ivoryfirefly:

There is a new wave of dissent in Mega-City One.  Politicians are calling for an end to summary justice only to be silenced by a new and deadly force.  However, this is no renegade: this is The Justice Killer, a deadly puppet whose strings lead back to the very heart of the Grand Hall of Justice itself!

This arrived in the mail today and I tore straight into the cardboard envelope to read it.  It’s so cleverly written, especially for a comic.  Then again, Judge Dredd is not your ordinary comic.  Much like Judge Dredd is no ordinary human. 

This is the first Dredd story I’ve read.  Although I couldn’t decide which one to start with, I’m glad it was this one!  The three chapters are all drawn by different artists, so there’s a different style each chapter.  The twist comes early in the story, but it took a while for me to figure it out!  It also takes a while for the Judges to crack the case & catch the perp.  Plus, there are some fantastic one-liners that add a little humour to an otherwise serious story (“I never knew he took it off” being one).

And, I love that Dredd is seen with his helmet off at one point, but - to keep with the tradition of the readers never seeing his face in full - the artist hid most of it in shadow.  I think the reason behind keeping the face of our hero hidden is genius!  And to have him susceptible to injuries, unlike a lot of classic comic-book heroes, is a refreshing touch.  Yes, there are other heroes, even some super ones, who are still susceptible to wounds, but Dredd is different.  Twice in this story, he ends up in the Speedheal unit.  The second time he was roughed up so bad by the perpetrator that a fellow Judge said it looked like he’d been hit with a truck.  And yet he came back to solve the case. 

I think it’s safe to say that Judge Dredd is quickly becoming my new favourite comic-book hero.  Sorry, Captain America.

Keep reading then Earthlet, John Wagner always delivers the goods.

stomm2000ad:

And so the final chapter begins with a fitting farewell cover(Prog1786,8Jun’12)from second-most prolific Nikolai Dante artist,John Burns.
Although Dante had defeated Konstantin Romanov and was set to become Tsar with Jena Makarov at his side,there were rumours of her father Vladimir plotting to reclaim his title of Conqueror.
“Sympathy for the Devil”;script:Robbie Morrison;art:Simon Fraser

stomm2000ad:

Fully painted cover(Prog1706,13Oct’10)by award-winning artist Simon Davis.
Nikolai Dante is on a mission to kill insane half-brother Konstantin Romanov at the Castle Kronstadt.
“The Master of Kronstadt”;script:Robbie Morrison;art:John Burns
(Book X,“Hero of the Revolution”)

stomm2000ad:

Watcher in the woods!Cover by John Burns
Nikolai Dante has returned to Rudinshtein to restore law and order as “Sword of the Tsar” when rumours of a deadly beast stalking the forests emerge.
But there’s something familiar about it…
Book VIII,“The Beast of Rudinshtein”;script:Robbie Morrison;art:John Burns.

stomm2000ad:

Fine,fully painted cover(Prog1487,10May’06)from John Burns.
After killing scourge of the seas,The Kraken,Nikolai Dante has created a vacuum amongst the pirates of the Pacific.
His mother,Pirate Queen Katarina Dante has called a meeting to divide the disputed territories.
“Usurper”;script:Robbie Morrison;art John Burns(Book VII,“Sword of the Tsar”)

stomm2000ad:

Fun cover(Prog1421,12Jan’05)by John Burns as Nikolai Dante helps childhood girlfriend and pirate spy,Lauren Stone escape ninja assassins sent to kill her.
“Agent of Destruction”,(Book VI,“Hell and High Water”;script:Robbie Morrison;art:John Burns)

stomm2000ad:

Nikolai Dante poses the question that all women who know him should know the answer to! Great double page spread by regular Dante artist,John Burns “How Could You Believe Me..?”,Book VII,“Sword of the Tsar”;script:Robbie Morrison;art:John Burns;2000AD,Prog1428(2Mar’05)

stomm2000ad:

Wraparound cover for Prog1183(8Mar,’99)from iconic newspaper strip heroine(Jane,Modesty Blaise)artist,John Burns.I actually rather like this sumptuous cover,whilst also thinking Burns’ art doesn’t lend itself completely to the strip. Although he does period perfectly,Burns himself has admitted he struggles with sci-fi. Nevertheless he was about to embark on his longest ongoing series for 2000AD,“Tsar Wars”Vol.1(Book IV)

stomm2000ad:

Titanic cover art(Prog1520,17Jan’07)from John Burns.
Nikolai Dante as the Tsar’s right-hand man is sent to Amazonia,a somewhat familiar island ruled by women.
On arrival he is greeted with a challenge of giant proportions..
“Deadlier Than The Male”;Robbie Morrison:script;John Burns:art(Book VIII,“The Beast of Rudinshtein”)

hoverhawk:

Oh crap. Why the hell did I have to drop 2000AD for 4 years and miss the run-up to this?

I’m not a doctor but I did once play a heart monitor in Casualty, so I feel confident in saying this is due to a moderate to severe thrillsucker infestation. The answer is to up your thrilldose slightly by quickly catching up on one of 2000AD’s greatest modern stories.