Review by Frank Plowright

There’s a new ruling council of Judges and the acting Chief Judge is corrupt. Judge Dredd has been placed out of sight and out of mind, ostensibly overseeing the construction of housing for mutants to be expelled from Mega-City One. He knows something is wrong, but is biding his time, which is why it’s not until halfway through that John Wagner picks up events again.

In the meantime a variety of writers pitch their Dredd in the Cursed Earth stories. Robbie Morrison takes the opportunity to run a Mad Max scenario, which works very well with Kev Walker on the art, while Al Ewing and Patrick Goddard opt for a Western with mutants. Ewing writes more than anyone else, and his best concerns the mutant sex industry as joyfully drawn by Mike Collins. It’s straightforward, but extremely effective in leading to a harsh ending.

‘Out Law’ is a relatively early Judge Dredd script from Rob Williams notable for a rare appearance of an American artist delineating Dredd. It’s a bleak and simple tale of Dredd coming across a community with a local monster and their own harsh rule of law, definitely enhanced by Guy Davis’ facility for designing characters and monsters with the same spookiness he supplies on B.P.R.D.

None of this earlier material made Tour of Duty: Mega-City Justice, which only reprints the material written by Wagner.

When Wagner takes over for the remainder of Book Three the content jumps from good to great. Wagner’s run stories about Judges over-reaching their authority before, but not combined with the activities of a serial killing genius. P.J. Maybe is believed dead, but is actually hiding in plain sight as Mayor Ambrose, and Wagner combines Judge Sinfeld’s increasing authoritarianism with Maybe’s distinctive mis-spelled narrative captions and outrage.

Although this one of Wagner’s more serious Dredd thrillers any story featuring P.J. Maybe isn’t going to be without humour, so there’s a good running joke through a plot where Wagner keeps shifting the ground. Every time it seems the path is pointing in one direction Wagner manages to swerve away. John Higgins (sample spread left) then Mike Collins (sample art right) are followed as artists by Carlos Ezquerra. Collins is good and Higgins better, but Ezquerra at first seems out of sorts. There’s that distinctive Ezquerra style, but lacking depth and personality. After a few episodes, though, his definitive strengths re-emerge.

Apparently not everyone enjoys Dredd stories strong on political manoeuvring, and half of this book certainly is, but it’s also incredibly tightly plotted, constantly surprising and retains a tension until the end. The ending is the only week spot, Wagner acting against the reality he’s so comprehensively set-up via a perhaps sentimental attachment to Maybe. Then again, for the sake of a series it’s best a good villain has the possibility of returning.

Including more material from Dredd’s time in the Cursed Earth definitely results in a diluted collection compared with the taut original editions, but there’s much to enjoy about them also, and some readers will want the complete experience. They’ll also find it in Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 48.