 AD stalwarts like Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper, but there's one additional element that makes this one special: space truckers! In this issue, Ace Trucking Company returns for a story of secret cargo and deep space adventure, and you can get a bite-size preview of all the stories below!

Mega City One has been through an awful lot over the past few years. Not only is there the usual crime that comes with being a fascist future state, but the city's also had to deal with stuff like the Chaos Plague, space lasers, all sorts of other problems. It's got so bad, in fact, that the city's 40,000 wealthiest citizens have got together to buy a spaceship and just get the heck out of Earth before something else happens. That's where John Wagner and Greg Staples' Judge Dredd: Dark Justice picks up, with the launch of the Mayflower into deep space. Oh, and also the Dark Judges, the genocidal, immortal, inter-dimensional entities who see life itself as a crime, and punish it with mass murder are also coming back. So, you know, I'll let you guess how well that's gonna work out for 'em.

For 2000 AD, this year's Free Comic Book Day wasn't just going to be a platform to get their comics into the hands of new readers, it was going to mark the debut of legendary Batman artist Norm Breyfogle on their flagship character, Judge Dredd. Unfortunately, Breyfogle stuffered a stroke in December, leaving the left-handed artist partially paralyzed on his left side and facing massive bills for medical care and therapy. With Breyfogle unable to draw the story, Mike Hawthorne stepped in as the artist of "Judge Dredd: In Through The Out Door," and today, Hawthorne announced that he has arranged for a portion of his fee to be donated to Breyfogle to help with his recovery.