Dark Judges Get A Nightmarish New Origin In '2000 AD' #1946

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.

The whole thing kicks off in 2000 AD prog #1946, but you can check out a preview featuring Kendall's art below!

According to 2000 AD's official press release, the story came about because of Kendall's children, who presumably woke him up while the nightmare was still fresh in his mind:

An unheard of thank you, for the early morning wake up by my children, which allowed these versions of the Dark Judges to be dragged kicking and screaming into the light. Also, much gratitude to friends and colleagues on social media. Their support gave me the confidence to approach Tharg with these beasties.

2000 AD prog #1946 will be available in Great Britain and digitally on the 2000 AD site and app on September 2.