This is part of 45 Year Of Thrills, How to Love Comics’ celebration of 2000 AD’s 45th anniversary throughout 2022. Find out more and read other posts in the series here.
Judge Dredd is the most popular strip in the 2000 AD anthology. Every week, readers have been treated to action-packed adventures, cautionary tales, and dark satires starring this Lawman of the Future and the world built up around him.
Although, with decades of comics, Judge Dredd can appear intimidating at first glance – especially if you’re unfamiliar with how British comics operate. It doesn’t need to be, though.
This comprehensive guide will give you everything you need to know to start reading Judge Dredd. It will answer as many questions as possible, offer plenty of ways to begin reading, and include many helpful tips throughout.
Read on to discover how to read Judge Dredd.
Table of contents
- Who was Judge Dredd created by?
- What is Judge Dredd about?
- Who is Judge Dredd?
- Is Judge Dredd a good guy or a bad guy?
- Why do people enjoy Judge Dredd?
- Where do Judge Dredd stories appear?
- The storytelling approach to Judge Dredd
- Judge Dredd’s approach to continuity
- How to start reading Judge Dredd
- Where can you read Judge Dredd?
- Where can I find Judge Dredd comics?
- What about the Judge Dredd spin-offs?
- Are there comics set in the world of the 2012 movie Dredd?
- Other American Judge Dredd comics
- Looking for story recommendations?
Who was Judge Dredd created by?
Judge Dredd was created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra in 1977.
What is Judge Dredd about?
The comic is set in a dystopian future, where much of the United States has been ravaged by nuclear war. Most of the population now live in Mega-City One, where hundreds of millions live in poor conditions and crime is rampant. Here, the Justice Department rules over the city, with The Judges enforcing their rule as judge, jury, and executioner.
Through this scenario, the series is a dark satire of authoritarianism, policing, and other facets of society. The strip explores these themes through different genres, including action, science fiction, parody, humour, thriller, procedural crime, and many more.
Who is Judge Dredd?
Joseph Dredd is one of the Judges of Mega-City One. He is the strictest follower of the Justice Department’s rules, following them to the letter without hesitation – even if they’re unjust. With his gun, the Lawgiver, and his “lawmaster” motorcycle, Dredd patrols the streets and deals out “justice”.
He is the personification of the law order, going as far as to proclaim, “I am the law!” on many occasions.
Is Judge Dredd a good guy or a bad guy?
If you’re unfamiliar with Judge Dredd, you’d assume he was a good guy. However, it’s a subject that’s not so black and white, with the character operating in shades of grey.
As discussed extensively, sometimes he’s the hero, saving Mega-City One from an external threat such as a supervillain or the apocalypse. However, at the same time, he’s a cop operating in an authoritarian society as part of a police force that acts as judge, jury, and executioner. To him, the law is the law. No rule is open to interpretation, even if it doesn’t seem fair. As a result, there are many stories where a criminal is brought to justice, but in a cruel irony, the victim also is punished for some minor infraction.
Writers have been able to explore these shades of grey by creating dark satires that explore different aspects of society and thrilling science fiction epics.
Why do people enjoy Judge Dredd?
While the world that the character and the world he lives in lean hard to the right, the vast majority of readers are left-leaning. This is because these ideas and concepts are an exaggerated science fiction-influenced reflection of our world. By showing them played out, they comment on what’s happening in the world today while also shining a spotlight on what could happen.
The character has endured for more than 45 years because it has been able to do it in so many different ways. Often giving readers not just a thematically interesting story but one that’s action-packed or full of humour too.
Where do Judge Dredd stories appear?
There are two places where Judge Dredd comic book stories primarily appear.
These are:
- 2000 AD
- Judge Dredd Megazine
Dredd first appeared in 2000 AD Prog* 2 all the way back in 1977. Here, Judge Dredd is one of many strips featured in the weekly anthology. During its publication history, a Judge Dredd strip has appeared in every issue except a few.
Judge Dredd Megazine came later in 1990 and is the sister series to 2000 AD. This monthly magazine publishes Judge Dredd’s stories in every issue, plus other strips set in Judge Dredd’s world.
Both publications are set in the same universe, with stories crossing over on the rare occasion. However, it’s not essential to read both in order to follow Judge Dredd. Think of it a bit like Batman and Detective Comics or Superman and Action Comics.
*Short for “program”, Prog is what 2000 AD call their issues.
The storytelling approach to Judge Dredd
If you’re a regular reader of American comics, you’d be used to reading comics in 18-25 page increments. Judge Dredd doesn’t work this way. Instead, it operates in the British tradition of serialisation in smaller increments.
Judge Dredd stories found in 2000 AD are released in ~5-page increments. Judge Dredd Megazine offers a bit more space, with chapters spanning ~10 pages.
While it’s not uncommon to see done-in-one stories, most Judge Dredd tales are told over a handful of chapters. Then there are the mega-epics. These are the huge stories – the equivalent of comic book events – told in anywhere between 15-50 chapters.
Judge Dredd’s approach to continuity
Judge Dredd has an approach to continuity that’s different from other comics. A lot of this comes from the fact the series progresses in real-time. One year in publication history is a year in Dredd’s world. As a result, Judge Dredd is perpetually set 122 years in the future.
With that in mind, Judge Dredd comics tend to rely less on previous stories when it comes to storytelling. You don’t need to have read 45 years of comics to understand the latest story. Most of the time, background reading is not required as the story is focused on what is happening in the world’s present-day as opposed to something published 20 years ago.
That’s not to say continuity doesn’t get involved. There are two ways that continuity can be involved in Judge Dredd stories:
- Pivotal moments in Judge Dredd: Huge events in Judge Dredd history can sometimes be referenced or have stories built from them. For instance, The Apocalypse War is still being referenced decades after it happened.
- Thematic sagas: These are a collection of self-contained stories that build off each other to evolve the exploration of a theme. The Democracy arc is a good example of this. The other is Mechanismo, which has many follow-ups.
That being said, I wouldn’t worry too much about continuity. Even the more continuity-focused stories have self-contained elements that readers will find value in. Just dive in and enjoy the stories!
How to start reading Judge Dredd
There’s no official best way to start reading Judge Dredd. You’ve just got to dive into it head-first.
You’ll pick up the shades of grey of the character, the world, and Mega-City One as you go. The majority of Judge Dredd’s stories are self-contained, so you should be fine as long as you’re not landing in the middle of an extended storyline.
Check out the next section to discover ways you can dive into Judge Dredd comics.
Where can you read Judge Dredd?
There are many ways to read Judge Dredd. Each option has its own perks and will depend on your preference as a reader and how much material you want to read.
Read on to find out each option to find out which one works for you.
2000 AD/Judge Dredd Megazine Progs
As mentioned earlier in this guide, Judge Dredd’s stories appear first in 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine. For those who enjoy the single issue experience, you can pick up the latest issue and enjoy the Judge Dredd stories every week/month.
If the latest issue is in the middle of a story, you might need to wait for another story to begin in a few weeks’ time. Otherwise, you could look for previous progs in print or digitally through the 2000 AD webshop.
This is not so much of an issue if you take out a digital subscription. One of the perks for subscribers is that they gain access to three months of previous progs – making it easy to catch up on what you’ve missed.
Free Samplers
Do you want to dip your toes into Judge Dredd before putting money down? Luckily, there’s a way to do that. When you sign-up for 2000 AD’s newsletter, you’ll have access to a range of free sampler PDFs – including a Judge Dredd one.
Alternatively, you can find the free sampler on the 2000 AD Webshop.
Essential Judge Dredd Line
The Essential Judge Dredd line is a series of curated collections that are an excellent introduction for new readers. Unlike The Complete Case Files (see more below), it’s a selection of Judge Dredd’s greatest hits, including mega-epics and notable sagas. Better yet, these are presented in oversized dimensions, allowing the art to shine.
The line is ongoing and publishes approximately two volumes a year. This section will be updated when more books are announced.
Take a look at the Essential Judge Dredd collections that are currently available.
Essential Judge Dredd: America
Written by John Wagner, Alan Grant, and Garth Ennis. Art by Colin MacNeil, John Higgins, John Burns, and Jeff Anderson.
Collects: Material from 2000 AD Prog 460, 531-533, 656, 750-756 and Judge Dredd Megazine 1.01-1.07
Essential Judge Dredd: America collects pivotal stories from the Democracy arc in one book. This includes Letter From a Democrat, Revolution, The Devil You Know, Politics, America, and Twilight’s Last Gleaming. These stories chart the movement for democracy in Mega-City One and explore the effects of an authoritarian society on the people.
While there are many highly regarded stories in this collection, the title story, America, is considered one of the most regarded Judge Dredd tales. If you’re looking to experience some of the high points of the strip, then this is a great place to start.
RELATED: Judge Dredd: America Is Even More Relevant 30 Years Later
Essential Judge Dredd: The Apocalypse War
Written by John Wagner and Alan Grant. Art by Carlos Ezquerra, Mike McMahon, Brian Bolland, Steve Dillion, and Ron Smith.
Collects: Material from 2000 AD Prog 236-267, 269-270
Originally published in the early 80s, The Apocalypse War and its prelude Block Mania are a science fiction look at the Cold War’s worst-case scenario. Mega-City One is at war with East Meg One (essentially Russia) – and it’s not going to end well for anyone.
The Apocalypse War was a sizable event, with few stories able to top it in scale. The events of it became an unshakable tentpole in Judge Dredd’s history, inspiring many subsequent stories – often in surprising ways.
Essential Judge Dredd: Origins
Written by John Wagner. Art by Carlos Ezquerra and Kev Walker.
Collects: Material from 2000 AD Prog 1505-1519, 2007 (Christmas Special), 1529-1535
As previously mentioned, Judge Dredd is a comic that tends to focus on looking forward instead of looking backwards. However, readers were treated to an extended look at Judge Dredd’s origin in this story.
Essential Judge Dredd: Dredd Vs Death
Written by John Wagner and Alan Grant. Art by Brian Bolland, Brett Ewins, Cliff Robinson, and Robin Smith.
Collects: Material from 2000 AD Prog 149-151, 224-228, 416-427, 1114-1115, 1168 and Dice Man #1.
This is a collection of early and notable appearances of the Judge Death and the Dark Judges. Included is Judge Death Lives!, which features the most famous Judge Dredd panel ever.
Essential Judge Dredd: Necropolis
Written by John Wagner. Art by Carlos Ezquerra.
Collects: Material from 2000 AD Prog 669-699
Necropolis is another Dark Judges story that takes the horror-centric storytelling and ramps up the scale to align with the mega-epics like the previously mentioned Apocalypse War.
The Dark Judges have arrived during a time when Judge Dredd is in self-exile in The Cursed Earth. As a result, The Dark Judges are unopposed and cause havoc on a scale not seen before.
This is one of the more continuity-heavy stories in the Essential Judge Dredd line. Readers would benefit from reading The Dead Man and Tale of the Dead Man beforehand. Being too long for this collection, the events of these stories are summarised at the beginning of the book. Check out Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 14 as an alternative to reading this story along with the build-up.
RELATED: Necropolis: The Horror-Drenched Judge Dredd Epic
Essential Judge Dredd: Judgement Day
Written by Garth Ennis. Art by Carlos Ezquerra, Peter Doherty, Dean Ormston, Chris Halls, and Anthony Williams.
Collects: Material from 2000 AD Prog 786-799 and Judge Dredd Megazine 2.04-2.09
Judgement Day is a mega epic that saw Judge Dredd teaming up with Strontium Dog’s Johnny Alpha. In this mega-epic, the pair must prevent a zombie apocalypse from taking over Mega-City One.
Essential Judge Dredd: Tour of Duty Book One
Written by John Wagner. Art by Colin MacNeil, Patrick Goddard, Nick Dyer, Kev Walker, and Rufus Dayglo.
Collects: 2000 AD Prog #1520, 1536, 1542-1548, 1569-1575, 1577-1581, 1589-1595, 1600-1603 & 2008 Christmas Mega-Special.
Essential Judge Dredd: Tour of Duty Book Two
Written by John Wagner, Al Ewing, Robbie Morrison, and Gordon Rennie. Art by Simon Fraser, Carl Critchlow, Colin MacNeil, Cliff Robinson, PJ Holden, Mike Collins and Paul Marshall.
Collects: 2000 AD Prog 1611-1612, 1628-1633, 1649-1671 & 2010 Christmas Special.
Essential Judge Dredd: Tour of Duty Book Three
Written by John Wagner, Robbie Mirrison, Al Ewing, and Rob Williams. Art by Carlos Ezquerra, John Higgins, Patrick Goddard, Kev Walker, John Haward, Lee Sullivan, Kevin Walker, Jon Haward, Colin MacNeil, Guy Davis, and Hector Ezquerra.
Collects: Judge Dredd Megazine 289-292, 296; and 2000 AD Prog 1672-1685, 1687-1693.
Essential Judge Dredd: Tour of Duty Book Three will be published on 23rd April, 2025.
Buy Essential Judge Dredd collections on…
The Complete Case Files
If you want to read big chunks of Judge Dredd’s publication history, then The Complete Case Files are the way to go. These collect Judge Dredd in chronological order of publication in about 300 pages of comics – roughly 6-12 months of Dredd’s publication history. It’s the Dredd equivalent to Marvel’s Epic Collections or the DC Finest reprint line.
A previous version of this guide listed all the Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files volumes. However, with 40+ available it made this page incredibly large. As a result, I’ve moved it to a dedicated page and included a lot more additional detail.
USEFUL RESOURCE: Looking for a particular Judge Dredd story/stories in The Complete Case Files? Wikipedia user Richard75 has created invaluable indexes that can be cross-referenced with the details below. Check out the 2000 AD Judge Dredd Index and the Judge Dredd Megazine Index.
Buy Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files on:
In addition to The Complete Case Files, there are collections known as The Restricted Files. These follow a similar format but collect strips and rarities were not included in 2000 AD or the Megazine.
Judge Dredd: The Restricted Files 01
Written by Alan Grant, John Wagner, Malcolm Shaw, and Steve Moore. Art by Brendan McCarthy, Brett Ewins, Brian Bolland, Carlos Ezquerra, Jose Casanovas, Cliff Robinson, Colin Wilson, Ian Gibson, Keith Page, Kevin O’Neill, Mike McMahon, Robin Smith, Steve Dillon, David Jackson, and John Byrne.
Collects: Material from 2000 AD Annuals and Specials
Publication Years: 1977-1984
In Universe Years: 2099-2106
Judge Dredd: The Restricted Files 02
Written by Alan Grant and John Wagner. Art by Arthur Ranson, Brendan McCarthy, Brett Ewins, Bryan Talbot, Cam Kennedy, Carlos Ezquerra, Jose Casanovas, Ian Gibson, Jeff Anderson, John Higgins, Kev Hopgood, Kevin Walker, Mark Farmer, Mick Austin, Mike Collins, Steve Dillon, Vanyo, Will Simpson, Tony Wright, and Phil Elliot.
Collects: Material from 2000 AD Annuals and Specials
Publication Years: 1985-1989
In Universe Years: 2107-2111
Judge Dredd: The Restricted Files 03
Written by Alan Grant, Alan McKenzie, Dan Abnett, John Smith, John Wagner, Mark Millar, Peter Milligan, Robbie Morrison, Simon Furman, Steve White, Tony Luke, and Andy Lanning. Art by Brett Ewins, Cam Kennedy, Cliff Robinson, Colin MacNeil, David Roach, Dean Ormston, Dermot Power, Geoff Senior, Greg Staples, Ian Gibson, John Burns, Kev Hopgood, Lee Sullivan, Mike Hadley, Paul Grist, Paul Marshall, Ron Smith, Shaky Kane, Steve Yeowell, Glyn Dillon, Manual B, Simon Hunter, Edmund Kitsune, and Richard Preston.
Collects: Material from 2000 AD Annuals and Specials
Publication Years: 1990-1993
In Universe Years: 2112-2115
Judge Dredd: The Restricted Files 04
Written by Alan Barnes, Alan Grant, Alan McKenzie, Gordon Rennie, Jim Alexander, John Wagner, Marc Wigmore, Mark Millar, Pat Mills, Robbie Morrison, and Si Spencer. Art by Adrian Salmon, Bryan Talbot, Calum Alexander Watt, Carlos Ezquerra, Cliff Robinson, Colin MacNeil, Dean Ormston, Del Frost, Henry Flint, Jim Baikie, Jim O’Ready, Jim Vickers, John Burns, John Hicklenton, John Richardson, Mike Perkins, Paul Neary, Paul Peart, Peter Doherty, Robin Smith, Rufus Dayglo, Sean Longcroft, Shaky Kane, Simon Jacob, Stuart Mac, Tony Luke, Trevor Hairsine, Roberto Corona, Sammy Martini, John Cromer, Morak, C. Bravery, Jack Couvela, James Joyce, and Sean McNaughton.
Collects: Material from 2000 AD Annuals and Specials
Publication Years: 1994-2012
In Universe Years: 2116-2134
Trade paperbacks collections
Judge Dredd stories are also available in trade paperback collections. Unlike The Complete Case Files, these are less focused on collecting everything and more on a particular story, theme, or work from a creator.
There are way too many Judge Dredd collections to list in this guide. My advice is to browse the 2000 AD Webshop’s Judge Dredd section. There you will find what is available (in print and digitally) and descriptions of the stories featured in them. Check out the ones that grab your interest.
Buy Judge Dredd collected editions on…
The IDW Material
IDW Publishing acquired the rights to Judge Dredd in the 2010s for comics specifically for the US market. During this time, the publisher released ongoing series, many miniseries, coloured reprints, and hardcover collections focused on Judge Dredd creators that were known in the US.
These comics don’t 100% align with the original Judge Dredd comics found in 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine. Instead, they have their own continuity. However, they don’t stray too far away, making them a good introduction to the character, concepts, and settings.
IDW’s Judge Dredd comics are easy to pick up, with the miniseries telling a self-contained story. They’re also written assuming that readers might not know much about Judge Dredd. As a result, you shouldn’t be lost while reading them.
Find out more about the IDW comics by heading to the Wikipedia page.
Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection
Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection was a partworks series that published hardcover collections of Judge Dredd stories. It ran from 2015-2018 in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand for an impressive 90 volumes.
The stories featured are a mix of classics, curiosities, and Judge Dredd spin-offs in a nice collectable edition. Most of these are self-contained, so you could pick almost any of these and get a satisfying read without prior reading.
These partwork collections are long out of print, but you can find them on eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.
Where can I find Judge Dredd comics?
Now that you know how to read Judge Dredd, you need to know where you can find them. I go deep into this topic as part of the 2000 AD guide. Check that out if you want a more comprehensive explanation.
However, 2000 AD, Judge Dredd Megazine, and collected editions can be found in all good comic book shops, online stores, eBay, Amazon/Kindle, and the 2000 AD Webshop.
Find out more about where you can find comics and graphic novels with this comprehensive guide.
What about the Judge Dredd spin-offs?
With so many Judge Dredd stories over the decades, the series has built itself into a significant world full of all kinds of characters and concepts. As a result, there have been numerous strips that explore different corners of Dredd’s world.
What often is the case, a character will appear in a Judge Dredd strip and either resonates with readers or the creative team want to explore that character further. By giving them their own strip, readers can see Judge Dredd’s world from another perspective or experience different kinds of storytelling within the context of the franchise.
Other times, a Judge Dredd spin-off will offer the readers a particular question. The most popular is “What is the Judges Department like in other countries?”, which has allowed writers to explore different possibilities on the Judge Dredd formula.
Some notable spin-offs include:
- Judge Anderson, Psi Division
- Judge Death
- The Fall of Deadworld
- Devlin Waugh
- Tales from the Black Museum
- Chopper
- Lawless
- The Simping Detective
- Insurrection
- Cursed Earth Koburn
- Mean Machine
- Armitage
In most cases, the spin-offs don’t require much, or any, prior reading. However, they’re best enjoyed if you have some understanding of the Judge Dredd franchise. As a result, you’re better off checking them out after you’ve read a few stories first.
Are there comics set in the world of the 2012 movie Dredd?
Yep. While that movie never got the sequel many fans hoped for, Rebellion published several comics set in its world. Find out more about them here.
Other American Judge Dredd comics
I’ve already mentioned the IDW material. However, they’re not the only publisher that has published Judge Dredd comics in the American market.
From 1983-1986, Eagle Comics reprinted 2000 AD material. Judge Dredd was a fixture of these reprints, with an ongoing series (running for 33 issues) and a number of limited series. The series was picked up by Quality Comics, with an additional two issues were released before being relaunched. This new reprint series ran into 1991 for a total of 61 issues.
DC Comics also flirted with Judge Dredd in the mid-90s to capitalise on the popularity of the 1995 movie starring Sylvester Stallone. There was a title called Judge Dredd, which ran for 18 issues. The series was based on its own continuity, separating it from any other version. This was followed up by Judge Dredd – Legends of the Law, which was aligned closer to the 2000 AD version thanks to John Wagner and Alan Grant’s involvement.
2000 AD/Rebellion has recently collected Legends of the Law in trade paperback.
However, the DC Comics tenure is best known for Batman/Judge Dredd: Judgment on Gotham. This 1991 story – written by John Wagner and Alan Grant, with art by Simon Bisley – was a huge success in the US and UK and helped raise Dredd’s profile. It was followed up by Batman/Judge Dredd: Vendetta in Gotham (1993), Batman/Judge Dredd: The Ultimate Riddle (1995), and Batman/Judge Dredd: Die Laughing (1998).
Looking for story recommendations?
Not sure what Judge Dredd story you should read? While I have mentioned many stories throughout this guide, I’m currently putting together a mega-list of Judge Dredd reading recommendations. Look out for it towards the end of the year.
Have your say!
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hello, is judge dredd omnibus year 1-3 reffer to 2099-2101 or 1977-1980??