ENNIS, GARTH & DILLON, STEVE – JUDGE DREDD – ALMIGHTY DREDD – In EMERALD ISLE 2001 Titan Books. 2000 AD
The second story in a collection that mixes the
ultra-violence of Judge Dredd with stark political satire of the most hilarious
kind. Judge Dredd and other judges in Mega City One raid a sugar refinery in a
future totalitarian state called Mega City One, where all the American cities
have merged into one vast metropolis with people bordering on anarchy and the
police acting as instant judge, jury and often as executioner as well. The raid
is on a place where sugar is seen as a drug worthy of prohibition. The judge’s
kill and arrest a number of criminals involved in the illegal operation, but
one suspect finds himself abducted by two men who have secretly watched
proceedings. These prove to be followers of a cult, which regards Dredd
personally as their God. They have built a shrine to him, and worship his
justice as divine providence. They have been sacrificing evildoers in his name
and the abducted man is their latest in the long line of victims. The cult
members fully expect Dredd to come to save them, expecting him to champion
their cause. Of course, Dredd does find out about the cult, and he is
understandably horrified. He heads for their temple and brutally puts down the
cult, who feel betrayed by his failure to understand their faith. The leader
flees, but falls off the roof of his church, hanging on by his fingers a great
way up. Dredd offers to help him up and take him to prison, but the man is so
fanatical that he cuts his own hand off for it having offended Dredd, his God,
and plummets to his death. A thoughtful, and fun look at secular and religious
concepts of justice and retribution, by two of the best authors to work for
2000 AD. http://www.2000adonline.com/
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