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Judge Dredd (IDW) #9-11
Judge Dredd: Mega-City Zero
An epic story that pits Judge Dredd against forces shaping the history of civilization. Ushering in a brave new era, Judge Dredd awakens to find that Mega-City One has been sent back to the Stone Age, with city blocks overgrown and nary a citizen to be found. Witness as Dredd struggles to unravel the mystery as he copes with being just an ordinary Joe. Collects all 12 issues.
- GenresComicsGraphic NovelsArt
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 28, 2018
Had a walk at a bookstore some day ago and found there this massive volume of IDW's Judge Dredd. Being a long time diehard fan of the character, just could not leave it there so I "adopted" it.
Well... this was just not your usual tale of the future fascist lawman.
Poor Joe Dredd wakes up in a radical changed setting, with Mega-City One gone and a green "Blessed Earth" grassland in the place of the old and familiar Cursed Earth radioactive desert.
This mistery about what happened to Dredd's iconic setting is the main storyline of the book: Dredd have to find out what the hell gone wrong, trying a way to undo it, restore his beloved Law to a world far crazier and dangerous than usual, while fighting against amnesia, lack of supplies and absistence, communities of crazy anarchs, misogynistic sadists living in a virtual "Matrix", nazi grammars, cannibal vegans and much more.
All while taking care of three little feral girls (Lolo, Iggy and Quill) calling him "Judge Dad", and their dog ("Pug Dredd" XD).
So, the Dredd starring here is a far different from the usual one too: he is a good man, an human being with feelings, taking care of the girls, raising them and training them to be Judge cadets in a world without law and order, with cameos of iconic characters from old 2000 AD Dredd stories and one of the saddest (and brutal) "villain secret origin tale" ever.
Loved the story, the characters, the awesome covers collected in the volume, the "Frank Miller style" artworks, and the "fish out of water" confused Judge Dad is just a better man than the fascist Judge Dredd of the past.
The radical change of the setting is a new starting point but not going to be liked by a lot of readers, but hey, this is IDW american version of old stone faced Dredd, not the original british one from the pages of 2000 AD, just see it like an original "What If" tale.
I've done it that way and enjoyed the ride.
A lot.
April 5, 2022
"Mega-City Zero" is an archetypal example of why you shouldn't let "woke" millennial writers near any decent franchise.
JD wakes to find himself in a bizarre pastoral land with no memory of how he got there and seemingly no trace of Mega-City One anywhere to be found. How did he get there?Where has MC1 gone? And who is responsible?
Sounds like a promising concept, right?
Wrong.
It's completely thrown away by the book's authors - who proceed to squander the next twelve issues by using them to engage in what amounts to little more than a hysterical allegorical screed concerning social media, oppression and internet culture. How satirical, how groundbreaking, how trite, misjudged (pun intended) and deeply drokking ordinary.
If you want to know where the sensibilities of this book's creators lie, one need look no further than the fact that Dredd and his ragtag band of followers find solace for most of the book in a "safe space" policed by automated drones who punish its occupants for engaging in the dread sin of micro-aggressions.
Thank Grud I got this one out of the library, because if I'd wasted my hard-earned on it, I would have been demanding a minimum of 20 years in an Iso-Cube for everyone involved.
JD wakes to find himself in a bizarre pastoral land with no memory of how he got there and seemingly no trace of Mega-City One anywhere to be found. How did he get there?Where has MC1 gone? And who is responsible?
Sounds like a promising concept, right?
Wrong.
It's completely thrown away by the book's authors - who proceed to squander the next twelve issues by using them to engage in what amounts to little more than a hysterical allegorical screed concerning social media, oppression and internet culture. How satirical, how groundbreaking, how trite, misjudged (pun intended) and deeply drokking ordinary.
If you want to know where the sensibilities of this book's creators lie, one need look no further than the fact that Dredd and his ragtag band of followers find solace for most of the book in a "safe space" policed by automated drones who punish its occupants for engaging in the dread sin of micro-aggressions.
Thank Grud I got this one out of the library, because if I'd wasted my hard-earned on it, I would have been demanding a minimum of 20 years in an Iso-Cube for everyone involved.
February 7, 2021
Judge Dredd: Mega-City Zero is a neon mirror.
December 31, 2017
Not enough Pug Dredd.
August 7, 2018
PUG DREDD!!! I love me some Pug Dredd, and this has him. Therefore an automatic half star for the K-9 appearance.
With Pug Dredd out of the way, I will say that Ulises Farinas seems to be a bit of a polarizing figure. Either you love his work, or you don't. I'm really keen on his artwork, and his covers here are great, but it is slightly disappointing to open the book and not be greeted with his artwork page after page. This isn't to say the artwork is terrible, it's really not, you clearly get a sense of everything that is going on and who the characters are. As far as the story goes, there is a whole lot that I love about it, but the actual mechanics of the grass didn't make sense and slightly confused me. Once I glossed over that, I was right back in the tale of Mega City One/Zero and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
All in all, Judge Dredd is a tough comic to just jump into the middle of. SO much of the world has been built over the last 20+ years that not only is it dense, it is hard to do something fresh or new and from a reader standpoint it's hard to know where to start.
I'd argue that this is a fantastic jumping off point. You get enough history to whet you appetite for other Dredd stories while also at the same time jumping into the new Dredd world of IDW as opposed to 2000 AD. OG Dredd fans will likely have an issue with the series, but I don't think you can really please ANY OG comic fan with changes to their favorite character, but even fictional guys have to grow (at least a super tiny bit) and move on.
With Pug Dredd out of the way, I will say that Ulises Farinas seems to be a bit of a polarizing figure. Either you love his work, or you don't. I'm really keen on his artwork, and his covers here are great, but it is slightly disappointing to open the book and not be greeted with his artwork page after page. This isn't to say the artwork is terrible, it's really not, you clearly get a sense of everything that is going on and who the characters are. As far as the story goes, there is a whole lot that I love about it, but the actual mechanics of the grass didn't make sense and slightly confused me. Once I glossed over that, I was right back in the tale of Mega City One/Zero and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
All in all, Judge Dredd is a tough comic to just jump into the middle of. SO much of the world has been built over the last 20+ years that not only is it dense, it is hard to do something fresh or new and from a reader standpoint it's hard to know where to start.
I'd argue that this is a fantastic jumping off point. You get enough history to whet you appetite for other Dredd stories while also at the same time jumping into the new Dredd world of IDW as opposed to 2000 AD. OG Dredd fans will likely have an issue with the series, but I don't think you can really please ANY OG comic fan with changes to their favorite character, but even fictional guys have to grow (at least a super tiny bit) and move on.
Read
June 15, 2019The year long story ‘Mega City One’ has been collected together in one huge 12 issue volume that tells a hugely different type of Judge Dredd story, one that has made massive changes to the current status quo for Dredd and his universe that are still playing out today.
The story begins with Judge Dredd waking up in a sea of green, grass covering everything the eye can see. Through some initial investigating Dredd, and the readers, discover that this is what remains of Mega City One. The huge Mega Blocks are gone, the sky is no longer full of vehicles, the streets are no more. All that remains of Dredd’s home is endless grass.
This is the main mystery and drive of the book, as Dredd not only pieces together what happened to Mega City One, but must try to find a way of undoing it, if possible, and restoring law and order to the land. Along the way he meets a trio of young girls, Quill, Lolo, and Iggy, that he initially arrests, but then ends up taking under his wing, caring for them, raising them, and even training them to be Judges. The relationship between Dredd and the girls is one of the highlights of the book, especially as it shows a more caring side to a character that often gets stereotyped as cold and uncaring.
Whilst he’s not suddenly a happy and loving person, he does mellow enough to show that under that stern expression and Judge’s uniform he’s still a human being, capable of caring for others. This weird family is a great addition to Dredd’s world, and whilst the girls initially hate him, they really do even come to care deeply for him come the end of the book, calling him Judge Dad on more than one occasion. The addition of the helmet wearing pug, named Pug Dredd, completes the family unit.
The mystery of the grass and the disappearance of 800 million plays out slowly, making room for smaller, single issue adventures along the way. Dredd and the girls come across a society of people who put grammar above everything, a misogynistic men’s rights matrix simulation, and even a group of cannibalistic vegans. Judge Dredd has always been a book with some degree of social commentary and poking fun of of the times it’s made in, whether it be the subtle naming of stories, to in your face characters and events, and this continues here in ‘Mega City Zero’, with issues such as ‘Grammar Nazi’s’, ‘#NotAllMen’ and ‘You Have 4 New Followers’.
Though some of these issues feel very stand alone to begin with, it becomes clear that they are playing some small part in a much bigger whole come the end of the book, with these experiences not just shaping Dredd into the man that he must become for this new world, but also filling in a lot of the gaps in the history of what has happened since the destruction of Mega City One.
The book crafts a long and interesting story, one that is as much about it’s characters as it is something of a reboot of the Judge Dredd universe. It takes it’s time letting you get to know the girls, as well as giving a good insight into how Dredd himself has changed. It takes a lot of the history of the universe and uses this to inform it’s decisions, yet manages to create a unique jumping on point for new readers as it establishes it’s own version of the Judge Dredd franchise.
This isn’t a reboot, but it does act like a reset. It takes everything that was great and entertaining about the franchise and begins it anew and refreshed, setting into play a different and exciting new era for the character.
The story begins with Judge Dredd waking up in a sea of green, grass covering everything the eye can see. Through some initial investigating Dredd, and the readers, discover that this is what remains of Mega City One. The huge Mega Blocks are gone, the sky is no longer full of vehicles, the streets are no more. All that remains of Dredd’s home is endless grass.
This is the main mystery and drive of the book, as Dredd not only pieces together what happened to Mega City One, but must try to find a way of undoing it, if possible, and restoring law and order to the land. Along the way he meets a trio of young girls, Quill, Lolo, and Iggy, that he initially arrests, but then ends up taking under his wing, caring for them, raising them, and even training them to be Judges. The relationship between Dredd and the girls is one of the highlights of the book, especially as it shows a more caring side to a character that often gets stereotyped as cold and uncaring.
Whilst he’s not suddenly a happy and loving person, he does mellow enough to show that under that stern expression and Judge’s uniform he’s still a human being, capable of caring for others. This weird family is a great addition to Dredd’s world, and whilst the girls initially hate him, they really do even come to care deeply for him come the end of the book, calling him Judge Dad on more than one occasion. The addition of the helmet wearing pug, named Pug Dredd, completes the family unit.
The mystery of the grass and the disappearance of 800 million plays out slowly, making room for smaller, single issue adventures along the way. Dredd and the girls come across a society of people who put grammar above everything, a misogynistic men’s rights matrix simulation, and even a group of cannibalistic vegans. Judge Dredd has always been a book with some degree of social commentary and poking fun of of the times it’s made in, whether it be the subtle naming of stories, to in your face characters and events, and this continues here in ‘Mega City Zero’, with issues such as ‘Grammar Nazi’s’, ‘#NotAllMen’ and ‘You Have 4 New Followers’.
Though some of these issues feel very stand alone to begin with, it becomes clear that they are playing some small part in a much bigger whole come the end of the book, with these experiences not just shaping Dredd into the man that he must become for this new world, but also filling in a lot of the gaps in the history of what has happened since the destruction of Mega City One.
The book crafts a long and interesting story, one that is as much about it’s characters as it is something of a reboot of the Judge Dredd universe. It takes it’s time letting you get to know the girls, as well as giving a good insight into how Dredd himself has changed. It takes a lot of the history of the universe and uses this to inform it’s decisions, yet manages to create a unique jumping on point for new readers as it establishes it’s own version of the Judge Dredd franchise.
This isn’t a reboot, but it does act like a reset. It takes everything that was great and entertaining about the franchise and begins it anew and refreshed, setting into play a different and exciting new era for the character.
February 28, 2021
Dredd as ever
Please never change you wondrous fascist lawman from the GrimDArk. The infestation hasn't got you yet, but you know those fiends would love you in a dress and dispensing justice with kindly words and apologies about being white. They will of course ignores that a chief judge from the90s was a trans character.....all this is new to them,and old and boring to us. It's not like sales of titles for 2005 comics are skyrocketing ( along with their values) and that new comic sales are tanking. That's not happening at all....it's all ists and phobes review bombing new titles.....nothing to do at all with hiring practices that have race and sexuality and political opinion far far above actual talent these days.
Have you guys seen what counts for comic art these days? That's before you even get to the pathetic child grade story writing.
It's a mess BUT they produced so much great stuff in the70s through mid 00s.....we didn't be short of comic entertainment for a while (and credit where it's due....i actually enjoyed Marvels take on 40k. Could have been better.....but oh it could have been so much worse).
The one problem i see, is to start picking up the choice 80s and90s issues now.....unless you just buy the trade collections, is starting to set the collector back s pretty penny. (I've started storing all my old issues in proper bags and air tight boxes for the first time anyway.....just look at eBay my friends.....issues that people couldn't sell for 0.80p are getting up to £5...£10....£20. That rise isn't going to stop......people still love the art form.....as much as ever, but the major companies have been listening to a few loud dipsticks that make1500 posts on Twitter evers (and don't buy comics anyway).....and are truly wondering 'why are our comics failing when we give the public exactly what they want,with all the gender politics and diversity (less white people)'......' But all the people we've been told are evil white supremacists are making half a million per issue self publishing.....what is happening? And comic sales online are set record highs'
Personally...i put my trust in capitalism.a lot of these idiots have cast iron contracts that will cost millions to buy out.....but they won't last forever.....and good comics will return....I'm sure of it. Though Marvell and even more likely DC will probably be out of business before it happens....when out does, that will be the sign of things being better.
Sorry....rant over
Please never change you wondrous fascist lawman from the GrimDArk. The infestation hasn't got you yet, but you know those fiends would love you in a dress and dispensing justice with kindly words and apologies about being white. They will of course ignores that a chief judge from the90s was a trans character.....all this is new to them,and old and boring to us. It's not like sales of titles for 2005 comics are skyrocketing ( along with their values) and that new comic sales are tanking. That's not happening at all....it's all ists and phobes review bombing new titles.....nothing to do at all with hiring practices that have race and sexuality and political opinion far far above actual talent these days.
Have you guys seen what counts for comic art these days? That's before you even get to the pathetic child grade story writing.
It's a mess BUT they produced so much great stuff in the70s through mid 00s.....we didn't be short of comic entertainment for a while (and credit where it's due....i actually enjoyed Marvels take on 40k. Could have been better.....but oh it could have been so much worse).
The one problem i see, is to start picking up the choice 80s and90s issues now.....unless you just buy the trade collections, is starting to set the collector back s pretty penny. (I've started storing all my old issues in proper bags and air tight boxes for the first time anyway.....just look at eBay my friends.....issues that people couldn't sell for 0.80p are getting up to £5...£10....£20. That rise isn't going to stop......people still love the art form.....as much as ever, but the major companies have been listening to a few loud dipsticks that make1500 posts on Twitter evers (and don't buy comics anyway).....and are truly wondering 'why are our comics failing when we give the public exactly what they want,with all the gender politics and diversity (less white people)'......' But all the people we've been told are evil white supremacists are making half a million per issue self publishing.....what is happening? And comic sales online are set record highs'
Personally...i put my trust in capitalism.a lot of these idiots have cast iron contracts that will cost millions to buy out.....but they won't last forever.....and good comics will return....I'm sure of it. Though Marvell and even more likely DC will probably be out of business before it happens....when out does, that will be the sign of things being better.
Sorry....rant over
September 9, 2022
This is a post-post apocaliptic story, with Dredd. Ulises Fariñas takes the concept of the satire of the future impemented in the british original stories and add modern sensibilities, in this the story works, but even if you discover the origin of the main mystery, there are parts of the journey that feel it could have been helped by a few explanations. I've read many people were confused with the plot, eith i can understand, but for me it was kind of clear when it was explained, even telegraphed from a certain point early on, but is the journey in the world that at some point deviated from a better explanation way earlier.
As for the art, Fariñas covers were good, reminded me of Geoff Darrow or Seth Fisher, but the inside artist felt sketchy at times, even with some good compositions, and after recently reading Dredd vol 1 of his Cased Files, felt even as other thing entirely, graphically speaking.
Not a deep mystery, but this one is more about a fun, somewhat interestin journey, rather than the destination. recommend if you can find it cheap, like I did.
As for the art, Fariñas covers were good, reminded me of Geoff Darrow or Seth Fisher, but the inside artist felt sketchy at times, even with some good compositions, and after recently reading Dredd vol 1 of his Cased Files, felt even as other thing entirely, graphically speaking.
Not a deep mystery, but this one is more about a fun, somewhat interestin journey, rather than the destination. recommend if you can find it cheap, like I did.
July 5, 2020
This story is fantastic.
It revolves around Dredd waking up in a strange world far removed from Mega City One and what really makes it work is the writers refusal to spoon feed the reader. You are left guessing all the way up until the final issue as to what exactly is going on.
The story raises several issues ranging from the role of the internet in society (a huge portion of the story is a pretty obvious allegory for the internet) to the conflict between idealism vs realism.
All around this is a great read accompanied by some fantastic art work. I wish more Dredd fans gave the IDW work more of a chance.
It revolves around Dredd waking up in a strange world far removed from Mega City One and what really makes it work is the writers refusal to spoon feed the reader. You are left guessing all the way up until the final issue as to what exactly is going on.
The story raises several issues ranging from the role of the internet in society (a huge portion of the story is a pretty obvious allegory for the internet) to the conflict between idealism vs realism.
All around this is a great read accompanied by some fantastic art work. I wish more Dredd fans gave the IDW work more of a chance.
August 24, 2018
PUG DREDD PUG DREDD PUG DREDD
A cool take on Dredd that is also a metaphor for the internet and its wild landscape. Dredd meets the Grammar Nazis, Dredd fights anarchy and trolls. Dredd is the law, so he does not side with neither side and bashes people who get triggered by people who hold different views but also misogynistic pigs, all hate the Law.
I enjoyed the story and most of all there was Pug Dredd!
A cool take on Dredd that is also a metaphor for the internet and its wild landscape. Dredd meets the Grammar Nazis, Dredd fights anarchy and trolls. Dredd is the law, so he does not side with neither side and bashes people who get triggered by people who hold different views but also misogynistic pigs, all hate the Law.
I enjoyed the story and most of all there was Pug Dredd!
February 12, 2021
As usual, good Dredd is good. I loved reading the story and how Dredd tries to not be human and not realizing that he's much better when he connects with people. Great story on free will and the role THE LAW plays in society. I love how, as the story goes on, his law is basically Asimov's laws. Honestly, an interesting take on many things which are very well explained. Not perfectly, mind you, but well enough. Dredd is the best person
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2018
Muy loco, todo. Lo bueno que tienen estas historias de IDW es que te las puedes tomar como realidades alternativas y entonces cobran sentido. Puf Dredd es todo un hallazgo, pero me quedo con los veganos. No es una saga imprescindible pero sus momentos de lucidez la convierten en puro Dredd.
May 23, 2019
The future aint what it used to be.
There have always been logical inconsistencies in the judge dredd world. This graphic novel explores many possible subcultures and failures of the future. Quite thought provoking.
There have always been logical inconsistencies in the judge dredd world. This graphic novel explores many possible subcultures and failures of the future. Quite thought provoking.
August 19, 2025
I've been a Judge Dredd fan from way back in the 80's and this was a very different collection. The story was a bit jilted but in the end I was able to follow it. This was the second edition in the series and I have not read the first one yet but I'm sure it would tie up some loose ends.
March 2, 2018
A bit hard to follow at times. The satires of various ideologies were occasionally amusing.
September 29, 2018
When Dredd is good, it's outstanding.
When it's not...
When it's not...
January 19, 2019
More bizarre Judge Dredd comics. A fun read, hard to believe it's been running more than forty years.
November 18, 2021
Pretty good epic about what happens when Dredd is the only law left in a lawless wasteland.
June 24, 2023
The US run of Judge Dredd. Different!
August 2, 2024
How bizarre
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews