Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 02

Lo siento, Juez Muerte, pero creo que éste es el mejor volumen de los primeros cinco. Es de lo mejor de Dredd.

IN questo volume trovate le seguenti saghe del giudice :TERRA MALEDETTA (in parte tradotta in italiano )GIORNO IN CUI LEGGE MORI' (qui il giudice DREDD si comporta da ribelle cosa strana devo dire ).ALBO IN BIANCO E NERO

Whilst Dredd volume 1 was a compilation of mediocre short stories that did not really world build or provide any character development whatsoever, volume 2 is the exact opposite. What you have exactly here are the first two Dredd epics- The Cursed Earth and the Day the Law Died- collected (but not in their entirety- more on that later). Thrown in at the back are several short stories. Both epics are absolutely fantastic and some of the best comics I've ever read- whilst dated, the momentum never lets up and the ferocity is always there. Cursed Earth is particularly memorable for Dredd's pseudo sidekick, Spikes Harvey Rotten, a criminal motorcyclist turned anti-hero when offered a clean slate. Add to this the tragic character of the alien Tweak and you already have a memorable set of characters- however, their trek across the Cursed Earth is what really stands out, the challenges that they face vary and are always life-or-death. Tension is always high and Dredd is a total badass in every scene. Whilst he has little character development, the genius in his writing is more in his interaction with others. A down-point for some of this particular printing is that four chapters have been removed due to copyright disputes. I read these chapters online, at: [...], but honestly they add very little to the story and only the completist should pursue copies of them down. And just when the Cursed Earth saga is finished, and we think Dredd is going to get a rest- Judge Cal takes over Mega City One in a fascist dictatorship and Dredd must lead an underground resistance against the mad tyrant. Whilst ridiculous at times, the story is fantastic for it's satire of 20th Century history. Whilst I thought Cursed Earth was the true standout of this collection, the Day the Law Died is still great. Both showcase why Dredd is such a fantastic character and round him out nicely, unlike the first volume. For new readers, I would simply skip the first volume and read this volume- it serves as a much better introduction to Dredd's world than the first and is actually fantastic. Included at the end are a few short stories, which are good adventures but one does question their inclusion in this volume- the volume could only have been strengthened by their removal. They'd find a better home in volume three, which is actually very short. Nonetheless, volume 2 is a fantastic collection and a must read for any comics reader looking to break into British comics. Roll on to volume 3!

Exactly as on the picture, and that was very important considering that there was two version off that book.

Well having given Volume 1 all Five stars, it would seem churlish not to continue the reviews on to Volume 2. Again taken from the 1970s this collection features the very first two ‘Mega Epics’ in Judge Dredd’s history. The ‘Cursed Earth’ which is first up features Dredd on a Mercy mission to the plague torn city of Mega City Two to deliver a vital antidote. More a series of loosely related vignettes than as cohesive as some of the later epics, it’s still a rollicking read. One thing I would say is that in this version here four stories are omitted on what were copyright grounds, relating to ‘Burger wars’, where the two protagonists look remarkably like two iconic ‘mascots’ of two American burger chains and Scientific experiments being conducted by someone resembling a purveyor of Southern Fried Chicken. In 2014 a court decision overturned the ban and the stories are republished so Dredd completists can obtain those stories in a separately published volume. However, even with the omissions this is a classic story - Yes at forty years old then you can criticise some of the character development but the action flows very well and the story is a gripping one.Following straight on from the ‘Cursed Earth’ is ‘The Day that the Law died’ the second Mega Epic. After being framed for murder following his return to Mega City one, Dredd proves his innocence but is then seriously injured while the city is taken over by the tyrannical Judge Cal. Modelled on the Portrayal of Caligula by the late John Hurt in the series ‘I,Claudius’ Cal is insane and Dredd has to save Mega city one from the tyrant’s yoke. This story is also compelling although it can be repetitive with the story looping round at least once to repeat and fill out the required prog quota, but Cal is a compelling character.There are several other stories in the volume, two worth seeking out are Dredd taking on the Cosmic punks and ‘Exo men’. With almost no Dud stories ( unlike volume one) this is simply indispensable for any fan. Thoroughly recommended and still holds up extremely well 3 to 4 decades after it was originally published...