Sunday 9 February 2014

Judge Dredd: Judge Death, Part 2

NAME
Judge Dredd: Judge Death, Part 2

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. and Tornado Prog 150

DATELINE
2 Feb 80

The Sesquicentennial Prog also includes Blackhawk, Captain Klep, The Stainless Steel Rat, Timequake and The V.C.'s, another in a line of postergraphs featuring The V.C.'s all behind a Carlos Ezquerra cover of The Stainless Steel Rat.

PAGE COUNT
5

REPRINTS
The Best Of 2000AD, The Best Of 2000AD 3, The Complete Judge Dredd 14, Judge Death: Dredd vs. Death, Judge Death Classic Judge Dredd, Judge Dredd Chronicles Book 1, Judge Death: Judge Dredd featuring Judge Death, Judge Dredd 1, Judge Dredd Paperbacks vs The Dark Judges and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 03, as well as being available online here.

SYNOPSIS
Dredd appeals to Psi-Division for help in finding Judge Death and Judge Anderson succeeds, but later Judge Death finds Anderson.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First appearance of Psi-Division and Judge Anderson. Anderson is also the first female Judge seen without her helmet.

INFORMATION
Psi-Division is made up on Judges trained for their abnormal psychic power. Psi-Judges wear the same uniform as other Judges, but instead of a name badge, Psi-Judges wear a badge that bears the word PSI. They are renowned for being highly-strung. A heavy Psi-session drains the operator and impedes their sleep. Judge Anderson is regarded as their best telepath.

Named Judges: Judge Anderson (Psi Division), Judge Runciman, Judge McCay.

It is possible to cross the span between dimensions.

Long ago on Judge Death's world, Judges deduced that since all crime was committed by the living, life itself must be a crime. They killed everyone on their world.

JUDGE DREDD
He takes Judge Death's corpse to the morgue and elicits the assistance of Tec Division and Psi-Division.

OTHER CHARACTERS
JUDGE DEATH
He has travelled from another dimension. He is susceptible to fire, but it will not kill him. Dredd orders the use of Incendiary rounds and Death's body is burnt to a charred husk, but his spirit escapes. After Anderson makes contact with him, Judge Death seeks her out and inhabits her body.

JUDGE ANDERSON
Telepath and Psi-Division's best operator. She is called in to contact Judge Death. Anderson does so by physically touching his corpse and speaks with his voice.


ARRESTS
None.

DEATHS
One. Judge Death kills Judge Runciman.

BEST LINES
Dredd: "I'd better fill you in, Anderson..."
Anderson: "Save your breath. I've already read you. Can't hide your guilty secrets from a telepath, you know!"
Dredd: "I have no guilty secrets."

WORST LINES
Judge: "He's gone up like a human torch!"
Dredd: "Not human!"

Is that really the issue here?

CATCHPHRASES
Death's "You cannot kill what doess not live!", a Judge and Anderson both say "Dok!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
The Tek is Part 1, spelled it Tech, while the Teks in Part 2 spell it Tec.

RETROSPECT
Judge Anderson will go on to become a very important part of the Dreddverse and star in her own strips Judge Anderson, Anderson Psi Division, Anderson Psi and Cadet Anderson.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: John Howard
Artist: Brian Bolland
Letters: Tom Frame

REVIEW
Anderson is an immediate breath of fresh air in a strip obsessed with the stench of decay. Judge Death's motivation ought to be ridiculously overblown, but its logic here is presented as airtight. Bolland's art maintains its quality and the dialogue remains superb.

Next Prog: The Monster Within!

No comments:

Post a Comment