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Insurrection: The War Against the Judges Has Begun
Mega-City One mining colony K Alpha 61 has declared independence from the Big Meg and renamed itself Liberty. This act of defiance has angered the Justice Department's Special Judicial Squad. In a bid to stop further colonies from rebelling, war is inevitable...
128 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 11, 2020
Dan Abnett and Colin MacNeil were meant to be together.
February 12, 2012
A very pleasant surprise. I have read some of Dan Abnett's U.S. publisher comic work done in conjunction with Andy Lanning and I know he has begun to branch out in original novels. What I expected was a story about the military arm of he judges set in the Judge Dredd universe. That is only part of the tale. We get the story, with some good social science fiction undertones, of an Earth colony that declares freedom from Earth and Mega-City One.
The reason for the declaration is that the colony had been invaded by aliens. In order to survive and drive off the alien attack the Marshals granted citizenship to the mutants, uplifts (gorillas and yes this appears to be a lift from David Brin's Uplift Series) and droids. Upon hearing that the aliens had been defeated Earth told the Marshals that they had to rescind the grant of citizenship.
For Marshal Luther this was unacceptable. It violated his personal principles, and he knows this means war with Earth, a war that cannot be won. Yes, there are battle scenes, but they are a thinking person's battle scenes. We get talking head scenes between Luther, Freely, his subordinate who is not completely comfortable with the decision to declare independence, droids who consider themselves born again Christians, and Uplifted gorillas and mutants. If expanded and the quality maintained, this would be a fine novel.
The reason for the declaration is that the colony had been invaded by aliens. In order to survive and drive off the alien attack the Marshals granted citizenship to the mutants, uplifts (gorillas and yes this appears to be a lift from David Brin's Uplift Series) and droids. Upon hearing that the aliens had been defeated Earth told the Marshals that they had to rescind the grant of citizenship.
For Marshal Luther this was unacceptable. It violated his personal principles, and he knows this means war with Earth, a war that cannot be won. Yes, there are battle scenes, but they are a thinking person's battle scenes. We get talking head scenes between Luther, Freely, his subordinate who is not completely comfortable with the decision to declare independence, droids who consider themselves born again Christians, and Uplifted gorillas and mutants. If expanded and the quality maintained, this would be a fine novel.
October 22, 2019
This is a interesting book in that I am working my way through the Hatchett Mega Collection of reissued Judge Dredd specials - however this was one title that was missing hence the alternate publication.
This is a rather special story in that it is one of the editions that does not feature Judge Dredd at all. In fact the story takes place off world in one of the may colonies often referred to in the main stories. So it was a rather interesting take on events which you would otherwise never get to see and shows a side to the world of Dredd that you often see references to but never get to explore.
So what you have here is a tour-de-force of the world and society that the Mega-Cities exist in and I must admit that it is a very scary place, one that you can tell teeters constantly on a knife edge of total anarchy.
The story and the artwork and top notch which is what you would expect from the like of Dan Abnett (more famous I suspect for his work with Warhammer 40K) so this is most certainly a book worth getting hold of although do not expect the see Dredd gracing the pages any where.
This is a rather special story in that it is one of the editions that does not feature Judge Dredd at all. In fact the story takes place off world in one of the may colonies often referred to in the main stories. So it was a rather interesting take on events which you would otherwise never get to see and shows a side to the world of Dredd that you often see references to but never get to explore.
So what you have here is a tour-de-force of the world and society that the Mega-Cities exist in and I must admit that it is a very scary place, one that you can tell teeters constantly on a knife edge of total anarchy.
The story and the artwork and top notch which is what you would expect from the like of Dan Abnett (more famous I suspect for his work with Warhammer 40K) so this is most certainly a book worth getting hold of although do not expect the see Dredd gracing the pages any where.
December 27, 2018
This one is great. Beautifully written and constructed, and the artwork is stunning!
September 15, 2018
Its been almost 6 years since first time I read this graphic novel. After purchasing the Lawless book #1 I had to reread this book because its characters play important role in Lawless.
Art is great, shades, crisp shots of action.... It is just beautiful. Story by Dan Abnett is (as it is usually the case with this author) fantastic. Here we have people who have decided that oppresive regime of Mega City One has to be replaced with something better, something that will give everyone their liberty and equality. Taking all of that into account neither protagonists nor antagonists are dreamy or over the edge characters. They are firmly standing on the ground and they know what both sides might need to sacrifice in this conflict to achieve their goals. Truly great SF saga.
Highly recommended to all interested in the great SF action story.
Art is great, shades, crisp shots of action.... It is just beautiful. Story by Dan Abnett is (as it is usually the case with this author) fantastic. Here we have people who have decided that oppresive regime of Mega City One has to be replaced with something better, something that will give everyone their liberty and equality. Taking all of that into account neither protagonists nor antagonists are dreamy or over the edge characters. They are firmly standing on the ground and they know what both sides might need to sacrifice in this conflict to achieve their goals. Truly great SF saga.
Highly recommended to all interested in the great SF action story.
Read
January 3, 2015As a standalone saga of a space colony rebelling against Earth rule, this could have done with more room to breathe but would be solid enough. It's undermined, though, by being tied to the Dredd-verse in ways which throw up weird inconsistencies. And any resonance or ambiguity you might gain by having Judges as the antagonists (cf some of the best Dredd stories, especially 'America') is lost when you make them SJS - Justice Department's sinister, SS-styled internal affairs team, who almost invariably appear in villainous roles anyhow.
January 11, 2025
I'm conflicted on this one. I really enjoyed it and the artwork is incredible. But it doesn't read like a Judge Dredd universe story, it reads like a Warhammer 40k story. It even looks like one, almost as though it was written and drawn for Games Workshop, rejected and then just tweaked to add in Mega City designs.
It was good, but not at all Dredd related.
It was good, but not at all Dredd related.
September 15, 2016
BY THE EMPEROR!
Uh, I mean, in the name of Justice.
Surely this is a reworked Wh40K tale. But. It's a great one.
Uh, I mean, in the name of Justice.
Surely this is a reworked Wh40K tale. But. It's a great one.
November 16, 2023
Insurrection is set in the Judge Dredd universe but, aside from some lingo and the antagonists being the Special Judicial Squad, this could just have easily been it's own thing. Whereas you root for the Judges in Judge Dredd, here the entire thing is a gray area.
Mega City One Colony K Alpha 61 was invaded by the Zhind, an alien race claiming ownership to the minerals of this space settlement. Despite numerous pleas to Mega City One, no help was sent. So the Judges granted the mutants, uplifts, and droids citizenship and enlisted them in a war, which they won, renaming the colony Liberty. This is where our story begins.
Liberty has declared independence from Earth, something that does not go over well. Mega City One sends the Special Judicial Squad (which will be referred to as the SJS from here on out) to reclaim it's territory...something that also does not go over well. What you have is basically a wafer thin metaphor for the United States, who revolted from England (where this story was originally published).
The sequel, Insurrection II (from issues 305-310), sees our “heroes” (depending on your point of view) flee Liberty and spread their message, causing an uprising an a droid-only factory which manufactures the Trilinear Chip. This then poses the question of equality. Are sacrifices okay if they are not human? Are robots the equal to humans since they have fought shoulder to shoulder with humans for the very same thing? This is an allegory for the Civil War. The droids have developed a pulse virus which can short out every Trilinear Chip on Earth, essentially setting Earth back hundreds of years. What is one to do? I won't tell you.
There is no answer. We are left with a question, which I LOVE.
Mega City One Colony K Alpha 61 was invaded by the Zhind, an alien race claiming ownership to the minerals of this space settlement. Despite numerous pleas to Mega City One, no help was sent. So the Judges granted the mutants, uplifts, and droids citizenship and enlisted them in a war, which they won, renaming the colony Liberty. This is where our story begins.
Liberty has declared independence from Earth, something that does not go over well. Mega City One sends the Special Judicial Squad (which will be referred to as the SJS from here on out) to reclaim it's territory...something that also does not go over well. What you have is basically a wafer thin metaphor for the United States, who revolted from England (where this story was originally published).
The sequel, Insurrection II (from issues 305-310), sees our “heroes” (depending on your point of view) flee Liberty and spread their message, causing an uprising an a droid-only factory which manufactures the Trilinear Chip. This then poses the question of equality. Are sacrifices okay if they are not human? Are robots the equal to humans since they have fought shoulder to shoulder with humans for the very same thing? This is an allegory for the Civil War. The droids have developed a pulse virus which can short out every Trilinear Chip on Earth, essentially setting Earth back hundreds of years. What is one to do? I won't tell you.
There is no answer. We are left with a question, which I LOVE.
June 28, 2025
Insurrection follows the Mega-City One colony on the world they name Liberty. Off-screen there had been an alien invasion, which the colony fought off by granting citizenship to their robots, their mutants, and their uplifted animals, and getting them to join the fight. MC1 sent no help.
After the war was won, MC1 demanded the citizenship be revoked. Liberty declared independence. MC1 launched a military strike to reclaim the mining colony. This set up takes place in the opening pages.
The story follows the colony’s fight to survive against a space war corp of the Judges with 16,000 troops. The colony use all the tricks they learnt in their war to even the odds.
It’s an interesting story of the underdogs taking on the superior force in a fight for basic rights. It’s a different tone to the fascist views of the Judges in MC1.
The art is done well. The story is fine. The depictions of the military Judges comes across more as a Warhammer look, with the bulky, too-heavy, no-neck look with skulls everywhere. A dash of Nemesis the Warlock as well. I enjoyed it well enough, but it didn’t feel like a 2000AD Judge story.
After the war was won, MC1 demanded the citizenship be revoked. Liberty declared independence. MC1 launched a military strike to reclaim the mining colony. This set up takes place in the opening pages.
The story follows the colony’s fight to survive against a space war corp of the Judges with 16,000 troops. The colony use all the tricks they learnt in their war to even the odds.
It’s an interesting story of the underdogs taking on the superior force in a fight for basic rights. It’s a different tone to the fascist views of the Judges in MC1.
The art is done well. The story is fine. The depictions of the military Judges comes across more as a Warhammer look, with the bulky, too-heavy, no-neck look with skulls everywhere. A dash of Nemesis the Warlock as well. I enjoyed it well enough, but it didn’t feel like a 2000AD Judge story.
November 26, 2025
What really lifts this is Colin MacNeil's fantastic greytone painted artwork, but the story & script, by Dan Abnett is also very good, relating the tale of mining colony K-Alpha 61 rebelling against Mega-City One after they battle and defeat the alien Zhind.
A gripping and human (& mutant & droid & uplift) story...
A gripping and human (& mutant & droid & uplift) story...
January 19, 2021
My first steps into the war genre. Not as bad as I thought it would be, not as one-dimensional. Some good lines. And I became weirdly fond of the art...
November 30, 2021
Pair awesome art with fantastic storytelling within the 2000AD setting and you get this masterpiece.
February 27, 2022
Pretty damn good one this was. The whole series was pretty damn good one.
June 10, 2023
Excellent stuff
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews