Cements on Greatness - Rated 
If you've been following the series thus far, you'll know that a lot of Dredd's early stories - even as late as Book 3 - simply weren't very good. Having not read any of these the first time around I'm free of rose-tinted glasses, and can readily admit it. Book 1 was riddled with them, let's face it; Book 2 had one or two sneak into the back; and while Book 3 on the whole managed to avoid them, it's Book 4 that is entirely free of the blighters.
Seriously - I dare you to find a single clunker in this volume - and considering the size of it, it's no mean feat to have avoided any. This book represents a creative team hitting their peak. Finally at ease with both the character of Dredd and the world he inhabits (boy, this strip sure did take a long time to find its feet) John Wagner, joined here by writing partner Alan Grant, really goes to town. So comfortable have they become with Mega-City One that they send Dredd off on a galaxy-spanning quest, letting us see into this previously unexplored area of his universe. Classic villians aplenty are thrown into the mix to test their wits against him - the Angel gang in particular emerge as brilliant creations - and, in the same way that we were introduced to Anderson for the first time last volume - Dredd's supporting cast gets several more noteworthy additions. At times it's difficult to believe that only two men wrote this book, so bursting with ideas is it. Horror, out-and-out sci-fi, comedy, adventure - the stories cover everything.
The art team hits a peak here, too. The bulk of the art chores are handled by Bolland, McMahon and realtive newcomer to the strip Ron Smith - between them, these three giants of Dredd's early years show that no-one can draw Dredd quite like they can. You simply can't fault it. There were even better things on the horizon, but this could quite rightly be considered the start of Dredd's golden years.
Dredd Evolved - Rated 
The collected volumes in this series certainly demonstrate how the most influential UK comic book character developed over time. I deliberately didn't buy the first volume because I remember the early Dredd stories as being not as interesting or well-written as the later ones - this feeling was confirmed when reading the Cursed Earth storyline in volume 2 for the very first time.
With volume 4, however, the series becomes a lot more interesting. The first half of this collection consists of The Judge Child Quest, while the second half is assorted shorter storylines involving Dredd cracking heads on the streets.
Frankly, I had forgotten how good the Judge Child Quest was. I had forgotten how charismatic the Angel Gang were & how very, very alien the aliens are. Forget Star Trek & its people with prosthetic lumps on their heads acting like humans - here we have a surreal Monty Python-esque world where illegal 'aliens' stay in a building shaped like a giant foot & the human Dredd seeks is literally disappearing one piece at a time. Then there's the planet where the rich have their minds stored in biochips & hire other peoples' bodies & a world where every day a new war is fought & televised, purely for entertainment. The choice of artists is well thought-out, too - his imagination & attention to background detail make Bolland perfect for The Jigsaw Man whereas McMahon's moodier style suits the gothic horror of the oracle spice plot arc.
While The Judge Child Quest focuses on Dredd the action hero, 'Alone In The Crowd' is a critique of Mega-City One's totalitarian society. A citizen keeps his head down while muggers attack another passer-by. When Dredd later collars the muggers, another citizen keeps his head down & displays an equal amount of fear. A further hint of similar themes to come is 'Un-American Graffiti', featuring the first appearance of Chopper, the thrill-seeking, freedom-obsessed hero of the people who later became a very significant character in Dredd's world. Also included is the revenge of Fink Angel, one of my favourite villains as a child.
Reading this volume in hindsight means that a seemingly insignificant story in which the Sovs attack Mega-City One is clearly a precursor to the Apocalypse War storyline collected in volume 5. The Apocalypse War is the point where Dredd's world really turned around & became a lot more interesting, innovative & mature than the average 2000AD action strip. I have only given this collection 4 stars because 5 are reserved for that volume.
Collected dredd - Rated
This is the fourth book in a long series that collects all of Dredds adventures in one format, the main story in this collection is The search for the Judge Child which see's the first apperence of Judge Hershey. This is a fantastic series both for new and old readers alike.
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