Review by Frank Plowright

Complete Case Files 49 continues with Judge Dredd exiled to the Cursed Earth while a corrupt Chief Judge tightens his grip on Mega-City One, and it opens with a black-hearted classic from John Wagner. As seen in Complete Case Files 48 Judge Sinfeld has connived to have all threats within the Justice Department negated, but hasn’t anticipated the genius of old Dredd foe P.J. Maybe. There’s a masterful revelation of his current identity and a succession of dark, but funny incidents in a story edited together to occupy around a third of a large collection. This content also forms the bulk of Tour of Duty Book Three.

The sample art combines John Higgins and Colin MacNeil, who alternate on most of the opening story, their styles distinct but equally polished, but Carlos Ezquerra’s pages toward the end lack his usual finesse for a while. He’s drawn so much Dredd he’s surely not rusty, but the essential rawness is absent.

‘Tour of Duty’ ends with Dredd restored to Mega-City One and the remainder of the book is short stories by various creators. Of those originally published in 2000AD, the best is ‘A Home for Aldous Mayou’. It’s a bittersweet treat from Al Ewing and PJ Holden about a scientist whose dedication is too great. Sepia colouring over Holden’s stylish Victorian pastiche is a nice touch.

Some stories originally serialised in Judge Dredd Megazine also found their way into Tour of Duty Book Three, including a funny sex industry pastiche from Ewing and Mike Collins. There’s some excellent illustration from Peter Doherty, Leigh Gallagher and even American artist Guy Davis, but the writing doesn’t ever entirely hit the same heights. Megazine short stories are longer than 2000AD short stories and plots are frequently stretched a little too far. That’s not the case for Wagner and MacNeil’s conversation with flashbacks ‘Judgement Call’, in which Judge Beeny is given a good role.

The volume closes with a selection of ‘Lost Cases’, in which Alan Grant revisits some key moments in Dredd’s history, offering alternative viewpoints drawn by a variety of artists. Events covered are the inspiration of Chopper winning Skysurf (Nick Dyer art), Block Mania (Holden), the Sov Invasion (David Roach), the Robot War (Anthony Williams), another visit to the Graveyard Shift (Roach) and the Democracy movement (Paul Marshall). Grant underlines Dredd’s absolute adherence to unreasonable laws on principle and comes up with some neat ideas playing around the edges of the big events. The Sov invasion during the Apocalypse War is the highlight, a sentimental story of desperate ordinary people elevated by Roach’s elegant wash art.

While not everything is solid gold, there’s little that disappoints, making Complete Case Files 49 another solid experience for Dredd fans.